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Working with young volunteers

A guide March 2008

Working with young volunteers – interim softcopy version 1 About this guide This guide provides Red Cross staff involved in managing volunteers with practical tips and advice to help recruit and manage young volunteers successfully. It is designed to be used alongside general volunteer management policy and practice guidance.

2 Working with young volunteers Contents

About this guide……………………………………………………………2

Introduction…………………………………………………………………6 Why involve young volunteers? 6 What can we offer young volunteers? 6 About this guide 7 How to use the guide 8 Summary of contents 8 And finally… 9

Finding the right volunteer………………………………………………10 Step 1: Identify what you need 10 What level of commitment do you need? 11 Work experience: a volunteering ‘taster’ 11 Part-time volunteering 12 Occasional or one-off volunteering 12 Full-time volunteering 12 Internships 13 Who can be a young volunteer? 14 Young people aged 15 and over 15 A note on young people aged 13–14 16 A note on young people under 13 years 16 Step 2: Write a role description 17 Step 3: Promote the opportunity 18 Step 4: Select the right candidate 20 Summing up 20

Putting the essentials in place…………………………………………22 Parental consent 22 Who can take parental responsibility? 23 What is the Red Cross’s responsibility to young volunteers? 23 Risk assessments 24 What should a risk assessment for young people include? 25 Child protection 26 What is child abuse? 26 What should I do if I think a child is being abused? 27 Legislation in Scotland 27 What situations should be avoided? 28 Additional child protection resources 28 Summing up 29

3 Working with young volunteers Managing young volunteers……………………………………………30 What’s special about managing young people? 30 Person-focused management 32 A supportive approach 32 Understanding the volunteer’s motivations 32 Accreditation and awards 33 Tips for managing different types of volunteer 35 Managing work-experience volunteers 35 Managing part-time volunteers 35 Managing occasional or one-off volunteers 35 Managing full-time volunteers 36 Managing interns 36 When things go wrong 37 The practicalities: roles, activities and hours 38 The role description 38 What can a young volunteer do, at what age: generic guidance 38 Working hours 39 Safety requirements specific to young people 40 Other issues to be aware of 41 Media consent 41 Transport issues 41 Expenses 42 Summing up 42

Guidance for specific activities…………………………………………43 Care in the home 44 Emergency response 46 Fire emergency support service 48 First aid 50 Fundraising 53 Humanitarian education 55 International tracing and messaging service 57 Medical loan 59 Refugee services 61 Retail 63 Skin camouflage 66 Therapeutic care 67 Transport and escort 69 Summing up 70

Next steps for the young person………………………………………71 Further opportunities within the Red Cross 71 Becoming involved in decision making 71

4 Working with young volunteers Promotion and PR 72 Putting innovative ideas into practice 72 International opportunities 72 Moving on 73 Summing up 74

Conclusion………………………………………………………………75

Resources……………………………………………………………….76 Support from the Red Cross 77 Internal contacts 77 Training 77 Publications 77 Web and phone resources 79 Volunteering information 79 Support for young people 79 Information about legal requirements 80 Samples and templates 81 Sheet 1: Local information sheet 81 Sheet 2: Risk assessment and parental consent form 82 Sheet 3: Health and safety induction and training checklist 86 Sheet 4: Child protection ‘cause for concern’ form 88 Sheet 5: CRB check parental consent form 90 Sheet 6: Media consent form 91 Sheet 7: Sample role description 92

Acknowledgements……………………………………………………..94

5 Working with young volunteers Introduction

Young volunteers are an energetic and vibrant source of support for the British Red Cross. Working with these young people can be extremely rewarding, but it can also raise a number of challenges – from concerns around child protection to uncertainty of how to communicate effectively. By ensuring that we engage well with young people, the Red Cross can harness a wealth of fresh ideas and energy. This guide provides information, guidance and tips to help you do just that – with advice and tips on everything from recruiting young people and managing difficult situations to understanding health and safety legislation.

Why involve young volunteers? Young people (specifically, 15–25 year olds) make up roughly 15 per cent of the population. This diverse and often dynamic group has a huge amount to offer, and many young people are keen to be involved as volunteers and are passionate about helping others. Young people bring flexibility, willingness, creativity, enthusiasm and responsibility to their tasks and to the services we deliver. In short, young volunteers are an obvious asset. As well as providing new perspectives and fresh ideas to our service delivery, they can strengthen and motivate the volunteer workforce.

Young people can also do a great deal to promote the Red Cross to their peers. A study by the Russell Commission (see http://archive.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/russellcommission) shows that 82 per cent of young people chose a brand or organisation on the basis a friend’s recommendation. By ensuring that young people have a good experience when volunteering with the Red Cross, we can help raise awareness about humanitarian values and our work among the younger generations.

In Britain, 1 in 3 people are below the age of 25, and this group is due to grow faster than the rest of population over next decade.

What can we offer young volunteers? The Red Cross as an organisation is hugely attractive to young people, with its recognisable brand, international work and humanitarian principles. However, like any other volunteers, young people share a variety of motivations and skills. Competition for young people’s time is fierce, and in order to attract them and hold their interest we need to provide a relatively sophisticated package.

6 Working with young volunteers The services that we deliver, and the people we work with provide a great deal of inspiration for young volunteers. But we also need to emphasise the more tangible benefits we can offer – and these come in the form of work experience, training, skills and qualifications. The Russell Commission study found that 52 per cent of young people value volunteering for the impact it has on their career opportunities. So we need to make sure our volunteering opportunities do just that.

Work experience is particularly valuable to the high number of young people who are no longer involved in education and are unemployed. By helping them gain experience and skills, we can make a difference to young people’s lives while also increasing our volunteer base.

Volunteering can also benefit young people in terms of personal development. As their manager, you can help by acknowledging their hard work, recognising their achievements and strengths, and working with them to develop their skills. Young people need to feel appreciated like anyone else, and if you can gain a young person’s trust and help them develop their sense of confidence and self-worth you will be providing a valuable service to them and encourage them to remain committed to the Red Cross.

We are lucky in being able to offer young people a wide range of volunteering placements that are fun, interesting and challenging. If we want to engage them, then it is up to us to demonstrate to them that we can provide the personal and professional development opportunities they need.

Case study “The volunteers have been invaluable to us… In the beginning I invested several hours per week training them, but it paid off as I don’t think I would have managed without them – and I hope, and I think, that we have provided something for them as well. They make a unique contribution to home from hospital because they have an interesting story to tell the elderly people they visit as part of the programme. A lot of old people are very lonely. It’s a good conversation starter to discuss why the young volunteers are here.” Service manager, home from hospital, Merseyside

About this guide This guide aims to support and encourage you to feel more confident about recruiting and managing young volunteers. It seeks to dispel some of the myths about working with young people and to remind you just how easy and rewarding it can be to involve young people in your services. It has been compiled using examples of best practice from Red

7 Working with young volunteers Cross services around the country, in consultation with managers of young volunteers and young people themselves.

In the guide you will find: > Information about your legal obligations and Red Cross policy requirements, especially when working with under-18s > Tips for communicating effectively with young people > Checklists detailing simple tasks that you can carry out > Sheets containing templates for documentation to use in your daily practice > Guidance about the kinds of challenges that could arise when working with young people, and suggestions for dealing with them > Facts and figures to support your understanding of the issues > Case studies, examples of best practice and quotes from young volunteers and their managers > A comprehensive resources section that includes details of support available from the Red Cross, useful contacts both inside and outside of the Red Cross, further reading, and space for you to note down your own local contacts, as well as a series of sheets for you to refer to during your work.

How to use the guide Initially, you may find it helpful to read this guide from cover to cover to broaden your understanding of working with young volunteers. However, it is clearly signposted to enable you to ‘dip in’ as and when you need guidance on a specific issue. The Resources section at the back of the guide is designed to be used for regular reference. It contains a space for you to note down contact details within your area, and forms and templates that you can refer to and use in your daily work.

This guide supplements general volunteer management policy and practice, so you will need to use it alongside core Red Cross publications (available on RedRoom) such as: > Good practice guide for leaders and managers of volunteers in the British Red Cross Society (2005) > Volunteer recruitment and selection. Managing the business process (2002) > Volunteer handbook (2006).

Summary of contents Section 1 looks at how to find the right young volunteer. It begins with how to identify your own needs for a volunteer, and considers the age at which young people can volunteer, and what level of commitment you require from your volunteer. It then guides you through

8 Working with young volunteers the recruitment process, from writing a role description and publicising the position to selecting the right candidate. Section 2 sets out what you will need to have in place before the young person you have recruited begins their volunteering role. It focuses on three areas of obligations that are particular to working with young people: parental consent, risk assessment and child protection. Section 3 explains how to manage a young volunteer once they begin their role. First, it considers the ‘soft’ side of managing young people, including tips for communicating with young people, ensuring a youth-friendly environment, and what to do when things go wrong. It also offers guidance on practical issues, from induction procedures to reimbursing expenses. Section 4 focuses on how to manage young volunteers in specific services provided by the Red Cross, from emergency response and retail to therapeutic care, highlighting which tasks can be carried out at what age, safety considerations, the benefits to volunteers of each service, and tips for engaging young volunteers in the service. Section 5 considers the options for the young person once they have completed their volunteer role. Whether they choose to take their involvement with the Red Cross to a new level, or they prefer to end their work with the Red Cross for the time being, this section will show you how to help them move on in a positive way. The Resources section includes details of support from within the Red Cross, further reading, national contacts, and samples and templates for you to use in your daily work. It also provides a local information sheet that is blank, for you to add your own useful contacts.

And finally… This guide focuses on the aspects of recruiting and managing that are specific to working with young volunteers. We have seen why it is important to focus on the specific needs of young people, but in the aim to tailor our provision in this way it can be tempting to lump young people together as a cohesive group. It is important to remember that young people are still individuals, each with his or her own traits, preferences and ways of responding to things, just like anyone else. For this reason, managing young volunteers has much in common with good volunteer management in general, and there are many Red Cross resources to support this (see the list in the ‘How to use this guide’ earlier in this section).

We hope you find this guide useful and that it encourages you to find new and exciting ways to involve young people in the important work you do.

9 Working with young volunteers Finding the right volunteer

It is easy to assume that finding the right volunteer starts with putting out an advertisement – but in fact the process starts much earlier, with a close look internally to find out what support you actually need. In this section we take you from the point of identifying your need, right through, to the stage where you appointing the right person for the role. This process is shown in the figure below.

The recruitment process Step 1: Identify what you need Step 2: Write a role description Step 3: Promote the opportunity Step 4: Select the right candidate

As well as information on each of these steps, you will find British Red Cross policy guidance on which young people you can recruit, and the different levels of volunteer involvement available to you.

This section focuses only on guidance specific to working with young volunteers, so you need to use it alongside the Good practice guide (available on RedRoom), which sets out Red Cross guidance and procedure for recruiting and managing volunteers of all ages, including young people.

Step 1: Identify what you need The first step towards offering a valid and rewarding volunteering role is to identify a real community need. How you decide to meet that need will influence the way you carry out the recruitment and the type of potential volunteer you target. Thinking about the benefits of involving young people that we discussed in the Introduction, consider whether the role could suit a young person. Young people can carry out most voluntary roles, but there may be a particular need to focus the recruitment on young people. For example, it may be that young volunteers are underrepresented in delivering a service to the whole community, including people of all ages. In some circumstance, it may be very desirable that the volunteer is a young person – for example, if the role involves promoting a service to a young audience.

“Young people in focus groups say that volunteering opportunities need to present themselves as progressive, respected, relevant and beneficial both to themselves and to the community.”

10 Working with young volunteers Involving young volunteers: a toolkit (Young Timebank 2006)

We now look at how much commitment you need from your young volunteer.

What level of commitment do you need? Every young person is different, and each is able to offer a different level of commitment in their volunteering. The level of commitment may depend on a range of factors including their school or college hours, the amount of homework they have to do, paid jobs, any other activities such as sports clubs or family duties. It may also depend on their reason for getting involved in volunteering in the first place. Here, we look at five different levels of commitment that young volunteers are often able to offer: > work experience > part-time volunteering > occasional volunteering > full-time volunteering > internship.

Work experience: a volunteering ‘taster’ Work experience placements tend to be a combination of office administration and work on discrete, short-term projects, depending on the young person’s areas of interest and skill. Work experience typically takes place for one-to-two weeks, on a full-time basis, and should be available to all young people aged 15 and over, depending on our capacity to support them. Most young people seeking work experience will get in touch directly, but sometimes a parent, school or other agency (such as an education business partnership) will make the initial contact.

The purpose of work experience for young people is to gain an insight into the world of work, so you don’t need to come up with hugely innovative activities, although the young person should be included as much as possible within the team’s daily life, including attending team meetings, training and/or talks. The experience should include an introduction to the work of the Red Cross and the opportunity for further involvement beyond the period of work experience, if possible.

Some ideas for projects, depending on what support is available, could include: > organising a fundraising or profile-raising event > humanitarian education activities > supporting retail

> fire and emergency support service and emergency response and resilience > service support to home from hospital, first aid, transport and escort, therapeutic care or medical loan.

11 Working with young volunteers The work-experience model can also be used effectively to engage with young people with additional support needs, sometimes working in pairs or small groups, as a route to building the confidence to become involved in further volunteering.

Part-time volunteering Part-time volunteering is the most common form of volunteering among people of any age within the Red Cross. It may be irregular or regular – for example, for an afternoon a week, or a weekend a month. Many volunteers prefer regular involvement, as they may gain a greater sense of belonging within the organisation, with more frequent and familiar contact with staff and other volunteers.

Occasional or one-off volunteering Young people may wish to help at an individual event, or come along with a friend to volunteer alongside them – for example, to help their friend in a Red Cross shop on a Saturday. This is a great way to awaken a young person’s interest in the Red Cross and perhaps attract them to get more involved.

