Volunteer Handbook. Your guide to volunteering for Warwickshire Wildlife Trust

Transcription

1 VHB2014 Volunteer Handbook Your guide to volunteering for Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Oakley Wood Open Day Lee Griffiths (WWT Volunteer) 2014 We all need nature, whether it is the natural defences of our river floodplains or the restorative powers of a walk in the woods. The Wildlife Trusts 2,256 nature reserves safeguard special places across the UK, valuable for wildlife and people alike.

2 Our Vision Imagine a Warwickshire where wildlife flourishes in our countryside, towns and villages... where children grow up inspired by the sights and sounds of nature... where people live happier, healthier lives This is our vision for a Living Landscape Our Mission Warwickshire Wildlife Trust aims to protect and enhance wildlife, natural habitats and geology throughout Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull, and to encourage a greater awareness, appreciation and participation in all aspects of nature conservation and the environment. We are the leading local conservation charity with over 23,000 members dedicated to supporting our vital work for nature conservation across the county. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is working to create a Living Landscape by: Managing Nature Reserves - with 60 nature reserves spanning approximately 900 hectares across Warwickshire, a large portion of our role is the management of these havens for wildlife and people. Find out more about nature reserves in Warwickshire. Engaging our communities to enjoy and care for wildlife - We work on projects at the heart of communities to help build positive relationships between people and their natural spaces. Encouraging and supporting volunteers - we are indebted to the 600 plus volunteers who help us in every aspect of our work from conservation through to 2 administration. This is why we are committed to being as supportive and inclusive to each dedicated individual. Educating people about nature - We provide educational activities to thousands of children every year as well as guided walks, talks and events for people of all ages. Campaigning on behalf of the environment - We are there to give a strong local voice in helping to protect threatened places and rare species. We all need nature, whether it is the natural defences of our river floodplains or the restorative powers of a walk in the woods. The Wildlife Trusts nature reserves safeguard special places across the UK, valuable for wildlife and people alike.

3 Welcome Welcome to Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and thank you for volunteering your time to help us carry out our work. Volunteers bring a wide range of skills and interests to the Trust and are a rare and precious asset that we value and wish to support in as many ways as possible. As a local charity, volunteering has always been, and remains, fundamental to every aspect of our work. We are dependent on volunteers the lifeblood of the organisation to enable us to work to protect our environment for future generations. We therefore strive to encourage and support all our volunteers, and to offer a friendly and enjoyable environment in which to volunteer. Whether you are helping us to manage nature reserves, delivering our education programme, delivering our magazines, helping with our local community projects, assisting with running our visitor centres or helping in our offices every contribution is vital to our work. This document is not intended to be a legally binding agreement but simply aims to tell you what you need to know to get started and should answer any questions which arise during your time volunteering with us. However, if you do have any other questions please don t hesitate to get in touch with your staff contact. Your Name Staff Contact Telephone Number Volunteers working to restore a meadow at Dunchurch Steven Cheshire (WWT)

4 How the Trust is Managed Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is both a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, and is governed by a Board of Trustees, all of whom are volunteers. A professional staff team is employed to deliver the Trust s aims and objectives. The Council The Council of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is its Board of Trustees, elected from and by the members, and carrying ultimate responsibility for the Trust s actions. They decide on policy, agree development and business plans, and set the annual budget, working at a strategic level to ensure that the Trust fulfils its responsibilities both as a charity and as a company limited by guarantee. The Council has set up several Working Groups so that trustees, staff and volunteers can work together on key topics. The Staff The Chief Executive manages our staff of about 50. Staff are responsible for achieving the Trust s objectives, working closely with volunteers to meet key targets. The Living Landscapes Team The Living Landscapes Team is responsible for managing nature reserves across the county and engaging local people in the Trust s Volunteers erecting stock proof fencing on one of our nature reserves Ceri Rapsey (WWT) 2014 work. The team manages over 60 nature reserves and works closely with volunteers, other voluntary and community groups, local authorities, landowners, local businesses and other partners. We engage young people and adults with their local natural environment through a range of activities including volunteer work parties, youth engagement projects, heritage projects, healthy walks, urban regeneration projects and rural community projects. Through engaging local people in enhancing local nature reserves, their gardens and community green spaces for people and wildlife, our aim is to provide corridors and large areas where wildlife and people can thrive in a Living Landscape. The Education Team Do you remember the excitement of watching frog spawn developing into tadpoles and then frogs? Have you wondered what you can do about acid rain? With practical projects about these - and many other - aspects of our environment, the Trust aims to show youngsters of all ages the importance of the environment to our daily lives. 4

