Volunteering Magazine, Issue 113, December 2005
Dr Stuarts Casebook
Im a volunteer with an organisation that works with homeless people. Many of them have drug and alcohol problems, which we, the volunteers are aware of. However, our coordinator insists that we need to go on a drugs awareness course, which we feel we don't necessarily need. Most of us work, have families and so have very little free time. As volunteers, do we have to do courses if we don't want to? Id appreciate any information about policies and guidelines that you might have. Thanks very much.
There aren't any guidelines about volunteer training that would cover all organisations and all volunteer roles within them. The need for training varies so much from situation to situation that it's impossible to give guidance to cover every eventuality. As volunteers, you can't be forced into doing anything you don't want to - but an organisation would be within its rights to wonder if you were serious about wanting to perform your volunteer role to the best of your ability, if you refused to take up all its offers of relevant training. This is obviously more of an issue in some roles than in others, and if safety of volunteers or clients is an issue then it's probably fair for the organisation to make certain types of training a requirement. Perhaps it is part of the organisations risk management strategy to offer drugs awareness training, but its hard to say without knowing more about it.
I think there are a number of things to consider here. First of all, is it being made clear to you why the training is important? It sounds as if it isn't, and you seem to have the impression that it won't be useful. I don't suppose the people in charge would be spending money on training they think will be a waste of time, so perhaps they simply haven't managed to communicate the benefits they expect people to derive from attending? Well-thought-out training will have clear aims and objectives, so ask what they are. Even if it's a basic drugs awareness course, it might afford opportunities to discuss difficult situations you and your colleagues have come up against as a result of clients' drug use. Perhaps there's room to negotiate content or learning priorities - there might be things that you'd like to cover that you haven't had the chance to discuss during your volunteering time. Ask if there's room for manoeuvre within the training, so that participants can really come away feeling that their needs have been addressed.
As far as finding time for training is concerned, that is certainly difficult when everyone is juggling work and family and other responsibilities. Timing is important, and if the training is taking place outside normal volunteering hours it might be better if childcare can be provided, for example. Obviously, I don't know how flexible it's possible to make this particular training course, but again it's worth talking to the people organising it to see if it can happen at times to suit the majority of volunteers. If it is really important for everyone to attend, then there will have to be a way round this (perhaps by running more than one session at different times).
Ultimately, as volunteers, you can't be forced into doing anything you don't want to do. But even really experienced staff and/or volunteers can benefit from refresher training. I've very rarely come away from a training course feeling that I've learned absolutely nothing, so give it a chance if you can. But do try to explain to your coordinator why you need to know how it will help you in your role, and emphasise that the training needs to be delivered in a way that allows maximum benefit for the time spent.