Full-time volunteering Young volunteers may be interested in volunteering full time for a fixed period, to fill in a gap between education or training and employment, or during a period of unemployment. This is a great opportunity for a young person to showcase his or her talents to staff and other volunteers. Most full-time volunteering opportunities are arranged with the individual on an ad hoc basis. However, there are a number of programmes that facilitate full-time volunteering opportunities, often covering expenses and providing a framework for the volunteer’s experience. Examples include: > Full-time v volunteering – Funding from the organisation v enables us to deliver full- time youth volunteering opportunities in England for between 13 and 52 weeks (averaging 20 weeks) across different services, including youth, fundraising, first aid, medical loan, and message and tracing. We are targeting young people aged between 16 and 25 who ordinarily would not have volunteered with the organisation. (For more information, contact the Schools and Community Education Department at UK Office.) > The International Youth Volunteering Programme – In this scheme, we host young people aged 18–25 from across Europe for 6–12 months’ volunteering in the social care field. Host projects are often with partner organisations such as special schools, social services, day centres and information services, but all volunteers give part of their week to a local Red Cross service and some volunteer full time within the organisation. A few young people from the UK are also able to go abroad within this programme. (For more information, contact [email protected])

12 Working with young volunteers Case study Every year the Red Cross youth team hosts two European Voluntary Service volunteers. Last year, two full-time volunteers (Tine from Germany and Franc from Spain, both aged 22) worked with the Lancashire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester Red Cross youth team and spent their time working in schools, delivering humanitarian education and first aid training to young people. Tine says: “I delivered sessions on first-aid and humanitarian education, and with the gained experience I got more and more confident. At the end I didn’t even have any problems with sometimes challenging behaviour in the classes. I always had problems standing in front of groups of people. However, I think that this problem is more or less solved now and I have made a major personal progress. I can hardly express how thankful I am that I could make this experience.”

Internships Internships are usually time-limited, discrete roles and generally require particular skills, knowledge or experience. They typically demand a commitment of three-to-four days per week for a fixed period of time (typically 8–12 weeks) to fulfil a specific need – for example, to undertake a piece of research, develop a series of case studies, update or develop resources, or organise a large event or activity.

An internship is usually academically or career motivated, so there is an increased emphasis on the need for a ‘final product’ or project, and the intern has the opportunity to access additional opportunities, such as training or attending promotional events, involvement in team meetings, meeting other members of staff or volunteers working in areas of interest.

The demand for Red Cross internships is great. Applicants are attracted to the organisation’s profile and principles, as well as its position as part of a global movement. A dynamic and varied role description, promoted over a number of weeks on the Red Cross website, will usually attract a number of motivated and skilled volunteers.

Case study

13 Working with young volunteers Margaret Wambui Kamau describes her experience as an intern with the Red Cross: “As an intern attached to the youth team in the Scotland, Northern Ireland and Isle of Man territory, I was charged with the responsibility of engaging young volunteers in a participation exercise and getting their views on volunteering with the Red Cross. This was done through the ‘Have your say’ project, which involved organising focus group sessions and sending out questionnaires. The end result was an insightful report that addressed the issues raised and made recommendations that are certain to enhance volunteering with the organisation. “I was attracted to the internship because of my previous experience of volunteering with young people while at university. I found this to be a worthwhile and enriching opportunity, and what better organisation to put my skills to use in than the Red Cross. The flexible working hours and the helpful support I received from my supervisors made my time at the Red Cross enjoyable, not forgetting the friendly staff at the Dundee branch. “My internship opened my eyes to the different backgrounds of volunteers and the satisfaction gained from working together towards a common cause. It also developed my project management skills and added value to my CV.”

Each of these levels of commitment has different considerations for the manager. These are highlighted in Section 3. Having looked at the level of commitment that you will need from your volunteer, we look at who can be a young volunteer.

Who can be a young volunteer? If you are choosing to target young people as potential volunteers, it is important that you are clear about Red Cross policy on the age at which young people can volunteer: > The minimum age of a Red Cross volunteer is 15 years old. > The Red Cross classifies a ‘young person’ as anyone below the age of 26. > Young people aged under 15 may be involved in specific programmes, but are not classed as Red Cross volunteers.

We now consider policy requirements for young people aged 15 and over, 13–14 year olds and those under the age of 13. More information is available from the Schools and Community Education Department at UK Office.

14 Working with young volunteers Young people aged 15 and over Young people can be full Red Cross volunteers from the age of 15, when they should be equally considered for any role. They are entitled to vote and stand for election for volunteer councils, and should have full access to volunteer processes and support. They should also be entered onto the Peoplesoft system and receive Red Cross life.

You will need to assess the support needs of any young volunteers, as you would for a volunteer of any age, and you may need to put in place measures to ensure their safety and well-being, and ensure adherence to good practice.

In the case of young people under the age of 18 in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and in Scotland, good practice includes: > Completing a parental consent form and risk assessment for each discrete area of activity (see Sheet 2 in the Resources section of this guide). Note that in Scotland you are legally obliged to do this only for under-16s – but it is still good practice to do so for 16 and 17 year olds. > Retaining emergency contact details for the duration of the volunteering activity. These need to be kept on site at the volunteering activity, and you need to check and update them regularly. > Ensuring that the young person and anyone working with them is aware of child protection policy and procedure. This includes having the contact details of the designated child protection officer within their Red Cross area (available on RedRoom or on Sheet 1 in the Resources section of this guide) > Ensuring adherence to other requirements, such as employment legislation and insurance conditions. > Ensuring equality of opportunity. If a young person is required to reach a certain age to deliver a specific volunteering role, there should be legal, insurance or training reasons for this – for example, the volunteer would be required to drive. > Considering excluding particular tasks, depending on the service or activity (for example, personal care, handling money, report writing). The relevant service or activity manager is responsible for being aware of these factors for their specific service. In some cases (for example, in public events or home from hospital visits), this will mean that a young person under 18 should have an appropriate accompanying adult as support. For more information on specific services, see Section 4. > Ensuring Criminal Records Bureau checks for any Red Cross staff and volunteers who have contact with children, young people (including as volunteers) or vulnerable adults. (For more information, go to RedRoom.) > Pay additional consideration to the volunteer’s travel to and from their volunteering activity. (For more information, see Section 3.)

15 Working with young volunteers A note on young people aged 13–14 Young people aged 13 and 14 cannot be classed as full Red Cross volunteers. However, in some instances they may carry out an educational or personal development activity with appropriate youth-work support.

Many young people of this age are able to make a unique and significant contribution to our work, and will benefit from the experience as an opportunity for personal development. However, they do need the skilled support and guidance of an approved mentor who can take responsibility for their care as part of a defined project, to ensure appropriate activities and identify personal development goals and access to accreditation, such as Youth Achievement Awards. For this reason, any work involving young people of this age must be carried out under the support and guidance of specialist youth staff.

If someone of this age makes contact with you, direct them to the local area youth staff, who may be able to help them get involved in: > a peer education project > activities to promote the Red Cross within their school or peer group > a specific local Red Cross activity, such as a fundraising event > volunteer training, which they may be able to attend, prior to taking on a volunteer role at 15 > an educational or personal development programme run with appropriate youth work support. This would normally only be possible as part of a partnership opportunity – for example, with a school or youth group.

A note on young people under 13 years Young people under the age of 13 (in other words, 12 and under) can only get involved in Red Cross volunteering activities as part of a partnership project – for example, in a project carried out within a school or youth organisation. The Red Cross does not promote volunteering initiatives for young people of this age. If there is not the capacity to offer appropriate activity and support, signpost the young person to another local organisation when possible.

Having looked at the role you would like fulfilled, who you are able to engage as a young volunteer within Red Cross policy, and the different levels of volunteer support available to you, you are ready to move on to the remaining steps of the recruitment process.

16 Working with young volunteers Step 2: Write a role description An exciting and relevant role description will dramatically increase the likelihood of attracting the type of volunteer you want for the specific role you are promoting. This is particularly the case if you would like to appoint a young person. You may find it helpful to target particular functions within an activity or service that may appeal to individual young people with specific skills and interests – for example, by describing the role as ‘media volunteer’, or ‘fashion volunteer’.

The wish list below, from the Institute of Volunteering Research, shows what young people value most in a volunteering role, so try to make sure you include each of these elements in the role description.

Young volunteers’ wish list > Flexibility – This is both flexible work and flexible working times. > Legitimacy – Make volunteering seem positive and worthwhile. > Ease of access – Make sure that young people in your area are aware of the opportunities you can offer them and how they can go about getting involved. Make the process easy – be proactive and go and find them; don’t wait for them to find you! > Experience – Young people want the opportunity to learn new skills, take on new challenges, explore different careers and get work experience. > Incentives – This may be a reference or qualification to validate their experience and skills to future employers. > Variety – In terms of the type of work, amount of commitment and level of responsibility. > Organisation – This should be efficient, informal and relaxed. They want to feel appreciated but not over-organised and heavily supervised. > Laughs – Make it fun!

Source: Institute of Volunteering Research

17 Working with young volunteers You will find more information on writing role descriptions in the Good practice guide (available on RedRoom.) For an example of an effective role description designed to appeal to young people, see Sheet 6 in the Resources section.

18 Working with young volunteers Step 3: Promote the opportunity One of the points listed in the young people’s wish list above is ‘ease of access’. In other words, you need to make it easy for a young person to become aware of the opportunities available to them. This means targeting the right places to reach your potential volunteers. Use the tips below to help you get started.

1. Ask existing young volunteers for help The most effective way to recruit volunteers is by word of mouth. As you recruit more young volunteers, you should see a positive knock-on effect on numbers. Maximise this by mobilising any current young volunteers and getting them to share their experiences with other young people – for example, through the local press or by giving a presentation at a school assembly.

You may consider recruiting a youth volunteering coordinator (see the sample description for this role in Sheet 6 in the Resources section). Many young people find a post such as this great fun and extremely rewarding. The volunteering opportunities will appear more credible to potential volunteers if they are being promoted by a member of their own peer group.

2. Ask your local Red Cross area volunteering advisor to help promote opportunities online The volunteering advisor may promote the role on the British Red Cross website www.redcross.org.uk or on one of the online volunteering databases such as www.do-it.org.uk (England), www.volunteerscotland.info (Scotland), www.volunteering-wales.net (Wales) and www.volunteering-ni.org (Northern Ireland). (See Useful contacts in the resources section)

3. Ask your youth staff to help you approach local youth groups, schools or colleges Approaching schools and colleges is a great way to recruit young volunteers – for example, by getting involved in freshers’ fairs or such similar events. Schools and colleges are in desperate need of work-experience placements, so if you can offer these, you should get positive feedback. Youth centres have a notice board, and often an area for leaflets, and may even let you or some young volunteers have a five-minute slot at the beginning or end of a youth club session. Make sure that the youth centre staff know exactly what you are offering so that they can refer young people to you in the future.

4. Ask your nearest Volunteer Centre for help Volunteer Centres are local agencies that help match volunteers to vacancies. They can promote opportunities directly to potential volunteers. They will also tell you if there are any local career days or volunteering fairs aimed at young people. If you go, take some young volunteers with you and let them do the talking, as potential volunteers will

19 Working with young volunteers respond better to their peer group. If possible, bring some freebies: more people will definitely come and talk to you if you do! To find your nearest centre, call 0845 3056979 or go to www.volunteering.org.uk

5. Work in partnership New or existing relationships with other organisations or services working directly with young people can be a great source of volunteers – particularly if you are targeting a certain group. Examples include Connexion, Millennium Volunteers and v Volunteers (see Useful contacts, in the Resources section). Talk to your local volunteering and youth staff for support in this.

6. Write promotional material that attracts young people’s interest The quality of your promotional material will make a huge difference to the level of interest you receive from young people. Use the checklist below to make sure that your promotional material hits the mark.

Checklist: Producing good promotional material > Keep the information snappy and to the point, using plain English. > Ensure you refer to the brand toolkit (redcross.org.uk/toolkit) and contact the communications coordination team for advice on the correct look and feel. > Make the opportunities you are promoting relevant to the interests and needs of young people. > Use visuals where possible, along with quotes and case studies from existing young volunteers. > Highlight the relevance of the volunteering opportunity to certain career paths. For example, volunteering as a first aider at public events provides useful experience for someone interested in becoming a healthcare professional such as a doctor, nurse or paramedic. > Use language that emphasises the social elements of the opportunity – for example, inviting prospective new volunteers to join their ‘local team of volunteers’. > Try to involve existing young volunteers – perhaps creating or consulting an advisory group of youth people to help you develop your promotional material.

20 Working with young volunteers Step 4: Select the right candidate Selecting the right person for a volunteering role is an important and detailed process, whatever the age of the candidate. Any prospective volunteer needs to go through the standard Red Cross selection procedure detailed in the Good practice guide. You will need to follow this process closely, so it is not replicated in this guide. However, there are some particular additional considerations for interviewing young volunteers:

> If you are interviewing a young person under the age of 18, you need to be aware of good practice in terms of child protection. Most importantly, this involves ensuring that more than one adult is present. (For more information about child protection requirements, see Section 2.) > Make sure the interview is not intimidating. Remember that this may be the first time that the person has been through a selection process. Try to choose an informal environment for the process and make the candidate feel at home. (For more information on communicating effectively with young people, see Section 3.) > Recognise that some young people may need help to identify referees. Suggestions could include a teacher, youth worker, sports instructor, probation worker or social worker. > Make sure you identify any additional support needs that the young person may have due to their inexperience, personal circumstances or other factors. These could include: > help in overcoming language barriers > extra flexibility on hours (possibly due to home or personal commitments) > extra support for those in a vulnerable position, such as young lone parents > reasonable adjustments if they have a disability.

Having carried out the process set out in this section and chosen your volunteer, you are ready to put everything in place ready for the young person to begin their volunteering role. In Section 2, we will go on to discuss the most important requirements in relation to employing young people: particular parental control, risk assessment and child protection.

Summing up > The first step in recruitment is to identify your need. Once you are clear about that, and what the options are, you can begin seeking the right person for the role.

21 Working with young volunteers > Make sure you are familiar with the age at which you can recruit young people as volunteers, and the different levels of commitment available to you. > Write a catchy role description that will attract interest and emphasise what the young person will get from the opportunity. > Promote the opportunity in an imaginative way, involving other young people to reach their peers wherever possible. > Carry out the selection process according to Red Cross guidelines, set out in the Good practice guide, but taking into account the particular needs of young people.

