CYP Volunteer Policy
Canongate Youth Project (CYP) started life as a church
based youth club staffed entirely by volunteers. From that first day in
late 1977 when funding was secured to take on paid professional staff,
volunteers have always had an important central role in contributing to
and shaping the services offered to the children, young people and families
served by the Project. Quite simply, without working in partnership with
a large, dedicated and skilful pool of volunteers we would be unable to
offer the range and quality of service we strive to achieve.
We recognise that everyone benefits from the involvement of volunteers:
- The paid staff in the way that we are able to increase
the range and quality of opportunities on offer.
- The children and young people in having access to these
increased opportunities and access to a diverse group of adult role-models.
- The volunteers for a variety of reasons including gaining
experience relevant to career choices, increasing their social circles,
gaining confidence or quite simply having the chance to make a positive
contribution.
For that reason we invest staff time and finance into volunteer
recruitment, support and training in the full knowledge that the returns
are always worthwhile. Clearly then, it is in the interests of the Project
and wider community to ensure that volunteers are offered an enjoyable
and rewarding experience at CYP.
We welcome anyone who offers to be a volunteer with the Project subject
to interview, references, criminal records checks and completion of a
four week trial we refer to as “shadowing”. We believe that
provided the prospective volunteer has a genuine interest in and commitment
to working with young people, the Project is diverse enough to be able
to accommodate most people regardless of their level of experience or
ability.
Volunteers manage the Project, fund raise, drive the mini
bus, work in youth and children’s clubs, offer individual support
and advice, are involved in groupwork programmes, lobby on the Project's
behalf and “muck in” with some of the less glamorous but nonetheless
important things that need to be done. While we would never use a volunteer
to replace a paid member of staff, we encourage volunteers to get the
most out of their experience of volunteering and strive to supply appropriate
support and training to enable them to do so, but we also try to remember
that everyone has a level they feel comfortable with and endeavour to
ensure that no volunteer ever feels that they are being pushed into anything
they may feel uneasy or unconfident about. We have always managed to attract
a large and diverse group of volunteers from different backgrounds who
bring with them different skills and hopefully reflect the realities of
life beyond the confines of the Project.
All volunteers are linked to a member of staff who has responsibility
for negotiating the terms and nature of their involvement, providing support
and supervision, keeping the volunteer up to date with opportunities for
training both within CYP
and externally and attempting to ensure that the volunteer is satisfied
with their experience of volunteering with the Project. In addition paid
staff are allocated responsibilities for the co-ordination of volunteer
recruitment, training and the organisation of social and “thank you”
events.
The volunteer agreement and recruitment flow chart outline in more detail
how volunteers are screened and selected.
Volunteers are given copies of all of the Projects policies and procedures
relevant to their involvement. These include Child Protection, Equal Opportunities,
Bullying, Health & Safety, Confidentiality and Complaints Procedure.
These documents clearly outline our position in relation to the implications
for our practice. We believe that adherence to the guidelines and principles
outlined in these policies is essential to the promotion of best practice
with the children and young people we work with.
Volunteers will also receive relevant materials giving them information
on the work of the Project including our Mission Statement and Service
Delivery Statement to children, young people and their parents or carers.
A folder on the desk top of the PC
situated by the door in the Youth Work Office is provides information
about the Project for volunteers including copies of our business plan,
annual reviews and annual work plans.
Volunteers are actively encouraged to offer their views on Project policy,
practice and procedures on a regular basis. They also take part in decision
making at all levels through club staff logging meetings, club reviews,
youth work annual review and membership of the Project Management Committee.
Any out of pocket expenses incurred by volunteers will be refunded by
the Project on production of receipts.
All volunteers are covered by CYP's
insurance policy whilst carrying out work on behalf of the Project, details
of which are posted on the volunteer’s notice board.
On completion of their commitment to CYP
volunteers will be asked to fill in an exit questionnaire and be given
a certificate outlining the nature of their involvement and any training
they have been involved in. Project staff will provide references for
volunteers throughout and post involvement.
See next: CYP Volunteers' Testimonials or return to CYP Volunteering page
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