5 Education is a vital part of the work of the Wildlife Trust Steve Cheshire (WWT) 2014 Starting Out All new volunteers will receive an induction when they begin. This will vary depending on the nature of the role undertaken but will include discussing the expectations of both parties, the identification of a named staff contact and instructions on how to use any equipment where applicable. As part of this process you will also be asked to fill out a volunteer induction form. You will then be entered onto the volunteers database so you can receive further information about volunteering with the Trust. All information with which you provide us will remain strictly confidential in accordance with the Data Protection Act. Expenses The Trust is committed to the principle of reimbursing approved expenses for volunteers and supports the opinion that no volunteer should be left out of pocket as a result of volunteering for our organisation. However, all expenses must be approved in advance, as the Trust has very limited funds. This means that for the most part we would hope that you can get to your place of volunteering at your own expense. When you are asked to do specific tasks, or buy things on behalf of the Trust, then expenses are paid using a monthly claim form requiring original receipts for bills. Some specific projects also have small budgets for volunteer expenses please ask your staff contact or the Volunteer Manager for more information before incurring any expenses if being able to claim makes volunteering a more viable option for you. 5

6 Volunteer Policy Organisational commitment The Council of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust supports the engagement of volunteers and will ensure that: volunteers are properly integrated into the organisational structure enabling them to contribute effectively to its work. will not be used to replace and reduce the work of paid employees. paid employees at all levels will work positively with volunteers and, where appropriate, will seek to involve them in their work. will provide work for volunteers that is satisfying and that can lead to their personal development, providing access to relevant training and support. The overall responsibility for volunteers rests with the Volunteer Manager. However, the day to day management rests with various members of staff, as appropriate. Habitat management by our team of volunteers is vital in order to ensure the future or rare species such as the White Admiral butterfly in Warwickshire Steven Cheshire (WWT)

7 Recruitment and selection Warwickshire Wildlife Trust believes that volunteering should be open to all and we welcome anyone who wishes to volunteer. Volunteering opportunities are advertised in a variety of different ways and locations in order to ensure a wide coverage. Volunteer tasks and task roles There are a specified range of tasks that volunteers may undertake for a designated person. Role guidelines detailing the areas of work they may cover are available from the volunteer s staff contact. Induction and on-going training All new volunteers will receive an induction form and volunteer handbook when they begin volunteering. Volunteers will also receive induction information relevant to their role as detailed in the Trust s volunteer management handbook. Supervision All volunteers will have a designated staff contact that volunteers should use as a point of contact for reviews of progress, queries, or problems. A review form will be sent out to all volunteers every two years and will be reviewed to assess the quality of volunteering offered by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and identify areas for improvement, as detailed in the Trust s volunteer management handbook. An individual review can be arranged on request. A volunteer working to restore a meadow at Dunchurch Steven Cheshire (WWT) 2014 Equal Opportunities Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all. We aim to give full and fair consideration to every job applicant, trainee, employee or volunteer, regardless of racial, ethnic or national origin, nationality, colour, religion, sex, marital status, disability and any other condition unrelated to employment criteria, subject only to restrictions imposed by the law. All policies, procedures and trends will be monitored to ensure that fair and nondiscriminating practices are adhered to by all members of staff and trainees, both in their dealings with each other and in the treatment of volunteers, Trust members and members of the public. 7

