Contents
Ten things you need to know about volunteering 2 4–5 6 7 8 9 10-12 14 15-16 17 18 19-20 22-25 26-28 29-33 36 37-39 42-43 44 45 46 47-48 49-51 52 53 56-57 58
Welcome
The Voluntary Services Unit UCL Union Volunteering Society Three types of volunteering Other ways of getting involved Why Volunteer? Rights and Responsibilities
Finding a Project
What’s on offer? Finding a Project The Volunteer Application Form and Interview One-Off Projects The Innovations Programme Support from your Project Support from the Volunteering Service Unit Volunteering and your CV Health and Safety Safety Tips
Once You’re Volunteering
Safe Volunteering Other Important Information
Confidentiality Equal Opportunities and Diversity Complaints Procedure Disciplinary Procedure VSU Health & Safety Procedures VSU Accident & Emergency Procedures VSU Expenses Claim Procedure Partner Project Service Standards Before you start volunteering Once you’ve started volunteering
What to do if…
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Ten things you need to know about volunteering! 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
The Voluntary Services Unit is here to help you throughout your volunteering. There’s also a student-run Volunteering Society, where you can meet your fellow volunteers. Please tell us when you do start – it helps us to help you if we know. Watch out for our weekly email newsletter – it’s got new projects, one-off events, and lots more. All of our projects pay travel expenses – don’t forget to claim them back! At the end of the year, you’ll get a certificate recording your volunteering achievements. We also run an accreditation scheme that helps you prove what you’ve learnt as a volunteer. If you’ve got a project idea of your own, we can help you as part of our Innovations Programme. All organisations we work with have signed up to a set of volunteer management standards. If you enjoy volunteering – spread the word! We’re recruiting for department and hall reps.
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Welcome
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The Voluntary Services Unit
Thank you for your interest in volunteering. This booklet is about the how, the why, and the what of volunteering at UCL. You’ll find lots of useful information about how you can get involved in the different community projects that we work with. The Voluntary Services Unit opened in September 2002 to co-ordinate volunteering at University College London. Our aim is to increase the number of students and staff involved in good quality volunteering in the local community. There are four members of staff at the VSU: John Braime – Voluntary Services Coordinator Dee Davis – Voluntary Services Assistant Petra Wahlqvist – Voluntary Services Assistant Alison Gordon – Voluntary Services Assistant Internal Liaison When you visit, you might also meet some of the Student Volunteer Advisors who help out in our office.
Last year about 350 students and staff got involved with VSU projects. Some volunteered regularly at the same project throughout the year, some just spent an afternoon at one of our one-off events.
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What we do:
Find placements for volunteers Help students set up their own community action projects (The Innovations Programme) Publish a regular newsletter Organise volunteering fairs Run the Volunteer Personal Development Award Organise the annual Volunteer Awards Ceremony in June
New to volunteering?
If you’ve never done any volunteering at all, it doesn’t matter. Most of our projects don’t require previous volunteering experience, and if you’re worried or unsure about anything, the VSU is here to help and advise you both before and after you start. If you do want to try out volunteering, there will probably never be a better time than whilst you’re at UCL.
VSU Webpages
You can keep up to date with the Voluntary Services Unit and find out about all of our activities on our webpages at www.uclunion.org/volunteer
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UCL Union Volunteering Society
VolSoc is run by students, for students, in partnership with the Voluntary Services Unit. VolSoc helps volunteers in a number of ways, including organising great socials and acting as a peer support group for student volunteers. In addition, they are helping to shape the development of volunteering at UCL, so if you’ve got ideas about how things can be improved, get involved. VolSoc are also looking at international volunteering, and publish the volunteering magazine Halo. The society meets for lunch every Wednesday afternoon – new members are always very welcome. For more information about the society, email v.society@ucl.ac.uk or visit their website www.volsoc.tk
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Three types of volunteering!
We’ve three different types of volunteering on offer at the VSU.
Community Partners
The VSU has links with 140 different volunteering organisations, ranging from small community groups, through to very large recruiters like University College Hospital. What they’ve all got in common is they had to meet standards set by the VSU, and have signed up to a code of practice on volunteer management. You’ll find a copy of this on page 53.
The Innovations Programme
We also support students who set up and run their own community action projects. If you’re volunteering on one of these student-led projects, you’re likely to have even more contact with the VSU than you would on a community partners project. To find out more, see pages 19 – 20.
