Exploring the Vision for Volunteering with Jenny Betteridge, Gethyn Williams and James Allen. Introducing my new Co-Host Imogen Greatbatch.
Welcome to our latest season of the TeamTalk podcast. In this season, we will be talking to thought leaders, customers and stakeholders from the world of sport and physical exercise as we take a deeper dive into volunteering and the volunteer managers who make it happen.
A New Co-Host
I’m so happy to welcome my new co-host Imo Greatbatch. She is currently the Head of Volunteering at England Netball. Imo and I go back quite a way, and when she suggested that she might be interested in offering her knowledge and insight to this project, I was only too happy to make some room around the mic.
Our Guests
This first episode in this latest series sees us chatting to Jenny Betteridge, Strategic Lead for Volunteering at Sport England. A national public-funded organisation with a mission to enable everyone to benefit from sport and activity. Jenny has most recently been working on the Vision for Volunteering which was launched very recently at the Volunteer Expo.
Jenny is joined by Gethyn Williams and James Allen who undertook the market engagement that made the Vision possible, In this episode, we discuss how this work was conducted, what its ambitions are and what it is hoped it leads to for the future of volunteering.
Gethyn is a Volunteering strategist and non-profit specialist with twenty years of experience across the UK charity sector and central government. He’s worked extensively in volunteering, youth, sport, disability and environment sectors, He’s also held senior strategic and operational roles in policy and comms, business and workforce development, infrastructure and membership services, community development and charity governance.
James is the Director of Counsel a consultancy working with various clients across sport and physical activity. They serve private and voluntary sectors in a range of areas including public affairs, communications, research and governance.
We find out a little more about how each of our guests came to the world of volunteering. Then we get right into what the vision is, what it means and how you can get involved as it evolves over the coming months and years.
As Jenny says, The Vision for Volunteering is not the end product, but just the start of what might be possible.
You can find TeamKinetic on social media and listen to other episodes of our podcast:
Three types of coronavirus vaccine (Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Moderna), have been approved in the UK for use on the NHS.
So far, over 3,639,309 people have been vaccinated in the UK. Additionally to this, the government have planned to have every over 18 UK citizen vaccinated by this Autumn. But until then, the government plan to have 15 million vulnerable people vaccinated by mid February. And in November it was realised the NHS would need 30,000 volunteers to help deliver the programme.
After speaking to our clients, it came to our attention that many will be simply using spreadsheets to managing their volunteers for the coronavirus vaccine, unaware of the software they could be using to help. This is where TeamKinetic can help. We offer an easy to use online system that makes managing your volunteers safe and easier.
How can we help?
Saving Time…
When using spreadsheets to find volunteers and their contact information, it can take a lot of scrolling….and time. With TeamKinetic, it couldn’t be simpler. Our system allows you to search for a volunteer and find all their information in just a few clicks. Easy right? You can even email or text them or even set up rotas straight from the app; saving you time.
Easy Access…
Volunteers have access to their own profile in your TeamKinetic powered app. Self-service means less work for you, so if they forget any details about where they need to be and what time, they can simply log in to their profile and everything will be there with easy access. This all supported by automatic reminders about their shifts or any other requirements you may have. Saving you loads of time to support those who need a little more help.
Safety First…
Best yet, TeamKinetic is fully protected and encrypted with the most up to date security. We adhere to all GDPR regulations so you don’t need to worry about it. Excel Spreadsheets are unsafe and are easily deleted and corrupted, what happens if your data is then stolen? TeamKinetic ensures your personal data is safe and secure and meets all legal requirements.
Hear It From Someone Else…
We recently spoke to one of our clients, Claire from Halton & St Helens Volunteer Centre. We spoke to Claire about how TeamKinetic has helped them since the start of the pandemic, to managing volunteers at their vaccination centre at St Helen’s Ruby Stadium. Here’s what she had to say about our recruitment process and communication tools…
‘I have found that the TeamKinetic support they give and app they have built to be the best way to recruit our pandemic volunteers. Since the covid-19 pandemic, it’s been a godsend really. We have noticed that other organisations have not had the ability to recruit like we can, as quickly and safely, as they don’t have this kind of support.
