EXPERT VOLUNTEER INITIATIVE FAQS

The Expert Volunteer Initiative: Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Expert Volunteer Initiative?
2. Why is this initiative needed?
3. How will it benefit volunteers, those who are long term unemployed and organisations supporting the initiative?
4. How will it benefit Britain?
5. There are already pilots and projects running across the UK in this field: are you trying to supercede these?
6. What type of volunteer are you looking to attract?
7. What type of skills, knowledge and experience will volunteers have?
8. What is the role of Careers Development Group?
9. Why is CDG involved?
10. Has CDG spoken to other organisations and involved others?
11. What were the issues raised at the summit? 
12. What are the current priorities for the initiative?
13. Who will be in the steering group and what will be its role?

1. What is the Expert Volunteer Initiative?

The initiative will create a national framework to support and recruit volunteers with the skills, knowledge or experience to help back into work those who have been unemployed for a long time.

This will be a national effort designed to complement the work currently carried out by welfare to work providers and also to complement or add to similar projects and initiatives already working across the UK.


2. Why is this initiative needed?

There needs to be a fresh look at how, as a civilised society, we can help those who are long term unemployed or are trying to enter the workplace for the first time. We cannot turn a blind eye to this and we cannot give up on them, particularly those who face multiple barriers to working.

Despite the best efforts of the government, welfare to work providers, the third sector, and the commercial sector, there continues to be at least half of those considered as being long term unemployed who are not successful in finding sustainable employment. Many of these remain in the welfare to work system for years, whatever the economic cycle.

This initiative should have an achievable target to reach an additional 10 to 25 per cent of those individuals which the current system is unable to adequately help.


3. How will it benefit volunteers, those who are long term unemployed and organisations supporting the initiative?

Volunteers will benefit from the personal satisfaction that comes from helping a person, cause or society and doing something positive with their spare time. Volunteering gives individuals the opportunity to gain or improve skills or build confidence by doing something new, all of which can be transferred back to the workplace.

For companies that allow and facilitate employee volunteering, benefits include a more engaged workforce, the opportunity for teamworking and a chance for employees to develop new skills.

Those who are long term unemployed will benefit from the skills, knowledge and expertise of the volunteers above and beyond the support they receive from welfare to work providers.

Groups working with the long term unemployed will benefit from the extra support given to their jobseekers by volunteers. The working group will be investigating how, in return, welfare to work providers will be able to support those volunteers and organisations involved in the initiative.


4. How will it benefit Britain?

Helping those who are long term unemployed through volunteers is all part of being in a civilised and harmonious country.

Essentially, Britain is not well served if it has a society split between those with jobs or who have enjoyed good careers and those who are struggling to get into or get back into employment. We need to ensure there is a continuous transfer of skills, expertise and knowledge between the haves and have nots. We need old hands to help new hands, whether this is between generations or peer to peer.


5. There are already pilots and projects running across the UK in this field, are you trying to supercede these?

The initiative is not looking to replace or supercede pilots and projects that are currently in place.

A central focus for the initiative is to give impetus and to provide a structure to help more volunteers and organisations support those who are long term unemployed back into work. Organisations will then be able to adapt the initiative and framework to best suit their own circumstances.

In addition, we recognise there are already pilots and projects in this field happening around the country and the initiative will highlight examples of good practice for others to consider using or adapting.


6. What type of volunteer are you looking to attract?

By tapping into Britain's long-held tradition of volunteering, we believe this initiative has the potential of attracting 50,000 volunteers nationally over the long term.

Volunteers are people who, alongside the capacity and desire to volunteer, have the skills, knowledge or experience (not necessarily formal qualifications) that will help people on their journey back into work, over and above the services offered by welfare to work providers.

We envisage volunteers being able help for at least two to ten hours a month because, while the type of support provided can be in many forms, it requires time and a regular commitment. However, we do not wish to be prescriptive and are keen to make this type of volunteering accessible to all those with something to offer.

There are no set rules or tick boxes to be filled as to who can and can’t be a volunteer, because while a framework for the initiative will be created, it is the responsibility of organisations taking part in the initiative to adapt the framework to meet their own needs.


7. What type of skills, knowledge and experience will volunteers have?

Volunteers could be working full-time, semi-retired, retired or freelancers in between contracts. It is important not to be prescriptive but examples include:

- HR managers who can help give people confidence when they go for interviews

- A man or woman who has been unemployed recently and can give talks to those not in work about how the steps they took to find employment.

- A retired cook wanting to help people into a catering career

- A semi-retired English teacher wanting to help people with basic literacy needs.


8. What is the role of Careers Development Group (CDG)?

The role of CDG has been to put this initiative forward and initially give it a voice and structure.

Now that the initiative is moving forward, it is important to recognise that it is not owned by CDG. It is owned by everyone with an interest in improving society and helping the long term unemployed: the government, the commercial sector and of course the community third sector.


9. Why is CDG involved?

Putting this initiative forward is part of the charitable benefit and purpose that lies behind everything that CDG does in helping those who are unemployed into work. Our vision is that employment is available to all.

As well giving the initiative an initial voice and structure, CDG is acting as the secretariat for the cross-sector steering group that will drive the initiative forward.

It is a core part of CDG’s and others’ contribution to the Big Society.


10. Has CDG spoken to other organisations and involved others?

CDG arranged a summit in October 2010 which was attended by over 80 delegates from the private, public and third sectors to discuss and debate the initiative.

Following the summit, a national steering group has been established to oversee the initiative. The former chair of Volunteering England, Dr Mike Nussbaum, is chairing the steering group, and CDG is providing secretariat support.

In addition, CDG will continue to arrange regular discussions with a wide range of organisations on the initiative and encourages any interested parties to get involved.


11. What issues were raised at the summit?

A wide range of issues were raised at the summit, including the need to map the overall strategy to deliver the initiative, whether the current name needs to be adapted to more accurately reflect the initiative and how to attract and manage volunteers plus support organisations who wish to become involved.


12. What are the current priorities for the initiative?

• Showcasing existing volunteering initiatives which support people back into work, thereby sharing good practice across providers and allowing organisations to adapt a framework for the initiative that is best suited to their own circumstances.

• Developing a framework document to provide a structure and processes for a phased national rollout of the initiative. The paper will be produced by the steering group.

• Facilitate the implementation of pilot projects with independent monitoring and validation of results. This information will be used to develop a replicable, cost-effective volunteering initiative for the welfare to work sector.


13. Who is on the steering group and what is its role?

The steering group consists of representatives from the welfare to work, voluntary, private and public sectors.

The group is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of the initiative and meet approximately once every two months.