One-Off Events
We organise a range of one-off volunteering events, and promote those set up by our Community Partners. So if you can’t make a regular commitment, you can still get involved. We can also help you set up your own one-off for your hall, department, or your club or society.
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Other ways of getting involved
There are other ways of getting involved with the development of volunteering at UCL.
Department and Hall Reps
We’re on the lookout for students to promote volunteering in their own departments and halls. The role can involve putting up posters, giving a quick talk before one of your lectures, speaking at freshers’ induction, or anything else that you think will help spread the message – you’re the expert! Reps have also organised one-off volunteering events for their fellow students – a bit of conservation work or some painting & decorating makes a refreshing change from the rigours of academia. Contact Alison Gordon at the VSU at a.gordon@ucl.ac.uk to find out more.
Tell us what you think!
We need to know what our most important stakeholders – you, the volunteers – think about our work. If you’ve any comments, observations or suggestions, let us know by emailing volunteering@ucl.ac.uk. The VSU holds regular meetings with the Volunteering Society, who advise us about all aspects of our work. VolSoc also send two reps to sit on our steering committee. If you want to get really involved in the development of volunteering, get in touch with VolSoc at v.society@ucl.ac.uk or visit their website www.volsoc.tk
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Why Volunteer?
By volunteering, you not only make a huge difference to other people, you also reap a host of benefits yourself. Although the work is unpaid, the rewards from volunteering are many: Improving your CV. Developing new skills. Free training courses. Getting valuable experience in a field related to your career choice. Building your confidence. Increasing your understanding of other people and of different communities. Feeling part of your local community. Feeling that you are making a difference. Making new friends. Getting a reference. Having fun!
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Rights and Responsibilities
What you can expect from us:
To have a choice of volunteering opportunities, a clear description of the nature of these and relevant contact details. Advice and help if you have any questions and concerns regarding your volunteering experience. Information about Volunteering Society events and activities. Advice and support if you’ve got a good idea for a new community project. Opportunities to get involved in the planning and delivery of the work of the VSU. Clear policies and procedures. To be treated fairly and in accordance with our equal opportunities policy. For any information you give us to be treated confidentially and in accordance with good data protection practice.
We vet all organisations we refer volunteers to, and will only work with not-for-profit organisations with charitable purposes. We will not work with organisations who do not provide adequate support or safeguards for volunteers.
“I like the way that VSU and UCL take volunteering so seriously and offer every volunteer a certificate. That really encourages people in doing more volunteering work in future.”
Chao Cai, volunteer with Language Skills Pool
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What we expect from you:
To honour the commitment you have made to the voluntary organisation or project you work with. To be punctual and give your project adequate warning if you will be late or unavailable when expected. To respect confidentiality. To not discriminate against others. To say no to responsibilities that you know or suspect you will not be able to fulfil. To report any concerns or complaints to your supervisor on the project and to the VSU. To follow the policies and procedures of your project. To remember that in the eyes of many people you come into contact with as a volunteer, you are a representative of UCL and UCL Union.
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What you can expect from your project:
To promptly reply to enquiries from prospective volunteers To ensure that your volunteering is as safe and well organised as possible. To provide an induction covering all necessary aspects of health and safety (including safe use of equipment, information about risks and how to minimise risks, and emergency procedures) To let you know about any relevant policies or procedures, such as child protection. To provide the training necessary for your volunteering role. To have a supervisor who’ll help guide and support you in your volunteering.
All of our projects have signed up to a set of service standards – you can see a copy at page 53.
Remember, if you have any concerns or questions whilst you’re volunteering, the VSU is here to help. Email us at volunteering@ucl.ac.uk or drop into our offices on the second floor of the UCL Bloomsbury.
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Finding a Project
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What’s on offer?
At the VSU, we try to find something for everyone. We have a wide range of volunteering opportunities – for example, you could: Help run sporting activities for children with learning disabilities Provide IT support to elderly people on computer training courses. Conduct guided tours around some of London’s heritage sites. Get your hands dirty planting new trees in a conservation area. Staff a telephone helpline for people with mental health problems. Help a women’s health charity raise valuable funds. Support teenage victims of crime in Camden. Help out at exercise classes for disabled people. Feed the animals at an urban farm. Help young people design the annual report for their youth club. Or if you’ve got your own idea, we can help you turn it into a new project. We have many more projects beside these – for more information, visit our webpages: www.uclunion.org/volunteer, or view the noticeboards outside our office.