We have had 1500 volunteers register since the beginning of the pandemic as it is easy to get volunteers to register.
The way that TeamKinetic excels for me is the communication tools, the ability to get in touch with volunteers very quickly. We are an avid user of the community task dashboard, our volunteers very quickly pick up tasks on there, and they can chat to one another on there. So being able to text them or email them as a group or a specific cohort of volunteers is really important for us, and helps us to manage the way, when and who gets involved.
When we knew we had to ramp up for the Vaccine, it was straightforward to promote, recruit, track training and deploy the volunteers as all the volunteers and the managment tools were right there in the app’
The Community Action Network that covers Bournemouth, Dorset and Pool, started using TeamKinetic in the break between Christmas and New Year and went live with over 1200 volunteers on the 7th of January. TeamKinetic have specialised in rapid deployment so you can get on with focusing on the important job of getting people vaccinated.
Join The TeamKinetic Family Today…
To find out more about TeamKinetic, feel free to call us on 0161 914 5757 or email our Director of Sales at chris@teamkinetic.co.uk.
Alternatively, take a look at our website to find out more and start your FREE trial today! Or, read through our social media pages for more tips and tricks – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Micro-volunteering is the idea of volunteering in ‘short bursts’. This means volunteering in short and convenient ways, at times and places which suit everybody’s schedule. What makes micro-volunteering different from standard volunteering is that it can be done online or face-to-face, and doesn’t require any long term commitment. This means that the volunteer also doesn’t have to go through an application or training process first. Micro-volunteering is perfect for both volunteers and organisations! It has the potential to attract a wider diversity and greater number of people, including individuals who wouldn’t have got involved otherwise due to conflicting schedules.
Delivering supplies to those isolating from covid-19
Signing online petitions
Writing blogs
Retweeting and posting relevant content to social media
Two minute litter pick
Buying a homeless person food or a hot drink
Researching and completing online surveys
Donate old clothes and goods to a charity shop
Remember this..?
Remember when the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge went viral in the summer of 2014? Where everyone, including big celebrities like Mark Zuckerberg, would tip a bucket of ice water over their head to raise awareness of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
Well, this was a perfect example of micro-volunteering. While this wasn’t classified as your ‘typical’ volunteering, it engaged people all over the world and encouraged them to donate their time and resources into raising awareness of ALS. This viral challenge raised $116 million over two years from people engaging in this challenge who previously might not have got involved if it wasn’t for micro-volunteering.
How has COVID-19 impacted this?
The rates of micro-volunteering will have naturally increased from COVID-19. This comes from people having too much spare time and wanting to use their time to help others during such a negative time.
COVID-19 has made the majority of the population go into self isolation to protect themselves and to protect others. This then meant many volunteers had the suspend their volunteering duties- this is where micro-volunteering comes into play! Micro-volunteering has allowed volunteers to continue their contributions whilst isolating at home. For example, VolunteerScotland has seen 60,000 people come forward as a response to COVID-19, prepared to help in the most difficult of times- and this is just Scotland!
The future of micro-volunteering…
Micro-volunteering is only going to continue to grow, especially considering the current climate, and this is something we need to encourage. It’s simple, without micro-volunteering there would be less people volunteering their time- especially during COVID-19.
One of the biggest barriers to volunteering is people not having the time. Work commitments is the biggest barrier at (49%), with people ‘doing other things with their spare time’ closely following (35%), and child commitments following at (23%). Micro- volunteering allows people to contribute to volunteering around their schedule. This can even be sharing something on social media to raise awareness.
With COVID-19 now also causing volunteering barriers, micro-volunteering has come to the rescue. Micro-volunteering has allowed volunteers who are self isolating to continue to contribute to a cause from the safety of their home. This could prove to be the future for many volunteers who may not feel safe to return to face-to-face volunteering for a while. This then allows organisations to continue to receive volunteer support, despite the current COVID-19 situation.
How can you encourage micro volunteering with TeamKinetic?
During the peak of the COVID pandemic, we added an entirely new feature set around micro community volunteering. It includes a new admin and provider management page. Your volunteers also have access to their own progressive web app, allowing them to join micro volunteering tasks and record their progress using their phone.