22 Working with young volunteers Putting the essentials in place

In Section 1 we looked at how to select the right volunteer for the role. We now go on to look at the key requirements that you need to put in place before the young person can begin their volunteering role. These consist of legal obligations, British Red Cross policy requirements and good practice recommendations within three key areas: > parental consent > risk assessment > child protection.

We will look at each of these in turn. Some of the requirements involve filling out forms. Where this is the case, you will find samples provided in the Resources section.

Young person’s starter pack checklist When the young person is offered their role, you need to give them:

> information about the Red Cross (for example, the standard British Red Cross leaflet) and the Red Cross child protection leaflet (available free of charge from Purchasing and Supply - code 1638). > a clear, jargon-free task description for each role that he or she will undertake > a risk assessment and parental consent form (see Sheet 2), to be filled in by a person with parental responsibility for the young person wishing to volunteer

We begin by looking at the topic of parental consent.

Parental consent Before a young person under the age of 18 (or 16 in Scotland) starts volunteering, you need to obtain consent from their parent or guardian. This is important not only to ensure that the parent or guardian is aware of and consents to the young person carrying out the volunteering role, but also in case of accident. Giving consent involves filling out a consent form (see Sheet 2), which includes an individual risk assessment to ensure the

23 Working with young volunteers safety of the volunteer. Although in Scotland it is not a legal requirement to seek consent for those aged 16 and 17, it is good practice to do so.

When the young person makes contact with the Red Cross, encourage them to discuss their application with their parent or guardian, and seek their consent once you have identified the volunteering activity. The person responsible for the activity (for example, the shop manager) has a duty of care to ensure that consent is given before the activity starts, and that the form is kept in a secure but accessible place. If the volunteer changes their role or tasks radically from the original role description, or if the volunteer is involved in a higher risk activity such as a trip away, a new consent from must be signed.

The consent form includes a medical section, which gives the Red Cross the right to allow hospitals to carry out emergency treatment on the young person if needed. Areas must ensure that health information on young people remains up to date, accurate and confidential – in other words, that they are available only to those managing the young person.

You also need to seek parental consent if the role requires the young person to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau check. This involves signing a parental authorisation form (see Sheet 4), which is kept by the recruiting manager.

Who can take parental responsibility? ‘Parental responsibility’ is the power to make a decision in relation to a child. This responsibility could be held by: > the mother whether she is married or unmarried > the father if he is married to the mother or was married to the mother at the time of the conception or birth, or if he is not married to the mother but has acquired parental responsibility through a parental responsibility agreement > adoptive parents, or anyone in favour of a residence order or the local authority if the young person is in care. A step-parent does not have automatic parental responsibility.

If several people have parental responsibility, permission from one of them is sufficient, unless there is a co-parenting order.

If a young person between the ages of 16 and 18 is married, or is over 16 and living on his or her own or in a semi-independent setting and has little, if any, contact with their parents, they may be able to give their own consent.

What is the Red Cross’s responsibility to young volunteers? The Red Cross has a legal duty of care to young people taking part in any volunteering activities. In case law, this has been interpreted as the ‘duty’ (as opposed to the

24 Working with young volunteers ‘authority’) to act as a careful parent would – in other words, to exercise ‘adequate supervision’.

The level of supervision considered ‘adequate’ will depend on the age and relative maturity of the young volunteer involved, on whether the young volunteer is affected by any disability, and on the circumstances of the case.

It is the duty of those running a project or activity to take all reasonable and proper care for the safety of the young people volunteering. In practice, this will be covered in the risk assessments made for each volunteering placement (see “Risk assessments section below). ‘Supervising’ a volunteer can mean giving adequate advice and instructions, rather than constantly watching them, unless there is obvious danger. The older and more mature a young volunteer is, the more responsible they are expected to be for their own actions in the eyes of the law, and therefore the likelihood of a responsible adult being liable decreases.

If young volunteers are hosted as part of a partnership initiative (e.g. as part of a school group), parental consent may already be covered. If you think this may be the case, t is always best to check with the partner organisation and, if still in doubt, speak to your youth manager for further guidance.

Having considered parental consent, we now move on to look at the issue of risk and the need to carry out risk assessments.

Risk assessments All Red Cross services are obliged by law to carry out risk assessments to make sure we do not put volunteers in situations that put their safety at risk. The Red Cross believes that additional health and safety considerations are necessary for young people because of their comparative lack of maturity and work experience, and it is important that the parent or guardian of any young person under our duty of care feels confident that there are effective procedures in place to ensure their safety. The parent or guardian must receive a risk assessment for the young person in their care so they are able to give informed consent. This has been combined with parental consent in one form, which is included in the Resources section of this guide as Sheet 2. The completed risk assessment is used to determine any specific health and safety requirements (including training) which must be met during the volunteer’s induction. A sample health and safety induction and training checklist is included in this guide as Sheet 3.

Checklist: Your legal risk-related obligations for young volunteers

25 Working with young volunteers > Assess the risks to people under 18 years of age before they begin the volunteer role. > Take account of the immaturity, inexperience and lack of awareness of existing or potential risks to young people at work. > Appraise the existing risk assessments or safe systems of work in relation to the above. > Consider whether any of the working activities or processes are such that young people should be prohibited from taking part, due to their hazardous nature. (Those over the minimum school leaving age may, where training has covered, take part if all risks have been reduced as far as is reasonably practicable, and if proper supervision by an experienced and competent person is provided.) > Keep a copy of the risk assessment and checklist

What should a risk assessment for young people include? A risk assessment for a young volunteer should include: > the layout and equipment of the workplace or workstation > any exposure to physical, biological and chemical agents > the type of work equipment in use > the current organisation of work and processes > health and safety training to be given to ensure understanding of hazards and risk > whether the volunteering location will vary (e,g, for first aid duties, as a school speaker) > contact with the public or others > any specific additional risks.

You do not need to carry out new risk assessments if your existing ones take these factors into consideration. You will need to inform parents or guardians of the main findings of your risk assessment, and the various control measures, including training that will be in place to safeguard the young person’s health and safety. The ‘health and safety induction and training checklist’ included in the Resources section of this guide (Sheet 3), also available on RedRoom as document ID FRM/YNG/041, will provide this information. By law, you do not have to provide this information in writing – it can be by discussion with the responsible person, or the young person can pass it on if he or she is deemed to be capable of doing so correctly.

26 Working with young volunteers This guidance on risk assessment and parental consent is also available on RedRoom as document ID GUD/YNG/002. The risk assessment and parental consent form (sheet 2 in the Resource section) is available as document ID FRM/YNG/006.

Having addressed your responsibilities around parental consent and risk assessment, we consider the final area of legal obligation: child protection

Child protection In the UK, everyone has a duty of care towards safeguarding the welfare of children and young people in the community. A child is usually defined as anyone under the age of 18 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 16 in Scotland.

‘Child protection’ means that everybody who comes into contact with children and young people must fulfil their responsibility to safeguard the young person’s welfare and provide protection from abuse. It also means providing a safe environment that protects young people and other volunteers.

The Red Cross provides a range of guidance, policies and courses to protect children and young people, and to ensure that staff and volunteers feel confident when working with children and young people, have the knowledge to deal with any issues that arise, and minimise the risk of putting themselves in a vulnerable position.

The top three key messages in child protection are shown in the following checklist.

Checklist: Three key messages in child protection > All staff and volunteers should know the phone number for the designated child protection officer within their Red Cross area. This number must be displayed prominently wherever possible. > No staff member or volunteer should work in isolation with a child or young person – for example, in the stock room or in a closed office. > No one should ever take it on their shoulders to carry out an investigation into a possible case of child abuse, or try to get a child or young person to disclose. Simply stop, look and listen, and fill out a child protection cause for concern form (see Sheet 3 at the back of this guide).

We now answer some common questions about child protection and child abuse.

27 Working with young volunteers What is child abuse? All children, whatever their race, sex, beliefs, physical and mental abilities, have the right to grow up unharmed, to have the opportunity to develop fully and have their basic needs met. Child abuse is a failure, by omission or commission (in other words, either passively or actively), to respect the needs and rights of children. Child abuse is grouped into four categories: 1 Neglect – the persistent or severe neglect of a child, or the failure to protect a child from exposure to danger – for example, leaving them cold, starving or alone. 2 Physical abuse – for example, giving poisonous substances (such as drugs or alcohol), hitting, shaking, burning, biting or knowingly failing to protect from a physical injury. 3 Sexual abuse – including indecent exposure, fondling, masturbation, oral sex, sexual intercourse, anal intercourse and exposure to pornography. 4 Emotional abuse – persistent or severe emotional ill treatment or rejection – for example, consistent lack of love, threatening verbal attacks, taunting or shouting.

What should I do if I think a child is being abused? > If a child reports that they have been abused, has an injury that cannot be explained satisfactorily, or shows a sudden, unexplained change in behaviour, report this immediately to the designated child protection officer. > If the child is disclosing a case of abuse, listen carefully to what they have to say and let them speak freely at their pace. Never ask questions or push them into revealing information or making an allegation. Always reassure the child that they are right to report the abuse. > Always respect the young person’s confidentiality, and only tell the designated child protection officer. > If you think someone is in immediate danger, always contact the police by telephoning 999. > If you think a child is being abused, always complete a cause for concern form (see Sheet 3) and speak to the designated child protection officer within 24 hours. > Never promise to keep secrets – our policy on safeguarding children and young people requires staff and volunteers to act in the interests of the child and report anything that makes you concerned about a child’s welfare. > Never ask questions or lead a child into making an allegation. > Never fail to report a child’s concerns. > The same guidelines apply irrespective of whether the suspected abuse is taking place at home, within the Red Cross, or somewhere else.

28 Working with young volunteers Legislation in Scotland The Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 increased the responsibilities of organisations ‘caring for, training, supervising or being in sole charge of young people under 18 years of age' in Scotland. Safeguarding measures such as risk assessments, CRB checks on staff and volunteers should be implemented when supporting young people up to the age of 18 years. Other good practice measures e.g. written parental consent are required for all young people under 16 years and recommended for all young people up to 18 years.

What situations should be avoided? > As mentioned above, no staff member or volunteer should work in isolation with any volunteer under the age of 18 (16 in Scotland) – for example, in the stock room or a closed office. > Young people should not travel in a car or other vehicle with just one adult. Think about the safety implications of volunteer’s travel to and from their volunteering activity, and make any adaptations necessary to ensure their safety as far as possible. > Avoid any unnecessary physical contact between volunteers and young people. > No volunteer, young or old, should be able to volunteer without having first been registered and had their references checked. If appropriate, an occasional volunteer form is available for those just wanting to volunteer as a one-off. > No one should shout at a young volunteer or use foul language in front of them (or indeed, in front of any volunteer). > No volunteer under the age of 18 (16 in Scotland) may volunteer until they have returned a parental consent form.

Additional child protection resources The following resources are available to support you in meeting child protection requirements: > The Red Cross Safeguarding Children and Young People policy – available on RedRoom > The Red Cross child protection awareness course – a two-hour course that all volunteers and staff working with young people are encouraged to attend (contact area offices for more information) > The Red Cross child protection poster – must be displayed in a prominent position where possible. This provides essential information for all volunteers, and includes useful contact telephone numbers and websites. Posters are available free of charge from Purchasing and Supply at UK Office (code 1637) > The Red Cross child protection leaflet – must be given to all volunteers. This is available from Purchasing and Supply at UK Office (code 1636). There is a separate version for young volunteers, which is available free of charge (code 1638)

29 Working with young volunteers > The NSPCC child protection helpline – helpline (Tel 0808 800 5000) that provides advice to adults. Note that ChildLine takes calls from children and young people only.

30 Working with young volunteers Summing up > The welfare of children and young people is paramount. However, no volunteer should be scared of working alongside children because of the more stringent legal obligations in this area. If you cannot answer someone’s worry, or have questions of your own, talk to your local youth staff – that’s why they are there. > Before the young person begins their volunteering rule you need to be aware of your obligations to them and their parents or carers – both by law and within Red Cross policy. These include parental consent, risk assessments and child protection. > Parental consent involves seeking consent from the young person’s parent or guardian for them to participate as a volunteer. > Risk assessments involves gauging any risks to the young person, putting health and safety training requirements in place and informing parents or guardians of anyone below the minimum school-leaving age about any hazards and risks, and the control measures in place. > All Red Cross staff and volunteers have a duty of care towards safeguarding the welfare of children and young people, and anyone coming into contact with children or young people must be aware of our child protection policy. > The three key points in relation to child protection are: know the phone number for your child protection officer, make sure no one works in isolation with a child and young person, and ensure that no one takes it on their shoulders to carry out an investigation into child abuse or tries to get the young person to disclose. > If you are unsure of anything addressed in this section, make sure you ask. An error in any of these three areas would be too grave to risk.

31 Working with young volunteers Managing young volunteers

Once you have selected the young volunteer and are aware of your legal responsibilities and obligations under British Red Cross policy, you are ready to set a start date. This section sets out a wide range of guidance that will help you in managing young volunteers on a daily basis, from ‘soft’ skills, such as communicating with young people, to practical considerations such as the tasks and working hours that young people are allowed to offer.

We start by looking at the ‘soft’ side of management: what’s special about managing young people, the importance of person-focused management, and what happens when things go wrong.

What’s special about managing young people? The four key rules for ensuring successful volunteering are: > give a clear idea of the role > ensure a safe environment > provide appropriate support > offer opportunities for progression.

These rules are true for all volunteers, irrespective of age. There are, nevertheless some features of working with young people that are commonly described, and are worth taking into consideration in your daily contact with them, as follows:

> Young people sometimes feel excluded from adult environments – Make sure there is a welcoming and stimulating environment for the volunteers to work in: for example, make sure the young person is allocated somewhere to sit and is not made to feel awkward and ‘different’ at the start of the day, and introduce them to anyone new. Also, make sure they know how the equipment works and what their tasks are. This gives them something to focus on, and they will feel more comfortable if they know exactly what they have to do. Make sure any other staff and volunteers are aware of the need to be welcoming and friendly if the young person approaches them. > This volunteer placement may be the young person’s first working environment – The young person may be more nervous than they are letting on, so use positive body language such as smiling to help reassure them, and using positive language to praise them when they are successful in their tasks.