“I'm impressed by the scope of projects on offer. More students should get involved!”
Marta Korus, UCL student volunteer on St. Michael’s Renewal Project
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Finding a Project
We’re here to match you up with your perfect project, and support you once you’ve started volunteering.
Step 1: All you need to do is
make an appointment, then come into our office for a chat with one of our advisors. We’ll talk about your interests, skills and what you want to achieve as a volunteer. We’ll also ask you to fill out one of our registration forms so we can add you to our database. This will enable us to keep you up-to-date about future events and opportunities.
Step 2: Using our database, we’ll
suggest some projects that we think you’ll find interesting and rewarding. We’ll print out the information about the project, and if you like, you can contact them from our office. Alternatively, you might like to go away and read the information before you contact them. We’ll give you information on up to 5 different projects, and we’ll email the coordinators to let them know you’ve expressed an interest.
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Alternatively: if you’ve
seen a project you’re interested in on our website or in our newsletter, drop us a line and we’ll send you the details.
Step 3: Contact the projects,
either by email or phone. Be prepared to tell them a bit about yourself, such as why you’re interested in volunteering with them. They’ll then either invite you in to see them or send you a registration form. They’ll probably ask for references, and may ask to fill in a form for the Criminal Records Bureau (for more info on this, see the next page).
How many projects should I contact?
You’ll probably not know if a project is the right one for you until you’ve made contact, and so it may be a good idea to get in touch with two or three that look promising. You’re just enquiring at this stage, so until you’ve made a commitment you’re under no obligation.
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The Volunteer Application Form and Interview
Many projects will ask you to fill out an application form and may invite you in for an interview. This may sound rather formal – however, it is just part of the process of getting the right people into the right opportunities. What’s the Criminal Record Bureau?
Projects working with vulnerable groups, such as children or elderly people, may ask you to complete a form from the Criminal Records Bureau (or CRB for short). This is a fairly short form to complete, though you will need proof of your identity such as passport and utility bills. The form is usually processed within four weeks. See www.crb.gov.uk/ for more details. You will not be charged for your CRB Disclosure.
Unlike a job application form and interview, you are not in competition with anyone else when applying to be a volunteer. Rather, the aim is to make sure that the project is the right one for you. The interview is also a chance for you to quiz the organisation! Usually volunteering interviews are much more informal than job interviews. Nonetheless, they can be good practice for when you are looking for paid work. Still nervous? Come and have a chat with the VSU and we can do a practice interview if you like!
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One-Off Projects
Not everyone can make a regular commitment to volunteering. You may be too busy or your schedule too unpredictable. You can still get involved though! Throughout the year we offer a number of one-off volunteering events. In the past, this has included: Accompanying people with disabilities on a trip to the theatre Painting a mural at a primary school Helping at an open day at a local children’s charity Collecting money at a charity concert Stewarding at a community football tournament Helping out on a day trip to Brighton for elderly people If you register for our weekly newsletter, you’ll receive information about one-off activities by email. To do this, simply send an email to volunteering@ucl.ac.uk with “Newsletter subscription” in the subject header. You’ll also go on the mailing list if you’ve filled out one of our registration forms, and you can view the newsletter on our webpages at www.uclunion.org/volunteer or on the noticeboard outside our offices.
Organise a volunteering day for your department!
If you think your fellow students could do with a day away from their studies, we can help you organise a one-off event just for you. To find out more, email Alison at a.gordon@ucl.ac.uk
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The Innovations Programme
Student-led projects
If you fancy a challenge, we are looking for people who can develop and lead new community projects. It could be organising a tea party for elderly people, setting up an after-school scheme, or getting a neighbourhood gardening project going – or anything that meets a need in the community. It’s a brilliant way to develop project management skills and you’ll get a great feeling of satisfaction. If you’re not sure about what sort of project you’d like to do, but would relish the opportunity to lead a project, we have plenty of project ideas we’ve picked up through the VSU’s work in the community. We will help with advice, supervision, and can provide office resources. We also have the VSU Grant Scheme of up to £2000 which you can apply to for funding towards training and other resources. Examples of projects that students have done in the past include: A children’s teddy bear’s clinic Activities with young refugees A translating service for community groups Helping elderly people with their gardening Conservation activities Many of our Innovations Programme projects are also looking for volunteers, so you can still get
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involved even if you don’t want to be a project leader.
