1. Grundtvig Learning Partnership:
Improving Volunteering in Social Care
September 2012
Recognition for volunteers
What makes good practice?
Janet Fleming

2. Key Question:
• Are we talking only about formal accredited
recognition or about valuing volunteers and
their contribution to the work of the
organisation?
• UK experience from a broad range of research
tells us that being valued is what impacts most
on satisfaction and retention of volunteers.

3. One size does not fit all
• Different volunteers: young, older, retired, peers and
service users, people with learning or physical
disabilities
• Different motivations: learn new skills and gain
certificates, giving something back, meet new people
and give structure to their day/week, enjoying the
work
• NHS volunteers from all age groups talked about
feeling better knowing they had been able to help
others.

4. 111 roles for volunteers in health &
social care
• Administration helper/clerical helper
• Artist/Arts & crafts (knitters, blanket maker, art therapist)
• Befriending (in-patients, people in residential care and in
the community)
• Musicians and exercise to music
• Expert patient
• Governance & Trustees
• Hairdresser for In-patient & Day Care units
• Interpreter
• Recruitment & selection of staff
• Support groups for specific health conditions
http://www.volunteering.org.uk/resources/volunteeringinhealth/roles

5. Why volunteer?
• Older volunteers tended to cite helping others as their
primary motivation, and wanting to give something back
• Retired volunteers also talked about wanting to get out
of the house, meet new people and give structure to
their retirement.
• Younger volunteers tended to be more motivated by
career ambitions citing, for example, the need to gain
work experience in a hospital or the opportunity to
improve their English skills.

6. Service users as volunteers
People who have received a lot of health and social care
services volunteer because:
• they want to improve that service for other people in the same
situation
• volunteering provides them with opportunities to develop
themselves and be active citizens rather than passive patients
The overwhelming majority of volunteers who had mental
health problems said that it had helped them to develop:
• confidence and self-esteem a
• social networks and make friends
• skills that were useful in gaining employment
• a sense of purpose after a period of difficulty in life
* The Volunteering for Mental Health survey http://www.volunteering.org.uk/resources/volunteeringinhealth/

7. Case Study: Stepping Up Training
• Younger volunteers in residential care often want a
certificate of hours worked and skills gained for the
Duke of Edinburgh award or to improve their CV –
BUT many carry on volunteering after getting their
certificates because they enjoy it
• Most volunteers interviewed like to be thanked both
by being treated as a key part of the organisation and
through events that celebrate their work
• Some organisations also thank their volunteers
publicly through their local press and radio
http://steppinguptraining.co.uk

8. Case Study: Swindon Mind
• Birthday, Christmas and thank you cards
• Individuals all mentioned in Annual Report
• In-house training
• Monthly volunteer meetings to review what
has gone well, less well and why, discuss new
ideas
• Annual reviews and open door policy all year
• Take them out to dinner, or other social event

9. Recognition for Managers of
Volunteers
• Being well managed is key to having a good
volunteering experience and valuing volunteers is
central to good management
• There are enough common elements to the role of
Managing volunteers to develop common resources
and training programmes
• England and Wales have apprenticeships for
managers of volunteers and the Institute of
Leadership and Management (ILM) has accredited
short courses for them
http://steppinguptraining.co.uk/programmes/level-3-certificate-in-the-management-of-volunteers/

10. Finally, qualifications and good
practice for managers of volunteers
http://www.i-l-m.com/learn-with-ilm/10499.aspx has
information on the content of the level 3 and level 5
certificates in Managing Volunteers from the Institute of
Leadership and Management (ILM)
Volunteers across the NHS: Improving the patient experience
and creating a patient-led service (595.7Kb) contains best
practice guidance on volunteer management. It aims to
support greater consistency in volunteer policies and
volunteer management procedures across the NHS
http://www.volunteering.org.uk/resources/volunteer-
management-portal has links to a broad range of support
and information for managers of volunteers