8 Health and Safety Volunteers are covered by - and must agree to - the Health & Safety policy of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, a summary of which is provided below. The full Health & Safety policy can be provided for more detailed information. 1. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is aware of and will comply with its duty as an employer under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable the health, safety and welfare at work of all its employees - which includes all volunteers working for the Trust. 2. The Trust is aware of and will comply with its responsibility to ensure the health and safety of visitors and others who are or may be affected by the work of the Trust. 3. The Trust is committed to maintaining and improving its standards of performance in the areas of health and safety. 4. Overall responsibility for the Health & Safety Policy rests with the Chief Executive of the Trust. 5. All staff and volunteers are required to work in a safe manner at all times. Wood Mouse Sarah Brooks (WWT) 2014 The Trust s Responsibilities All volunteers will be informed of the Trust s Health & Safety policy as part of their induction process. A risk assessment will be completed prior to every Trust event or activity to identify the site hazards and the risks associated with the tasks involved, to suggest ways to minimise those risks and to outline the course of action in the unlikely event of an accident. The event or activity leader must make participants aware of any risks by giving a Health & Safety talk at the beginning of the event. For practical conservation tasks, volunteers must also be given a tools talk and follow up supervision to ensure that tools are used correctly and safely. 8

9 Your Responsibilities By law, everyone is responsible for looking after their own VolunteerHandbook safety that of their colleagues. If you see any unsafe work practices, please speak out to ensure these do not continue and inform the activity leader. It is important that you listen to the Health & Safety talk, which may include a tools talk, and is given at the beginning of any event or activity. Please also clarify any points which you do not understand. Before volunteering you will need to fill out an induction form which identifies a person we can contact in the event of an accident. Details of relevant medical problems or illnesses should be recorded here. Please inform activity leaders of any accidents or near-misses. Your Health It is up to you to inform us, and anybody else who needs to know, of relevant health information. If you have any medical conditions or illnesses, or if you are taking medication that you think we need to know about, please do so by using the appropriate section of the Induction Form or by informing the activity supervisor prior to commencing the activity. Volunteers taking part in practical conservation activities in particular, should ensure that they have an up-to-date tetanus injection. Insurance All volunteers are covered by the public and employers liability insurance policy of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust whilst they are on the premises or engaged in any work on behalf of the Trust. However, our personal accident insurance only covers staff and volunteers to a maximum age of 75 years old. We are happy for you to continue volunteering as long as you are happy to do so at your own risk. If you use your own car for official business of the Trust, you must ensure that you are covered on your own insurance for business use, and you must give copies of your insurance documents, driving licence and valid MOT certificate to the Finance Manager. If you use your own car to get to your place of volunteering please inform your insurers that you do so in order to ensure you are covered for taking part in volunteer activities. Before you can drive a vehicle owned by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust the Finance Manager must have a copy of your driving licence. Lone Working If you are in a situation where you need to carry out duties alone, extra caution is necessary. Please make sure that your staff contact knows where you have gone and then confirm with them that you have returned safely. It is essential that you consult Warwickshire Wildlife Trust s Lone Working Procedure for full guidelines on safe working in these cases. The Trust does not permit the use of power tools when lone working. 9

10 Environmental Policy As you would expect, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust has an environmental policy which commits the charity to ensuring that any activities which have negative environmental impacts are minimised, whilst activities with positive impacts are maximised. At the same time we ensure that all our policies, processes, procedures and activities comply fully with all environmental legislation. Specifically, we will: Maximise biodiversity benefits within all our activities, promoting the use of native and/or local provenance seed and plants where possible. Promote reduction in the consumption of all materials whilst encouraging re-use and recycling wherever possible, particularly with respect to paper. Minimise our use of vehicle fuel, by sharing cars and using public transport where possible. We will ensure our fleet is serviced to ensure maximum fuel efficiency. Manage energy use in all areas of the business. Continually strive to prevent pollution, and minimise waste at all times. Elmdon Manor Volunteer Emma Richmond (WWT) 2014 Purchase equipment/stationery and other materials that are either recycled, use recycled materials or can be recycled by an appropriate method. Place more of our business with suppliers who minimise the impact of their activities on the environment, particularly those who operate take-back schemes for office equipment and stationery. Promote environmental awareness and responsibilities to all Trust employees, including volunteers and students. Strive to continually improve our environmental performance. 10