32 Working with young volunteers > Young people can be very self-conscious – Be aware that if a young person is reluctant to do certain things, there may be reasons that they are reluctant to share with you. > Young people may dress or speak in ways you find unfamiliar – In the spirit of diversity, try not to expect young people to dress or speak in exactly the same way as an older person might, and they may behave less formally than their older colleagues in many ways. Only raise this as an issue if it actually impacts on the quality of their volunteering work.

> Young people may be vulnerable or sensitive, especially around their sense of identity – never make assumptions about a young person’s experiences, opinions or ethnic or sexual identity. > Young people don’t expect adults to be the same as them – Don’t feel you have to be ‘down with the kids’, using the same language as them. Young people are not easily fooled! Try to be yourself, and let them be themselves. > Young people respond to clear boundaries but appreciate flexibility – Avoid any misunderstandings by making clear the non-negotiable aspects of the role – explaining the reasoning behind these, but give them as much autonomy as possible in other areas. For example, it may be essential that they turn up to help open the shop at 9am but that they can take their tea break any time between 10 and 12. Also explain the boundaries of your own role, and what you are and are not able to do for them. > Young people tend to prefer certain forms of communication – If you want to contact a young person, text, email or phoning their mobile is often better than writing a letter or phoning the family home. Check their preferences. > Some young people appreciate extra support – For example, some find it hard to remember appointments and may find the offer of a text message the day before the shift helpful. However, beware – others may find it patronising. > Getting to know a new person takes time, whatever their age – Don’t expect immediate trust and rapport with the young person. Be patient, and allow the relationship to develop over time, as you would with anyone. Despite offering guidance for working with young people, it is important to remember that there is as much variation within a group of young people as within any other group of people. The Red Cross celebrates a culture of diversity, and is committed to equality of treatment for all volunteers. This means respecting difference, and may mean giving some volunteers additional support or adapting tasks to the person in question.

When managing young volunteers, this might mean: > including flexibility in hours to accommodate a young single parent > considering paying for expenses in advance rather than reimbursing for a young person with cash-flow difficulties

33 Working with young volunteers > ensuring that older male staff and volunteers particularly avoiding one-to-one contact with a young female Muslim volunteer (even if she is over the age of 18) > offering verbal opportunities for feedback rather than issuing an evaluation form to someone with dyslexia.

Having considered some key points in working with younger people, we go on to look at the broad principles of supportive management, which come into play irrespective of the volunteer’s age.

Person-focused management Young volunteers are a valuable resource, and a vital way of keeping them interested and engaged in our work is to ensure that the volunteering activities meet the individual needs of each volunteer. We now look at the importance of providing a supportive environment, understanding their needs and matching their skills and interests to the tasks at hand.

A supportive approach All volunteers, whatever their age, need a supportive and motivating environment, to help them feel secure and enthusiastic in their role. It is important to acknowledge their efforts so they can see that their work is valuable to the organisation, whether they are delivering services or completing administrative duties. Regular supervision and feedback plays an important role here, as it shows that you are taking the time to notice what they are doing, and to help guide them in how they perform the role. This is particularly significant when working with younger volunteers because young people often need to build confidence and experience in performing in a work environment.

Checklist: Ways to demonstrate management support > Issue a clear role description and volunteer agreement. > Provide a comprehensive induction programme and ongoing support. > Offer training, opportunities for accreditation, more challenging roles or increased responsibility as appropriate, and where possible. > Offer volunteers discussions about their progress and personal development. > Make sure your feedback always includes some positive comments.

34 Working with young volunteers > Involve volunteers in planning and decision making where possible. > Provide references for volunteers for their development (for example, for their further education or employment).

Understanding the volunteer’s motivations In order to understand a young volunteer’s needs, it is important to be aware of their reasons for taking on the role. Each volunteer has different reasons for volunteering, and may get something different out of the experience. When you first selected the young person, you will have assessed their needs, but you need to keep doing this at regular intervals. This will help you focus their volunteering in a direction that will enable them to achieve their goals and get the satisfaction they need from the role. Motivating factors include: > being thanked. This goes without saying – but it will help the volunteer to feel they are playing a vital and valued role > gaining a reference for job or college applications. For many young people, the need for a reference is a significant motivation to sign up as a volunteer > receiving a certificate of participation and/or appreciation. This can be useful for a young person’s ‘record of achievement’. (You can download template certificates from RedRoom) > having the chance to be included in other opportunities, such as overseas travel or PR work (see Section 5) > the opportunity to draw on their interests and skills. If a young person is a keen photographer, or speaks Urdu, find out if they would be interested in using this skill in their volunteering work – and if so, think creatively about how to achieve this.

Accreditation and awards Young people may be interested in receiving accreditation or awards, including: > Youth Achievement Awards – The Red Cross is an operating agency for these awards, which come in four levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Young people aged 25 and under complete challenges by volunteering in various capacities, each challenge lasting a minimum of 15 hours. The higher the level, the greater the challenge. Contact your youth manager for more information – contact details are available on RedRoom or in Sheet 1 in the Resource section. > Red Cross Certificate in Retail Skills – This is a new programme that has been developed for young retail volunteers in order to make volunteering in our shops more attractive to young people. Many young people are motivated to volunteer to improve their CV or university application form, gain new skills and increase their employability. For more information, please see the Retail pack, available on RedRoom.

35 Working with young volunteers > Red Cross Humanitarian Citizen Award – This award recognises the achievements and celebrates the contribution that young people make to the lives of others. It is for young people aged 25 and under, and has been running annually since 2005. For more information, go to the British Red Cross website at: www.redcross.org.uk > Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – This is a personal development programme for young people aged 14–25. It aims to help them learn new skills, help others, experience adventure and enjoy a great sense of achievement. For each of the three levels (bronze, silver and gold) a young person has to complete activities in four sections – service, skills, physical recreation and expeditions. Volunteering for the Red Cross can count towards the ‘service’ section. Depending on the level they are working towards, the participant will need to undertake a placement of 3, 6, 12 or 18 months, volunteering on average at least one hour per week for the duration of their placement. For more information, go to the Duke of Edinburgh Award website at: www.theaward.org > Internal awards – Many young people would appreciate being considered for a Red Cross Badge of Honour or one of the other internal awards. Contact your volunteer advisor for more information. > External awards – For details of websites that list national awards schemes, see Useful contacts in the Resources section > National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) – These are nationally recognised qualifications (in England only) gained through training in the workplace. A course is completed through following a workbook and building a portfolio. The young volunteer can work towards the award at his or her own pace, but it will take about a year as a minimum. For more information, go to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority website at: www.qca.org.uk

Case study “As for the impact that the placement has had on me, it has made me realise just how much goes into organising any volunteering activity or forming any kind of official group. I have gained a huge amount from doing the placement: organisational skills, people skills, time management and also [learning] more about the British Red Cross as an organisation. By coordinating the group, I was also able to strengthen my successful application to sit on the volunteer council for my area, and by setting it up I was able to work towards a Platinum Youth Achievement Award.” Tom Davis, 18, full-time v volunteer Cumbria

36 Working with young volunteers Having looked at the need for person-centred management, we go on to discover some specific tips for managing volunteers within the various levels of commitment available.

Tips for managing different types of volunteer

In Section 1, we saw that there are a number of different levels of commitment that volunteers can offer: > work experience > part-time volunteering > occasional or one-off volunteering > full-time volunteering > internship. Each of these levels has different considerations for the manager, so below you will find guidance for each level.

Managing work-experience volunteers > Ask the person for a basic CV, their availability, and which area of work they are interested in. > Once a placement is found, the young person must return their parental consent form (if they are under 18) and a letter formally accepting the placement. It is usually expected that lunch costs will be reimbursed, but covering the cost of travel is at the discretion of the volunteer’s line manager. Depending on the individual’s school, an independent health and safety check may be required. > A personalised guidance pack is available both for the young person (to be given on their first day) and their supervisor (to be given in advance). This includes information about what needs to be covered on the first day, as well as a role description, the background to work experience and the Red Cross, as well as occasional volunteer forms, confidentiality forms and feedback. These documents are available from the Schools and Community Education Department at UK Office.

Managing part-time volunteers > Make a special effort to ensure that part-time volunteers are informed about opportunities to meet other young volunteers. > Encourage them to gain accreditation for their volunteering activity. > Make sure part-time volunteers have an equal chance to discuss their needs and motivations as their full-time colleagues.

37 Working with young volunteers Managing occasional or one-off volunteers Although it is unnecessary for occasional volunteers to go through the full application procedure, it is important that you record their details on an occasional volunteer form (available on RedRoom) and, for those under 18 (16 in Scotland), secure parental consent (see Section 2).

Managing full-time volunteers > Provide a clearly defined role description with mutually agreed objectives in consultation with the young person. > Ensure expectations are realistic. For example, it is unlikely that the young person will be able to go abroad as part of their placement. > Try to ensure the young person can access a range of experiences that do not require too much additional organisation. Collecting during Red Cross week, attending a first aid duty at a concert, attending a training event or meeting a visiting celebrity are all ways to make the volunteer’s time more varied and exciting. > The young person may also have a unique contribution to make to other services or activities – for example, being consulted on how to make promotional material more youth friendly, or promoting our work in their old school. > Give the volunteer proper induction and a named support person. > Encourage the volunteer to record their achievements and offer regular supervision, making improvements where needed. > Provide opportunities for the person to gain accreditation. > Conduct a detailed exit interview to enable both parties to review the experience.

Managing interns > Interns may well be looking to develop their career in the charity sector and are particularly likely to appreciate the offer of a reference. > Although they may not have volunteered with the Red Cross before the internship, they may well wish to continue their involvement, so try to facilitate this wherever possible. Full details on managing internships are available on RedRoom.

Case study “I have met, and I’m working with, some fantastic people who make up a supportive network around me – none more so than my project manager Sarah. Together with Sarah I have co-delivered lessons on international humanitarian law in schools in Shropshire.” Parjeet Rai, 21, full-time v volunteer, Shropshire

38 Working with young volunteers When things go wrong Volunteer placements do not always run smoothly, but there is plenty you can do to avoid communication breakdown and nip any problems in the bud.

Checklist: Preventing problems > Make sure you carry out the recommended recruitment and selection process and ensure that the volunteer has a proper introduction to the Red Cross as a whole, and to their particular role specifically. This will enable them to carry out their role confidently, and to feel that their environment allows them to raise any issues or problems they feel have arisen. > Try to communicate clearly with the young person and check their understanding of what you have said. Go back to the section ‘What’s special about managing young people?’ and ask yourself whether you could implement any further suggestions.

The box below shows some quotes from real volunteers who left the Red Cross because they were unhappy with their experience. Their views are invaluable in helping us identify what to avoid in future. As you read each one, think about how you would tackle this situation if it arose in the volunteers you manage.

Quotes from unsatisfied volunteers ‘Nobody showed me what I was expected to do.’ ‘The staff seemed to resent me.’ ‘I was never offered any training.’ ‘There wasn’t enough for me to do.’ ‘They expected me to pay my own expenses and I just couldn’t afford to.’ ‘I was taken for granted.’ ‘I didn’t have the opportunity to say what I thought.’ ‘The day I started they left me with two clients and I was expected to just get on and do whatever I thought best.’ ‘It was so unprofessional, nobody seemed to know what was going on.’ ‘They didn’t even show me where to hang my coat.’ ‘The person who arranged for me to start forgot to tell

39 Working with young volunteers the person I was supposed to be meeting. It was very embarrassing and I felt awful.’ ‘I was never thanked.’

If there are serious problems and the working relationship breaks down, you will need to refer to the Red Cross disciplinary procedures. These are the same for all volunteers and you will find full details in the Good practice guide. If the volunteer in question is a young person, seek additional support from your volunteer adviser and local youth manager.

Having looked at the ‘soft’ side of managing young people, we now move on to look at the practical arrangements that you need to put in place when a young person begins their volunteering role.

The practicalities: roles, activities and hours The key practicalities involved in managing a young volunteer including clarifying their role description, tasks and hours of commitment. We now discuss each in turn.

The role description In Section 1 we looked at how to write an engaging role description to attract volunteers in the first place. When the volunteer starts their role, you will need to revisit the description with them, to make sure they (and, if the person is under 18 or under 16 in Scotland, their parent or guardian) are clear about the role they are agreeing to undertake, what is expected of them, and what opportunities are on offer. Take the time to discuss each point in detail so that both you and the volunteer are clear about expectations of the role.

What can a young volunteer do? The role description will identify a broad range of activities that the young person is responsible for, but not every single task will be itemised. It is important that you are aware of exactly what a young person is entitled to do as a volunteer, so that you don’t ask them to do something that is illegal or outside of Red Cross policy. For example, the role description may include ‘fundraising’ but within that broad activity you would need to be aware that a young person under 16 cannot hold a collection tin.

Some generic ‘rule of thumb’ guidance on what young volunteers can do at what age is shown in the following table.

40 Working with young volunteers What young volunteers can do, at what age: generic guidance

From age 15 From age 16 From age 18 > Fundraise (except hold As at 15, plus: > The young person does a collection tin) > Hold a collection tin to not require any further fundraise specific support. > Administration (except handling confidential or > Undertake any activity sensitive information) requiring lifting, moving or handling > Provide IT support > Attend appropriate training > Promote the Red Cross, its services and activities > Uphold the fundamental principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and work within the Red Cross equal opportunities policy.

In Section 4 you will find detailed guidance on precisely what young people can be involved in for each of the Red Cross service activities.

Having looked at what tasks young people are able to carry out as volunteers, we move on to look at how many hours per week young people are able to volunteer.

Working hours There are no national regulations on the amount of time a young person can spend volunteering, so the Red Cross follows the guidelines set by the Department for Education and Skills for the employment of school-age children. As well as following the guidelines set out below, you will need to contact your local authority, as byelaws and procedures vary from region to region. Your local youth staff can help you to do this (for contact details go to RedRoom or see Sheet 1 of this guide).

Volunteers who have reached the minimum school-leaving age If a young person’s birthday is before September, they may legally leave school at the end of June during the year when they turn 16. If their birthday is after the start of the new school year, they must wait until the following June. There are no restrictions on the hours a young person who has reached the minimum school-leaving age can volunteer,

41 Working with young volunteers although it is best practice that Red Cross guidelines are followed for as long as the young person remains in school education.