“I have discovered ways of getting involved with the community that I did not think were possible before. I was given the opportunity to use my initiative, and as a result, I have been able to share my interest with lots of wonderful people.”
Joyce Ngai, Project Leader on the Music Project
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Once you’re volunteering
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Support from your Project
As a volunteer, you’ll receive support from both the project and the VSU. The following few pages detail what every project should provide for its volunteers. If you feel that you are not being adequately supported, you should speak to your supervisor or to the VSU immediately.
Induction
Before you start volunteering, you should receive an induction, which may include: An opportunity to discuss your role – what you’ll be doing, what you might achieve. Information about any training that is being offered. Details about who will be your supervisor and what form this supervision will take. Any important dates you should know about – volunteer meetings, forthcoming events, etc. Introduction to staff, volunteers and other people. A tour of the building you’re volunteering in. Explanation of what to do if you’ve any questions. Background information about the organisation. Explanation of how to claim expenses. Important health & safety information (for example, where the fire escape is). They may also go over some of their key policies and procedures, including:
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Equal Opportunities Confidentiality Disciplinary and grievance procedures If you are working with children, young people or vulnerable adults, your induction should cover policies and procedures for working with these groups. The exact form your induction will take depends upon the type of project. For instance, for a one-off conservation event, it will be fairly short and will concentrate on safe use of tools and other practical information. For a mentoring project for young people, it will be much more detailed. It is important that whatever you are doing you look through the above checklist – if there’s anything you don’t think you’ve been told – ask your supervisor, or if you are unsure, come and talk to us at the VSU.
Training
The VSU will provide you with information about what training your project will offer. For some projects it is a requirement that you undergo an initial training programme, others will just offer optional training. This might be through a formal course, or it could be on-the-job.
Remember – if you feel like you’ve not been
adequately prepared for your volunteering, don’t be afraid to raise this with your supervisor, or with one of the staff members at the VSU.
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Supervision
Supervision is a two-way process where your manager gives you feedback about your volunteering and equally gives you an opportunity to raise any issues you may have. It might take the form of a regular one-to-one session, or sometimes can happen as a group meeting.
Expenses
We require that all of our external projects pay travel expenses, except for very small community organisations with limited budgets where we might foot the bill. Some organisations pay other expenses as well, such as lunch or childcare – we’ll be able to tell you which ones do this. The VSU pays expenses for student-led projects.
Health and Safety
Your project should do its utmost to ensure that your volunteering is as safe as possible. This includes telling you about any potential risks and what they will do to minimise the danger from these risks, including training for you. If you feel that you are being asked to do anything unsafe or that you’re not sure about, speak to your supervisor or the VSU before you go any further.
Resources
You’ll need access to various things in order to carry out your volunteering tasks. These might include
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tools, desk space, phones, photocopiers or reference books, or other items of equipment. If there is something that you think you need to enable you to do your voluntary work, you should ask the project supervisor.
Listening
Volunteering can be difficult and challenging – but it should also be enjoyable and rewarding. If you are not enjoying it, then please don’t keep quiet – speak to your supervisor or the VSU. And please don’t just walk away from the project without telling anyone why – if no one knows what the problem is, nothing can be done to put it right.
Fun
Your project may organise socials or other gettogethers for volunteers – ask your supervisor for more information. And don’t forget about the Volunteering Society – this is the perfect way to meet other student volunteers. For more info, see page 6.
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Support from the Voluntary Services Unit
Once you’ve started volunteering, we’re still here to help you. These are a few of the ways we do this:
Drop-in Advice
The VSU is usually open during normal office hours, so feel free to drop in to ask for help or advice. If you’re making a special journey, it is best to make an appointment so we can guarantee that we’re available – email volunteering@ucl.ac.uk or phone 020 7679 2512.
Keeping in touch
We’ll keep in contact with you. After one month, you should receive a phone call from one of our staff, and after two months we’ll ask you to fill in a questionnaire about your experiences. Please complete this – it’s an important way in which we can tell whether or not we’re doing a good job, and to see how your volunteering is going.
Recognising your hard work
The VSU runs two schemes to formally recognise the hard work of UCL volunteers. These are: UCL Volunteering Awards Everyone who has volunteered during the year gets a certificate, awarded at a ceremony during National Volunteers’ Week in June. If you can’t
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make the ceremony, we’ll post the certificate to you. UCL Volunteering Personal Development Awards This is a scheme which will help you look at the skills you’ve developed as a volunteer, and see how these fit in with your own personal and career development. The award includes sessions on reflective learning and on drawing up a personal development plan. Email us at volunteering@ucl.ac.uk to find out more.
