Volunteering Australia is currently reviewing the definition of volunteering.
On her blog page "Abundant Contibutioon" Adrienne Picone writes: " VA’s commitment to reviewing the definition of volunteering is being project managed by Volunteering Tasmania in partnership with all of the volunteering State and Territory Peaks and is both timely and reassuring. It may be that after we have the review that the end result will be similar or even the same as what we have now."
Who is in the Volunteering Family and who is out?
The following is an article I wrote for a Volunteering England Newsletter a few years back. I have edited it slightly and am reposting here to stimulate discussion
As manager of
a volunteer service in the largest private hospital in Australia this
current hot topic obviously holds a great interest to me. At the same time I
have viewed it objectively.
I have a huge
passion for volunteerism. I have been a volunteer for many years as well as
managing volunteers for close on 18 years. I continue to donate my time to
address various community groups about the powerful movement that I believe
volunteering to be and frequently research the area. In this way I keep abreast of emerging
trends.
There was a
time I considered leaving the sector due to what I perceived as a lack of
recognition for volunteer managers and paucity of resources. Happily for me I attended the “Retreat for
Advanced Volunteer Management” in Canberra
and met a group of like minded people who saw themselves as professionals, and
it was here that I discovered that Volunteer Managers had their own
professional association! So rather than
quit the sector I returned to my job revitalised and with a new and positive
vision for my career. I joined our professional association, AAVA (Now AAMOV) and in fact
become its president in 2006. I continue to advocate for Volunteer Managers in
many settings and genuinely hope that in some way I am contributing to the
advancement of our sector.
I mention the
above to emphasise that my argument here is not solely based on the fact that I
am employed in the private sector. I am convinced that my argument would be the
same had my career journey taken a different route and I had stayed in the not
for profit sector. Due to my experience
in both, I am able I think, to add a unique perspective to what has become an
ongoing debate. After all, you will not find many Volunteer Managers in private
settings…yet!
I believe
that volunteering in a private setting is ok provided it is aptly defined. It seems that definition has added complexity
to the private/public discussion and that clarification is needed. Some countries have adopted their own
definition of volunteering for example, Volunteering England once stated;
“any activity that involves spending time, unpaid,
doing something that aims to benefit the environment or someone (individuals or
groups) other than, or in addition to, close relatives. Central to this
definition is the fact that volunteering must be a choice freely made by each
individual. This can include formal activity undertaken through public, private
and voluntary organisations as well as informal community participation.”
The ‘Compact Code of Good Practice on Volunteering’
(2008) cited at www.volunteering.org.uk
contains a short definition of volunteering as
“an activity
that involves spending time, unpaid, doing something that aims to benefit the
environment or individuals or groups other than (or in addition to) close
relatives…and includes formal activity
undertaken through public, private and voluntary organisations as well as
informal community participation and campaigning.”
In 2001, The United
Nations (UN) adopted specific criteria to distinguish volunteering from other
forms of behaviour that may superficially resemble it. According to the UN
volunteering:
·
Is not to be undertaken primarily for
financial gain
·
Is undertaken of one’s own free will; and
·
Brings benefit to a third party as well as to
the people who volunteer .
Whereas Volunteering
Australia (VA) states that formal volunteering is an activity which takes place
in not-for-profit organisations or projects. It goes on to state in its
definitions and principles of volunteering that “Volunteering is an activity
performed in the not for profit sector only.” I submit that this is incongruent with another
of its principles, that “Volunteering
is always a matter of choice.”
Clearly the
positions quoted above are at odds and I intend to address them further in this
article. However I am now happy to say that VA is at least actively looking at this
definition and opening it up for discussion.
With respect
to private sector volunteering, my organisation’s history is interesting. Built in 1942, the hospital where I work was
a public hospital until it was privatised in 1995. The existing volunteer team
were initially worried that such a takeover may lead to disbandment. However, the new management enthusiastically embraced the
work of the volunteers and continues to encourage and support their valuable contribution.
The Program
Due to many
factors including more calls for volunteering opportunities, the expansion of
the hospital and to ensure proper systems were in place to support the 50
volunteers, the hospital engaged a full time paid Volunteer Manager for the
first time in 2006. Volunteer Services at the Hospital have grown enormously
and now utilizes the skills of 2 full time staff and close on 400 volunteers.
In my job
interview for this position I was impressed by the organisation’s rationale for
utilising volunteers. Extending care to the patient was a big theme. In turn
they trusted me to set up a program that ensured volunteers were a recognised
and important part of the team at the hospital. This reflects the philosophy of
all ethical volunteering organisations that volunteers must be valued to the
same degree as salaried staff. With my own department I am part of the
management team at the hospital. I am also seen as the “expert’ on volunteering
matters.