Step 1 – Enable the community tasks feature from your super admin options menu
As you can see above, there are a few options available. Remember to give access to your volunteers and allow them to download the web app in order to access your community tasks.
Step 2 – Add your community tasks
Select ‘Community Tasks’ from the ‘Opportunities & Providers’ menu. Once you have enabled them in the super admin options menu.
Hit the big GREEN plus button to add your first community task.
There are some important things to know when adding your community tasks;
All the data you add in the red section is visible publicly to your volunteers.
The first set of data in the yellow section headed ‘Private Data’ is never revealed to volunteers.
The second set of data in the yellow section headed ‘Data Shown to Assigned Volunteers’ is only revealed to the volunteer that applies and is accepted for the task.
You can describe the task here and provide a location for the recipient. This is as well as restricting which volunteers have access to see and pick up these tasks. You can restrict by their ID check, criminal check status, and whether they are linked to the assigned provider or not.
All your volunteers that have logged into the web app will receive notifications when new tasks are added. This will either be in the app for Android/Chrome devices or via email for iOS devices.
Step 3 – Get your volunteers completing the tasks
By enabling access to volunteers in the super admin options menu, your volunteers can login at ICanHelp.teamkinetic.co.uk. Additionally, by switching on the relevant options, you can also select to advertise the web app to your volunteers when they login on their dashboard.
When they login they will see a familiar mobile app interface and can search and select community tasks and apply to join.
Once they have applied you will see their application in your admin community tasks management page. From there you can assign them to the task. The volunteer will receive a notification that they have been assigned a task and can then view the full details in the app. Once they have completed the task, the volunteer can then update the status within the app.
It’s a super easy and fast way to encourage participation with those small micro-volunteering activities in your community. This will also help to build lasting connections.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch or open a support ticket if you need more help setting up your community tasks. You can chat to us through our website or directly email us at chris@teamkinetic.co.uk.
If COVID-19 has proven one thing it is that adversity can really bring communities together. This is what has happened during the pandemic in Kenilworth. Members of the community came together and created ‘COVID-19 Kenilworth Support’, a mutual aid group, to provide support to the most vulnerable. The Kenilworth Support Group was formed right at the start of the Coronavirus outbreak. They were supported early on by various local politicians, the local police, local organisations, charities, and businesses.
Recently I had the pleasure of speaking to Nivvi Morales, a member of ‘COVID-19 Kenilworth Support’, who talked to me about their group and how they found using the TeamKinetic Volunteer Management System during COVID-19.
Could you tell me about what your group does and how you came about?
We came together due to the outbreak of COVID-19. We recognized that some people were vulnerable during this time and were in desperate need of support. The locals of Kenilworth wanted to provide this assistance to those in their town, who now needed support more than ever before.
With the help of all of our volunteers, we organise shopping collections, the delivery of food parcels, and the collection of prescriptions. As well as offering welfare checks and friendly chats.
Recently, we also also created a leaflet which contained information on what shops were offering home deliveries and what local take-a-ways they could get delivered to their doorstep. We was then was able to drop this leaflet at the houses of those self isolating so if they don’t have access to technology, or don’t necessary understand how to use it, they still have access to all the information they might need.
Why do you feel people wanted to join your group?
The people in Kenilworth have a real sense of community, so doing something for others comes quite naturally to the residents. For myself, I wanted to do something and be part of something, rather than sitting at home and watching the COVID-19 death rate go up on the news. We wanted to take action and do what we could to help other people who were more vulnerable during this time.
Why did you decide to look for a volunteer management system?
Early on into the creation of our mutual-aid group, we began to realise that the data we were handling was very sensitive and we wanted to ensure it was protected. We wanted to ensure that whilst we were helping the vulnerable, we were also ensuring their data was being safeguarded.
With this, we were originally using Google Sheets and WhatsApp to manage our data. This became too much hassle, so we wanted to find a volunteer management system where we could communicate efficiently, assign tasks, track tasks, and keep our data safe.
How did everyone find using the system , was it easy to use?
Initially, there were some teething issues as some of the volunteers were not big into technology so initially struggled to understand it. However, the majority found it easy to use. What I found really helpful was the ability to raise a ticket if they had an issue with the system, which would then be supported straight away. This really developed a sense of trust with TeamKinetic as we were never left feeling stuck and was always supported.
