About Y Care International ICS Introduction ICS is an international youth volunteering programme. Funded by the Department for International Development, it has supported over 20,000 young people to volunteer overseas in development programmes. The ICS programme has three key aims: Volunteer Personal Development We support young people to develop important skills such as: teamwork, listening, communicating, project work, and working within a different culture. Development Impact Young people make a difference to some of the world s poorest people through real development projects focussed on helping young people into work or start their own business; health or building resilience to disaster. Active Citizenship Support a generation of young people to learn about their world; be active in their communities and undertake social action. ICS is led by VSO working in consortium with nine other NGOs. Y Care International joined the ICS programme in early 2014. Over the next two years we aim to support at least 200 young people a year to volunteer overseas. The current ICS programme has been extended at least until 2018 and the Conservative Government has committed to tripling the programme during the course of this Parliament (to May 2020). Decisions on implementing this ambition remain to be confirmed. The ICS Volunteer Journey Recruitment Led by VSO, a diverse range of 18 25 year-olds are recruited through mass marketing and targeted recruitment campaigns. YCI supports this with targeted recruitment to reach marginalised and vulnerable young people through our links in the YMCA movement and youth organisations. Assessment & Selection After completing on online application form, young people are passed to YCI. We support them to attend a one day Assessment Day. We look at their suitability for the programme against seven dimensions through a range of group work and an interview. This is led by a member of our staff and a team of trained paid Assessors. Pre Placement Support o Selected volunteers are supported to make the necessary logistical preparations including getting health checks, vaccinations, DBS checks and visas. 1/7
o o o o Any safeguarding issues, reasonable adjustments or additional support needs identified in the assessment process are assessed and an action plan put in place. All volunteers attend a three-night residential where they meet the people going to the same country as them and learn about global development, the placement and health & safety/security issues. Team Leaders receive additional two-night training. All volunteers must fundraise (this is means-tested). A separate team based at VSO supports them to complete this but with regular coordination with us. Placement Volunteers are overseas for 12 weeks. During their placement overseas they live in a local host home and work on a 1:1 basis with a volunteer from that country. Post-placement / Action at Home When back in the UK, they complete a project to raise awareness of global poverty and inspire other to join our fight for a fairer and just world. They have a weekend training to be able to meet again with their team and get skills necessary for running their own social action project. After they have completed the project they join our alumni and continue to get involved in our campaigns and activities. 2/7
The 7 ICS Quality Principles These Seven Quality Principles underline how we aim to maximise the impact of ICS. 1. A diverse range of young people are given the opportunity to participate in the programme. Recruitment procedures and funding mechanisms will be put in place to ensure the UK volunteer body is representative of UK society and inclusive of all. The diversity of the Incountry volunteer body will be governed by the same values, dependant on the local volunteering context. 2. Volunteers are suitably supported throughout the programme to ensure optimal personal development and effective placement outcomes. This support will come from effective pre-placement processes and strong programme supervision in-country. 3. Every ICS placement must aim to achieve some kind of development impact. Placements must be sustainable, long term, and developed in partnership with credible national/community partners. 4. Shared working and learning between young people from different countries is a critical aspect of the programme. UK volunteers and in-country volunteers should work alongside each other as equals in all respects. 5. ICS volunteers must become an integral part of the community while they are on placement. This should include living arrangements that enable volunteers to develop a real insight into the lives of the community. 6. Volunteer learning is supported and encouraged through all parts of the journey. This includes pre-placement training; a guided and structured programme of learning incountry; and reflection, analysis and synthesis of their experience on return. 7. ICS volunteers continue their commitment to live as active citizens after the programme is finished. Mechanisms are put in place to encourage, support and ensure that volunteers (both from the UK and from the programme country) can continue to engage in global development long term. 3/7