11 Jim Rushforth from the Brandon Marsh Conservation Volunteers team with a barn owl chick Emma Richmond (WWT) 2014 Your Role You can help the Trust achieve its environmental targets in several ways: by helping to monitor our positive biodiversity impacts whether counting species or assessing habitats, and by helping to reduce or eliminate our negative impacts. Volunteers help us to monitoring biodiversity by carrying out surveys, sending data to the Trust Office, and analysing the resulting data along with information from other sources. As climate change continues, so it becomes more pressing that we know what changes are occurring on our Nature Reserves. Our main negative impacts on the environment are in three areas: fuel for travel, energy for heating buildings, and paper usage. You can help by reducing any or all of these - in fact you are already helping by volunteering. Work party leaders and reserves rangers live near to Nature Reserves, so reduce our fuel bills by not requiring as many site visits by staff. Newsletter delivery volunteers often walk their patch, again saving fuel. If you have more ideas about improvements we could make, please let us know! 11

12 Butterfly recording workshop at Brandon Marsh Sarah Brooks (WWT) 2014 Working with Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults Any volunteer who will be in a position of responsibility when working with children, young people (under the age of 18) or with vulnerable adults must undertake an enhanced disclosure check through the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS). Volunteers will not be given any responsibility or left without supervision while working with young and vulnerable people until confirmation of their DBS status has been received. Details of how to acquire a DBS check will be provided. Problem Solving Warwickshire Wildlife Trust aims to make all volunteering experiences positive and enjoyable and to treat all volunteers fairly, objectively and consistently. We encourage frequent two-way communications as a means of preventing problems before they arise. However, we realise that difficult situations sometimes do happen: a volunteer may have a complaint regarding their volunteering experience, or a complaint may be made about a volunteer. What to do if you need to make a complaint: Stage 1: Oral complaint Initial complaints, whether concerning a member of staff, the organisations or another volunteer, should first be discussed informally. Many issues can be solved this way. Complaints should be raised with your staff contact. If the complaint concerns this person, they should talk to the Volunteer Manager. Stage 2: Written complaint If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your oral complaint, they should make a formal complaint in writing to the Volunteer Manager within 2 weeks. The Trust will respond to the complaint within 7 working days. Stage 3: Opportunity to appeal If you are still not satisfied with the outcome, the Trust Chair is empowered to set up a panel of three members of the Trust s executive committee to deal with the problem in the most appropriate way. The volunteer will be given the option to be accompanied to the meeting by a person of your choice. The Chair or panel will respond within 7 working days. Their decision will be final. 12

13 What will happen if someone complains about another volunteer: Stage 1: Oral discussion The first step, should someone make a complaint against another volunteer, should be an informal discussion about the complaint. This is an opportunity to hear about the complaint and for the person concerned to air their side of the story. It will endeavour to identify some solutions, if required and appropriate. The volunteer will be given the option to be accompanied to the meeting by a person of your choice. Complaints about an individual should not be made anonymously. Everyone has the right to know what they have been accused of and by whom so that they are able to offer their side of the story. Stage 2: Written warning If the issue can not be resolved by the oral discussion, a volunteer may be issued with a written warning outlining the reason for the complaint. They will be given the opportunity to state their case formally to the Volunteer Manager. They will be given the option to be accompanied to the meeting by a person of their choice. Depending on the nature of the complaint, further objectives may be set or help offered, However, if the organisation decides to ask the volunteer to leave, they will be given the opportunity to appeal. Stage 3: Opportunity to appeal If a volunteer is asked to leave they will be given the opportunity to appeal in writing to the Trust s Chair. The Trust s Chair is empowered to set up a panel of three members of the Trust s executive committee to deal with the appeal in the most appropriate way. The volunteer will be given the option to be accompanied to the meeting by a person of their choice. The Chair or panel will respond within 7 working days. Their decision will be final. The decision to ask a volunteer to stop volunteering will be confirmed in writing to the volunteer concerned. For Health and Safety reasons Trust staff members or appointed volunteer task leaders have legal responsibility over voluntary activities, to ensure the safety of the site, of all participants and of the public in the area. In the unlikely event of a volunteer carrying out an activity which endangers others, the authorised task leader will deal with the situation in line with the Trust s problem solving procedure. A volunteer or member of the public endangering others may be asked to leave the site so that secure and safe working conditions are maintained for all. 13