Which feature did you use the most and how did it benefit your group?
We used the community tasks feature, and it was honestly a LIFESAVER! Originally, we had such a big volunteer form which became very complex when it came to assigning tasks. This feature was a lifesaver when it came to assigning tasks to volunteers and following up tasks.
What other benefits have you received from using our software?
It just saves so much time and everything is from one central point of access, making everything so much easier to manage. Using TeamKinetic allowed us to follow up who has done what task, which we originally struggled with. It was if we were missing the final piece of the puzzle; TeamKinetic.
Is there anything you would like to say to any non-profit organisations considering using volunteer management software?
Make sure you are organised first. Using volunteer management software is extremely helpful, but it will not solve your problems if you are not initially organised. You must ensure your organisation is organised and efficient first in order to fit in with volunteer management software before first signing up.
What does the future hold for your group?
Well, since the coronavirus outbreak we have now become a registered charity! We want to continue to support those who are vulnerable, even after COVID-19 to ensure nobody ever feels alone. We want to ensure they never struggle to get support. We also want to start helping our customers connect with their family by introducing them to technology.
If you want to find out more about ‘COVID-19 Support Kenilworth’ you can visit their website, check out their Instagram, or visit their Facebook page.
TeamKinetic
TeamKinetic helps to build better volunteer communities by providing great tools for volunteer managers that save time, increase impact and improve insight. Our goal is to make volunteering easy for everyone no matter what. But don’t take our word for it, why not check out our customer reviews.
For more information on how we can assist with your volunteer management and getting the best out of all your volunteers visit our website or contact us on – 0161 914 5757
These are all the questions asked during our webinar. To find something more easily, try pressing ‘ctrl’ and ‘f’ on your keyboard then typing a keyword.
Can I watch the Webinar again?
You can see the webinar we did on Friday 3rd April at 2:00pm below. If that doesn’t work click this link.
You can see the webinar we did on Friday 3rd April at 4:00pm below. If that doesn’t work click this link.
Where can I see/test these features out?
You can try out the task management on our demo site. Use the login details: Email = info@teamkinetic.co.uk Password = password You can view and download the volunteer app here. Use the login details: Email = kangarolf@yahoo.co.uk Password = password
Is this free to organisations/groups?
We are offering TeamKinetic Advanced for free to community groups for 3 months during this crisis. More formal organisations such as volunteer centres can access special pricing on our Enterprise addition if required. To get started, go to our website.
Do the mutual aid groups count as small community groups?
Yes, though if they require our enterprise edition there may be a small fee.
How do I switch these new features on?
Watch this short video that shows you how to set this up on your system.
Can we import existing volunteers via CSV or from another system?
There is no automatic way to import volunteer details, although it is possible, there would be a charge incurred for migrating the data. Alternatively, you can INVITE them via a CSV file and the system will track if they sign up.
This is often better as the information is up to date and you will know that you have captured all the relevant information. (When you migrate data there are often gaps in the information where we now require information that was not captured in the first instance.)
Is this all GDPR compliant?
Privacy by design is central to our development process. The new features comply with GDPR and you remain the data controller for your data.
On the front page, instead of using the words ‘volunteering operations’, why not ‘volunteer tasks’ since the app is called a task?
You will see in the latest version, once you switch on these features you have a box for ‘Tasks’.
Will existing volunteers have to register again as COVID-19 volunteers?
No, but you may have some new processes that they need to complete before you allow them to be a COVID-19 volunteer (e.g. upload their ID).
Do all existing volunteers get to see these opportunities?
All existing volunteers that have access granted to your current application (i.e. they have been cleared after registering) can access the new COVID application.
They will see opportunities whose criteria they meet (criminal check required, etc.) in distance order from either their current location (if given) or from the location entered in their profile.
They will only be able to see these new tasks via the COVID app, they are not visible on your main website.
Can we have custom fields?
You can not currently add custom fields to TASKS, but this may be something we explore in future development.
Can the text on the landing page be made clearer? People have ‘registered’ and assumed they are volunteering. But they have not joined/ applied for an opportunity.
