For well over the past month, we’ve been updated by news outlets about the war in Ukraine. From Snake Island and “Ghost of Kyiv” to young Amelia, symbolising hope with Let It Go (who has since performed the Ukrainian national anthem in Lodz); we doubt there has been a single person who has felt unaffected by what’s happening.
But it’s what people across the world have chosen to do in these times that we would like to focus on – and how we, as a volunteer management system company, can help. We see day in, day out the work and dedication of volunteers and the impact they’ve made to the lives of those they help; it’s why we do what we do!
At the beginning of the month, nearly 20,000 foreign volunteers travelled to Ukraine. While it’s been advised not to travel to Ukraine, the number of volunteers looking to help within their own countries has only increased. Volunteering for Ukraine continues to cover healthcare, travel and refugee assistance (just to name a few). It lies with refugee assistance we believe our system can be of most benefit.
In recent weeks, the government has announced that Britons will be allowed to open up their homes to millions of Ukrainian refugees displaced by current events- this route will work for an initial 12-month period, matching refugees with those who have offered up free accommodation. From national organisations to the local charities around you, help is needed.
At TeamKinetic, we pride ourselves on the features in our system which allow for fast setup, recruitment and deployment of volunteers to help the set up of such schemes. Our tools help the rapid deployment of volunteers needed in situations such as the one facing Ukraine and its people.
Our instalment of DBS checks has only increased the pace at which volunteers can be approved and well on their way with helping those in need. While we may not know the ins and outs of every organisation’s recruitment needs, it’s been our promise from our very first day to continuously develop our system to accommodate as many organisations as possible. Our DBS checks are one of the many ways we employ important safeguarding within TeamKinetic while maintaining a swift recruitment.
To keep track of the thousands of homes opening their doors, reaching out a hand and the people they will be embracing, is a mammoth task. Our system’s functions can help with recording all information needed to ensure those refugees entering the UK for shelter know they are safe. Our personalisation means no matter what your organisation is looking to collect, or put out to volunteers, it is all accessible in TeamKinetic.
We have a number of organisations starting and developing programs to help Ukrainian refugees – something we are honoured to play a small part of. We want to ensure that anyone who needs a quick start, rapid deployment of volunteers and a platform to do so can find it at TeamKinetic.
It is easy to sit in a country, surrounded by our family members – the people we love – and think there is nothing we can do to help a country roughly 1,949 miles away. But it would be foolish to think such. We can help right where we are, helping those families who’ve travelled 1,949 miles to find safety; to find even a glimmer of hope that one day, they will be able to return to Ukraine. To return home.
Over the past few years, there’s been a real focus on walking away from stacks of papers, and investing in an online volunteer management system. While we may be biased, we have to agree! No matter where you are on your journey, keeping your volunteers in the loop will help volunteers start embracing your new system.
So how can you give those encouraging pushes to your volunteers, to help them start embracing your online system?
Embracing Your Vision.
Let your volunteers know what you’re planning! Your volunteers are vital to your success as a program, so let them in behind the curtain of your volunteer program. While you might not be up and running straight away, keeping your volunteers in the loop brings a sense of community. Every milestone you hit can be shared, and celebrated, with everyone who adds to the organisation.
It can also be a time where you can be transparent with your volunteers as you work on understanding your new platform. TeamKinetic’s implementation is as slow or as fast as you like; whenever you’d like to debut your new volunteer management system, we’ll be ready! If it’s going to take a little while longer- let your volunteers know! You’ll develop a stronger connection with your volunteers if you update them on how your organisation plans to move forward.
Remember, your volunteers don’t need to know everything that’s going on behind the scenes. Leaving them with a few updates along the way will excite them for what’s to come. Once you’re up and running, make sure to let them know the important ‘stuff’; how can you register? How to join an opportunity? Where can you reach us for support?
Volunteer Access.
For many organisations, some of their volunteers don’t have access to online devices like a computer or a smart-phone. So as you plan your transition to an online platform, think about the ways in which you can reach those volunteers who might not be online or internet ready.
Why not offer regular drop in sessions where volunteers can pop in, and register in-person. You can also support new volunteers who may need some training or a welcome chat! For volunteers who might not fully understand the system, show them the basics first! Build up from there and your volunteers will be embracing the system as they go.
It’s not something we really have to say, but make sure you have a team supporting your volunteers. You’ve been using the system in training, and everyday use. Your volunteers will be using the system for the first time- so expect a lot of questions from volunteers! Try encouraging your volunteers to spend time on the site getting to know where they can find everything and what the basic functions are…
Let your volunteers know about the features…
One way to indulge volunteers into a platform is to let them know about the features that suit them best. Some of the best features we’ve found that are loved by volunteers are…
Online registration. Volunteers have an easy-to-follow, easy to access registration process and profile that they can keep coming back to keep track of when they’re volunteering, the opportunities they like and what’s happening within the organisation. A volunteer site is a great place for all of this to sit!
