Volunteer Policy

Beyond Barriers at Crossroads Care

A carer is someone who, without payment, provides help and support to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour who could not manage without their help. Beyond Barriers at Crossroads Care’s service exists to give the carer support within their caring responsibilities.

Volunteers support Crossroads Care by giving of their time, skills and expertise without any expectation of financial compensation beyond reimbursement of expenses. Crossroads Care aims to meet the volunteers’ expectations in terms of skills learned, experience gained or other motivation. Volunteers may provide a scheme with the additional support to enhance services or to do things the scheme would not normally be able to do. Volunteers will not be used to replace paid staff.

WHY VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED TO SUPPORT THE SCHEME

Beyond Barriers at Cross Roads involves volunteers for numerous reasons some of which are:

  • To help create a greater sense of Community by involving volunteers in the community in which we work
  • To add to the quality of our service provision and help improve the wellbeing of all involved
  • To provide personal and professional development opportunities for volunteers
  • To provide additional support for carers and former carers

Our ultimate aim is to engender a constructive, supportive, mutually rewarding experience for volunteers, the organisation, our service users, partners and others involved withBeyond Barriers at Cross Roads Care.

Statement of intent

We aim to recruit, train and place volunteers to the benefit of all involved, whilst ensuring that volunteering here does not imply a contract of employment or imply employment.

Cross Roads aims to reimburse out of pocket expenses (with receipts) for volunteers incurred whilst fulfilling their role.

All our Volunteers are fully covered by our Insurers for carrying out their roles both on and off site.

Cross Roads will endeavour, within its resource limitations, to provide access to training and skills acquisition as appropriate for volunteers to enable them to fulfil their role and where possible, add to personal development.

Cross Roads will endeavour to involve volunteers, through consultation, in all relevant decisions pertaining to their volunteering and asks in turn that Volunteers actively participate in such consultation.In order to do so Cross Roads will use Volunteers contact details to communicate with them on a regular basis via email, if you do NOT want us to use your contact information please inform us as soon as possible.

Cross Roadsand its staff will actively participate in the recruitment, selection and training of volunteers in an effort to engender a respectful, supportive environment in which all contributions are valued and from which all involved, benefit.

Volunteers are expected to agree and abide by Cross Roadspolicies and procedures, which they will have been made aware of through induction and ongoing training, failure to do so may result in termination of volunteering.

RECRUITMENT OF VOLUNTEERS

Cross Roads will endeavour to advertise volunteer opportunities as widely as resources allow in an effort to attract a diverse pool of volunteers who reflect the community in which we work. Cross Roads asks all volunteers to agree to a Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB)check. More information and forms are available throughout the application process.

In an effort to achieve equality and fairness Cross Roads adheres to a clear recruitment and selection procedure that is reviewed annually in consultation with volunteers and staff as follows:

  • application form
  • selection
  • interview + provisional offer
  • references & DBS check
  • invite to induction
  • further training where applicable
  • a three month review and six month probation periodincludingsupport and supervision

INDUCTION AND TRAINING

An induction programme will be drawn up for the volunteer which will include: meeting staff and other volunteers, use of any equipment needed for the role, how and when expenses will be paid, supervision and support, health and safety, equal opportunities policy, confidentiality, procedure for dealing with a complaint by a volunteer and what Cross Roads will do if a volunteer does not follow policies or does anything which is to the detriment of the organisation or service users.

During induction the volunteer’s training needs will be assessed. Training needs will be reviewed within the volunteer’s supervision at agreed intervals.

INSURANCE

Employer’s liability insurance

Crossroads Care employer’s liability insurance also provides cover for its Beyond Barriers volunteers. So, if a volunteer were injured in the course of volunteering for a Crossroads Care scheme, and the injury was due to the negligence of Crossroads Care or its employees / other volunteers, they could make a claim under the employer’s liability insurance.

Volunteers are not insured to perform tasks normally carried out by carer support workers.

Personal accident

Volunteers aged 16–80 are covered by Crossroads Care’s personal accident cover. So, if a volunteer were injured in the course of volunteering for a Crossroads Care scheme then they could make a claim under the personal accident insurance.

Public liability

Should a member of the public be injured or their property damaged as a result of an incident in which a Beyond Barriers volunteer has been negligent, then the member of the public may claim compensation under the public liability insurance.

Please see the following Policies:

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY STATEMENT

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR VOLUNTEERS

HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY

PROBLEM SOLVING POLICY AND PROCEDURE

CONFIDENTIALITY & DISCLOSURE POLICY

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