West Glamorgan Volunteering Support (WGVS) is a multi-agency project creating shared resources to develop the knowledge, management and coordination of volunteers and volunteer involving organisations across the Swansea and Neath Port Talbot areas. It has been funded through the Welsh Government Volunteering Recovery Fund.
The project partners are:
- Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
- Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Service
- Swansea Bay University Health Board
- Swansea Council
- Swansea Council for Voluntary Service, and
- the West Glamorgan Regional Partnership.
Copies of the WGVS resources can be found below:
Infosheets:
- All you need to know about volunteer expenses – Infosheet
- Developing Flexible Volunteering Opportunities – Infosheet
- First Steps to volunteering – Infosheet
- Is it volunteering? – Infosheet
- Measuring the impact of volunteering – Infosheet
- Policies and Procedures Checklist for Volunteer involving organisations – Infosheet
- Recognition and Rewarding Volunteers – Infosheet
- Top tips for developing Welsh Language volunteering opportunities – Infosheet
- Undertaking Volunteer Risk Assessments – Infosheet
- Volunteer for a Career – Infosheet
- Volunteering Safely – For Organisations – Infosheet
- Volunteering Safety – For Individuals – Infosheet
- Work Experience vs Volunteering – Infosheet
- Placement or Volunteering – Infosheet
Toolkits:
- Diversifying your Volunteers Toolkit – WGVS
- Friends of park & allotment groups Toolkit – WGVS
- Individual Action to Community Action Toolkit – WGVS
- Volunteer Co-ordinator Guide Toolkit – WGVS
- Volunteering in Primary Care GP Practices Toolkit – WGVS
- Green Recovery Toolkit – WGVS
Animated video:
WGVS Project Training Packs:
As part of the WGVS Project, a suite of training materials have been developed for use by volunteer involving organisations as part of their induction of volunteers. The modules are designed to be flexible, allowing organisations to adapt and reference their own policies and procedures. The modules are intended to be interactive, enabling those attending to participate and for the facilitator to check understanding and learning through a range of methods.
Each module can be used as a standalone module or alongside the other modules within the pack.
Who are the training packs for? They’ve been developed to assist volunteer involving organisations with their induction of volunteers.
What does the training pack include? The pack consists of 6 modules. Each module consists of a power point presentation, session plan, detailed trainer notes and activity pack.
The modules available so far are:
Introduction to volunteering
By the end of the session participants will be able to:
- Describe what volunteering is and its value to society.
- List the different types of volunteering opportunities and organisations.
- Identify motivations to volunteer and the personal benefits to volunteering.
Understanding the role of the volunteer
This session will allow participants to:
- List your rights as one of our volunteers and the ways you will be kept safe
- Describe our volunteer role descriptions – why they are important and what each section means in relation to your role
- Explain our record keeping requirements and why this is necessary
- Identify how our volunteering roles fit into our organisation’s operations and how everyone in (insert name of organisation) works together to achieve our organisational aims/goals.
Volunteering basics
This session will allow participants to:
- Outline the importance of confidentiality and its boundaries
- Describe boundaries and ground rules in relation to volunteering
- Explain the term equality and the role we all play
- Recognise and outline the importance of personal safety while volunteering.
Communication skills
This session will allow participants to:
- Consider and explain verbal and non-verbal communication
- Identify and improve listening skills
- List the barriers to effective communication
- Develop active listening skills
- Define the difference between sympathy and empathy
- Explain five steps to better listening.
Dealing with difficult situations
This session will allow participants to:
- Explain what is effective conflict management
- Identify how to anticipate and avoid difficult situations
- Describe how to calm a disagreement
- List general advice to avoid problems
- Outline volunteer’s rights
- Define the function and purpose of supervision and support.
Introduction to Safeguarding
This session will allow participants to:
- Define Safeguarding and Abuse
- Explain reporting and recording procedures for suspicions and allegations
- Describe their own roles and responsibilities in Safeguarding.
How to access the Training Packs:
To request a free copy of the pack or packs, please contact*:
- SCVS if you are based in Swansea on scvs@scvs.org.uk
- NPTCVS – if you are based in Neath Port Talbot on info@nptcvs.org.uk
* Please reference WGVS Project Training packs in your email subject.