14 In some other circumstances, for example, if a volunteer is accused of harassment, theft or angry or violent behaviour, volunteers may be asked to stop volunteering immediately while the matter is explored. The Trust will ensure that: All complaints are treated confidentially, and are only discussed amongst those that are directly involved in trying to resolve the issue. Records of what happens and who is involved are kept. Meetings take place in a confidential place. Volunteers are kept informed at every step of the procedure. Practical Matters With any role, it is important that two-way communication is frequent and consistent, as this will help iron out any misunderstandings or issues which may be cause for concern and also allow you to seek solutions for any problems you encounter in your volunteer role. Don t forget to tell us when things go right too! We are always looking for positive stories from volunteers which help to paint a complete picture of volunteering for our magazine, e-newsletters website and press releases. Confidentiality As a Trust volunteer you may become party to information of a confidential nature and your discretion is essential to ensure it remains that way. If you have any doubt about the appropriateness of a course of action or statement, it is essential that you speak with your staff contact about it. Telephones, and Internet The Trust s and internet and telephone systems are only to be used for business purposes. Misuse of the Trust s systems will be regarded as misconduct and will therefore be dealt with in line with the Trust s problem solving procedure. Volunteers preparing to start work at Wappenbury Wood Steven Cheshire (WWT)

15 Being a Trust Representative Please remember that as a volunteer you may be in a position where you are informally representing Warwickshire Wildlife Trust to the public, whether on a guided walk or at an event. If you would like more information or guidance about the Trust or our work so that you feel more confident about representing us please contact the Volunteer Manager. Remember that you should always refer to a member of staff if you are being asked about sensitive policy issues. Volunteer Responsibilities Different volunteer roles carry different responsibilities, which are outlined in your Role Guidelines. You should ensure that you discuss these with your staff contact before beginning your voluntary role. In addition we request all volunteers to: Help Warwickshire Wildlife Trust fulfil its commitment to protecting wildlife and natural habitats throughout the county of Warwickshire, including Coventry and Solihull. Follow our procedures and standards, including Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities in relation to volunteers and clients. Finally thanks Meet any agreed time commitments and to try to give reasonable notice so other arrangements can be made if these commitments cannot be fulfilled. Inform the Trust if you do not feel confident that you have received sufficient information necessary to carry out your role. Raise any concerns, issues or problems with your staff contact. Ensure no illegal or criminal misuse of Trust assets takes place. Respect confidentiality of information which you may become aware of whilst volunteering for the Trust. Even if your staff contact has not thanked you personally after every event, please remember that Warwickshire Wildlife Trust does thank you for all your volunteer hours, whenever and wherever you give them. The strength of the Trust is built on the partnership between volunteers and staff, working together for our common cause. So whatever volunteering you give thank you! 15

16 Directory Name Telephone Mobile Other Name Telephone Mobile Other Notes FSC INFO HERE Volunteers at the Parkridge Centre Emma Richmond (WWT) 2014 Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Brandon Marsh Nature Centre Brandon Lane, Coventry CV3 3GW twitter.com/wkwt flickr.com/groups/wwt Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is a registered charity (Number ) and a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England, Number