We will look at the wording on the landing page.
We strongly encourage you to look at your current post-registration email and make sure you are being very explicit about what you want your new volunteer to do next.
We also know that some organisations have had some very good results by emailing all volunteers who have registered but not as yet gone on to join a volunteer opportunity. Hit those volunteers with some direct messages via email and SMS text explicitly telling them to sign up for a task or an opportunity. To do this watch the video below.
Is this standalone or can it be linked to an opportunity already in existence?
‘Tasks’ are standalone right now, this was done for speed of development and the unique situation this crisis presents. Looking to the future this will be something we will be looking to integrate into the normal TeamKinetic App.
Can you set age limits on tasks?
No.
Does it automatically add the volunteer hours and feedback?
Not currently, as these opportunities don’t necessarily convert very well to an hours metric. Though we will explore some other methods for tracking these Tasks.
In the ‘Search Volunteers’ filters, how do I filter volunteers I have already emailed?
You cannot directly search by volunteers you have never emailed. It is possible though to filter by those volunteers that have not joined an opportunity and/or that registered before or after a set date. So you can every month use the NUMBER OPPORTUNITIES JOINED in conjunction with the REGISTRATION DATE to select everyone in that month that has registered but not joined an opportunity and email them.
Does it use ‘Push Notifications’ via the app or are volunteers updated by email?
Not currently Push Notifications, but it is on our roadmap. Volunteers can be contacted by email and SMS text and via the chat function within Tasks. Push notifications are difficult to set up and are not consistent between iOS and Android. We will be looking at adding in-app notifications in the short to medium term.
Is there a safeguard in place in relation to the number of hours a task has been assigned before it’s completed?
The age of the Task is displayed in hours and days on the Task details. There are no reports or warnings yet around tasks that are beyond their target date by a given interval. They will, however, always appear at the bottom of the unassigned list.
Some of the referrals we’re getting through may be urgent in nature, is there a RAG rating on the tasks?
We don’t have a RAG (traffic light) rating on tasks. You could use words like urgent in the title for now.
When we have tried this in the past we find the system quickly becomes diluted as provider, given the choice, selects urgent!
Can you request certain volunteers do certain roles, i.e. if they are in Aldi already getting the volunteer to pick up multiple shops at the same time?
Volunteers can be assigned multiple Tasks by an Admin or a Provider user or they can also self-assign multiple tasks. So they could join multiple tasks which involve picking up food allowing them to complete multiple tasks in one shop.
Is there a place where people can record money changing hands?
As you can imagine, money is involved, there are significant risk factors to take into account, so it is not the type of feature we would want to rush, but it is something that we will look to tackle in the next few weeks.
Can we upload photos of shopping receipts?
This is a great idea for a feature and we will add it to the road map.
Is there a diary linked to this?
Not currently, though we have taken note of this and will be looking at different user interface options as we continue the development of the application.
Is there a word count on the notes area for example, where shopping lists are very long?
The word count will be sufficiently large to allow quite detailed notes. If you find it is insufficient please raise a support ticket and we will look at extending this.
Who will be putting the information on? Is it Volunteer Centre staff?
We envisage Tasks being added by both Admin users and Providers depending on the organisation, but mainly providers.
Who are the ‘Providers’?
A provider is someone/an organisation who advertises a volunteering opportunity.
Does it connect into local voluntary and community groups who are coordinating various volunteer activities?
Yes, this new TASK functionality will allow these community groups to register as a provider and manage their volunteers via your system.
Who can add tasks – any provider? Approved providers?
Admins can either allow ALL providers, only TRUSTED PROVIDERS, or SPECIFIC (handpicked) providers to add tasks.
Can we hide the ‘community tasks’ from some providers?
Yes.
How will it be coordinated with Local Authority contact centres?
We know the landscape varies across the country, so we are trying to build these features to be as flexible as possible. We have examples of the Task system linked to other systems within the council and examples of council staff being established as providers so they can add Tasks directly or via some sort of upload function.
Some centres are not managing volunteers directly, such as PAVS. But we see that this might work for our providers, it would be useful if a little “how-to?” could be produced for us to disseminate to the groups.
