About Us
Volunteer Centre Tameside has been working to promote volunteering and supporting local voluntary and community organisations in Tameside since 1975. We are an independent charity (No. 1142832) with the aim of building a strong, vibrant base for volunteering in Tameside through developing volunteering opportunities, recruiting and placing volunteers and by supporting organisations that need volunteers to do their work.
We aim to help the community in two main ways:-
- Encouraging people to volunteer and supporting existing volunteers by:
- Developing and seeking out volunteering opportunities
- Promoting those opportunities to as wide a local audience as possible
- Offering training and support, where possible, to those looking to volunteer
- Making sure that the hard-work done by volunteers in the area is recognised
- Lobbying for the rights of volunteers
- Supporting organisations who involve volunteers in their work by:
- Promoting volunteering and voluntary opportunities on behalf of organisations
- Recruiting and basic selection of volunteers
- We can also offer advice and information on good practice when working with and selecting volunteers
- Through our volunteer coordinators' forum, offer networking and support opportunities
- Offering training and support in all aspects of volunteer recruitment and management
- Working as a registered umbrella body with the CRB, we can process CRB checks on behalf of organisations
- Provide discounted ancillary services such as payroll, photocopying/printing and room-hire
We believe in working in partnership, not competition, to improve our local communtiy and we always seek to work with other organisations where possible. Including, but not limited to: Tameside Council, Tameside and Glossop NHS, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, the local CVS - T3SC, Volunteering England and other local charities and businesses.
In 2008, we produced and distributed the Tameside Compact Code of Practice on Volunteering on behalf of the Tameside Compact Group. The document will move forward the development of a cohesive borough-wide volunteering policy, which will expand the public perception of volunteering by improving the profile, status and range of volunteer activity.
The final document was officially launched during Volunteers' Week 2008 and is recognised by Tameside MBC and a wide range of statutory organisations such as Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service. We're now asking all organisations in Tameside that work with volunteers, or organisations that support our aims to sign up to the code. The code set the agenda for going forward with the development of the Volunteering Strategy.
We recently consulted with volunteer involving organisations in the area to produce a volunteering strategy for Tameside. We hope that the strategy will lead to a greater participation in volunteering by local people, especially those facing barriers, improve the experience of those who already volunteer and otherwise strengthen the already valuable contribution made by volunteers and volunteer involving organisations.
The strategy has been produced in partnership between Volunteer Centre Tameside, vinvolved, Tameside Third Sector Coalition and TMBC. To deliver the vision, actions have been developed under four key objectives:
- Objective 1. Maximise the potential of volunteering in delivering real out comes for volunteers and the local community.
- Objective 2. Recognising the Value of and Promoting the Benefits of volunteering.
- Objective 3. Improving the experience and life skills for volunteers.
- Objective 4. Enhancing accessibility and diversity amongst volunteer involving organisations.
One of the first actions under the strategy is to widen the membership of the Volunteering development group, so, if you have an interest in volunteering and think you or your organisation would like to be involved then get in touch.
The strategy plays a key role in delivering the aims of Tameside's Community Cohesion Strategy and shares the same values, "Included, Inspired, Involved". Read more about the strategy
Volunteer Centre Tameside Customer Care Policy
This policy is used by the staff in our Volunteer Centre as a guide to ensure you receive the best possible services from us. It is also on our websites so that you can access it and know what to expect from our services. Volunteer Centre Tameside has six core functions:
- Volunteer brokerage
- Marketing volunteering
- Good practice development
- Developing volunteering opportunities
- Policy response and campaigning
- Strategic development of volunteering
Our two main customers groups are: people who want to volunteer and organisations that involve or would like to involve volunteers
People Who Want to Volunteer
Making an enquiry
Volunteer Centre Tameside defines a "volunteer enquiry" as a request for information about volunteering in general or relating to a specific opportunity. Enquiries may be made by phone, email, in person or via the do-it website.
