Nominations are called for the following positions:- Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and two ordinary members. Nominations for positions on the Board of Governance of the association can be accepted up to, and at, the Annual General Meeting. To be eligible to vote, or stand, persons and/or organisations must be financial members.

Nomination forms are available on 6251 4060, volact@volunteeract.com.au or from www.volunteeract.com.au

Laura Turnbull OAM

Secretary.

Post January 18 Volunteering ACT was heavily involved in coordinating the huge number of spontaneous volunteers who came forward then and over the ensuing few weeks to offer their skills and time, in response to the emergency. Volunteering ACT has now been asked by the ACT Government to consult with those who were affected by this phenomenon and to draw up an Operational Plan for the management of spontaneous volunteers as part of the Recovery Sub Plan. If you want to be involved in this consultation, or have a story to tell about your experience at the time, please contact Mary Porter or Ian De Landelles on the number above or referral@volunteeract.com.au

VACT presented a workshop at the recent Emergency Management Australia, (EMA) national conference in Canberra on the management of spontaneous volunteers, drawing on its experience, and that of St George Volunteer Resource and Referral Centre in Hurstville NSW, which undertook a study into the current management practices in their management in NSW. The outcomes from this workshop will be added to the information gleaned from the above consultation process.

Mary Porter.

This is let you know that 2 NEW publications are now available:-

From VACT - the 3rd publication in the "Standards" series:- The Workbook and Resources Kit for Implementing the "National Standards for Involving Volunteers in Not for Profit Organisations" - it is aimed at assisting organisations to implement the National Standards and should be used in conjunction with both the National Standards and the Implementation Guide.

How much does it cost? The retail price of the workbook is $60.00 (inclusive of GST and postage).While this price may seem high it is extremely competitive when viewed alongside standards publications offered by bodies, such as Standards Australia, in terms of both its size and usefulness to volunteer organisations.

An order form is attached for your information. All organisations who have previously purchased the Standards from us can purchase the workbook at a discounted price of $54.00 (10% off the standard retail price) if ordered by 28 November 2003.

If you would like a copy of the workbook please ring Reception on 6251 4060, email on volact@volunteeract.com.au or fax the order form to 6251 4161

From NHMRC, (National Health and Medical Research Council) - "Working with Volunteers and Managing Volunteers in the Healthcare Setting" which is based on the work of the Volunteering Australia Standards I believe. You can find out more detail of how to order this publication by ringing 6269 1000 or going to www.nhmrc.gov.au and following the prompts.

Volunteering ACT is pleased to announce that it has been selected to assume the management of the "Connections Volunteer Program" Connections is currently managed by the ACT Government through Mental Health ACT. A decision was recently made to transfer the program to the community sector and Volunteering ACT’s application to manage the program was accepted. We are currently advertising for a manager to oversee the program for the remainder of this financial year.

Volunteering ACT is holding a series of Focus Groups for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to explore what it is like to be a member of a Board or Committee or conversely what stops people from becoming involved.

Discussion about these issues will assist VACT in deciding what free training could be made available. We would like you encourage people you have contact with to attend one of the focus groups. A flyer is available at the COMPASS meeting for you to distribute.

A reminder to all to check the ACT Government's Risk Advisory Website for the latest news in Public Liability Insurance (PLI) and risk management. The website address is http://www.insuranceriskadvice.act.gov.au

Everybody needs PLI these days and the best way to get affordable PLI is by having your own Risk Management Plan. A Risk Management Plan lists your organisation's activities and the steps you take to ensure these activities are carried out safely.

The Risk Advisory Website shows you how to create your own Risk Management Plan and the many ways you can use this valuable document. For instance, here are some other ways a Risk Management Plan can be used;

• to decide which activities should or shouldn't be done
• in advertising to show how safe your activities are
• to identify opportunities
• when writing your job descriptions
• when calculating the balance between the upside and the downside of a circumstance or a decision
• to provide appropriate protection of assets, business operations and liabilities to maintain the business and provide comfort to stakeholders and public;
• to contribute to satisfactory legal compliance and due diligence;
• to establish continuing budgetary controls and reductions in both operating and non-operating (off budget) expenditures;
• to assist with quality improvement of services, business plan and service delivery; and
• to protect the organisation's image, public and commercial position.

Another valuable function of the Risk Advisory Website is to allow you to gauge how "risky" your activities will be viewed by an insurer. This is done by creating your own Risk Profile. The Risk Profile is very simple to do and only takes a few minutes. When you complete your Risk Profile, you also get a link directly to a PLI insurer and can apply for PLI through their website.

For any further information about PLI for volunteers, Risk Management or how to use the Risk Advisory Website call Kevin Wenman on 6207 0318. Kevin is a Policy Officer with the ACT Government and is happy to talk to you about any of the topics above.