Volunteers who have not reached the minimum school-leaving age During term time, young people under the minimum school-leaving age may volunteer for a maximum of 12 hours per week, including: > a maximum of two hours on school days and Sundays > a maximum of five hours on Saturdays > no hours at all during school hours (8.30am–3.30pm), unless on a work experience placement arranged with their school.

Important If a young volunteer under the age of 18 is expected to volunteer and fails to arrive then you must contact the parent or guardian, using the contact details on the young volunteer’s consent form.

During school holidays, 15–16 year olds may volunteer a maximum of 35 hours per week, including: > a maximum of eight hours on weekdays and Saturdays > a maximum of two hours on Sunday. Young people under 18 must not work more than four hours without taking a break of at least one hour.

Working hours and flexibility Whatever hours the young volunteer has committed to their volunteering, their school, college or university work must be their priority, and you need to make sure their volunteering can fit around that. It is important to offer extra flexibility during the run-up to exams and during periods of coursework, and to make it as easy as possible for young volunteers to reduce their level of volunteering during busy or stressful times. Similarly, some young volunteers will be keen to put in extra hours during school holidays. It is important to be alert to possible signs of stress in any volunteer that could be caused or exacerbated by excessive volunteering, and to take immediate action.

Safety requirements specific to young people A range of safety requirements apply specifically to volunteers under the age of 18. These are set out in detail in Section 2, but the checklist below summarises some key points.

42 Working with young volunteers Checklist: Safety requirements > Make sure a parental consent and risk assessment form is completed for each discrete area of activity. > Ensure that emergency contact details are accessible but secure for the duration of the volunteering activity. > Be aware of child protection policy and procedures, including Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks and access to the contact details of designated child protection officers. > Adhere to employment legislation and any other requirements, such as insurance policies, that may restrict activity. > Consider excluding particular tasks from the young person’s responsibilities, depending on the service or activity – especially any that may require one-to-one working. > Think about the safety implications of volunteer’s travel to and from their volunteering activity and make any adaptations necessary to ensure their safety as far as possible.

For full information about parental consent, risk assessment and child protection, see Section 2.

Other issues to be aware of: There are a number of other issues involved in managing young volunteers that may arise from time to time. Some of them are detailed below:

Media consent If the Red Cross wants to use any photographic images or video filming in which a young volunteer may appear, in any of its promotional materials or literature, the young person’s parent or guardian must complete a media consent form (see Sheet 5) before any images are used. The manager has a duty of care to ensure that consent has been given before the activity starts, and the form should be kept in a secure but accessible place.

Transport issues Volunteers should be made aware that it is their own responsibility to get themselves to and from their volunteering activity. However, where possible – particularly in the case of young people – do what you can to ensure each volunteer’s safety. You may consider adapting the arrangements of the young volunteer’s work to enable them to travel home

43 Working with young volunteers safely – for example, finishing early during the dark winter months, or working from a centre in a less isolated area.

In general, because of child protection guidance (see Section 2), you should avoid giving lifts to individual young people. However, if this situation cannot be avoided – either because there is a lack of alternative or unsuitable transport or because it would be unsafe for the volunteer to travel alone – ask them to sit in the rear of the car and follow normal safety regulations.

Expenses When it comes to reimbursing expenses, such as travel and other volunteering-related items, be aware that some young volunteers may not have a bank account and may need to be repaid in cash. Others may be very short of money and need to be reimbursed as soon as possible. The best option is to talk to each volunteer on an individual basis to establish what works best for them.

Summing up > To successfully manage young volunteers, you need to incorporate a combination of practical considerations and softer skills. > Young people’s volunteering activities and hours should follow government guidance and Red Cross policy, and should be sufficiently flexible to enable them to fit their volunteering in around any educational or other commitments. > Make sure you follow all safety requirements (see Section 2 for full details), and be aware of individual issues around consent for photographing or filming young people, transport and expenses. > Try to adapt your management approach to general guidance on working with younger people, while remembering that each young person is an individual with their own preferences. > Use ‘person-focused’ management, which means identifying with the individual volunteer and seeking to help them meet their needs. This involves taking a supportive approach and trying to understand the young person’s motivations for volunteering. > Follow Red Cross guidance to avoid problems where possible. Where difficulties do arise, contact your local volunteer adviser or youth staff for support.

44 Working with young volunteers Guidance for specific service areas

This section builds on the general management guidance provided in Section 3, by offering specific guidance for managing young people as volunteers within each of the service activities carried out by the British Red Cross. It indicates which roles, tasks or activities young people can be involved in and at what age. It highlights any important safety points to consider, discusses what the Red Cross offers to volunteers within each particular, and presents some ideas for activities within the service that may appeal to young volunteers.

This section addresses the following service areas: > care in the home > emergency response > fire emergency support service > first aid > fundraising > humanitarian education > international tracing and messaging service > medical loan > refugee services > retail > skin camouflage > therapeutic care > transport and escort.

45 Working with young volunteers Care in the home The Red Cross provides short-term care and support in the home for people after an accident or illness, giving them the confidence to continue their daily lives. This service can be provided following a stay in hospital or to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.

What tasks can a young care in the home volunteer perform? From age 15 > Preparing publicity and posters > Customer care > IT support and preparing rotas > Making appointments > Accompanying service support volunteers > Training to deliver service > Peer education > Research From age 16 > Data inputting (requires volunteer to be CRB checked) From age 18 > Delivering services > Driving in own car with insurance

In addition to the general safety issues highlighted in Section 3, the following box sets out issues that are specifically relevant here.

Safety issues specific to this service There are no safety issues specific to this service. Volunteers have to be over 18 to deliver the service. However, lone working is common, so this must be emphasised in training, and each volunteer – whatever their age– should be socially mature.

46 Working with young volunteers What does the Red Cross offer volunteers in this service? Volunteers are given a range of training that may be useful in an employment context, including: > a moving and handling certificate > basic first aid > protection of vulnerable adults (POVA) training.

Service delivery is judged on competency rather than age. Working in this service is a good introduction for young people interested in getting involved in the health and social care field, as it offers them the opportunity to build skills in supporting and working with people in the community.

Ideas for involving young volunteers Young volunteers could: > help organise an event to gain more volunteers and referrals > organise publicity posters > organise training days and get-togethers. Care in the home mainly provides support for older people. However, some areas are beginning to consider which other people may be vulnerable and need short-term support at home – for example, people at risk of homelessness, young people living with HIV/AIDS, people trying to change a chaotic lifestyle, or young carers. Young people could become involved in pilot schemes by: > helping identify who would benefit from care in the home > gathering information about others working in the community to support those vulnerable to crisis > evaluating new services by talking to service users about how the service matched up to their needs > helping coordinate day-to-day service delivery. This service is about enabling people to reconnect with the outside world and regain their confidence, and involving young people can be very helpful in achieving this.

47 Working with young volunteers Emergency response

During the 2007 summer flooding, the Red Cross deployed over 100 volunteers who ran rest centres, supported the emergency services, and provided emergency goods and bedding to those evacuated from their homes.

The Red Cross responds immediately to major emergencies both at home and overseas. From fires and floods in the UK to earthquakes and conflict around the world, we help people to cope in crisis situations. In a major incident or national emergency, massive demands are placed on statutory services, leaving resources over-stretched. We use trained staff and volunteers to provide practical and emotional support to people who may have been affected.

What tasks can a young emergency response volunteer perform? From age 15 > Support reception centre administration > Communications room support > First aid post, supporting adults > Befriending for young people > Baby sit for volunteers (in pairs) > First aid course > Train in emergency response, with a CRB check > Work with service support volunteer > Deal with minor injuries, with adult support > Train the trainer course > Support reception-centre administration From age 18 > The minimum age to be a full emergency response volunteer is 18.

In addition to the general safety issues highlighted in Section 3, the following box sets out issues that are specifically relevant here.

Safety (all of which apply to those under 18): > Young volunteers may only work in environments that are risk assessed as being

48 Working with young volunteers appropriate for young people, such as an established rest centre. > Young people must first have attended a first aid course. > There must be a ratio of at least one adult to every two young people. > Managers must carry out an emotional impact brief and debrief on the volunteers. > Managers should not call out young people unless the appropriate personnel are already allocated – the decision to involve young volunteers needs to be agreed beforehand. > The area emergency plan must include considerations of how young volunteers will be deployed.

What does the Red Cross offer volunteers in this service? Volunteers complete competencies throughout their training (for example, in providing emotional support, manual handling, emergency response awareness and introduction to major incidents), and receive a voucher to show these competencies have been achieved.

Ideas for involving young volunteers There is a lot of work to be done on raising awareness to enable members of the public to manage themselves in emergencies. Young people can play an important role in communicating with other young people and raising awareness in communities about preparing and responding to emergencies. This would help raise the profile both of the emergency response service and the role of the young volunteers themselves, which could in turn promote the Red Cross.

49 Working with young volunteers Fire emergency support service The Red Cross helps people cope in the aftermath of a fire or emergency, providing practical help, advice and comfort. This service provides support to people who have suffered damage to their home from fire, flood or a similar incident. Using trained volunteers and a specially adapted vehicle, these teams provide much-needed emotional and practical support.

What tasks can a young fire emergency support volunteer perform? From age 15 > Publicity > Peer education (requires a CRB if working outside their own school or youth service) > Some training, specialist (for example, flood) support > Stocktaking and restocking > Cleaning > Attending team meetings > Giving talks to peers about hoax calls, dangers > Non-confidential paperwork > Work with service support volunteers > Train to deliver service > Helping out with local events, such as recruitment days From age 18 > The minimum age to carry out full service for the fire emergency support service is 18. In addition to the general safety issues highlighted in Section 3, the following box sets out issues that are specifically relevant here.

Safety issues Manual handling can be carried out by over-16s only.

What does the Red Cross offer volunteers in this service? At present, this service does not offer any specific accreditation to volunteers, but it provides a range of skills useful for work across the social and health care field. However, this is looking likely to change in the future, with the introduction of national occupational standards for this area.

50 Working with young volunteers Ideas for involving young volunteers There is much work to be done on raising awareness of individuals to better manage themselves in emergencies. Young people can play a fundamental role in this by communicating with other young people while working closely with fire support services in their local communities. This can help raise the profile both of local fire stations and the young people themselves. This could in turn attract more interest from young people to the Red Cross.

51 Working with young volunteers First aid The Red Cross educates people in life-saving skills, enabling them to respond to emergencies in their communities. We also provide first aid cover at public events. The Red Cross believes that first aid is a basic life skill that everyone should learn. Teaching first aid to young people contributes to building capacity within communities, for today and for the future. These skills are particularly important for young people as they grow towards independence, perhaps take part in risky behaviours and take on more responsibilities such as childcare and learning to drive.

What tasks can a young first aid volunteer perform? From age 15 > Attending first aid branch meetings > Taking part in peer-education project > Publicity > Communications > Welfare > Obtaining first aid certificates > Administering first aid alongside an adult service-support volunteer The minimum age for volunteering with Red Cross first aid is 15 years old. Note: If the event is under purple/green HSE guidelines then 16 is the minimum age volunteers can be on site. From age 18 > Delivering service > Be counted as a first aider (volunteers under the age of 18 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and under 16 in Scotland are not counted in first aid quotas)

In addition to the general safety issues highlighted in Section 3, the following box sets out issues that are specifically relevant here.

Safety (all of which apply to those under 18): > There must be a minimum of two adults in total. > The event duty officer must be made aware in advance that there will be young people on site.

52 Working with young volunteers A guidance pack called First Aid Education for Young People gives detailed information on what is available to what age group. It is available on RedRoom.

What does the Red Cross offer volunteers in this service? Our first aid programmes can help provide accreditation for young people’s achievements. They help meet the Every Child Matters outcomes (in England): being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution and achieving economic well-being. They are also part of the Physical, Social and Health Education (PSHE) part of the National Curriculum.

First Aid can be administered by young people either on its own merits or to complement a number of different services in which the young volunteer may be involved. It also gives the volunteer a number of tangible and intangible skills to take away with them which in turn can be put to use to set up new innovative projects.

These skills include: > learning to work cooperatively with others in an emergency and take leadership where necessary > developing confidence to take action in an emergency situation and not just being a bystander or walking on by > learning to assess the dangers associated with emergency situations and the limitations and risks of applying first aid to others > thinking about potential consequences for their actions and lifestyle choices, encouraging discussion on issues such as bullying, racism, safer sex, drink and drug misuse > enhancing communication and interpersonal skills, as well as building up self esteem and confidence.

Ideas for involving young volunteers Young first aid peer educators train children and young people in life-saving skills in a variety of settings from schools to theme parks

Case study “The university first aid group has gone from strength to strength; each year since its creation the group has increased in size and self-sufficiency. They are now almost entirely self-managed, with their own committee, group leaders and trainers. By working closely with the university and the students association,

53 Working with young volunteers we have been able to create an active, meaningful and popular volunteering opportunity that fits within their academic calendar. Some were sceptical about investing resources into recruitment in universities as many students are not available during the summer months and then stop volunteering when they complete their course and move away. However, the group now attracts in excess of 50 new members a year, which is now invaluable to local service delivery and more than offsets for the proportionally shorter than average volunteering term. In addition, we are finding more and more young student volunteers are choosing to volunteer with the Red Cross in their home town during the holidays and after completing their degree.” David Hope-Jones, Youth and Schools Manager, Fife, Lothian and Borders

54 Working with young volunteers Fundraising

The 2007 Red Cross Appeal Week raised some £750,000. The effort involved nearly 9,000 volunteer collectors and 1,500 staff.

The passion, energy, creativity and fresh ideas that young people bring with them have the power to make your fundraising stand out and reach more supporters in your area. Young people can offer new perspectives on your decision-making, and innovative ideas about how to promote your events or activities. Having more young people in your team will also help attract more donations and custom from other young people.

What tasks can a young fundraising volunteer perform? From age 15 > Organising school fundraising (with support from an adult) > Helping promote activities (such as Dance for Life, Dress in Red) > Events (including Open Gardens): helping with paperwork and providing support on the day > Helping to develop strategies and initiatives to recruit more young volunteers to the events and other fundraising activity > Acting as a buddy to another young volunteer under 18 > Writing articles for local internal publications From age 16 > Collecting on the streets (with adult support) > Collecting on private premises > General assistance with Red Cross Appeal Week > IT support, including work involving personal information (requiring a CRB check) From age 18 > Being involved in all fundraising activity > Work on own projects

In addition to the general safety issues highlighted in Section 3, the following box sets out issues that are specifically relevant here.

