A Framework for Volunteering and Cycle Training. April 2011

Transcription

1 A Framework for Volunteering and Cycle Training April 2011 Volunteer Development Scotland and Cycling Scotland 2011

2 Contents Introduction... 3 Strategic Leadership... 4 Volunteer Journey... 5 Sustainability... 6 Accessibility... 7

3 Introduction Welcome to the first framework for volunteering and cycle training in Scotland. At Cycling Scotland, we recognise and value the tangible impact that volunteers across Scotland have in delivering Bikeability Scotland. Completing Bikeability Scotland allows young people to cycle safely, and supports the Scottish Governmentʼs Cycling Action Plan for Scotland which aims to have 10% of all journeys in Scotland by 2020 made by bike. Volunteers also contribute to schools more widely, bringing their skills, enthusiasm and experience into the school, helping young people to learn new skills in a new environment and enabling the school to engage meaningfully with their local communities. Cycling Scotland has the lead responsibility to provide coordination, materials and quality assurance of Bikeability Scotland nationally. We do this by working with a network of national and local partners including Transport Scotland, Road Safety Scotland and Active Schools. The delivery of the framework is the overall responsibility of Cycling Scotland in our role as the national agency for promoting Cycling in Scotland and contributes to Action 1 Outcome 1 of the Cycling Action Plan for Scotland; ʻTo establish a new Cycle Training Standards and Delivery Support Group (CTSDSG), to formulate a plan by end of 2010 to deliver a coordinated approach to training; an increase in the number of volunteers available to deliver training and a support network for the volunteers; and support for Local Authorities in offering the 3 levels of cycle training including on-roadʼ The framework has 4 distinct areas each of which will contribute to increased volunteering capacity across Scotland to support and deliver Bikeability Scotland: Strategic Leadership; Volunteer Journey; Sustainability and Accessibility. This framework and the complementary Volunteering Policy and Recruitment and Sustainability Plan aim to: increase the capacity of national and local partners to support volunteers; increase the accessibility of volunteering opportunities; increase the capacity for Bikeability Scotland to be delivered; and ensure that volunteers enjoy their volunteering experience. For the purposes of this and related documents, the Scottish Government definition of volunteering has been used, Volunteering is the giving of time and energy through a third party, which can bring measurable benefits to the volunteer, individual beneficiaries, groups and organisations, communities, environment and society at large. It is a choice undertaken of one's own free will, and is not motivated primarily for financial gain or for a wage or salary Scottish Government 2004 The usual model for delivery of Bikability Scotland training is through schools, although in some cases this is delivered by community groups out with the school environment. Volunteers normally undertake the role of Cycle Training Assistants, although in some cases volunteers undertake the role of a Cycle Training Instructor. Volunteers can include paid staff from schools who volunteer to deliver Bikeability Scotland in addition to their main paid role. This document has been prepared using information from meetings, workshops and research with Cycling Scotland which has included input from staff and volunteers from Bike Club, Sustrans, Local Authorities, Active Schools and Road Safety Scotland and focuses on delivery of Bikeability Scotland through schools.

4 Strategic Leadership Planning for the engagement, development and support of volunteers at strategic level amongst all partners is critical to developing a cohesive and sustainable and flexible platform for volunteering. A clear and improved understanding of the role of volunteering in the delivery of key national and local priorities will enable the development of structures and partnerships which clearly identify the role for volunteering and volunteers across Scotland. These structures and partnerships will enhance existing links and develop new links, all of which will increase the capacity to deliver Bikeability Scotland. Influence partners to develop a strategy to address volunteering development across all forms of cycling to improve links to and support for Bikeability Scotland; Influence CAPS partners e.g. Association of Directors of Education Scotland to identify practical ways to influence schools to take ownership for the development and support of volunteers delivering BikeAbility Scotland; Encourage partners to have a named contact responsible for volunteering development and cycling at senior level to enable links between relevant strategic outcomes/activities; Use Volunteering Zone and Event Team Scotland (and other online services as appropriate) to increase the visibility, awareness and links to different opportunities to volunteer within cycling; Support national and local partners to define clear volunteering roles; and Produce resources to link the development of volunteering, to other tools and services available e,g. GLOW platform. Agree areas of commonality where the development of volunteering can have wider impacts e.g. outdoor education targets, Curriculum for Excellence resources and School Travel Plans; Aim to integrate the support for volunteers into wider volunteering development activities where appropriate; Implement local frameworks to provide guidance on minimum requirements for volunteering support; and Have a named contact, responsible for volunteering and cycling in place, and facilitate links between them and other local agencies/individuals (e.g. sports clubs and school travel coordinators) who can influence volunteering as part of wider and complementary local development. The roles and responsibilities of individual organisations at local and national level to support and develop volunteering related to Bikeability Scotland is clearly understood; Priorities for volunteering development related to cycling are clearly understood and agreed by all partners Volunteering is clearly articulated in relevant strategic frameworks, guidance, policies etc.; There are clear links from strategic frameworks to local Bikeability Scotland delivery models;

