Volunteers

What volunteers can bring to street outreach services

On the whole, volunteers offer to support street outreach services because they wish to help those who are socially excluded. They are motivated by good intentions and have a lot to offer.

Volunteers bring enthusiasm and a fresh working approach, this can be motivating for existing staff and can produce new methods and styles of engagement. Volunteers have their own sets of skills that can add to the service at many levels.

Volunteering can also be a great starting point for those wishing to be more involved in the homelessness sector. Volunteers are often a good source for recruiting staff members when posts arise; they will have the skills and service knowledge that other applicants may not.

The use of volunteers is also likely to bring greater community awareness to the ways that homelessness is being tackled.

Barriers when working with volunteers

There are many challenges associated with the recruitment, supervision and retainment of volunteers. With the late night or early morning nature of most street outreach shifts, volunteers who work full time may find longer term commitment difficult. These issues can be made even more problematic if the volunteer is unable to support a shift and gives little prior notice – often leading to cancellation. When recruiting volunteers it can be good practice to assess what the volunteer can offer in terms of time, how consistent he/she can be and the likely effects it may have on his/her current work. This information can prepare the volunteer for the work requirements and the outreach team in terms of the volunteer’s approach and motivations.

Training volunteers can also be problematic, the skills that support working with rough sleepers may need to be developed through training (and experience). As with some of the other issues highlighted above, co-ordinating a time to train that fits in staff and volunteers can be a challenge. One option is to try to hold central training sessions for all volunteers on the same date.

Boundary setting is crucial for any member of frontline staff or volunteer; professional working relationships with clients need to be maintained in order to achieve effective accommodation outcomes. When working with volunteers, it is necessary to stress setting appropriate boundaries when working. Enthusiasm to work closely with the needs of the client should not be stifled but a professional working ethic must be maintained.

Information sharing and recording is important for moving people in to the correct services; volunteers who are not regularly seeing the same clients (and so not building trusting relationships) may not be able to provide the necessary comprehensive recording this requires.

Please see the Engagement section for more information on relationship building with clients.

More information on using volunteers

Goldstar has information on promoting good practice with volunteers including case studies and a series of useful toolkits.

Volunteering England has resources to support organisations with volunteers, including their good practice bank.

Investing in volunteers is a quality standard system for those working with volunteers.

The Education/training/employment handbook also has pages on volunteering.

Checklist

Checklist for working with volunteers

Is there a recruitment procedure for volunteers? Has a person specification been written to aid this recruitment?

Are there any procedures in place (e.g. at interview, induction meetings) to explain the need for consistent times? Is there a minimum commitment for volunteers?

What training is to be provided for volunteers? Are boundary setting procedures part of this training? Can training for all volunteers be co-ordinated for the same time?

Can volunteers use their specialist skills to benefit the service?

Have steps been taken to ensure that all information is recorded from volunteer shifts? Is there time for volunteers to do this or does a member of staff have responsibility for this?

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