Safety issues There are no safety issues specific to this activity – please refer to the generic guidelines in Section 3.

55 Working with young volunteers What does the Red Cross offer to these particular volunteers? A key benefit is the opportunity to take part in projects and events. Community fundraising offers young people the chance to improve skills, broaden their experience and boost their confidence by volunteering at our events or in our projects. Not only can the experience boost their CV, but it also provides a better understanding of the Red Cross. At the end of their placement, young people volunteering with us are often awarded a certificate by the local fundraiser. A template certificate is available on RedRoom.

Ideas for involving young volunteers Community fundraising can create opportunities to initiate dynamic involvement from young people and encourage young volunteers to develop innovative projects.

Some ideas include: > organising a Dress in Red Day at school as part of Red Cross Appeal Week > helping set up a mobile phone and inkjet recycling campaign in the local area > promoting and helping to run events such as abseils, sponsored walks and mountain bike challenges > taking part in our Dance for Life events > becoming an intern working on a specific project or undertaking research > devising and organising a fundraising project, from a hot red-cross bun sale to a sponsored first aid challenge.

All volunteering opportunities are flexible, and vary according to which projects or events a given fundraising team is working on. What young people chose to work on will depend on their interest, how much time they have to spare and the needs of the local fundraising team.

Promoting volunteering in schools Community fundraising is working with an organisation called School Aid Network (SAN) to promote the fundraising and volunteering opportunities described here to schools. SAN set up a ‘one-stop shop’ website for schools wanting to get involved in humanitarian causes, and provides various services such as information about projects schools choose to fund to volunteering opportunities for young people. Further information is available from the Fundraising Department at UK Office or at www.schoolaidnetwork.co.uk

56 Working with young volunteers Humanitarian education

The British Red Cross works with around 80,000 children, young people and educators in humanitarian education each year.

The Red Cross encourages young people to become more active in their communities by teaching them about humanitarian values and citizenship. The Red Cross humanitarian education programme helps young people to learn about and understand the world, and is best thought of as a form of citizenship education. It is not religious or political, and its central concern is with our shared humanity.

At the core of humanitarian action and thinking is a desire to contribute to saving lives and reducing suffering. Our resources encourage students to engage with difficult issues – such as conflict, displacement and international humanitarian law – and also extend to other societies, times and cultures. Many of our learning activities – such as first aid and peer education – are specifically designed to encourage more young people to play an active role in their own communities.

What tasks can a young humanitarian education volunteer perform? From age 15 > Peer educator > School Speaker (with adult support) > Education resource development and research > Running workshops with adult support – for example, Raid Cross, Operation Amphibian > Carrying out research into what topics we cover and the needs of teachers and young people From age 18 > No specific support required

In addition to the general safety issues highlighted in Section 3, the following box sets out issues that are specifically relevant here.

Safety issues Humanitarian education volunteers under the age of 18 must be directly supported by a trained staff member, a member of their school staff or an appropriate volunteer.

57 Working with young volunteers However, there are no additional safety issues specific to this service – please refer to the generic guidelines in Section 3.

What does the Red Cross offer volunteers in this activity? Young volunteers can get a lot out of this service and, if they want to, can complete a BTEC in peer education or other types of accreditation that are available as part of a humanitarian education volunteer role (as set out in Section 3). There are also opportunities for skills development through this service, such as communication, negotiation, team working and developing subject knowledge.

Ideas for involving young volunteers Ideas include: > offering internships > using drama to convey a humanitarian message > running a school speaker service. The school speaker network offers speakers on a range of current themes – such as child soldiers, humanitarian law and refugees – who will engage young students from a humanitarian perspective > creating a youth action project.

58 Working with young volunteers International tracing and messaging service

When families are separated by war or disaster, the Red Cross works through a global network to put them back in touch. This involves working worldwide to restore and maintain contact between families by carrying messages and helping trace missing relatives.

What tasks can a young ITMS volunteer perform? From age 15 > Administration support, including help with paperwork, IT support, local contacts database > Outreach activities, including distribution of publicity materials, talks to groups, peer education, befriending. From age 18 > Deliver service. > Given the appropriate skills and experience, may assist in delivering casework including interviewing clients, using the area casework database or translation/interpreting assistance. In addition to the general safety issues highlighted in Section 3, the following box sets out issues that are specifically relevant here.

Safety issues ITMS volunteers under the age of 18 must be directly supported by a trained staff member or appropriate volunteer.

Case study The link between ITMS in Bristol and students at Bristol University was established in 2006. Two of the volunteers from this initial cohort have continued volunteering and now act as coordinators for the university group. Liz Abbey, ITMS Coordinator, Wiltshire, Avon, Gloucester explains: “In October 2007 we recruited 14 volunteers, all of whom are new to the Red Cross, to be involved in our outreach work. Within the group we have speakers of Mandarin, French, Spanish, Urdu and Punjabi, and

59 Working with young volunteers Malay. The majority of the volunteers are 19 or 20 years old, with the enthusiasm and confidence of youth! We feel it is important to draw on the resources of this group, with their available free time, language skills and their ability to relate well to young potential service users. “Having completed the refugee awareness and outreach training courses, the students are about to begin their volunteering activities by holding a stall at a library in one of the main areas in Bristol with a high asylum-seeker and refugee population. We hope that over the coming months the students will take an active role in arranging and carrying out promotional visits to local refugee community organisations. In turn, we hope to benefit from increased awareness of the service and more cases being opened.”

What does the Red Cross offer volunteers in this service? Volunteers attend a basic ITMS training course, as well as other appropriate Red Cross training – for example, on refugee awareness.

Ideas for involving young volunteers > Work with students at universities. Stalls in student union buildings and at freshers’ fairs will attract young volunteers with foreign languages and other relevant skills and experience. > Young volunteers can support outreach work in a range of ways, including providing peer education and helping establish and maintain good links with local organisations that may put us in touch with new service users.

60 Working with young volunteers Medical loan The Red Cross is the largest single voluntary-sector organisation to provide a medical equipment loan service. We aim to help by providing short-term loans (four-to-six weeks) of a variety of medical and daily living aids including wheelchairs, commodes, bath aids, bed aids, toilet aids and smaller daily-living items. A range of new and second-hand equipment is also available to buy.

What tasks can a young medical loan volunteer perform? From age 15 > Taking equipment requests via telephone > Booking equipment delivery and collections > Planning driver delivery routes > Equipment cleaning > Equipment checking > Stock control and ensuring health and safety information available for users > Preparing stock with loan or sale information > Database management and preparing statistical reports > Marketing services online or by arranging for mail drops > Tidying and vacuuming the shop floor From age 16 > Providing assistance to service users > Meeting GPs or other health professionals to publicise the services > Acting as a buddy to another young volunteer under 18 > Demonstrating equipment to users > Completing loan-agreement forms > Selling items of equipment > Operating the till > Acting as a service delivery driver’s buddy (avoiding one-to-one contact) From age 18 > Could potentially be a service delivery driver in own car with insurance

Safety issues There are no safety issues specific to this service – please refer to the generic guidelines in Section 3.

61 Working with young volunteers What does the Red Cross offer volunteers in this service? Volunteers can access a certified training course to ensure that volunteers working to maintain/repair equipment are trained to manufacturers standards. This would be a good skills-development opportunity for someone with an interest in this field.

Volunteers can also gain experience in logistics from procurement right through to warehouse management and service delivery, demonstration and financial management.

In addition, there are opportunities to train in first aid and manual handling for equipment demonstration.

Ideas for involving young volunteers Some of the innovative ideas that have been considered for involving young people in medical loan include: > taking part in organised walks or marathons for wheelchair users. > running a wheelchair makeover competition – a fundraising and service-marketing initiative in which service users and volunteers work together to ‘jazz up’ wheelchairs. An independent judge then chooses the best wheelchair and offers a prize to the user and volunteer.

62 Working with young volunteers Refugee services The Red Cross helps vulnerable asylum seekers and refugees access essential services and adjust to life in a new country. We work with thousands of refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants in the UK at times of crisis, providing emergency support such as food, toiletries, travel expenses and emergency accommodation to people who are destitute. In line with Red Cross policy, refugee services classify a ‘young person’ as someone below the age of 25. Young volunteers assisting with casework and emotional support can be between the ages of 18 and 25. Volunteers with the requisite experience and skills under 18 years of age can help with publicity, events and administration. Refugee services volunteers under the age of 18 must be directly supported by a trained Red Cross staff member or appropriate volunteer. In all cases, young volunteers interested in volunteering with refugee services must have the following qualities and experience: > experience or understanding of issues arising from working with asylum seekers, refugees and other individuals from diverse backgrounds > the ability to maintain confidentiality of service user information > knowledge and interest in relevant developments and situations > empathy and good interpersonal skills, including tact and diplomacy.

If you are responsible for recruiting and supervising a young volunteer, you need to liaise closely with both the youth manager and the volunteering advisor in your area to ensure that the tasks that the young person carries out are appropriate and relevant to his or her skills and level of experience.

Case study “In the two years since I started volunteering, the project has engaged me more and more, to the point where I’m now working towards becoming a paid project worker for the Red Cross. Soon, a colleague and myself will be taking overall responsibility for this fantastic project. I feel very lucky to be working in such a special environment, giving encouragement and hope to a valuable and frequently misunderstood section of our modern community.” Jon Gater, 19, Peer risk educator, Canterbury

63 Working with young volunteers What tasks can a young refugee services volunteer perform? From age 15 > Paperwork and administration > Fundraising > IT support > Talking to groups > Promotion work > Peer education > Working with service support volunteers From age 17 > Receiving training to deliver the service and work with support volunteers From age 18 > Delivering all aspects of the service, providing basic casework, advice and emotional support, interviewing clients, using the area casework database, translation and interpreting, and accompanying service users on orientation visits

In addition to the general safety issues highlighted in Section 3, the following box sets out issues that are specifically relevant here.

Safety (all of which apply to those under 18): > volunteers should not be left in any one-to-one situations with clients > Two appropriate adults should be present

What does the Red Cross offer volunteers in this service? Volunteers are able to access the following training courses: > Refugee Awareness Workshop > Interpreting Skills Workshop > Providing Emotional Support course

Ideas for involving young volunteers Befriending projects are often ideal to enable young refugees to develop personally and move from being a client to a volunteer.

64 Working with young volunteers Retail

15% of 18–24 year olds visit a charity shop more than once a year.

The passion, energy, creativity and fresh ideas that young people bring with them have the power to make your shop stand out from other charity shops in your area. They will give new perspectives to your decision-making and displays. Having more young people on the shop floor will also make your shop look and feel more similar to the high street stores we compete with, and will help attract more donations and custom from young people.

What tasks can a young retail volunteer perform? From age 15 > The minimum age for volunteering with Red Cross Retail is 15 years old. > Helping serve customers at till points – bagging/wrapping goods > Preparing stock to be sold by sizing and pricing it accordingly > Putting stock onto the shop floor in an attractive manner > Creating attractive displays > Providing assistance to customers > Removing unsold stock from the shop floor > Tidying and vacuuming the shop floor > Helping to develop strategies and initiatives to recruit more young volunteers to the shop > Acting as a buddy to another young volunteer under 18 > Writing articles for Fax and figures, Shoparound and local internal publications From age 16 > Operating the till > Collecting and sorting stock: sorting donated items into saleable goods and recycling > Manual handling (subject to appropriate training), moving, handling and lifting sacks > Use of steamer > Any activity that takes place outside the shop, including assisting with deliveries > All tasks completed by any other volunteer (subject to appropriate training)

65 Working with young volunteers In addition to the general safety issues highlighted in Section 3, the following box sets out issues that are specifically relevant here.

Safety (all of which apply to those under 18): > There should always be at least two adults in the shop at any one time with a young volunteer. > There should be at least one adult with child protection awareness and a CRB check present in the shop when a young person is volunteering. > Manual handling, moving, handling and lifting sacks should be carried out by over-16s only.

What does the Red Cross offer volunteers in this service? There are a range of benefits to young people, including: > The Red Cross Certificate in Retail Skills – Designed to attract young volunteers wanting to boost their CV, employability or university application, this qualification enables them to record their progress and gain a good understanding of the Red Cross. It is not compulsory, but should be offered to all volunteers under 26. It has two levels – standard and advanced – each divided into smaller units. > The Red Cross Retail Innovation Fund – a scheme to encourage volunteers to write a short outline retail project plan and compete for one of four awards of £250 to fund it. > Retail opportunities for roles at national level include the youth retail editor, who sources articles for the Weekly fax, Shoparound and Red Cross life and produces weekly email newsletter for young retail volunteers, and the youth voice coordinator, who represents the voice of young people within the Trading Department at UK Office. > Dynamic role descriptions have been created that aim to attract young volunteers. These include music volunteer, fashion volunteer, book volunteer, youth volunteering coordinator, market research volunteer, recycling volunteer. > A targeted approach to supporting young people through a specific plan that has been compiled for managers offering guidance on how to target and manage young people with particular volunteer profiles, such as those looking for work experience, university students or summer holiday placements.

For more details and full role descriptions, see Involving young volunteers in your shop: A best practice guide for shop managers, available on RedRoom.

66 Working with young volunteers Ideas for involving young volunteers As well as the tasks set out above, your shop can create opportunities to initiate dynamic involvement from young people and encourage young volunteers to spearhead innovative projects of their own design. Some ideas include: > organising a fashion show with clothing from your store and sell tickets where the proceeds go to the Red Cross > involving your school, college or workplace by holding a donation drive in which everyone can bring in donations on one day > holding a DJ and MC battle in the shop, mixing and re-mixing only records donated to the shop.

Other ideas that offer greater responsibility and managerial role include: > looking at sales figures from different departments and weeks and helping analyse what are the ‘best sellers’ in the shop > being the shop administrator for the day – dealing with all post, phone calls, faxes, forms, orders, filing, sales sheets and till checks.

