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As a volunteer manager or co-ordinator your
responsibilities are many and varied. From recruitment, retention
and supervising volunteers and staff to developing policies and
procedures and keeping up with changes in Government thinking and
decisions, expecting to know everything about such a complex area
places a large burden on your shoulders.
To help you keep abreast of current thinking, good practice and
accredited training courses, we would like to offer you a range of
suggestions:
Books
There are many books written on the subject of managing
volunteers. We would like to recommend the following to help start
you off:
- Essential Volunteer Management, 2nd Edition,
Steve McCurley/Rick Lynch ISBN 1-900360-18-7. Published by The
Directory of Social Change, this is a clearly structured readable
book for new volunteer managers which covers a full range of topics
and good practice together with example documentation.
- The Volunteer Recruitment Book, 2nd Edition,
Susan J Ellis, ISBN 0-940576-18-X. Published by Energize. Inc, this
book provides comprehensive information about recruiting volunteers
and practical strategies.
- Supervising Volunteers, Jarene Frances Lee
with Julia M Catagnus, ISBN 0-940576-20-1. Published by Energize,
Inc, this is a practical, credible resource which offers a breadth
of experience and best-practice.
- The Good Practice Guide, 2nd Edition, Bowgett,
Dickie & Restall, ISBN 1-897708-98-4. Published by National
Centre for Volunteering, this book covers the basic principles of
good practice and the more complex areas such as benefits law,
screening, insurance, how and where to advertise for volunteers and
dealing with problems.
- The Good Governance Action Plan for Voluntary
Organisations, ISBN 0-7199-1603-8 Published by the
National Centre for Volunteering, this publication is aimed at both
trustees and staff in voluntary organisations and contains the
latest thinking on board development, board recruitment, support
and development, board/staff relations, finance and managing
risk.
For more information or to see the full range of publications
and research titles on offer, visit
Volunteering England or the
National Council for Voluntary Organisations
(NCVO) (these links open in a new window).
Study Programmes and Accreditation
Over the last few years accreditation within the voluntary
sector has become more widely available. There are now a variety of
qualifications covering a range of levels from NVQs (National
Vocational Qualifications), OCNs (Open College Network) and CCVs
(Certificate in Community Volunteering) to Certificates in
Volunteer Management and Fundraising.
For example the Excellence in Volunteer Management
(EVM) programme offered by
Vounteering England (link opens in a new
window) consists of 60 hours of training divided into four modules
which cover:
-
Managing Yourself (15
hrs)
-
Managing People (20
hrs)
-
Managing in the Community (10
hrs)
-
Managing Resources (15
hrs)
Contacts
For further information on courses please see the following list
of contacts:
National Association of Voluntary Services Manager (NAVSM)
NAVSM
(link opens in a new window) is the only national association in
England helping voluntary services managers working within the
health and social care services. They provide training, best
practices guidance and networking opportunities for managers to
deliver a high quality and professional service to the volunteers
they mange. Study days are held in regions to help managers attend
close to home and an annual conference is held for members to share
ideas and talk through topical issues.
Voluntary Sector National Training
Organisation
Regents Wharf, 8 All Saints Street, London N1 8RL
Tel: 0207 713 6161
Email:
vsnto@ncvo-vol.org.uk
Website: Voluntary Sector National Training Organisation
website (link opens in a new window)
Learning and Skills Council
Cheylesmore House, Quinton Road, Coventry CT1 2WT
Tel: 0870 900 6800
Email: info@lsc.gov.uk
Website: Learning
and Skills Council website (link opens in a new window)
National Open College Network
9 St James Court, Friar Gate, Derby DE22 1GB
Tel: 01332 591 071
Email: nocn@nocn.org.uk
Website: National
College Network website (link opens in a new window)
Qualification and Curriculum Authority
83 Piccadilly, London W1J 8QA
Tel: 0207 509 5556
Email:
info@qca.org.uk |