INVOLVE YOUNG PEOPLE
Young people can bring fresh perspectives, ideas; creativity; skills; and enthusiasm to any group & organisation to achieve a greater impact in their work and community.
THE BENEFITS OF YOUTH VOLUNTEERING:
· Volunteering delivers real benefits to organisations & groups, for young volunteers, and to the wider community.
· Young people can bring fresh perspectives, new ideas and increased capacity to an organisation or group.
· They can champion and raise awareness with their peers, teachers, parents and wider community.
· Local media like stories of young people doing positive things, bringing positive coverage.
· Services for young people can be designed, delivered & evaluated based on actual rather than presumed needs.
· Learning by doing and direct involvement can complement young people’s formal education and allow them to experience and develop existing and new skills.
· Volunteering can help young people gain experience for employment and also for college or university applications; demonstrating interest, experience and commitment outside of formal education.
· Young people becoming positively involved in their communities, can inspire others; develop skills, confidence and self-esteem; and speak out about issues that matter to them and effect positive change.
· Volunteering should be rewarding, enjoyable and fun, and offer the chance to meet new people, learn new things, meet new challenges, and have new experiences.
To encourage and beneficially involve young people, the following can help:
· Using positive images of young people and being ‘youth-friendly’ in materials, etc.
· Responding quickly and positively to enquires and concerns.
· Using simple, concise and easily understandable application forms and other materials.
· Being as informal, friendly and as un-bureaucratic as possible.
· Creating clear, interesting, varied and enjoyable volunteering roles for young people.
· Providing adequate induction, simple and clear information, and an easily understandable role description.
· Recognising the other commitments and responsibilities a young person may have at home, school, college or work, and offer flexibility in approach and the times volunteers can be involved.
· Having an approachable point of contact for each volunteer and offer good support systems.
· Supporting and encouraging young volunteers to be positively involved, express their point of view, ask questions and offering them constructive feedback.
· Aiming to make the volunteers feel empowered, consulting and involving them in the development of their volunteering and considering what further opportunities or training could be made available to assist their involvement and develop their experience.
· Giving praise and recognition as appropriate and supporting them in having their volunteering recognised and accredited, such as through v awards.
· Appropriate policies & procedures, including ‘Volunteering’; ‘Health & Safety’; ‘Equal Opportunities’; ‘Confidentiality’ & ‘Data Protection’; ‘Safeguarding Children’ and/or ‘Vulnerable Adults’; ‘Complaints Procedure’; ‘Disciplinary Procedures’
· Insurance covering ‘volunteers’, usually ‘Employer’s Liability’ and/or ‘Public Liability’, and maybe ‘Professional Indemnity’ depending upon role. Most policies cover 16+ year olds or are not expensive to extend coverage to but need to check.
· Disability access or commitment to considering ‘reasonable adjustments’ to enable the involvement of volunteers with disabilities.
· CRB checks for volunteers/staff in a ‘regulated’ position in the ‘Criminal Justice & Court Services Act 2000’ or covered by ‘Care Standards Act 2000’; and/or who may have regular & unsupervised contact; or care for, train, supervise or be in sole charge of children (or ‘vulnerable adults’); or supervise/manage a person who does.
· Consent from the ‘Person with Legal Parental Responsibility’ if under 18 years, unless 16 or older and marries; or is living independently.
· Payment of legitimate expenses, such as travel costs, so as lack of money isn’t a barrier to getting involved.
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