5 Volunteer Journey Volunteering benefits volunteers as they have the opportunity, not only to give their time and skills, but to develop new skills and networks. Each individualʼs journey depends on their existing skills, attributes and aspirations for volunteering e.g. some will want to develop new skills, others will want to use the skills they already have, others may want to do something because they have time, with others motivated by the environmental impact of cycling etc. All volunteers will progress through their individual volunteer journey at difference speeds starting and finishing at different points depending on a number of factors including the volunteerʼs willingness to progress as well as personal circumstances. Progress through the volunteer journey may be conscious e.g. a volunteer identifies as part of the recruitment process that they need to/want to develop skills or unconscious e.g. a volunteer with existing skills who is motivated by the environmental impact, or who has joined to make new friends gains experience without realising that their skills are improving. Regardless of whether or not the volunteerʼs journey is a conscious or unconscious one, there needs to be appropriate support in place to facilitate rather than impose - the volunteer journey and to ensure that it starts, progresses and ends at a pace and at a time that is agreed with the volunteer. Implement a national Recruitment and Sustainability Plan, encouraging partners at national level to support this; Link support materials for Bikeability Scotland volunteers to the volunteer journey to help those supporting volunteers to access resource at appropriate stages; Explore ways to help local partners to work with volunteers to monitor their progress through the volunteer journey; Ensure that those who support volunteers are aware of the support/resources available to help them to improve and develop support available for volunteers; Link the support available to volunteers to relevant quality standards; Design a local Recruitment and Sustainability plan, tailored to local circumstances; Structured, yet flexible, support is in place allowing volunteers to join, progress and exit their volunteer journey appropriately; Tools and resources are in place, reflecting a volunteersʼ journeys which can be easily accessed by those responsible for supporting volunteers; The exit from volunteering is managed professionally, with volunteers thanked and referred (if required/appropriate) to other volunteering roles and agencies; A network of volunteers is created who can share experiences and skills.

6 Sustainability Bikeability Scotland cannot be delivered without the support of volunteers and volunteering is an activity which needs to fit into busy lives and be sustainable beyond the commitment of a single volunteer, community group or staff member within a school or partner agency. We want so develop a culture of sustainable volunteering, managing the finite volunteering resource carefully to ensure that when change happens the quality of Bikeability Scotland delivery and the experience of the remaining volunteers is not adversely affected. Implement a national Recruitment and Sustainability Plan, encouraging partners at national level to support this; Use Volunteering Zone and Event Team Scotland (and other online services as appropriate) to increase the visibility, awareness and links to different opportunities to volunteer within cycling; Encourage the development of new volunteering roles, or ways to volunteer which address common barriers to and opportunities for volunteering and cycle training highlighted by partners. Implement a local recruitment and sustainability plan, linked to the national plan to try to manage local volunteers is a sustainable way; Undertake a review of current volunteering planning, identifying current bottlenecks or pinch points where there is over or under-capacity within volunteering programmes linked to the volunteer journey; Succession plans are in place, with a clear plan in place for managing volunteersʼ exits; A network of volunteers can help to support neighbouring schools where unplanned volunteering gaps occur; Volunteers are not lost to cycling when they exit from one role and can re-engage in the future; and Consistent standards of support for volunteers linked to delivery of Bikeability Scotland training.

7 Accessibility We want to make it easy and attractive for people to volunteer and key to this is ensuring highly visible and easy access to volunteering opportunities which meet the needs of volunteers. Events e.g. the Freshnlo Pedal for Scotland, Government-funded schemes e.g. Tacking the School Run and existing volunteering programmes e.g. Sustransʼ volunteer rangers and Scottish Cyclingʼs club volunteers all have the potential to introduce people to volunteering and cycle training, but there needs to be simple and easily accessible pathways from these diverse entry points. Creating accessible pathways into and out of volunteering requires those who recruit and support volunteers to be open-minded to recruiting volunteers from out with the immediate parent body and link the activities delivered by these volunteers to the wider policy agenda e.g. school travel plans, HMIe and community sports hubs. Influence partners who provide (or could provide) routes into volunteering to create accessible pathways into and volunteering; Use Volunteering Zone and Event Team Scotland (and other online services as appropriate) to increase the visibility, awareness and links to different opportunities to volunteer within cycling; Work with partners, responsible for high profile cycling events to promote volunteering and cycle training; Work with partners, responsible for campaigns linked to cycling to promote volunteering and cycle training; Work with partners, who have existing volunteering and cycling roles to promote volunteering and cycle training; Work with partners to link/map training for volunteer roles within cycling to give volunteers more options to volunteer developing new or existing skills. Ensure that recruitment and support available for volunteers meets the needs of local communities to enable a diverse range of volunteers to participate; Link community groups/volunteers who could/can deliver cycle training to schools in the local area where appropriate; Adapt current (and future) structures for volunteering support to be able to respond to one off events, campaigns and existing volunteering; and Bring national and local individuals and organisations responsible for volunteering together to identify where current links can be improved and new links need to be built; An open and friendly environment is created which welcomes a diverse range of volunteers; There is a clear pathway for volunteering within cycling between different roles and organisations; and There is greater connectivity between campaigns and events which could promote Bikeability Scotland volunteering.