The Canadian Code For Volunteer Involvement

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The Canadian Code ForVolunteer Involvement
Presentation created by Deborah Young,
CVARegional Municipality of WaterlooDoon
Heritage Crossroads10 Huron Road Kitchener, ON
N2P 2R7email volunteers_at_region.waterloo.on.ca Ad
apted by Canada Volunteerism Initiative Ontario
Network
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Why a Code of Volunteer Involvement and Why Now?

• 7.5 million Canadians over the age of 15 formally
  volunteer
• The average volunteer donates 149 hours annually
• They make a difference everyday!

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Trends in Volunteerism

• Much comes from few
• The new volunteer
• Volunteer job design
• Mandatory volunteering
• Volunteering by contract
• Risk Management

• Borrowing best practices
• Volunteer management
• Board governance
• Volunteer development

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Three Important Elements

• Values for Volunteer Involvement
• Guiding Principles for Volunteer Involvement
• Organizational Standards for Volunteer Involvement

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Values for Volunteer InvolvementVolunteer
involvement is vital to a just and democratic
society.

• Volunteer involvement is based on relationships.
• Volunteer involvement mutually benefits both the
  volunteer and the organization.
• Volunteer involvement is based on relationships.

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Guiding Principles for Volunteer Involvement

• Voluntary organizations recognize that volunteers
  are a vital human resource and will commit to the
  appropriate infrastructure to support volunteers.
• Volunteers make a commitment and are accountable
  to the organization.

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Organizational Standards for Volunteer Involvement

• A set of ten organization standards for volunteer
  programs.
• Core standard practices.
• Follow the volunteer management cycle.

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Support From the Top Down

• The board of directors and senior management
  acknowledge and support the vital role of
  volunteers in achieving the organizations
  mission.

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Policies Procedures

• Policies and procedures provide a framework that
  defines and supports the involvement of
  volunteers within the organization.

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Records Management

• Application Forms
• Liability waivers
• Reference Checks
• Interview Questions
• Screening
• Position Descriptions

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Human Rights Code

• Race
• Ancestry
• Place of origin
• Colour
• Ethnic origin
• Citizenship
• Creed
• Sex

• Sexual orientation
• Age
• Record of offences
• Martial status
• Same sex partners
• Family status
• Handicap

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Qualified Person

• A qualified person is designated to be
  responsible for the volunteer program.
• Certification
• PAVRO
• CAVR

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Screening Process

• Screening takes place before volunteers arrive
• Creates a safe environment
• Matches the volunteer and task

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The 10 Safe Steps for Screening

• Determine the risk
• Position descriptions
• Recruitment process
• Application forms
• Interview

• Reference checks
• Police records check
• Training
• Supervise evaluate
• Follow up

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Volunteer Assignments

• Volunteer assignments address the purpose of the
  organization and involve volunteers in meaningful
  ways, reflecting their various abilities, needs
  and backgrounds.

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Volunteer Recruitment

Recruitment and selection must reach out to
diverse sources of volunteers in the community.
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Orientation
Volunteers receive an orientation to the
organization, its policies and procedures, and
receive training for their volunteer assignments.
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Supervision

• Volunteers receive appropriate levels of
  supervision according to their task and are given
  regular opportunities to receive and give
  feedback.

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Valuable Human Resources

• Volunteers are welcomed and treated as valued and
  integral members of the organizations human
  resources.

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Recognition

• The contributions of volunteers are regularly
  acknowledged with formal and informal recognition
  methods.