Support for disabled volunteers
We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to volunteer. If you have a disability and require additional support with your volunteering, please let us know.
Newsletter
Every week, the VSU publishes an e-newsletter with news about new projects, one-off volunteering, training, socials, and other useful bits of information. When you register with us, we will put you on the mailing list for this. You can also read it on our webpages.
Library
The VSU has a small library of books on different aspects of volunteering and social policy. The books
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are available on a short loan basis to UCL students and staff. You can view the library list at www.uclunion.org/job_market/skills_development/i _want_to_volunteer/
And don’t forget the Volunteering Society!
VolSoc organises great socials and is a good way to meet other UCL volunteers and get a bit of support from your fellow volunteers. They meet every Wednesday lunchtime – why not get involved. For more information about the society, email v.society@ucl.ac.uk or visit their website www.volsoc.tk Also, see page 6 of this handbook.
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Volunteering and your CV
Through volunteering, you’ll have the chance to develop the sorts of skills that employers look for when recruiting graduates, or that might be useful when applying for further study. However, it’s easy to get so engrossed in your volunteering that you don’t notice that you’re actually picking up all this valuable experience. You might find it useful to use the following pages to make a record of your personal development. Think about examples from your volunteering and make some notes of occasions where you’ve demonstrated these skills. Revisit these pages every month or so during your volunteering and add to them. You can also speak to an advisor at UCL Careers Service about putting a CV together – visit http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/ for more information. You can find out more about key skills at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/keyskills/
Want to know more? The VSU has copies of “The Art of Crazy Paving”, a 44-page guide on how volunteering can help you with your career planning. For a free copy, pop into our offices.
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Volunteering and your CV – page 1
Have you worked as part of a team? What have you learnt about team work?
Have you had to improve your time management? In what ways have you had to organise yourself as a volunteer?
Which different people have you had to communicate with – both verbally and in writing? Why were you communicating with them?
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Volunteering and your CV – page 2
Have you had to negotiate with anyone – and if so, what have you learnt about your own abilities as a negotiator?
Have you had to be adaptable as a volunteer? In what ways?
In what ways have you had to use your own initiative?
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Volunteering and your CV – page 3
What problems have you had to deal with in the course of your volunteering? How did you overcome them?
Are there any additional skills you’ve acquired?
Did you have to show leadership skills as a volunteer? Did you have any special areas of responsibility?
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Volunteering and your CV – page 4
What qualities and attitudes have you needed in order to make a success of your volunteering?
What have you most enjoyed about volunteering? What are you proudest of?
UCL Volunteering Personal Development Award The VSU runs an accreditation programme, enabling you to identify and record what skills you’re developing as a volunteer. For more info, see page 27.
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Safe Volunteering
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Health and Safety
Your supervisor should inform you about relevant health and safety policies and procedures on your project. We’ve included a bit of information here for general guidance. Your own health & safety, and that of the people you are working with, is of the utmost importance. If you are asked to do anything you think is not safe – do not do it! and notify the Voluntary Services Unit as soon as possible.
Safety Policy and Risk Assessment
Every project should have a health and safety policy, outlining what they are doing to keep staff, volunteers and members of the public as safe as possible. They should also have a risk assessment explaining how dangers will be minimised and have procedures to follow in case of an accident or emergency You should be told about Health and Safety as part of your induction. If you are volunteering on a project run by the VSU or by other students at UCL, then the VSU Health and Safety Policy and accident and emergency procedures will apply (see pages 47 - 51)
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Safety Tips
As a volunteer you too have a duty towards the health and safety of other people you are working with. It’s vitally important that you: learn how to work safely; use any protective clothing provided (for example, gardening gloves on a conservation project); report things that seem dangerous, damaged or faulty; only use tools or equipment after you have been trained to do so. The following few pages contain useful information about safer volunteering.
Tidiness/Hygiene
Do you have facilities to keep your hands clean? Is your work environment tidy and clean? If you are working with food, have you been told about food hygiene procedures?
Working with animals
We do place volunteers with projects working with animals, for example, with urban farms. Remember, animals can pass on serious diseases to humans. Always wash your hands after contact and follow any instructions from your supervisor carefully.
