Aims and objectives
- encourage and support volunteering as an activity across Mid Devon
- support and advise voluntary organisations across Mid Devon
- enable consultation, liaison and discussion between voluntary organisations and statutory bodies
- assist community development across Mid Devon
- ensure that the voluntary sector in Mid Devon has a voice on relevant issues
- provide management and administrative support and space to appropriate projects relevant to the voluntary sector and volunteers
Functions of CVS
- development - working with users and providers to review existing services, identify unmet needs and facilitate action to meet them
- resource centre - providing help with photocopying, information and advice about funding, constitutions, and local resources
- training - developing courses on management, fundraising, publicity, working with volunteers, etc. for local groups
- networking - exchanging information and opinion between organisations, through the newsletter and regular or special meetings
- pressing for change - raising issues for discussion on topics of local and national importance
- enabling voluntary organisations themselves to speak more effectively to statutory agencies
- protecting the interests of local voluntary organisations, through negotiation and publicity
Direct services - developing and supporting projects and schemes, which help individuals - without seeking to control or continue long-term involvement (these services should not over balance the other functions of CVS; it is part of CVS' function to develop their ultimate independence).
Core Functions of a Volunteer Centre
- Brokerage - matching potential volunteers to appropriate volunteering opportunities according to their needs, interests and skills
- Marketing volunteering - promoting volunteering through local, regional and national events and campaigns
- Good practice development - encouraging and supporting volunteer-involving organisations to achieve best practice in working with volunteers
- Developing volunteering opportunities - working with organisations to initiate new volunteering opportunities and develop existing opportunities
- Policy response and campaigning
- Strategic development of volunteering
Involve Believes That:
- In equality of opportunity and the fair treatment of all individuals and groups. This is central to our beliefs and we strive at all times to implement our equal opportunities policy, incorporating equal opportunities into the monitoring of all our services, employment policy and procedures. We endeavour to treat everybody with respect.
- In tackling poverty and social exclusion through encouraging and supporting voluntary sector activity and 'partnership' work which addresses these issues.
- In the value of volunteering as an activity, enhancing and improving the quality of life both for the volunteers themselves and the community as a whole.
- In valuing the contribution of the voluntary sector and its workers, both paid and unpaid.
- That it is important to respond quickly, particularly to people in need.
- That people should have the opportunity to participate in decisions affecting their lives.
- In achieving high quality in all its service delivery, striving to maintain good practice in all its activities and disseminating good practice when advising client groups.
- In the value and importance of training and continual professional development for all staff, volunteers and committee members.
- In promoting and encouraging co-operation/partnership amongst voluntary organisations and between statutory organisations and voluntary organisations.
- In enabling, empowering and engaging all members and groups within the community to get involved in the issues that affect and interest them.
- In ensuring that the voices of the voluntary sector and its beneficiaries are heard.
- In independence from funders. Whilst fulfilling any agreements made between the organisation and its funders, Involve will not be led / directed by funders and funding 'pots', rather seek funders who will enable Involve to pursue its own aims and plans. Involve will not take funding from sources seeking to promote an inappropriate image through the organisation's publicity.
- In the importance of financial prudence and seeking value for money whilst endeavouring to source services from local providers, thus contributing to the local economy and purchasing fair trade produce where possible.
- That it is important not to waste natural resources. We therefore recycle and reuse paper / envelopes etc. and disseminate information via email whenever possible.
- It is important to give all our 'clients' time and attention in a friendly, unbiased manner and in confidence.
Revised October 2008
Next Review October 2009
Membership Criteria:
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The membership, in accepting these values and formal structure, sets out to:
- create a local network of voluntary organisations with common interests, sharing information, ideas and action
- encourage good practice within member organisations
- assist forward thinking and suggest ways in which Involve might focus on social problems and develop opportunities for improvement in community life
- protect the interests of local voluntary organisation
In seeking a broad cross-section of organisations, Involve is established to take an interest in every aspect of community life. Involve endeavours to involve those organisations, which are concerned with social welfare and the environment together with those in cultural and recreational activities. Members are drawn from all sectors of the community, including ethnic, religious and minority groups, including statutory and voluntary bodies.
Involve exists to help organisations to be effective and to work together in their area of benefit. This means working closely with those who have responsibility for services of all kinds, including the statutory authorities, and all organisations in the voluntary sector.
On occasions, the membership may not reach a consensus view on particular issues. In such instances, Involve makes sure that everyone is aware of the various arguments, but might not take a particular point of view itself. It is important that Involve helps individual organisations express their own views clearly.
Staff and volunteers
INVOLVE recognises and welcomes the important contribution made by volunteers working in any capacity for this organisation,
and seeks to develop good practice in accordance with the following principles:
Involve believes that Volunteers should:
- Have a clear understanding of their role within the organisation, the tasks they are being asked to perform, and the responsibility that goes with those tasks.
- Be told who is responsible for their support: they can expect regular access to this person who should, in turn, ensure that each volunteer is given the support they need.
- Have access to and be encouraged to play a part in, the decision-making process of INVOLVE.
- Be adequately protected against any risks involved in the work they undertake for INVOLVE.
- Have access to INVOLVE's Complaints and Grievance Procedures.
- Observe INVOLVE's Confidentiality Policy.
- Receive all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and not in any respect suffer financially by volunteering.
- Have the opportunity to undertake training related to the work they have agreed to do.
- Be enabled, through adequate support and supervision to find their volunteering with INVOLVE rewarding and enjoyable.
Revised June 2008
Next Review June 2009
Employment Policy:
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INVOLVE employs paid members of staff to undertake the work of the organisation in order that it can fulfil its aims and objectives.
Involve believes in equality of opportunity for all, and endeavours to make all jobs open to applicants regardless of their
gender, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, ethnic or cultural background or religious beliefs. Involve, regrettably acknowledges
the limitations imposed by its first floor location and continues to seek solutions to the accessibility issues which arise from it.
Whenever applicable and possible we will consider requests to replace Christian (and other) bank holidays with holidays of significance
to people of other faiths. In line with this we will also consider requests to move time off relating to bank holidays to other working days
as necessary to meet family needs. These considerations are on the basis that the total number of days requested does not exceed the total
number of bank holidays allowed - 9 in total, 6 of which are for Christian festivals (adjusted appropriately in relation to part time employment).
When considering employment Involve is committed to the identification of appropriate staffing levels incorporating reasonable and appropriate Job
Descriptions. The Remuneration will be based on identified relevant NJC pay scale points and will increase annually in line with the
NJC pay scale agreements.
Involve is also committed to:
- abide by or improve on the terms & conditions required by employment law
- identify and budget for remuneration appropriate to the role and responsibilities
- identify and budget for training and out of pocket expenses relevant to the role
- recruit for roles in accordance with Involve's recruitment procedures
- the appointment of skilled staff with experience relevant to the role
- provide all employees with a contract of employment within the timeframe stipulated by law
- provide an appropriate induction (supported by an induction pack)
- provide a formal review at the conclusion of the probationary period
- ensure ongoing support and supervision
- encourage professional development within the role
- enable the provision of training to staff on issues relevant to their role
- provide the re-imbursement of approved out-of-pocket expenses including (where appropriate) an essential car users allowance
- abide by its grievance and complaints procedure
- provide an opportunity to partake in a stakeholders pension scheme, enhanced by employer contributions to an identified maximum percentage
- retain a reserve sufficient to cover its redundancy commitments
Revised October 2008
Next Review October 2009
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