GD No 2021/0044

GD 2021/0044 CHIEF MINISTER COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT VOLUNTEERING REPORT MARCH 2021 1 1. INTRODUCTION This is one of four reports commissioned by the Chief Minister’s Community and Public Engagement Committee which will collectively form the work stream of its first year. Together with the introductory report on the Committee’s remit and work to date, this report on Volunteering, as well as a pilot community hubs project and subsequent report on Community Hubs, and the completed report on Charities in the Isle of Man, will detail the part played by these sectors within the community and highlight ways in which Isle of Man Government can best support Charities and volunteers. 2. BACKGROUND/PURPOSE The purpose of the Chief Minister’s Community and Public Engagement Committee is to: Explore the issues affecting, and the options to facilitate, community and public engagement Investigate how an inclusive community can be encouraged and enhanced by Government Explore what can be done by Government to increase the active participation in charitable works, community projects and public events on the island. Identify possible barriers to enhanced engagement with society and investigate ways to overcome these. This paper sets out to record the value of volunteering on the Island and illustrate the vast number of areas where volunteers bring their time, passion and skills. 3. INTRODUCTION TO VOLUNTEERING ON THE ISLE OF MAN The International Labour Organisation (ILO) a specialised agency of the United Nations defines volunteering as: “Unpaid, non-compulsory work: that is, time individuals give without pay to activities performed either through an organisation or directly for others outside their own household”1 Many areas of life on the Island are supported by volunteers, from the TT Marshals (supported by over a thousand volunteers2) to the Manx Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Even within Isle of Man Government support is provided by volunteers to enhance services from those that volunteer at Noble’s and Ramsey Hospitals, to the Magistrates involved in the criminal justice system. 1 International Labour Organisation - Manual on the Measurement of Volunteer Work 2 TT Marshaling 2 4. CURRENT SITUATION The 2019 Social Attitudes Survey3 conducted by Economic Affairs indicated an increase in volunteering from 29% in 2018 to 37% in 2019, breaking a three year trend of gradual decline in this area. The restrictions brought about by the COVID19 outbreak on the Island saw a surge in members of the public looking to volunteer and support those most vulnerable within their community. This is further documented in Section 5. Whilst there is no official figure that can attribute a national economic value of volunteering on the Isle of Man, research provides the following snapshot: Friends of the Gaiety saves VillaGaiety £58,000 per annum (see Section 6 Arts and Culture) Hospice IOM4 estimates that their volunteers save them £1 million per annum A 2011 report by the Council of Voluntary Organisations states that the Island’s Third Sector is made up of some 7,000 volunteers with the Third Sector contributing £60 million to the local economy (See Appendix 1) 5. CURRENT CONTEXT – COMMUNITIES DURING COVID In March 2020 the Isle of Man Government introduced a series of measures to try to prevent the spread of COVID19 across the Isle of Man. Borders were closed and vehicle journeys were restricted. Public buildings and sites closed and regulations were put in place which stipulated only going out when necessary to do so and to not enter other properties. These restrictions meant that the population faced challenges around day to day actions such as shopping, hospital visits and socialising. This particularly affected those most vulnerable. People who would not normally be classed as vulnerable became so due to the restrictions, increasing the numbers affected. During this time a number of community groups were established on a very local level to offer support to neighbours and those who were socially isolated. These groups were run locally and independent of Government. Community spirit was strong and people took action to look out for and look after each other. A large number of Island residents volunteered their time to these community groups with some feedback indicating that there were more people offering to volunteer than demand required. Volunteer input included shopping, welfare checks on individuals and collecting prescriptions. 