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Lifting and Carrying
You must be shown how to lift and carry correctly. For example, if you are volunteering with a project where you are required to push people in wheelchairs, you must be shown the correct way to do this. Only lift and carry what you can easily manage, and ask for help with anything you cannot handle on your own.
Electricity
Make sure that you understand the instructions of any electrical equipment before using it. Always switch off at the mains before connecting or disconnecting any appliance. Report any damaged electrical tools or equipment, including cables and extension leads.
Fire
Do you know What to do if there is a fire? How to raise the alarm? What the alarm sounds like? Where the fire exits are? Where the assembly point is? If you don’t know – ask!
Display Screen Equipment
If you are using a computer, remember to take regular breaks and ensure that you are sat comfortably and safely. Report any
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problems with your eyes or any aches or pains in your wrists, arms or neck to your supervisor.
Personal Protective Equipment
You may be asked to wear protective equipment, particularly for conservation projects or projects involving decorating or construction. Please use such equipment if requested.
First Aid
Make sure that you know about the first aid arrangements on your project. Find out the names of the first aiders and where they can be found.
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Other Important information
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Confidentiality
As a volunteer you are expected to abide by the confidentiality policies and procedures of the project you are working on. In general, you should not share information (such as names of clients, or information they may have told you) with anyone who does not need to know – and certainly with no one outside of the project. As a volunteer you might become party to information that you feel demands some form of action. This might be about an accident, a complaint, an allegation of abuse, or something else which you feel you need to share with another person. This might be from a client, another volunteer, committee member or staff member. Do: Stay calm Listen and hear Give time to the complainant to say what they wish Avoid asking leading questions Briefly summarise what they’ve told you to check that you’ve understood correctly Reassure them that they have done the right thing in coming forward Let them know that you’ll have to pass this onto someone more senior. Tell them who this person is. Record in writing the allegation as soon as possible – ensure your record is truthful without speculation.
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Report the allegation to your supervisor, or if you think this is not appropriate, to someone more senior within the organisation Record your report Don’t: Panic Promise to keep secrets which might hinder the effective follow up of the allegation Enquire unnecessarily into the details of the incident Make the complainant repeat the story unnecessarily Different situations will call for different responses – the action your project might take over a report of an accident, like a broken leg, will be different from that they will take over a report of abuse. The person who you report the incident to should tell you what they plan to do next.
Remember that at any stage you can speak to a staff member at the VSU for advice and support.
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Equal Opportunities and Diversity
The VSU is committed to equal opportunities and anti-discrimination in its policies and practices. We will not discriminate against groups or individuals on the grounds of colour, ethnicity, race, nationality, sex, marital status, disability, sexuality, class, age, language, carer’s responsibilities, religion or offender background. We will not work with organisations that tolerate discriminatory behaviour. The VSU is committed to removing barriers to volunteering and to ensuring that volunteering opportunities are open to all in the UCL community. We will actively promote opportunities to underrepresented groups, and monitor our work to help ensure that these groups are reached. We are committed to working in partnership with a diverse range of organisations, including those serving underrepresented groups. If you feel that you’ve been treated unfairly in your volunteering, then please get in touch with us at the Voluntary Services Unit.
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Complaints Procedure
We take any complaints you may have seriously. We will try to help you resolve a problem with your project before you make a formal complaint, if you wish. If you want to make a complaint about the project where you are volunteering, please contact us. A member of the VSU will investigate your complaints and report our findings to you, saying what action will be taken. If you’re not happy with the outcome of our investigation, then you can appeal in writing to the Student Advice and Support Manager. If you want to make a complaint about the work of the VSU, you should follow the UCL Union complaints procedure, as outlined in section 13 of the Union’s Standing Orders. These can be found at www.uclunion.org/students_union/students_union/h ow_the_union_works/constitution/ or by contacting the sabbatical officers on the fourth floor of the main UCL Union building, 25 Gordon Street, tel. 020 7679 2546.
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Disciplinary Procedure
If you are volunteering on a project run by a partner organisation, then that organisations’ own disciplinary procedures will apply. The VSU will mediate if requested to do so by both parties and provide support if requested by either party. Volunteers who behave inappropriately on a project led by a UCL student or staff member may be subject to the disciplinary procedure. Inappropriate behaviour includes but is not limited to: Racial harassment Sexual harassment Verbal abuse Threatening and intimidating behaviour Disregard for Health & Safety In such instances, UCL Union’s disciplinary procedure will be followed, as outlined in section 14 of the standard orders (www.uclunion.org/students_union/students_union/ how_the_union_works/constitution/ ) The internal procedure may also be invoked where a volunteer has behaved inappropriately on an externally run project.