I think this would work for mutual aid groups, but it’s not our job at VC to do this – I think this is functionality for providers not for us. Mutual Aid groups in Gwynedd have already got systems set up – I don’t think they would move over onto a completely new system now.
We are not forcing anyone to use this system and appreciate you may have a solution that is working locally. As mentioned there may be the ability to link alternative systems together as we are doing in Greenwich, but this will involve a cost and some additional work.
The functionality is mainly aimed at providers, and specifically, community volunteer coordinators who don’t have access to tools to manage their volunteers.
Who actually checks the volunteers? Is it us Admins within the volunteer centres that approves the volunteer?
The on-boarding of the volunteers remains the same with regards to TeamKinetic. The volunteers still register the same way they did previously, you may decide locally that your process has to change to deal with the particular issues of this situation. But there are ‘flags’ against each volunteer to be ‘Cleared’, ‘Inducted’, ‘Criminal Check’, and ‘ID Verified’ which can all impact volunteers’ access to tasks. So if you specify that a task requires volunteers to have shown their ID, then it will only allow these volunteers to join the task.
What is being done around volunteer identification?
We have included the ability to mark a volunteer as having ID, and restrict tasks to ONLY volunteers who are marked as having submitted their ID.
If the volunteer isn’t assigned to a group/provider, who validates them and checks them?
Volunteers will appear to the Admin as they have previously, waiting to be cleared. You may wish to enforce additional checks or required documents such as picture ID or proof of a criminal record check. You may also wish for the volunteers to include a picture of themselves for example, which can be locked so they can’t change it after it’s been checked. These features can all be enforced via the Super Admin area.
Some customers are using text messages, requesting the volunteer upload the appropriate ID documents. They have set up a template text message that they send to the volunteer once they have agreed to do a task which has our organisation name and phone number on so that they can upload the appropriate documents.
Most of our existing volunteers don’t have ID on the system. Does the system stop them taking a task if they haven’t proved their ID on the system?
We have added a new flag for volunteers so admins can start to mark volunteers having provided ID. We will be adding this flag as a filter to the tasks presently. It will be a decision for each organisation if they want to go back and historically flag volunteers and use the ID restriction on tasks. We will be able to help with identifying volunteers with uploads, please get in touch via support ticket.
The lock feature you mentioned available on Downloadable Documents is not available on my system? I am a superuser and have been using Downloadable Documents all week.
Downloadable documents are different from the documents that are uploaded to a volunteers profile. Downloadable documents by their nature cannot be affected by a volunteer. It is possible however to upload a document to a VOLUNTEER’s profile and disable the volunteer from being able to remove it. Locking documents is covered in the ‘Adding Volunteer Documents’ video above.
How do you record who has DBS checks?
These checks are recorded in the same way as previously in TeamKinetic. Here is a short video on how you can do this.
DBS can only be added by an Admin user. These details are visible to providers via the volunteer profile.
How will Providers know if the volunteer needs to have had a DBS check? How will you be able to check that the volunteer has really had that?
Criminal records checks can be recorded in TeamKinetic by Admin users only. Tasks and Opportunities can be limited to those volunteers that have a valid check in the system.
This will depend on some extent to some support and training from the Admin users for the Providers.
I thought the DBS/criminal record check function was turned off for Volunteering-Wales.net?
The criminal check sections of a volunteer’s profile are always available. So you can always record a criminal check against a volunteer. There is also a super admin switch (which is currently switched off for Wales) that controls if the criminal check restriction is available when creating new opportunities.
It was switched off for PROVIDERS as many providers were saying that the opportunity required a Criminal Check, but the volunteer couldn’t join the opportunity as they didn’t have a criminal check against them in the system. But it is always available for administrators to add a criminal check to volunteers.
One of the issues is around managing these tasks. Many volunteers are doing these tasks on an ongoing basis and will agree with an individual as and when they’re required to go shopping. How will this work with the app?
We are already working on a solution to this issue, with tasks that are ongoing and require more than one volunteer and we expect to see those functions soon. We are looking into FOLLOWING A PROVIDER which could send an email to volunteers who are FOLLOWING, to inform them that they have recently added a task.
Is there an option to confirm ‘task completed’ and all satisfied?