Achievement badges. When a volunteer hits a certain number of volunteer hours, or has been awarded volunteer of the month at an organisation, an achievement badge popping up against their profile can be the biggest encouragement for a person to carry on volunteering. At TeamKinetic, we’ve seen first hand how achievement or participation badges have motivated volunteers to volunteer more. It also lets them know how much they’re valued at your organisation.
Communication. At TeamKinetic, we believe that two-way communication is a massive factor in keeping your volunteers coming back to volunteer time and time again. Not only can both pirates keep in touch with updates, but organisations can show that they’re around for their volunteers- check in with them and see how they’re doing! Where a volunteer feels valued and listened to, they’ll continue to return.
Time to start embracing volunteer management?
Hopefully this has helped you understand how to engage your volunteers on your new system or help them come round to the online space you’ve provided! If you’re looking for a volunteer management system, why not try a free trial with us at TeamKinetic over on our website.
Or book in a demo with us! Simply call or email on 0161 914 5757 or katie@teamkinetic.co.uk.
Volunteering is a two-way process. A volunteer has to decide whether the roles and responsibilities given to them by an organisation work for them. The organisation also needs to find volunteers who fit the opportunities they offer. Are both parties getting the best out of themselves? Do volunteers feel they’re helping out in the most effective way they can?
Make sure you take the time to really get to know your volunteers. Find opportunities that really fit into who they are and what they’re interested in. So, how can you find out what your volunteers are interested in?
The art of asking…
The simple answer is to ask. But really, there’s a lot more to unpack. As pandemic restrictions have come to a close in the UK, the chance to meet volunteers face-to-face is back. If you’re looking to meet with potential volunteers, keep it relaxed and informative. Let your volunteers open up to you.
The main thing is to make sure your potential volunteers feel at ease.
We’ve heard a lot of talk about post-pandemic social anxiety, so we’ve made a quick checklist to help ease your worries and make sure you have everything you need heading to a meeting…
Make sure your future volunteer has your contact details – it will be useful to them, just in case!
Meet at an informal, relaxing venue. Why not position it as two people going for a coffee to catch up. Let them know it will just be an informal chat.
Think about some open questions you could ask to get conversation going and learn more about why they would like to volunteer. Is there anything in particular they are interested in helping with?
It’s a two-way process! Expect to answer some questions a potential volunteer might have about what they’ll be taking on.
While many volunteers are matched to opportunities based on their capabilities, it’s a nice touch to see if they have any personal interest in exploring something new. Dig a little deeper into what types of opportunities your volunteers are looking for and if you can accommodate them, why not give them a chance!
We all know that while volunteers want to help, they also want to get something out of it too. By helping in roles/responsibilities they’re maybe not well versed in, they’re learning something new. This means your organisation ends up with a pool of volunteers with a wider range of capabilities on offer.
If you can’t meet a potential volunteer, why not create a quick interest questionnaire? Completed questionnaires can help you understand more on how your volunteers want to use their skills to help the organisation and those in need. It also helps the organisation make no preconceived judgements on where a volunteer would be “most useful.”
In addition, this information helps determine what opportunities a volunteer tends to jump on. Knowing their interests can help keep them engaged and returning to help.
Are you delegating or dumping volunteer roles?
“Skilled delegation of volunteer team duties is an art that many managers, even experienced ones, struggled with.”
Before matching volunteers, it’s always a good idea to double check your delegation. We’re all busy, and while we try to communicate with each other the best we can, your delegation could leave a volunteer feeling unsatisfied. You may find that a volunteer will have problems if their skills or interests are being ‘ignored’…
I’m sure some may have experienced a frustrated volunteer. They may feel opportunities or tasks are ‘dumped on’ them, or that they are left to complete tasks on their own. Not only does this decrease productivity but it also wears down team morale and retention rates.
If a volunteer feels under-valued, or they aren’t happy with how they’re volunteering, it’s likely they won’t return. How you delegate is something everyone should be taking a look at. Improving your delegation skills means you can meet everyone’s needs and gives you the strongest chance to make a difference within your organisation.
Looking for a volunteer management system?
Are you looking for a volunteer management system? Look no further. Start a FREE trial with us here, and take a look at all we have to offer!
When it comes to recruiting new volunteers, there are a range of factors to consider regarding safeguarding. Screening volunteers is essential to ensure they’re the right person for the job. This might include criminal checks and references, especially in an organisation such as a hospice.
Any good volunteer management software should facilitate these checks, making the process as efficient as possible.
Starting the Journey: Registration
So you have a volunteer ready and willing to give their time. But first, they need to register. Any good system should allow you to customise your volunteer registration forms to get the information you need. After all, every organisation is different – checks needed by one may not be needed by another. TeamKinetic allows you to create a range of custom questions to add to registration.
Not only this, but once the volunteer has registered you can add further questions for them to complete in their profile at any time.