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VSU Health & Safety Procedures
Note that these procedures apply to activities organised by the VSU or by one of our student-led projects. If you are volunteering with another organisation, please ask about their health and safety procedures.
The health and safety of all volunteers, and those they work with, is of paramount importance to the VSU. The Health and Safety procedures for all internally run projects include: All project leaders must complete a risk assessment, which must be passed onto the UCL Union General Manager at least two weeks before any activity occurs. If the risk assessment requires the project leader or activity leaders to complete specific training, then the VSU will ensure that this is completed before any activities take place. All Health & Safety incidents on projects must be reported verbally to the VSU as soon as possible. They must be recorded on an incident form as soon as possible. All volunteers on projects will be expected to follow UCL Union Accident & Emergency procedures, which are included in the Volunteers’ Handbook (see pages 49 - 51), and printed on the back of the Emergency Procedure Cards handed out to all volunteers in internal projects.
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Projects must complete an activity registration form for all activities. If they decide to start a new activity, a new form must be completed. An activity log must be submitted to the VSU after each session. The VSU will hold copies of all risk assessments, incident forms, activity registration forms and activity logs, as well as accident/near miss forms. All volunteers registering with a project will be asked to provide their PRN. A list of PRNs will be provided by the VSU to the project leaders and activity leaders. Project Leaders and Activity Leaders will ensure that: They are familiar with the risk assessment. All volunteers are registered and that their attendance is recorded on the VSU Activity Log. All volunteers have received an adequate induction into their activities. All volunteers have been notified of any health & safety risks, and of the accident and near miss reporting procedure. The VSU activity log is completed.
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VSU Accident & Emergency Procedures
Note that these procedures apply to activities organised by the VSU or by one of our student-led projects. If you are volunteering with another organisation, please ask about their accident and emergency procedures.
The VSU recognises that in spite of all reasonable precautions accidents can still occur during activities. The following procedures are designed: To provide fast and safe help to all concerned; To supply the Union with the specific information it needs; To protect the individual(s) concerned, their relatives, the Trip Organiser, Activity Leader and Union officials from any media involvement. The VSU also recognises that the reporting of all “Near Miss” occurrences is also vital for the future safety of all individuals, as such information helps others to plan and prepare in order to avoid possible dangers. There is a legal obligation to record all injuries; the Activity Leader will ensure that the VSU is formally notified of any incident or near miss within 24 hours of the incident, or as soon as practicably possible. Completed Incident/Near Miss reports will be submitted to the Voluntary Services Coordinator. The Project Leader/Activity Leader will also make him/herself available for debriefing.
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In the event of an incident on College or Union property the Activity Leader will immediately contact a member of staff, who will be conversant with the relative incident procedure and the availability of First Aiders. In the event of an incident at another organisation, the Activity Leader will follow instructions from an official representative of that establishment. In the event of an incident that may warrant the use of any of the emergency services the Activity Leader will ensure the following: That any intervention/assistance does not jeopardise the safety of other members of the group, including the Activity Leader; That the treatment of casualties is only administered by those who are qualified to do so, except in cases where the casualty has already stopped breathing. In the event of a death or serious injury the following procedure will be adopted: The Activity Leader will contact the appropriate emergency service, and provide them with any personal details that they may have. In the event of death the Activity Leader will contact the police, who will advise the next of kin of the fatality. The Activity Leader will ensure that
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no member of the group advises the next of kin of the fatality. The Activity Leader will contact the University College London Communications Centre 0207679-3333 (24hours) and provide the casualty's name and College PRN number, details of the incident, and details of the hospital to which the casualty has been taken. The Activity Leader will also provide a telephone number where s/he can be contacted by the College. The Activity Leader will ensure that media enquiries are referred to UCL Development Office, and that no statements are made to the media. Unofficial statements and apparently innocent comments may affect any subsequent legal proceedings, and may lead to relatives being contacted by the media rather than the police. In the event of the Activity Leader being incapacitated, another volunteer must be designated to take on the above responsibilities.
Emergency Procedure Cards
These procedures are summarised on a plastic card which you should take with you whenever volunteering on one of our student-led projects.