67 Working with young volunteers Skin camouflage Our appearance affects our lives every day, and for people living with disfigurement everyday activities such as shopping or meeting people can be extremely challenging. The Red Cross skin camouflage service helps people regain their confidence by offering advice and assistance in the use of prescribable cover creams, to camouflage disfiguring skin conditions, enabling them to get on and live their lives.

What tasks can a young skin camouflage volunteer perform? From age 15 > Publicity > Peer education about service > Work with service support volunteer From age 16 > Service administrative duties From age 18 > Training and service delivery

In addition to the general safety issues highlighted in Section 3, the following box sets out issues that are specifically relevant here.

Safety issues Health and safety aspects of service delivery is covered on the course, and forms part of the service competencies. However, there are no safety issues specific to this service – please refer to the generic guidelines in Section 3.

What does the Red Cross offer volunteers in this service? On successful completion of the course, the volunteer is issued with a skin camouflage certificate, which must be renewed every three years. Volunteers are supported to maintain their skills through annual workshops and home-study modules, as well as regular area or centre meetings.

68 Working with young volunteers Therapeutic care The Red Cross offers gentle therapeutic massage for people at times of personal crisis to reduce stress and promote a sense of well-being. Trained Red Cross volunteers offer a simple massage treatment to assist and relax people in pain or suffering from stress. The service consists of a relaxing half-hour session made up of hand care, hand and lower arm massage, and a neck and shoulder massage, given through clothing. It provides a gentle, comforting treatment for anyone who is anxious, tense or ill.

What tasks can a young therapeutic care volunteer perform? From age 15 > Publicity > Possible projects, with training and support, such as visiting children’s wards, boarding schools or after-school clubs, children’s hospices > Peer support, if the client is a young person > Paperwork > Peer education and awareness-raising > Giving talks to groups From age 16 > The minimum age for service delivery is 16 years old.

In addition to the general safety issues highlighted in Section 3, the following box sets out issues that are specifically relevant here.

Safety issues > Health and safety aspects of service delivery will be covered on the course and form part of the service competencies > Between the ages of 16 and 18, the young person is expected to be accompanied by an experienced adult volunteer

What does the Red Cross offer volunteers in this service? Volunteers can work towards the Red Cross therapeutic care certificate. This can attract young volunteers looking to boost their CV, employability or university applications. The certificate is awarded once all four competencies have been achieved and is valid for three years. After this, the person must requalify.

69 Working with young volunteers Young volunteers would have the opportunity to use their skills as part of our emergency response offer. Volunteering for the therapeutic care service allows young people to gain experience of working in a clinical setting so gaining valuable experience should they wish to undertake train for our skin camouflage.

Ideas for involving young volunteers This could include a focus on how their therapeutic care skills could be used in the emergency response situation, for national and local emergencies.

70 Working with young volunteers Transport and escort The Red Cross provides a door-to-door community transport service for people who cannot get about easily, restoring their freedom and independence. This service is for anyone who finds it difficult, or even impossible, to use private or public transport unaided. This service aims to help people make essential journeys, such as attending hospital appointments, going away on holiday, or visiting family and friends.

What tasks can a young transport and escort volunteer perform? From age 15 > Publicity > Posters, IT support > Training to deliver service > Paperwork, make appointments, databases, admin support > Replenishing stock in vehicles > Map reading – route plans From age 18 > Driving in own car with insurance > Training and service delivery From age 21 > Driving a BRCS minibus or equivalent vehicle, if the person has the appropriate licence and is assessed as being competent

Safety issues There are no safety issues specific to this service – please refer to the generic guidelines in Section 3.

What does the Red Cross offer volunteers in this service? There is no specific certificate or qualification that the Red Cross offers volunteers in this service. However, there are extensive opportunities for volunteers to develop their skills through this service – for example, communication, experience of driving different-sized vehicles, assisting passengers into vehicles and ensuring the safety of wheelchair users, understanding legal requirements, carrying out vehicle checks for road safety, map reading and journey planning.

Ideas for involving young volunteers > Young volunteers can help publicise this service to other young volunteers.

71 Working with young volunteers > Young volunteers can raise awareness on how to support young passengers on journeys.

Summing up > Generic guidance around risk assessment, child protection and health and safety are provided in Sections 2 and 3 of this guide. > Additional considerations arise depending on the specifics of each individual service and activities. These are set out in this section. > Make sure you are familiar with the specific guidance for all the services and activities in which you manage young volunteers, as well as the more general guidance provided earlier in the guide.

72 Working with young volunteers Next steps for young volunteers

Young volunteers become involved with the British Red Cross at the start of their working lives, when they are developing their interests and skills, so they need to keep moving on to increase their experience and to keep them motivated. For some, this may mean moving on from the Red Cross to try out some different experiences, but there are plenty of exciting opportunities for further involvement within the Red Cross.

Further opportunities within the Red Cross Giving young volunteers opportunities for further involvement is a great way to motivate them, and often results in a deeper and longer lasting commitment to the Red Cross. Recent consultation with young Red Cross volunteers showed that the opportunity to engage more deeply with our work is exactly what they want. A good start is to encourage young volunteers to take up other volunteering, fundraising, promotion or training opportunities running in the area. There are also some additional routes to broadening young volunteers’ experience within the Red Cross, including: > becoming involved in decision making > promotion and PR > putting innovative ideas into practice > international opportunities. We will discuss each of these in turn.

Becoming involved in decision making The Red Cross has often tended to value length of volunteering service rather than enthusiasm and innovative ideas. Many young volunteers have not even heard of our volunteer forums and volunteer councils, yet could make a valuable contribution to them, as well as gaining useful skills and experience for their future.

Some areas tackle this by running young people consultation groups. At these groups young volunteers meet to discuss anything that involves young people in the Red Cross. They plan events, discuss issues, test run projects, have their say on local issues, consult with young people outside the organisation, organise training and also have fun. This is something that could be considered in every area.

Young people are welcome at volunteer forums and councils. You can help by making sure that they know about them – for example, by: > making sure they see newsletters or told specifically (for example, by text), as they may miss out on word-of-mouth communication > offering support with transport, as the forums usually take place in the evening

73 Working with young volunteers > encouraging their voice to be heard if they do attend.

Even if young volunteers do not access more formal routes to influence decisions, you can still invite them to contribute ideas to specific issues, either for a particular service (for example, in a consultation on how to attract more young volunteers into retail) or with a broader remit (for example, to help develop better tools for communication with young people). Ideas for involving young people in individual services are provided in Section 4.

Case study A dozen young Red Cross volunteers aged 16–23 came to UK Office in London, each replacing a senior manager for the day. The team was put in charge of making a decision on how £1000 could be spent most effectively to benefit young people with whom the Red Cross works. James Browning, 17, from Canterbury, took over from Liz Page, UK director for the south east. He said: “It’s really good to get young people’s voices heard, show that we are a valuable part of the organisation and have our say.”

Promotion and PR Young people are newsworthy! Consider asking a young volunteer to showcase their volunteering at a local or national event, either within the Red Cross or externally, and seek press coverage. You could recognise their contribution by publicising their involvement through the press, in Red Cross life or on RedRoom, or by asking them to represent their activity at an internal or external event, such as Red Cross National Assembly or a freshers’ fair. Please contact the communications coordination team for advice. Tips on promotional activities and writing press releases are available on RedRoom.

Putting innovative ideas into practice Young people often have good ideas, and those already volunteering with the Red Cross will have a good idea of what is feasible and in line with our values. Supporting an initiative that young people propose themselves (for example, organising a fundraising or awareness-raising event) sends out a strong message that you value their contribution. This boosts their confidence and motivation levels and provides a range of benefits for the organisation. There might even be small amounts of external funding available to help pay for it. You may find it particularly beneficial to draw on young people’s knowledge in certain areas, such as new technology. For example, they might be able to help by creating a Powerpoint presentation to showcase your work.

International opportunities The fact that the British Red Cross is part of an international movement is very attractive to many young people. There are several ways in which young volunteers can get involved in the work of other national societies:

74 Working with young volunteers > registering interest in applying for the International Volunteering (Youth) Programme (see the case study on level of commitment in section 2) > checking the UK Office’s weekly e-bulletin for details of invitations from other national societies to send young volunteers to participate international events such as youth camps, seminars, competitions and training events. (Contact the Schools and Community Education Department at UK Office if you would like to receive this) > getting involved in fundraising initiatives for specific overseas projects. For ideas, visit the School Aid Network website at: www.schoolaidnetwork.co.uk

Case study Two young British Red Cross volunteers, Hina and Marie, recently went to Kenya to attend the Red Cross International Youth Camp. The camp aimed to provide young volunteers from the Red Cross Movement an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas, best practices, cultural experiences, talents and skills. Hina and Marie said: “The whole event was an amazing, thought provoking, self-motivating, interesting, fun, useful and a valuable trip. We have learnt about the subjects covered, the many cultures represented and ourselves as individuals and Red Cross volunteers. The whole experience has broadened our outlook on life and will no doubt influence our future life choices. If we had the chance to go on this trip again, with all the information we have now and the challenges experienced, we would jump at the chance and recommend for future use. We believe that the trip has benefited us personally in ways that we cannot explain. We learnt a lot about different cultures as well different Red Cross societies. The experience has opened our eyes to the worldwide community of the Red Cross/Crescent Movement.”

Moving on Although many young volunteers stay with the organisation for many years, some are only involved in short-term projects or need to leave the Red Cross because they are going away to college or starting work. Some may simply want to experience a broad range of voluntary and other opportunities, and it is understandable that a young person may not want to limit their experience to one organisation at this pivotal time in their lives.

The departure may cause a headache for you as a manager trying to get the work done, but by empathising with their reasons and supporting their decision you will be doing all

75 Working with young volunteers you can to leave a lasting impression that may encourage them to return to the Red Cross at a later time in their lives. Make it clear that they are welcome to change their mind and return at any time.

Make sure you offer all volunteers an exit interview before they end their involvement with the Red Cross. The checklist below highlights some particular actions that you should carry out in an exit interview with a young person. If you would like more support and guidance, including sample questions, contact the Volunteering Department at UK Office.

Checklist: Extra actions for exit interviews with young people > Ask the young person to identify any particularly positive or negative experience of volunteering directly attributable to their age (for example, did they experience age-related discrimination?) and follow up where appropriate. > Check whether their volunteering has been recognised or accredited and, if not, whether this can still take place. This may involve offering to act as a referee for job or other applications. > If the young person is ending their volunteering activity to relocate to elsewhere in the UK (for example, if they are going away to college), ask whether they are interested in renewing their involvement in the new location. > Check whether the person would like further contact if other volunteering opportunities become available. > Signpost the young person to other volunteering opportunities within the British Red Cross or internationally, with other Societies, where possible. > Use the information to enhance the experience for future young volunteers!

Summing up > Young volunteers need to gain rich and varied experience. By helping them achieve this you can help them stay motivated and enthusiastic.

76 Working with young volunteers > Encourage young people to pursue further opportunities within the Red Cross, such as becoming involved in decision-making, promotion and PR, putting innovative ideas into practice, and international opportunities. > If a young volunteer decides to end the time with the Red Cross for now, support them in their decision and make it clear they are welcome back any time. > Always carry out an exit interview, including the specific key actions for exit interviews with young people.

Conclusion

This guide presents a range of different material for those working with young volunteers – from guidance on your legal responsibilities to tips on how to engage their interest and enthusiasm. The overall message is that young people can make an enormous contribution to our work, by injecting the organisation with fresh enthusiasm, ideas and energy, and that in order to do harness this valuable resource, we need to make sure we provide a working environment that is stimulating, enjoyable and safe.

The additional guidance relating to working with young people can feel overwhelming at first, but there is plenty of support out there. By using this guide alongside the Red Cross good practice guide for leaders and managers of volunteers, Volunteer recruitment and selection and the Volunteer handbook, you have everything you need at your fingertips. Re-read it as you go through the recruitment process, dip in to individual sections as particular management issues arise during your work, and use the Resources section of this guide on a regular basis to direct you to any additional information you need.

Involving young people as volunteers does not just make a difference to the Red Cross and its service users – it also makes a huge difference to the young people themselves. By welcoming them into the organisation we can help them develop the values, skills and experience that will enable them to make a lasting contribution to society throughout their adult lives.

77 Working with young volunteers Resources

Contents Support from the Red Cross Internal contacts Training Publications

Web and phone resources

Samples and templates Sheet 1: Local information sheet Sheet 2: Parental consent and risk assessment form Sheet 3: Child protection ‘cause for concern’ form Sheet 4: CRB check parental consent form Sheet 5: Media consent form Sheet 6: Sample role description

78 Working with young volunteers Support from the British Red Cross

A range of support and advice is available from the Red Cross on the issues covered in this guide, in the form of individual contacts, training and publications, as set out below.

Internal contacts > Specialist youth staff, at territory and area level can help you with everything to do with young people. They have contact with local schools, colleges and other places where young people meet, and can advise on how to offer young people exciting, appropriate, supported and accredited volunteering opportunities. They also offer support if there are any difficulties – especially in relation to child protection. A complete list of youth staff is available on RedRoom. The local information sheet (Sheet 1) at the back of this pack includes a space for the name and contact details of your local youth staff. > Specialist volunteering staff These include volunteering advisors (VAs) in each area and volunteer support managers (VSMs) in each territory. They are able to help with everything to do with volunteering: from advice on attracting, recruiting and retaining volunteers to support if there are difficulties. Sheet 1 in this guide includes a space for the name and contact details of your local volunteering staff. > Designated child protection officers (DCPOs) Every area must have a named DCPO, and in the case of a child protection concern you must contact this person. Sheet 1 includes a space for the name and contact details of your local DCPO. > Schools and community education department and volunteering department These departments at the UK Office offer national policy, information and guidance.

Training > There are a number of internal Red Cross courses relevant to youth volunteering – for example, child protection awareness and managing volunteers. You will find details for these courses, along with booking forms, on RedRoom. > Specialist courses on issues such as volunteers and the law, and methods for involving young people are available externally. For more information, check out the websites in “Useful contacts” or get in touch with the UK Office learning and development team.

