The Programme of Work
The proposed programme of work consists of 6 separate but integrated strands:
1. Mapping Exercise
A mapping exercise will be carried out to determine the extent of the problem facing the volunteering sector with regards to risk and insurance. The aim of this research will be to provide reliable, up-to-date information on such issues as:
- whether or not insurance premiums have risen in relation to volunteering and if so in what sectors (sports, recreation?) and for what activities;
- whether or not there has been an increase in negligence claims being brought against volunteers and if so in what sectors and for what activities;
- whether or not there has been a decline in numbers of people volunteering for certain types of organisations and activities and to what extent this can be attributed to the fear of litigation (whether or not such a fear is justified);
- what policies and procedures are currently in place for managing risk within the volunteering sector and what examples there are of good and innovative practice which could be transferred to the wider sector.
The research will be carried out be means of a questionnaire survey to a sample of approximately 1,000 volunteer-involving organisations and a separate survey to the insurance industry. The surveys will be supplemented by follow-up interviews (telephone and/or face-to-face) to tease out key issues in more detail and by 6-8 case studies of good and innovative practice. A small number (6-8) of focus groups will also be carried out with volunteers (and ex volunteers) identified through the organisational survey who have been impacted upon in some way by the insurance/risk issues. The aim of the research will be to identify the extent of the problem being faced by the volunteering sector in this area and to identify examples of good practice in the management of risk (and from within the insurance industry) for widespread dissemination as part of the information sharing element of the programme.
2. On-Going Dialogue with Key Stakeholders
A key element of the work programme will be the facilitation of on-going dialogue with the key stakeholders involved in this area of work, including volunteer-involving organisations, the insurance sector, the government and the judiciary. It is proposed that a Volunteering and Risk Forum be established to help guide the programme of work and to act as a sounding board for consideration of specific recommendations arising out of the work. Membership of this forum will be broad-based and will include organisations represented on the England Volunteer Development Council. It is envisaged that the forum will meet 4-5 times during the course of the programme.
The project will work closely with the Home Office, the Department of Constitutional Affairs and other relevant government departments interested in volunteering and risk, such as the Department for Media, Culture and Sport and the Department for Education and Skills. The project will also work with Skills Active and other sector skills councils to ensure that the outcomes are fully integrated into their work with employers.
3. Wider Consultation with the Volunteering Sector
In addition to the setting up of the Volunteering and Risk Forum mechanisms will be put in place to ensure widespread consultation with the volunteering sector at all stages of the work programme. This will include sharing the results of the mapping exercise with the sector, through summary research bulletins distributed via mailings and on the website, and consulting with the sector over the practicability and appropriateness of the specific recommendations arising out of the work. To facilitate this communication a Volunteering and Risk Reference Group will be established, with membership drawn widely from within the volunteering sector. In addition it is proposed that two conferences/seminars be held during the course of the project to elicit feedback from the sector at strategic stages of the work and to ensure sector buy-in to the process. The two key stages within the programme which would be most suitable for the holding of such events would be after the research has been completed and once the detailed recommendations have been formulated, approximately 4 months and 8 months into the work programme respectively.
4. Enhancing Good Practice
One of the key aims of the project is to identify and disseminate good practice, both in relation to the ways in which volunteer-involving organisations manage risk and the ways in which insurance companies provide cover for volunteers across a range of organisational settings. Examples of such good practice will be identified through the mapping exercise and wider consultation process and such case histories will be written up and widely disseminated with a view to informing practice across the volunteering and insurance sectors. Dissemination will take place in a number of ways: through the production of a good practice guide(s) aimed at volunteering organisations on the issue of risk management and insurance; through a newly established, dedicated section of Volunteering England's Website devoted to Risk and Insurance; through articles in the VCS trade press (Volunteering magazine, Third Sector etc); through the conferences/seminars planned as part of the work programme; and through partnerships with a range of umbrella agencies (many of them represented on the England Volunteering Development Council). Consideration will also be given to a separate guidance leaflet aimed at the insurance industry, highlighting the success of such initiatives as captive cells and bulk purchase of insurance.
A specific strand of work will be carried out with the key volunteering umbrella bodies and the Association of British Insurers to explore the possibility of introducing a scheme equivalent to Making the Market Work, which has had a positive impact on trade associations with respect to health and safety issues.
5. Contribution to Wider Debates on Risk and Insurance
The project will make a contribution to wider work on risk and insurance taking place both within and outside the VCS. Links will be made with other relevant organisations and networks involved in this field and the project director will sit on relevant working groups and taskforces, such as the BRTF. It is anticipated that the learning from these connections will be two-way. The volunteering sector will benefit from the project's exposure to the wider issues of risk and insurance, whilst the lessons learned from this project will help inform thinking on solutions to the problems outside the VCS.
6. Ensuring Sustainability
As a time limited project it is important that attention is paid to ensuring that the lessons learned during the course of the year are integrated into the on-going work of VE and its partner agencies. Through its role as the accountable body for the Volunteering Hub, VE is well placed to ensure that the work generated through the project continues after May 2006. The work on risk will be integrated into the various elements of the Volunteering Hub work programme, including building the capacity within local Volunteer Centres to advise on risk issues to local members and enhancing the capacity of the national, regional and local volunteering infrastructures to disseminate information and good practice material to relevant stakeholders. Volunteering England will ensure that all publications and literature arising out of the project are kept up-to-date in line with changes in legislation and public policy, and will seek to embed the work on Risk and Insurance in its other core work, for example in its information, training and consultancy services, and in its management development programme, for example by incorporating a module on Risk in its Investing in Volunteers management standard.