Yes, see the short video below.
If new volunteers sign up for a task, how can providers provide them with code of practice/ safeguarding info appropriate to the task?
Can we build in Volunteer training/ guidelines as they sign up?
You can continue to use the Document Hub in the Super Admin area for both Volunteer and Providers, see the video below to see how you add documents.
Further Guidance from WCVA will be shared with our Welsh customers as it becomes available.
Can you assign tasks directly to someone who has not applied? I already have people on a waiting list?
Yes, below is a quick tutorial – how to assign a volunteer to a task.
How does the volunteer join their local support team (community group) on the site? Can our ‘Street Champion’ role only be open to volunteers accepted on that opportunity?
Right now that is not possible, but we are exploring the ability to be ‘linked’ to a provider for a future update. So a provider may have a group of local volunteers that they know and want only to engage with rather than other volunteers from the system, that they may not know.
Please can we as admins have the function to authorise these tasks? We don’t want volunteers taken advantage of and we don’t want the private data being passed into the wrong hands.
We are trying to add a pre-approval process by admins for all provider created tasks. We will endeavour to have this ready for release or soon after. You will always be able to DELETE unsuitable tasks until we can complete this change. It is a balancing act between not requiring administrators to get involved with every task transaction, but giving them enough control to be able to identify tasks that should be removed.
Can individuals register their requests for support (for example shopping requests)? Or the group admin has to record these individual requests of the system?
The admin or Provider can add tasks. At the moment if a person requires support they could either register as a Provider or contact an existing Provider or administrator so the task can be added to the system on their behalf.
This task app may work well if you add an ‘Ask’ session where the public can ask for support, then we can create a task from their ask… is this possible? we have people contacting to inform us about needs in the community for example.
It’s a great idea and one we will look at if people think there is an appetite for this.
How soon will the ID function be available?Can any individual that registers on the site print out a volunteer ID? Are we assuming that everyone will be a safe volunteer?
On the ID function and approval of it. WCVA is discussing at a Wales-wide level to get Police others buying in and support for the approach. We will update all hopefully next week on how those conversations have gone and how this feature may develop based on what the police state they require.
When we set up a task, can that task be saved as a template task so we can use it quickly to set up the next task? E.g. automatic upload of saved or previously typed words/data.
Not at the moment, there is only one field (Task Title) which may be a similar form task to task, and we have already added an auto-suggest functionality to this field. The other fields will be different from task to task (e.g. recipients address, or shopping list).
We will also explore CSV uploads and an API link where appropriate with clients to do so.
Can you download the documents uploaded by Volunteers in CPD & Documents area? We’re considering the most secure way to share images of say DBS checks with providers.
Yes, you can upload and download copies of documents. Though sharing Criminal Records Check information may have significant GDPR considerations as this is sensitive data. It would be our suggestion that you share the DBS number and direct your providers where necessary to check those numbers on the DBS website. Alternatively, you can check the number for them on the DBS site.
Is this new section of Volunteering Wales bilingual?
We will be working towards a bi-lingual interface, but initially, we will develop the English version as we know speed is paramount at this time, once we have an interface that is relatively stable we will look to add the Welsh language elements.
Are you going to have a limit on how far a volunteer can travel to apply for a volunteering role?
Opportunities are filtered initially by proximity and it is the assumption that people will be looking to help out near home. We have no intention of adding an arbitrary distance currently but if this becomes an issue we will be happy to revisit.
Is there a report built that shows things such as average time for completion, etc?
There is little reporting right now, but this is something we are aware of and will be thinking a little more about as we get more data.
The tasks need to clearly state who the provider is.
We are open to this type of feedback and we will see what we are able to do, to improve the user experience.
Does this mean that ‘Informal Groups’ COVID-19 Neighbourhood and Mutual Aid Groups are now able to register themselves as Providers, not just the usual formal (registered charities/Groups etc)?
Our usual minimum requirement to register a provider is a volunteering policy and insurance. Which may not be appropriate for those small groups, as we don’t know most of these groups how do we know they are legitimate?
If you know the people running these opportunities and Tasks then they are probably ok to be approved. Most are well-known people in communities and local councillors. It is open to local discretion.