- As the program has grown, management has
supported that growth with extra resources and support. My professional
development in volunteer management has also been supported and encouraged
by the hospital. Executive met with a representative body of volunteers
monthly and they also are consulted on the development of our programs.. Staff/Volunteer
relationships are excellent according to evaluation data and reports. Of
course we ensure that there are clear demarcation lines between volunteer
activities and paid positions and as a result our relationship with the
union representatives is exemplary. The central aim of the program at our
organisation is that volunteers are committed to the good of the
patient.
Volunteer
activities
Our high
retention rate for volunteers is due primarily to the interesting and
meaningful activities they are given, combined with the recognition they
receive from the hospital. I have
selected a few points from our programme to give a flavour of our setting:
- all requests for volunteering
activity are approved and distributed only by the volunteer management
team.
- volunteers provide companionship
and support to patients, their families and friends.
- volunteers visit patients daily, escort
people around the hospital, give hand and foot massage and provide
information desk services as well as a JP service.
- specially trained volunteers work
- in our dementia unit assisting
patients through therapy activities
- as Cancer Care Volunteers who
provide great empathy and understanding to our cancer patients.
- as Chaplains providing for the
spiritual needs of our patients.
The above is
only a brief account of what the volunteers do.
Our programme
has been so successful that we have been contacted by public and private hospitals
seeking assistance with the setting up of their volunteer programmes. We have
also achieved state and national awards for our innovative volunteer programs.
As I have
said, I don’t discriminate when it comes to the private or public sector and I
can’t help but wonder why the issue arises in the definition of
volunteering. The current VA definition by
Volunteering Australia for instance, is adamant in its claim that
“volunteering
is an activity performed in the not-for-profit
sector only.” That is to say it does not exist in the private
sector. This is clearly incorrect. The
close on 400 volunteers in my organisation are no figment of my imagination.
Nor can that be said of several private hospitals throughout Australia and for
example the Brisbane International Airport which is privately managed and whose
volunteers:
- Meet and greet people
- Give directions and answer
queries
- Give visitors a warm welcome to
our beautiful city
Many people also
see the value in volunteers in private settings such as hospitals and nursing
homes where they appreciate their empathy, their caring and their ability to
spend quality time with patients easing their isolation and reassuring them at
a time of anxiety.
Those who
oppose volunteers in the private sector seem to think that these activities and
services should only be available patients in a public setting. I don’t agree
for to do so would be to fly in the face of the existence of altruism. All of our volunteers came to us because they
do not discriminate between private and public patients. Most only see people in need of their
services.
Another
important point to raise is the volunteers themselves and their views on
volunteering in a private setting. When I commenced working for this
organisation one of the first decisions I made was to include the history of
the hospital in the interview process and to inform all applicants that this
was a privately owned hospital. We have
conducted roughly 700 volunteer interviews since we commenced the program. Of
that number, one person decided not to proceed with volunteering on the basis
that it was in a private setting. One! And that person had every right not to
proceed if that was their individual philosophy. How can we even begin to
contemplate denying the other 399 people their right to volunteer at this
organisation or to say to them that volunteering takes place only in not for
profit organisations.
People may up
to now agree with my argument that volunteering in certain private settings may
be ok but may be asking where exactly do we draw the line. I believe that
discussion is another debate in itself for another day.
Another quick
analogy I would like to make is this. Take the nursing profession. These people
are in the business of care. Their service is critical to the health and safety
of patients. Does society judge them on whether they work for public or private
hospitals? Ah, you might say, this is different because they are paid. If we
take this viewpoint then I say we demean volunteering itself because we are
saying it is OK for volunteers to give service in the not-for-profit area but
not the private area when it is their choice.
Finally I
issue a warning on what may happen if we continue to ignore that this type of
volunteering activity takes place or if we form stringent views that it should
never take place. I believe that people will continue to look for volunteering
opportunities at their local hospital, nursing home or indeed airport! If we
shun or condemn this activity we will discourage good volunteer management
practice at these facilities. Good volunteer management practice can ensure
that volunteers are treated with respect and receive appropriate insurance
training and orientation. Good volunteer management practice can ensure that
volunteers are utilised appropriately and not for cost cutting. Professional
well trained Volunteer Managers can ensure that everything pertaining to
volunteering is done in the right way and for the right reasons.
I was once
accused by a colleague of joining “The Dark side”. I am glad to have had an opportunity to
broaden my horizons and to shine a light on the reality of volunteering in a
private setting!
