From the February 2001 issue of Volunteering Magazine
Mansfield Volunteer Bureau development workers Emily Dawes and Caroline Rhoades report on the VB's successful partnership with Portland College, a residential college for students with disabilities, which offers the students a taste of voluntary work. This has been the first opportunity the students have had to become involved in their community
The partnership began in 1998, when a tutor from Portland College approached the Volunteer Bureau for help in providing work experience for two students. This first contact led to a more formal arrangement to provide voluntary work for students who were interested in volunteering. The college's students are all young disabled people. Some are wheelchair users, and some are very severely disabled, with limited speech and mobility. There is no doubt that involving these young people in meaningful voluntary work is a challenge, but it is one that all involved have risen to and continue to relish.
Although the college provides everything for the students on one campus, links with the wider community in Mansfield are important. This partnership has meant that for the first time students have been able to become involved in community life outside of the college.
As volunteers, the students help others, which puts them in a very different position from usual, as many are used to receiving help from other people. The aim is that this new sense of independence and responsibility will enhance their confidence and show that the students can volunteer effectively in the local community.
Placements
The students are given a one-to-one interview where we match their interests and skills to appropriate placements. This helps us to offer voluntary work that is stimulating, relevant and rewarding to the student, and of mutual benefit to the host organisation.
Researching placements can take time, as we need to ensure that there is adequate provision for disability access and that appropriate support will be provided according to the needs of the individual student.
Students are placed in a range of organisations and undertake a variety of tasks. Placements so far have included administration, publicity, using computers, supporting elderly people, befriending, working with other disabled people in sports, working in a charity shop, working at a women's centre and assisting with animal welfare.
Impact
So, what has been gained? For the students, the effect has been tremendous. Their confidence has increased, they have learned new skills, and they have been able to communicate and work with a range of different people. The students detail their experiences in a diary, which forms part of the evidence to support their programme of learning at the college.
Patrick Corker, placed with A Place to Call Our Own (APTCOO), has very limited verbal communication and he mainly uses a Liberator keyboard to talk. His placement enabled him to use his computer skills. He records, 'I went to APTCOO in the summer term of 1999. I had a laugh every week. I learned how to use their computer, which was different from the one Ive used before. I wrote letters to other schools and colleges.'
Another student, James Humphries, was placed at Kingsway Hall, helping in the elderly social club. He reports, 'I work with a group of old people, and it has altered my opinion of them. I used to think that they were daft as a brush, but they certainly are not.'
Paul Hughes was placed at Mansfield Community Hospital and helped with providing refreshments. His confidence grew so much over the three months he was there that he progressed from relying on college transport to catching a bus to his placement on his own.
As part of our monitoring process, group discussions are held with the students, which reveal that they are gaining much from their placements. The students have usually developed new confidence and skills and made new friends, all in a matter of weeks!
Because placements are tailored to the needs of the individual student, they may be as short as a few 'taster' sessions or may continue over a number of weeks. Some students have even extended their placement beyond the initial agreed period - a sure measure of success!
Local organisations have generally been extremely supportive of the partnership and very willing to give students the opportunity to get involved.
'APTCOO has clearly expressed an ongoing commitment to receiving student placements, and will always do our utmost to empower and support young disabled people,' says Jo Baker of APTCOO. 'This scheme gives the young people access to work experience they might otherwise not have had, and it has been an enriching experience for all of us involved.'
The organisations involved have also gained benefits over and above the value of the students' voluntary work. For instance, they have been given the opportunity to 'test' their own good practices in terms of accessibility for all. The students have also been positive role models who have raised awareness among staff, volunteers and users.
Challenges
Inevitably, some problems have been encountered along the way. Portland College provides transport to and from the placement for those who need it, and sometimes an adapted vehicle has been called away at short notice, leaving the student stranded.
A personal assistant is essential for some students who need help, for example with going to the toilet. Staffing difficulties have meant that a personal assistant has not always been available to accompany the student. It is these two areas that we have had most difficulties with, but we continue to work with the college to try and overcome these challenges as and when they arise.
Despite this, we are very proud of our success rate - so far we have interviewed a total of 17 students and placed 14 in local voluntary organisations.
It has been really heartening to discover that students are inspiring others who might not otherwise have had the confidence to try volunteering. It seems that as the news of this partnership spreads throughout the college, more and more young people are keen to give voluntary work a go.
The college shares our enthusiasm, as this is the first community partnership that has been established successfully with the college. It has welcomed the opportunity to involve and integrate students into the life of the local community in Mansfield. Kath Venters, director of studies at Portland College, says, 'Mansfield Volunteer Bureau provides excellent support arrangements and placements. Short-term voluntary placements have brought together a variety of talents, skills and experience. Our students have learned that they can provide a service to others. The students' curriculum has been enriched, and as a college we will contribute to community life more effectively through this partnership.'
As a volunteer bureau, we too have gained a lot from this partnership. We are proud of our success in helping to raise the profile of volunteering to a section of the community who otherwise might not have accessed voluntary work and who are under-represented nationally in the volunteering picture.
We have also been able to raise the awareness of others about disability issues and the challenges faced by a disabled person. It has motivated us to be proactive in helping a disabled person realise their potential.
Our own awareness has been raised too. This partnership has certainly brought home to us just how much enthusiasm, drive, ambition and verve young people with disabilities have, and that they have the same aspirations, needs, hopes and desires as other people. Their motivation to succeed is something we were just not expecting. It has been a real eye-opener for everyone involved.
Mansfield Volunteer Bureau is funded by the National Lottery Charities Board, North Nottinghamshire Youth Disaffection Partnership and Nottinghamshire County Council