Volunteering ACT is a member of the COMPACT Implementation Working Group along with some other peak organizations and representatives from key ACT Government Departments that recently began work on an update of the COMPACT. The long awaited Dispute Resolution Process is yet to be approved and after both the aforementioned are finalized it is hoped that we will be in a position to conduct a workshop on the newly revised COMPACT and the introduction of the Dispute Resolution Process.

Further work is ahead with the identification of existing ACT Government codes and protocols that may need to be updated and new codes that will need to be developed, e.g. the code of practice for volunteering.

As usual the Staff has been very busy on your behalf taking part in consultations with the ACT and Federal Governments, the Peaks forum, Volunteering Australia and our Volunteering Australia network. VACT sits on the Joint Community Government Reference group; the COMPACT Implementation Taskforce has participated in consultations on the ACT Government’s draft Social Plan, the Spatial Plan, the draft Recreational Strategy, Options and opportunities for Non Urban ACT. It contributes to the following documents and consultations with the peaks forum:

• ACTCOSS draft priorities for the 2004-05 ACT Budget

• Lessons learnt from the ACT fires: An issues paper
• Community Sector Viability in the ACT: An Issues Paper

www.actcoss.org.au/policyAdvocacy/focus/index.html

The Christmas holidays are nearly here! Do you need additional volunteers over the holiday period? If you are a member of VACT and have specific tasks we can recruit volunteers for you. We want those job referrals in ASAP so that you won’t be left without the assistance you need at a time when there are additional stresses on some organisations. You can also lodge them on the website www.govolunteer.com.au or we will do that for you.

The number of potential volunteers coming to Volunteering ACT both at our offices in Belconnen and at our outreach service in Tuggeranong continues to increase. This is particularly the case with the number of people who are "surfing" the web and finding positions on the govolunteer website and wishing to know more about the positions that are advertised on the site.

This is a great opportunity for your organisation to assess your current workload and give serious consideration to the further assistance that you may need. Many volunteers are now looking for short term positions so there may be some projects that you are seeking specialised volunteers to fill.

We are finding extremely talented and enthusiastic volunteers seeking work in a broad spectrum of positions

Whether you have "short" or "long term" positions we want to know about them.

OUTREACH – We are now in Tuggeranong.

Every Friday morning we offer our referral service in the Tuggeranong Community Centre. This means that those who find it difficult to travel to Belconnen are able to have an interview with our volunteer interviewers and investigate all the volunteer opportunities that are available.

If you are not a member and would like more info contact Ian De Landelles Customer Service Manager on 6251 4060 or email referral@volunteeract.com.au

By now most would be familiar with SPICE, the Students Participating in Community Enterprises Program. This innovative project assists high school students from years 7 to 10 in danger of not completing year 10, by offering them an opportunity of workplace placements of their choice where a business volunteer mentor supports and encourages them in that workplace. The student continues in the meantime to attend school, usually with improved enthusiasm and results.

During the last three months 98 students were referred to the SPICE Program.

There are 65 businesses providing work experience placements in hospitality,

childcare, mechanical services, carpentry, farm work, smash repairers, racing stables, hairdressing, handyman services, retail stores, landscaping, parks and conservation.

Referrals have come from all government senior schools except Kambah and Wanniassa High. In addition information packs were sent to all non-government high schools however no referrals have been received.

The majority of students report that they are enjoying their work experience and many are now on a second or third extension of their workplace placement.

The program is run on a case management style with constant monitoring of each students progress, by phone calls to the business and parents and contact with the schools concerned. An evaluation, involving all participants, will be conducted in December.

Participants will join with VACT on the 9^th of December for a graduation ceremony where students will be recognised for their achievements and the businesses thanked for their voluntary contribution.

Funding for the program through the Student to Industry Program, which in turn is funded by the Federal Government is until the end of December 2003. It is hoped that VACT can source further funds beyond 2003 to enable this very successful program to continue in 2004 and beyond.

If you are interested to know more about this program or can offer assistance please contact me on Monday or Tuesday on 6251 4060 BH or go onto the SPICE website, www.spice.org.au

Robyn Pierce

Volunteer Project Officer.

Please bring your own lunch

DATES: 25^th November,

Tuesday, 10^th February, 9.00am – 4.30pm,

& Wednesday, 11^th February, 2004, 9.00am – 12.30pm

Morning tea supplied on both days. Light lunch & afternoon Tea on Day 1

Topic for the next Session - "Screening." from: 11.30 am – 1.30 pm, Thursday, 27^th November.