3 2019 IOM Social Attitudes Survey 4 Hospice IOM Volunteering 3 Local Authorities The Committee met with a number of Local Authorities to hear about the support established during the COVID19 outbreak: Mrs Jane Glover from Arbory and Rushen Parish Commissioners was awarded an MBE5 because of her work in leading a team of volunteers supporting the vulnerable during COVID19. Arbory and Rushen Commissioners introduced the ‘Arbory/Rushen Connect Scheme’. Mrs Glover reported that during the outbreak they had 3 times the number offering to help than those who required help. As a result of the work carried out during the outbreak Arbory and Rushen Commissioners facilitated the training of 20 people with the charity QUING and are currently looking for funding to recruit a permanent Community Animator. Mr Andrew Cowie from Ramsey Town Commissioners told the Committee that the Commissioners acted as facilitators and hand delivered newsletters to inform residents about available services. Mrs Dana Eynon from Douglas Borough Council informed the Committee that the Council also took on a facilitative role by disseminating information daily via social media and hard copy and that the Council had worked closely with Housing Matters and the Foodbank to identify more vulnerable members within the community. Their Warden visited properties where individuals were not answering their phone and the Town Centre Manager kept in regular contact with businesses. Mr Martin Royle from Garff Commissioners explained the role of the Commissioners as facilitators during COVID19, who coordinated and provided support to Laxey Lifeline, a community group that was established to support those more vulnerable in the Garff community during spring and summer 2020. Garff Commissioners worked with Manx Telecom to set up a dedicated phone line and were able to provide PPE to volunteers. They worked closely with Government, particularly the Department of Health and Social care in respect of their sheltered housing and with the Local Government Unit. The Committee noted that as a result of COVID19 the community had been brought closer together and could be reassured that during a challenging period such as a pandemic, that well-organised support would be available. Mrs Hayley Fargher and Mrs Bernadette Williams from Port St Mary Commissioners met with the Committee to talk about the community experience in Port St Mary during the COVID19 outbreak in 2020. Mrs Fargher referenced Southern Befrienders as a well-established community group who provided support to those more vulnerable in the community. Port St Mary Commissioners provided physical copies of support information door to door to capture those who may not have online access. As well as this, 5 Chair of Arbory and Rushen Commissioners Receives MBE 4 they were able to signpost residents to charities such as QUING6** who provided practical support. **QUING’s approach is “not to treat problems or fix what is wrong, but to grow the strengths of the individual to enrich their quality of life and the community they live in “ The Committee appreciated the time given by the Local Authorities they met between 2020 and 2021 for helping to build a picture of the support networks in place during the COVID19 pandemic. The Committee recognise that following all the good work that was in place, now would be a good time to evaluate what worked and what didn’t to ensure best practice in the future. The Local Government Unit would be best placed to work with Local Authorities to achieve this. IOM Constabulary At their meeting on the 18th January 2021 the Committee welcomed Inspector Cathryn Bradley from the Isle of Man Constabulary who provided insight into the experiences that she and colleagues saw first-hand within the community in the first lockdown due to COVID19 during spring 2020. Mrs Bradley outlined the challenges with regard to safeguarding with a number of vulnerable people needing support and who were potentially open to abuse by a small number who may wish to exploit their vulnerability. Part of Isle of Man Constabulary’s role in respect of community volunteering was to be facilitators and to put people in contact with the right services. With the volume of local community groups setting up, and with a high number of people coming forward to volunteer, the Constabulary had to take a more pragmatic approach accepting that the normal DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) process could take up to six weeks which would have then acted as a barrier to ensuring vulnerable people in the community could be helped quickly by well-meaning individuals. This did not mean that no checks took place, the Constabulary were able to carry out more localised checks as to individuals’ suitability. However, it is accepted by both this Committee and Isle of Man Constabulary that this approach is not sustainable in the long term. The community groups that were established during COVID19 did so without any formal support from Government (financial or otherwise). It is noted that the independence of these groups, whilst incredibly admirable, was without governance and Government could play a useful role here in providing clear and straightforward templates and flow charts to ensure risk and safeguarding considerations are undertaken by a newly established group. The Committee notes that this guidance should offer support and best practice and not be overly bureaucratic and cumbersome. It would be beneficial also for guidance on volunteering to be available.

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