Could the informal groups be registered as COVID-19 providers and keep them away from the main section of the site? Maybe only COVID-19 providers should be able to see COVID-19 tasks.
This is not currently available but is certainly something that could be considered in a future update. We will add it to our development road map.
Once a volunteer selects the task, is it no longer open to others, i.e. can more than one volunteer select one task giving the provider a choice of who’s best suited?
Not currently, but it has been talked about for a later version of the app.
If there is something already in use in a county can the function be turned off so volunteers aren’t trying to sign up to tasks that won’t exist?
Yes, this is an optional feature set that can be switched on and off as required by the Admin. You can see a short video on how to do that below. We are also allowing you to use these features on a provider by provider basis.
Do you have any publicity that would help us with promoting this new function, please? Coming from WCVA/WG seems to help us locally and is seen as more ‘official’.
We are working with the Welsh Government and other partners on this.
How are you going about promoting it to the community groups?
We need your help, please feel free to share TeamKinetic with other organisations or community groups you think might benefit.
What is the URL for the TeamKinetic blog?Will the comments be available on the blog as well?
Yes, and now you’ve reached the end of our FAQ section! Feel free to browse our other blogs by clicking here, or visit our website.
Still Have Questions?
Send us your questions via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or on the YouTube videos at the top of this blog post. We’ll try and respond ASAP and we’ll add them to this post or everyone else to see!
You can also call us on 0161 914 5757 or email us at info@teamkinetic.co.uk.
Here at TeamKinetic, we are happy to support a range of clients, from NHS services to charities and volunteer centres. During the current coronavirus pandemic, volunteers may be needed more than ever, but it is also important for everyone to stay safe.
The recent coronavirus outbreak may mean that volunteers are needed for a different selection of tasks. Due to the potentially delicate states of some patients, exposure to the virus could be fatal and should be limited as much as possible. Furthermore, the virus could mean a much higher number of patients in hospitals across the country, increasing demand for NHS volunteers both during and after treatment.
Business as usual?
The newest government advice suggests not. With volunteering often involving activities that involve a lot of face-to-face contact, the risk of spreading the virus is increased. For example, our client the NHS Northern Care Alliance usually advertise opportunities such as:
Offering companionship during meal times.
Wayfinding for outpatients and visitors.
Taking outpatients to appointments using wheelchairs if needed.
These activities involve high levels of social contact, a lot of which will include contact with high risk groups. Moving to focus more on digital or non-contact forms of volunteering may be the best move for everyone right now.
Volunteers adapting to the outbreak
It could be said that one of our clients, Humanity Road, is already prepared for a situation like this. They advertise a lot of volunteering opportunities that can be completed from home. This looks to be the safest bet for anyone with volunteers in the at-risk groups who still want to help however they can.
However, if you have volunteers who are not at-risk and want to help in other ways, here are some examples of volunteers adapting to the coronavirus outbreak…
Creating and delivering ‘care packages’ to those in isolation. A pub in Liverpool started sending out packages containing toilet roll, food items and soap to pensioners in the community.
Offering general help for those in self-isolation. A 17 year-old boy from London called Josh St John James set up a group of young volunteersto offer support in any way.
Cleaning. Frequently cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces that are often touched by a variety of people in an environment can be an effective way to prevent the virus spreading. Although simple, it may be a task that a lot of hospital paid staff are too busy to do.
Preventing ‘bed-blocking’. Teams of volunteers can ensure that patients can be discharged when they are ready, rather than block beds due to a lack of support at home. Becoming a carer can help take strain off our NHS services, helping a greater number of people recover in the long-term. As long as there are carers available, more beds will be freed up to take new patients in. It is important to note that if a volunteer believes they could have the virus, that they do not offer to care for someone who is in the at-risk group.
The care packages put together by The Bootle Arms, a pub in Liverpool.
TeamKinetic is always here to help
We will always try and provide you with relevant news through our social media channels, especially in situations like this. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
If you’re finding it hard to recruit volunteers or advertise opportunities without a digital system in place, you can use our system completely free of charge for the duration of the pandemic by going to our website and starting a free trial.
If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us via phone: 0161 914 5757 or email: info@teamkinetic.co.uk