Sessions run on a monthly basis (No session in December)

To register for any courses or for more information: Contact Lorraine Higgins, Education Manager on (02) 6251 4060 or e-mail education@volunteeract.com.au

Further information is available on www.volunteeract.com.au/education.htm

Thanks to a small, but very welcome grant, from the federal Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, an implementation Taskforce has been formed to forward the priorities from the "Agenda on Volunteering 2003 to 2007" that were chosen by delegates at the VACT Summit held during National Volunteer Week this year. If you aren’t involve in the Taskforce and want to be, or need more information about the "Agenda" contact Mary Porter, CEO Volunteering ACT on 6251 4060 or via maryp@volunteeringact.com.au the next meeting of the Taskforce will be on Monday 2^nd February 2003.

NOTE: If you wish to know more about the Implementation of the Agenda and /or the Implementation Taskforce contact Mary Porter on 6251 4060.or email via volact@volunteeract.com.au

This research has now been completed and is before the Chief Minister’s Department. Thank you to all the managers and volunteers in the participating organisations and to Hadas Haileselassie, the volunteer Research Officer who worked on the project for VACT.

The findings and recommendations can be found <here> <or here as a pdf file>

Major findings are as follows:-

Volunteers were found to have high degree of commitment, skills. They added a lot of value and were considered as "lifeblood" for some organisations. Volunteers felt that they contributed and were valued.

The managers had long experiences in the management of volunteers. They provided guidance, feedback, and monitoring & rewards mechanisms. Some volunteers said that managers "make you feel as if what you do matters".

However, they had mixed results. There were major issues and concerns that needed to be addressed. The issues raised by the Government Department and Aged Care providing organisations were similar. These were:-

• difficulties in recruitment and retention of volunteers

• insufficient volunteers of the type needed

• unclear expectations between the managers and volunteers
• high turnover of Rangers in Environment ACT

• The ACT Government gives more recognition to the value of volunteering services and allocates more resources for the implementation of "An Agenda for Volunteering for the Australian Capital Territory Community", 2003-2007.

• Volunteering ACT and the organisations jointly organise a workshop to identify impediments and solutions to attracting, recruiting and retaining volunteers in aged care services.

• Volunteering ACT, as a Peak body, be provided with adequate resources to oversee the development of policy guidelines and strategies for organisations employing volunteers.

• Aged care services providing organisations take steps to effectively promote volunteering, especially among the working age group. Volunteering ACT should be resourced to be in a better position to assist in this process.

• Review the sustainability of the one-to-one and face-to-face care, and identify options of delivering the services (e.g. team visits, pairing volunteers to deliver services.

As you know recently VACT undertook a comprehensive research project into volunteer recruitment and retention in HACC agencies, in the SE region of NSW. Whilst this research is still with the NSW Government significant trends can be reported here. These won’t be of any surprise I am sure to those of you who work in the field

A warning bell should sound as a similar situation exists among the volunteer workforce in the ACT I would suspect as the small research project above shows

As we are aware more and more people are being encouraged to remain in their own home and rely on services from HACC funded organisations. This places a strain on our older volunteer workforce, many of whom have expressed a desire to do less or "retire" from their volunteer work. Due to the ever increasing number of participants in the paid workforce, less people are available during day time hours to volunteer to deliver meals to frail and aged persons in their homes, transport people to medical and other important appointments, provide friendly visiting services or assist with basic shopping or gardening.

The Federal Government recently said that it recognises the need for long term planning. I would suggest that the volunteer workforce issues aren’t even on the radar screen!

In recent times Volunteering ACT has explored the possibility of corporate and employee volunteer programs which could provide the much needed boost to our not for profit aged care services. There is an urgent need for us to think laterally if we are to solve this mounting social and economic challenge of how to provide appropriate care for some of the most vulnerable people in our community.

Can business, Governments and the community sector work together to introduce public and private sector policies supporting workers in their volunteer involvement, as one way of addressing a looming crisis in aged care? Volunteering ACT would like to think so and it stands ready to assist that process if called upon.

Unfortunately few organisations responded to the brief questionnaire that was enclosed last newsletter. There is an electronic version available and it can be requested by email on volact@volunteer.com.au or downloaded from the web site on www.volunteeract.com.au .

If you are able to respond I ask you to do so before the end of November 2003 I will then publish the results of this survey on the web, in the next newsletter and report the findings of the survey to the ACT Government. I will of course be able to make some comparison between the NSW and the ACT experiences. Thank you in anticipation.

December 5^th is celebrated around the world as International Volunteer Day. Why not take the opportunity to celebrate with the volunteer staff that work with you and recognise their achievements? Many organisations choose to combine their end of year events with this celebration. We have many ideas we can share with you and we are also happy to provide a speaker to attend your function.

VACT will hold an event for volunteers on that day as well as an evening function for all the participants of SPICE, Students Participating In Community Enterprises.