79 Working with young volunteers Publications > Good practice guide for leaders and managers of volunteers in the British Red Cross. This is a great resource on everything to do with volunteering and the British Red Cross > Volunteer recruitment and selection. Managing the business process > Involving young volunteers in your shop: a best practice guide for shop managers > Peer befriending training and resource pack (available from May 2008) > Youth first aid guidance pack > Best Practice guide for working with young refugees All these resources are available on RedRoom.

80 Working with young volunteers Web and phone resources

Volunteering information www.vinspired.com The website of v is an independent charity championing youth volunteering in England. www.do-it.org.uk The only national database of volunteering opportunities in the UK. It is part of the registered charity Youthnet. www.ivr.org.uk The website of the Institute for Volunteering Research provides detailed summaries of research that it has carried out on topics relating to volunteering. www.millenniumvolunteers.gov.uk Website of the Government’s flagship initiative for volunteering. www.volunteering.org.uk Lists the volunteering opportunities available in England, along a wealth of generic volunteering resources useful for people working with volunteers both within and outside of England. www.volunteerscotland.info Lists volunteering opportunities available in Scotland. www.volunteering-wales.net This website shows the volunteering opportunities available in Wales. www.volunteering-ni.org Lists the volunteering opportunities available in Northern Ireland.

Support for young people

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) Provides advice and support for young people as well as for adults working with young people (apart from in Scotland). Child protection helpline – 0808 800 5000 Website: www.nspcc.org.uk

81 Working with young volunteers Children1st Provides advice and support for young people as well as for adults working with young people in Scotland. Helpline: 0808 800 2222 Website: www.children1st.org.uk

ChildLine Free helpline for children and young people in the UK. Adults should not contact ChildLine. Helpline: 0800 1111 Website: www.childline.org.uk

Samaritans Samaritans offer confidential, non-judgemental emotional support 24 hours a day. Helpline: 0845 7909 090 Website: www.samaritans.org.uk

Information about legal requirements www.crb.gov.uk Helps organisations identify candidates (apart from in Scotland) who may be unsuitable to work with children or other vulnerable members of society Information line: 0870 90 90 811 www.crbs.org.uk The Central Registered Body in Scotland provides free police checks for working with children, young people and vulnerable adults at risk as well as reference material, advice and assistance. Information line: 01786 849777 www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/edindex.htm The website of the Health and Safety Commission, responsible for health and safety regulation in Great Britain.

82 Working with young volunteers Sheet 1: Local information sheet

This sheet is designed to enable you to provide your territory with information and contacts directly relevant to your area. Fill in the relevant details and update it when necessary. You may like to photocopy it and pin it up by the phone.

Local Red Cross contacts

Position Name Contact number

Specialist youth staff

Specialist volunteering staff

Designated child protection officer

Local external contacts

Organisation name Organisation website/email address

Local awards

Name of awards Contact name Contact number/address

Other local information

83 Working with young volunteers Sheet 2: Risk assessment and parental consent form

This form can also be downloaded from RedRoom as document ID FRM/YNG/006.

All volunteers need to have their activities risk assessed so they, or others, are not put in danger. The Management of Health and Safety At Work Regulations (1999), however, requires that an individual risk assessment is completed for every young person under the age of 18 involved in British Red Cross activity. The young person’s parent or guardian must see this assessment in order for them to give informed consent to the young person’s involvement. This form, therefore, combines the risk assessment with parental consent.

The risk assessment (part 1) should be completed by the recruiting manager and then given, with information about the Red Cross (for example, the standard British Red Cross leaflet) and the Red Cross child protection leaflet (available free of charge from Purchasing and Supply - code 1638) and a role description for the role that the volunteer will undertake, to the volunteer’s parent or guardian (part 2). They should complete, sign and return this form before the volunteer starts their volunteering activity. The completed form should be kept in a secure yet accessible place. If the volunteer changes their role or tasks radically from the original role description, or if the volunteer is involved in a higher risk activity such as a trip away, a new from must be completed.

CONFIDENTIAL ONCE COMPLETE 1. Risk assessment

To be completed by the recruiting manager

Name of young person:

Young persons’ role:

A brief summary of the role:

84 Working with young volunteers Location:

Person completing risk assessment:

The following hazards are for guidance and will vary from activity to activity. Please add additional hazards as appropriate.

Actions required Young persons risk assessment Yes No N/A Level of risk (including training Identify hazards (H, M, L) needs) – complete if ‘yes’ marked

The work will involve moving and handling

The work will involve the use of computers

The work may involve violent members of the public The work may involve exposure to blood and body fluids Inadequate site access, fire procedures, toilet facilities and/or accident and health and safety procedures The location of the volunteer activity will vary (e.g. first aid duties, school speaker) The young person requires constant supervision

Working late or at night is required

The work is in an isolated location

Alcohol is kept on site

Other hazards: (specify hazard, risk and actions required)

85 Working with young volunteers British Red Cross Declaration:

To be completed by the recruiting manager I consider this work to be appropriate for a person under the age of 18 who is of average strength, physical health and emotional maturity. However, the young person prior to commencing work must undertake adequate safety training.

Signature: ...... ………………………………………………………………..

Job role:...... …………………………………………………………….

Department/area of service: ...... ………………………………………….

Date of assessment: … / … / …

2. Parental consent

To be completed by the parent or guardian of the young person:

I have read and understood the full assessment and consider (insert young person’s full name)………………………………. is of sufficient strength, physical health and emotional maturity to undertake the work specified below:

Activity/project:………………………………………………………………………….. Address of young person ……………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………….. Date of birth ………………………………………………………………………………

Medical information about the young person in your care

Do they have any medical conditions requiring medical  yes  no treatment, including medication? Do they have any allergies – for example, to  yes  no medication, food, nuts or bee stings? Do they have any particular dietary requirements due  yes  no either to health or beliefs?

86 Working with young volunteers Is there anything else you need to disclose that has not  yes  no been covered in the questions above?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, please give details below:

Declaration:

I will inform the British Red Cross of any important changes to the young person’s health, medication or needs and also of any changes to our address or phone numbers given.

In the event of illness, having parental responsibility for the above named young person, I give permission for medical treatment to be administered where considered necessary by a nominated first aider, or by suitably qualified medical practitioners. If I cannot be contacted and my child should require emergency hospital treatment, I authorise a qualified medical practitioner to provide emergency treatment or medication. I understand that in such an emergency I will be contacted immediately, using the contact details below.

Signed: ………………………………………… Date: ……………………………………

Name: ……………………………………………………………………………………….

Relationship to young person: ……………………………………………………………

Contact telephone numbers:

Home: ………………………………………….. Work: …………………………………..

Mobile:…………………………………………..

87 Working with young volunteers Sheet 3: Health and safety induction and training checklist

This checklist can also be downloaded from RedRoom as document ID FRM/YNG/041. In compliance with the Management of Health and Safety At Work Regulations 1999, specific health and safety training requirements will be determined from the individual risk assessment undertaken for volunteers under the age of 18. This form includes a health and safety and induction checklist to be completed by the volunteer’s line manager, after the volunteer has started, to ensure that any hazards highlighted in the risk assessment are addressed. This is signed by both the volunteer and their line manager.

Name of young person: ……………………………………Date of birth:………………………

Young person’s role: ...... …………...... ………………………

Location/department: ...... …………...... ……….

Line manager: ………...... ………………….Telephone no: ………………....

The following checklist provides a few examples that may need including in the health and safety induction and training of each young person but this will vary from role to role and volunteer to volunteer. Also include any training requirements that were identified on the risk assessment form.

Hazard Training/induction identified Signature of trainer or line manager once training given

Manual handling training module Moving and handling required on Healthwise. Safe use of computers, eg posture, Computer use work breaks. Safe use of VDU training module on Healthwise Restricted or prohibited areas, Site orientation location of tea facilities, toilets etc. Action to take if members of the public Training become violent Accident Induction on how to summon the first aiders or appointed persons on site, the accident procedure for the site and location of accident book

88 Working with young volunteers and health and safety policy for the site Other hazards: (please specify hazard and training given)

Young volunteer’s declaration:

To be completed by the young person:

I have received the above training and understand the health and safety requirements.

Yes/No*

If no, please provide details of any comments/queries and problem areas:

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Name: ……………….....…...... …...... ….... Date: … / … / …

Line manager’s declaration:

To be completed by young person’s line manager:

I have given the training, as detailed above, and provided further explanation where required.

I do/do not* recommend this person undertakes the work specified above.

Name: ……………….....…...... …...... …...... Date: … / … / …

*Delete as appropriate.

89 Working with young volunteers Sheet 4: Child protection cause for concern form

If you have a child protection concern, please contact your designated child protection officer (DCPO) immediately. Please note that the form must be filled in by hand and should be sent to the DCPO for your local area within one working day. You can find the contact details of your DCPO in Sheet 1 or from your local area office. If you cannot make contact with your DCPO, then please contact the head of schools and humanitarian education (Tel 020 7877 7238) or the director of HR and education services (Tel 020 7877 7233). Please do not delay, and make sure you keep the information on this form confidential.

Do not keep any copies of this form. Use additional sheets when necessary. This blank form may be photocopied/downloaded but due to confidentiality and data protection, forms should not be completed on a computer nor should completed forms be stored on a computer or emailed on to others.

Information about the young person

Name of child/young person:

Gender: Male/female Ethnicity: Date of birth:

Address:

Telephone number:

School: Tel:

GP: Tel:

Main carer: Name: Address and Tel no:

(specify relationship)

90 Working with young volunteers Does the main carer know that a referral is being made? Yes/No

Does the child/young person know the referral is being made? Yes/No

How does the British Red Cross have knowledge of this family? What services are they involved with?

Information about the concern

Who is alleging/suspecting abuse? Name of person (may be British Red Cross volunteer): Address:

State briefly any emergency action already taken, and when, if appropriate:

Brief description of what has given you cause for concern, including dates, times and events:

Who have you spoken to, and what was said?

Action taken:

Signature: Print name: .

Date: Position held: .

Send this form to your designated child protection officer (DCPO) at the area office.

91 Working with young volunteers Sheet 5: Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check Parental consent form

As part of the Red Cross’s commitment to best practice, all volunteers who supervise, mentor or have direct or indirect contact with children and young people through their work are police checked. If such a volunteer is under 18, consent is needed to carry out this check from their parent or guardian.

To be completed by the parent or guardian of the young person:

I agree for……………………………………. to fill in a CRB form and bring three pieces of identification to the recruiting manger, to enable a CRB form to be completed and sent off to the CRB (CRBS in Scotland) for a check.

Name …………………………………. Relationship to young person ………………………

Signed ………………………………… Date…………………………………………

ID needed*

Group 1 (at least one of the following): Group 2: Passport UK NHS card Birth certificate Examination certificates (for example, Driving licence GCSE or NVQ) National Insurance card Mobile phone contract bill Building society or bank statement Student loan statement from local authority Something with your address on it

* Supply three items, at least one of which is from Group 1.

This form should be returned to the recruiting manager.

92 Working with young volunteers Sheet 6: Media consent form

To be signed by the subject of a photograph or video footage, granting permission for that item to be published or broadcast.

Model: ______

Address: ______

______

Photographer or filmmaker: ______

In relation to the photographs or footage taken by the photographer or filmmaker on: ______

Location: ______

I agree that British Red Cross (BRC) or its agents can hold and use my image in the above-mentioned photographs or film (with any reasonable retouching or alteration) either separately or together and in any medium for any purpose connected with the fulfilment of its charitable objects. This shall include the right to sub-licence use of the photographs or film to any organisation with which British Red Cross is working.

This permission is granted for as long as BRC reasonably require the item.

I have read and fully understand this model release form

Signed: Date: ______

Important! If the model is under 18 years of age, a parent or legal guardian should also sign:

93 Working with young volunteers Parent/guardian: Date: ______

94 Working with young volunteers Sheet 7: Sample role description

Position: Youth volunteering peer co-ordinator Time commitment: Flexible. The role will probably average four hours per week, but that can generally be when you want – this is a fantastic role that can fit around full-time study or work. If liked, it can be combined with volunteering on the shop floor. Minimum age: 16 Tell me more… Over the past ten years the people who volunteer in British Red Cross shops have raised an amazing £40 million to help people in crisis. They also provide the public face of the Red Cross on 360 high streets across the country. The youth volunteering coordinator has the opportunity to develop creative and innovative ways of attracting more young people to volunteer in a shop. What could I be doing? > Advertising for young volunteers in exciting and creative ways > Building relationships with local Red Cross staff and volunteers such as area youth staff and area volunteering advisors > Building relationships with relevant local organisations such as Connexions, schools and universities > Ensuring that young volunteers are consulted and have a voice within the shop > Ensuring that young volunteers are offered the personal development opportunities outlined in the booklet Involving young volunteers in retail and are supported to achieve them > Identifying areas where the experience of young volunteers can be improved and working to resolve them > Upholding the fundamental principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and working within equal opportunities policy > Agreeing your plans with the shop manager What skills or qualities do I need? > Good written and oral communication skills > The ability to inspire and motivate volunteers > A proactive approach to seeking information and assistance from individuals > An understanding of, or interest in, the voluntary sector

95 Working with young volunteers > Good organisational skills > An enthusiasm for raising money for the Red Cross through the shop and a passion for the opportunities that volunteering can offer young people > A desire to help the Red Cross help others all over the world So what do I get out of it? > Fun! > The chance to meet new people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences > A position of responsibility that will provide a deeper understanding of volunteering and what motivates and attracts volunteers > The opportunity to learn new skills > The chance to make your CV or UCAS application stand out from the crowd > The opportunity to be creative and see the difference that your work makes to the performance of your shop Particular requirements This role will require a CRB check.

Note: As this role has access to young people under the age of 18, you will be committing a criminal offence if you apply for this role and you are fully listed on the Disqualified from Working with Children List as allowed for under the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003.

96 Working with young volunteers Acknowledgements

The publication of this guide for Red Cross staff on young volunteers has only been possible due to the help from individuals across the British Red Cross too numerous to mention. Their willingness to share their tips, successes and experiences so openly has turned the guide into a source of inspiration and ideas for all Red Cross staff. Special thanks, however, must go to the young people group in Buckinghamshire whose work was the catalyst for this guide.

The British Red Cross Society Incorporated by Royal Charter 1908 is a charity registered in England and Wales (220949) and Scotland (SCO37738)

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