PRE - PLACEMENT SELECTION START The ICS journey APPLICATION WELCOME All UK volunteers complete an online application form. All UK volunteers told if application successful and what their fundraising target would be. DECISION TIME Y Care International staff review all the evidence collected at the Assessment Day. We check that everyone has demonstrated that they would be a suitable ICS volunteer. ASSESSMENT DAY All UK volunteers must attend an Assessment Day which checks whether they are suitable for ICS. This is a mix of observed group activities and a face to face interview. Volunteers are continuous assessed through out to evidence their continued suitability for the programme. M&E SURVEY GET READY! All volunteers need to do a number of tasks before they can go away. This includes: FUNDRAISING With our expert help, they raise awareness of ICS and fundraise PASSPORT & VISAs Check passport is OK for travel & visa secured. DBS Check All volunteers have a DBS check completed before they depart REFERENCES Two references are returned & reviewed EMERGENCY CONTACT FORM Short Term Health Screening Fill an online questionnaire with InterHealth and any follow up Get vaccinations 4/7
ACTION AT HOME JOIN THE ALUMNI YOUR PLACEMENT PRE - PLACEMENT PRE-PLACEMENT TRAINING Three day training for all UK Volunteers with those travelling to their country with them includes one day on safety and security, cultural awareness & global development issues. In addition, Team Leaders have four extra days training. LEAVE THE UK We will pay for your travel (and if necessary) accommodation for your departure from the UK. FINAL TASKS including travel booking, ORIENTATION & PLACEMENT TRAINING Upon arrival an at least three day in-country training for all UK volunteers and their counterpart local volunteer. This includes cultural issues and a day dedicated to safety and security issues. With local staff, the team develop a team plan to guide their activity in country. LIVE & WORK! For 10-12 weeks working in communities and staying in a host home. ONGOING SUPPORT At least two 1:1 sessions with a Team Leader & weekly team meetings & learning workshops. MID TERM REVIEW Half way through the placement you have a one day workshop to review the placement RETURN HOME Volunteers met at the airport upon arrival in the UK. M&E SURVEY IN COUNTRY DEBRIEF One day workshop to review the placement & share learning. ACTION AT HOME WEEKEND About a month after return to the UK, an overnight workshop to reflect on your trip and get further training on social action in the UK SOCIAL ACTION Within six months after coming back to the UK take positive social action. Once evidence received of UK social action, we issue certificates and act as a referee One year later M&E SURVEY 5/7
Our team The Deputy CEO leads our ICS programme and is responsible for overall strategy, contract management and financial planning. He currently leads the wider security and safeguarding matters across the organisation. He works closely with the Director of International Programmes who focusses on development impact in communities we work and supporting the in country experience of volunteers. UK ACTIVITY The UK Delivery Manager leads our work supporting young people to be assessed for the programme and all their Pre-Placement preparations The Volunteer Co-ordinator (Assessment) supports young people from their initial application form to the outcome of the Assessment Days. They will manage a team of Assessors. The Volunteer Co-ordinator (Training and Support) supports young people with all logistical and other perpetrations for the programme; including training. The Admin and Logistics Officer support the whole ICS team by booking participants travel and accommodation, administrative support for Assessment Days and training weekends and other associated tasks. The Senior Youth Engagement Co-ordinator leads our approach to volunteer recruitment and all aspects of UK post-placement experience; including their social action projects. Outside of ICS they lead our work with YMCAs and support campaigning activities. The Youth Engagement Officer supports practical aspects of post-placement activities for ICS volunteers and leads work with alumni; including our Youth Engagement Panel. INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITY An International Delivery Manager leads all aspects of our placements and enhancing our development impact. They are supported by two ICS Programmes Co-ordinator with one supporting activity in Bangladesh, Sierra Leone and Liberia and one supporting Togo and Senegal. The international team is supported by regional specialists who work on our wider development activities and our Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Advisor. New Role Sig Changed Role 6/7
Y Care Internationl ICS Staff October 2016 All percentages relate to % time spent on ICS 7/7