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VSU Expenses Claim Procedure
Note that these procedures apply to activities organised by the VSU or by one of our student-led projects. If you are volunteering with another organisation, please ask your supervisor about how to claim expenses.
The VSU will reimburse travel expenses you incur whilst volunteering with one of our Innovations Programme projects (i.e. our student-led projects). We will also pay certain other expenses with prior agreement. In order to claim: Ensure you get a receipt (a debit/credit card receipt only showing the amount spent is not sufficient) If buying a tube ticket, make sure you get a receipt – the ticket machines might retain your ticket. If buying with an oyster card top up, please get a receipt showing you’ve topped up your card to the exact value of the journey required. Alternatively, ask at the counter to print out a summary of your recent journeys. Bring your receipts to the VSU offices on the second floor of the UCL Bloomsbury Building. We’ll put your claim in for processing. Please allow four working days for this. You can then pick up your expenses from the Union’s finance office, fourth floor, 25 Gordon Street.
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Partner Project Service Standards
All organisations registered with the VSU have signed up to a code of practice, agreeing: To accept liability for all volunteers placed with them, and to ensure that they are able to meet any liabilities through an adequate insurance policy or through other provision. To have a health and safety policy. To provide an induction covering all necessary aspects of health and safety (including safe use of equipment, information about risks and how to minimise risks, and emergency procedures) If working with children and young people, to have an adequate child protection policy If working with vulnerable adults, to have an adequate vulnerable adults policy To have an equal opportunities statement or policy. To properly risk assess all volunteering activities and premises To provide the training necessary for volunteers to carry out their assigned tasks To promptly reply to enquiries from prospective volunteers To keep the VSU notified of any changes in their project that should be recorded on our database – for example, contact details, application deadlines or volunteer roles. To have a named person who is responsible for the supervision and support of volunteers To treat personal information about UCL volunteers confidentially
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What do I do if …
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Before you start volunteering:
What do I do if ….
I’ve contacted the project, but they haven’t got back to me I’ve been to see the VSU, but I still can’t decide which project to choose The VSU have suggested some projects to me, but now I realise that I’m too busy to take these on The project has asked me for a referee – but I can’t think of one! Try again after a week, or contact the VSU Get in contact with several different projects, and have a chat with the supervisors there. Come and see the VSU again. Try out some one-off volunteering events before you commit to anything. Get in touch with the VSU – we may have a project that is less time-demanding. Consider getting involved with some of our one-off projects. Different projects have different criteria for who can act as a referee – so check this out with your project. Consider – former teachers, your current tutor, previous employers, your family doctor, landlords or someone else who has known you in a professional capacity.
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I am an For referees who are abroad, try to international get a fax number so the reference student and the can be sent more speedily. project has asked Contact your embassy as soon as for references possible to enquire about police and a police checking procedures. check. I have been The amount of time it takes for a asked for a police police check to come back can check, but it still really vary, from a few weeks to hasn’t come several months. However, the CRB back. claims that over 80% of requests are turned around in less than 4 weeks – so if you’ve been waiting over a month, get in touch with them (0870 90 90 844). Ask your project if they have any other types of voluntary work whilst the police check comes through or if not, get in contact with the VSU and we will be able to find something for you to do. Whatever you do, keep in regular contact with the project to show that you are still interested. I do have a A criminal record is not necessarily previous a barrier to volunteering. It is conviction important though to discuss any previous convictions with the VSU so we can advise you properly about your volunteering options.
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Once you’ve started volunteering:
What do I do if …
I don’t like my placement I realise I don’t have time to volunteer anymore Speak to your supervisor. Speak to the VSU. Speak to your supervisor – if you are going to withdraw from the project, please give them plenty of notice. Speak to the VSU if you’d like to do something less time-consuming. Speak to your supervisor. Speak to the VSU.
I don’t feel that I’m getting enough support on the project I don’t get on Come and talk to the VSU – we’re with my willing to mediate if there is a supervisor problem. I’m worried about You should speak to your something a supervisor as soon as possible. client has told me You may also wish to speak to someone at the VSU. See pages 42 – 43. I’d like a The best person to write you a reference reference is your supervisor – please ask them. The VSU can only write a reference for volunteers on projects run by us or for studentled projects. I am leaving my Please, please tell the VSU – it’s project very useful for us to know if you are no longer volunteering.
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Your notes
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Your notes
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