Our commitment to you:
- All telephone calls will be answered in a prompt and helpful manner.
- Do-it and email enquiries will be responded to within 10 working days. Where we are unable to do this (for example if someone is on annual leave) we will inform you as soon as possible and agree a new deadline.
- Upon request, staff will book confidential, one to one interviews/appointments at the earliest available time.
- We will be punctual for all appointments.
- We will take required information from our customers in a courteous and sensitive manner.
Helping you find a volunteering opportunity
Our commitment to you:
- We will use a variety of methods to match volunteers to appropriate volunteering opportunities, including telephone and one-to-one interviews, drop-in sessions and do-it (the national volunteering database).
- We will collect and use information (such as your contact details, the type of volunteering you are interested in and some personal details like your age, gender and ethnicity) in line with our confidentiality and data protection policies legislation (for a copy of our Data Protection Policy please contact Sue)
- We will use your details to demonstrate to our funders and partners that we are able to reach all sectors of the community, but we will never identify you individually without your permission.
- We will operate within current equality legislation (the Equality Act 2010).
- We will do our best to match your skills, experience and background to an appropriate volunteering opportunity.
- If we think an opportunity is unsuitable for you we will always explain the reason why.
- We work hard to ensure that we have a wide variety of opportunities to offer to people, but there may be times when we do not have the placement you want. In this case we will:
- keep records of areas of volunteering that are in high demand
- promote our services to, and work with, organisations in these fields to help them develop and create more opportunities
- offer you alternative opportunities based on your interests
- Where possible, we will inform you about what to expect from different recruitment processes for the opportunities you are interested in.
- We will keep an up to date database of volunteering opportunities and individuals who want to volunteer.
Screening
Different volunteering opportunities will require you to undergo different levels of screening. This could include interviews, providing references and Criminal Record Bureau Check (particularly opportunities that involve working with children or vulnerable adults). If you have any previous convictions this will not necessarily stop you from volunteering. Our commitment to you:
- We will inform you if an opportunity requires any kind of screening
- We will explain what to expect.
- We will discuss any concerns you might have about this in a confidential interview.
Expenses
Our commitment to you:
- We always encourage organisations to pay their volunteers' expenses. Including travel to and from the volunteering opportunity and the cost of any training or equipment that you need to carry out your volunteer role.
- If an organisation is unable to pay expenses we will inform you of this so that you can make aninformed decision as to whether you want to volunteer there.
Organisations That Involve or Would Like to Involve Volunteers
Registering an Opportunity
A volunteering opportunity can be long-term, short term or one off. It is an activity or the delivery of a service that benefits someone else, the local community or the environment and is done by someone on a voluntary basis, i.e. they have chosen to do it, unpaid. If your organisation has a volunteering opportunity that you wish to register with Volunteer Centre Tameside you will be required first to register your organisation with us. This involves completing a registration form.
We'll ask you about your organisation, its aims and area of work. We'll also ask about some of the policies and procedures you have in place to ensure the safety and fair treatment of volunteers. We may choose not to register your opportunities until you have certain policies and procedures in place. With regards to your volunteering opportunity, we'll want to know all the details of what the role is, where it'll be based, your recruitment and screening processes if applicable and whether or not you'll pay travel expenses.
Helping organisations to find volunteers
We will:
- Support you to develop all the appropriate policies and procedures needed to register with us.
- Pass all relevant information about your volunteering opportunity to potential volunteers.
- Support you to put appropriate recruitment processes in place.
- Keep you informed of any progress made towards finding the right volunteer for your opportunity.
- Inform you of any additional volunteer recruitment opportunities in your area.
- Help you to make your opportunity as appealing to potential volunteers as possible.
- Support you to develop new volunteering opportunities.
Compliments and Complaints
Our commitment to you:
- In order to get your feedback about our services we will send out an annual comprehensive follow up survey to organisations and volunteers on our database.
- We will use your feedback to improve the way we deliver our services.
- We will make our complaints procedure available.