Criminal Checks in TeamKinetic
Now you have your registered volunteer, you might want them to undergo a criminal check. In TeamKinetic you can add details of a volunteer’s criminal check within their profile.
The system will then keep you updated on any checks that have expired or are due to expire soon – handy, right?
You can also filter volunteer searches by those who have been checked.
Managing References in TeamKinetic
So now you’ve got a volunteer who has undergone criminal checks and is ready to go. But wait – what about references?! In TeamKinetic, you can create your own reference forms. These can then be emailed to the referees given by volunteers, or filled in yourself. They’re then kept within the volunteer’s profile on your system.
Creating Reference Forms within TeamKinetic is easy. It’s all done within the system and you can add a range of question types, such as Yes/No, multiple choice, and free text.
Reference Forms can then be: – Assigned to volunteers. – Emailed to the referees. – Completed manually on their behalf.
All completed reference forms will then be saved to the volunteer’s profile for future… well.. reference.
And there you have it – a volunteer who has gone through all necessary checks and is ready to go!
Do you need help screening volunteers?
Start a free trial with TeamKinetic to see if our system has the right tools for you. Starting a free trial is easy and only requires basic information such as your name and email. Just go to our website to get started.
Every hospice volunteer, specifically those working in direct care, are often in contact with patients and their families for a few hours a week. This, more than likely leads to a long-term commitment requested by hospices to ensure patients are able to bond with the same volunteer throughout time.
It’s safe to say that volunteers play such an important role in hospices; which is exactly why you have to find a hospice volunteer that is the right fit to offer support. So, what are some qualities to look out for?
What Qualities Are Hospices Looking For?
Hospice volunteers have to be able to listen intensively and hold conversations with patients. Many patients will spend time talking about their lives, families, and what regrets or memories they have. As this is a sensitive time for patients and their families, volunteers can help by being a listening ear, giving no judgment.
Volunteers are given an opportunity to learn and develop their understanding – and a patient’s understanding – of finding peace. Being able to control their emotions can be a benefit. Many conversations revolve around death and grief, being in touch with those feelings, and knowing when to be emotional can help build a bond with a patient, helping them (and possibly themselves) with the acceptance of death.
Volunteers who are able to understand the physical and emotional boundaries needed when volunteering in hospice care can be deemed as essential. Having personal limits is not only essential, it helps create the safest care possible to those patients and their families- a limit means that it may make it easier to disconnect from the patient and family, once the patient has passed.
The Quality of Comfort…
Hospices will be looking to those volunteers who have a comfort level for those patients who may need assistance. Many patients experience deteriorating functioning in their final weeks of life. They may start to need help with daily tasks, which is where volunteers come in. Volunteers should be able to feel comfortable in these situations- from dressing to feeding. Training is most likely to be provided by hospices, so volunteers can assist patients effectively.
For hospice volunteers, being kind is a necessary quality to have. Having compassion can give immense comfort to those coming to the end of their life, along with comforting any family members too. It is important for volunteers to have respect for life in all ways, including religion, views, and cultures.
A volunteer’s company can be the best quality for them to have. With a myriad of commitments, a patient’s loved ones may not be able to be around all the time. This is why it’s crucial for volunteers to be around, providing comfort and keeping patients company throughout the day.
Volunteers are most likely going to be matched with a patient that they then frequently visit; during these visits they can talk, read, apply holistic therapies, write letters, or even document their life. It’s a time to connect with a patient and comfort them at this point in life.
Volunteers are one of, if not, the most important piece of hospice care…
It’s easy to sit here and type out the qualities found in hospice volunteers up and down the country, but the work they do to provide comfort and support to patients and their families is something to be proud of. They’re one of, if not, the most important pieces in hospice care.
If you’re looking for a volunteer management system, why not take a look at us? You can start a FREE trial over on our website.
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Most Hospices rely on volunteers to support the work they complete- they help ease the challenges faced. Volunteers have been important since the modern hospice movement, founded by Dame Cicely Saunders in the 1960s…
In the next 10-15 years, hospice’s will face challenges and high demand from the UK’s ageing population. People are now living for a longer time with complex and chronic health conditions. A Help the Hospice survey found that 7 out of 10 people think the pressure on hospice care will ‘rocket’ in the coming years.
So how can Hospices make sure their volunteer management systems keeps up with this demand, and ensures volunteers feel connected to the hospice they help?
Exploring what works and the current challenges.
The role of volunteer managers can be demanding, most are responsible for a long list of responsibilities including: recruitment, training and ensuring volunteer recognition…Volunteer managers play a significant role in making sure volunteers have the right resources to volunteer adequately.
A volunteer management system can help volunteer managers collect contact information, preferences, volunteer schedules and stay in touch with volunteers to ensure volunteers know exactly where to go to find the support they need. Luckily, we know a good volunteer management system you can look into- us! You can start a FREE trial with us on our website, and start your volunteer management journey today…
After that little plug, it’s back to business. The covid-19 pandemic has raised some concerns around volunteering in the future, and while all hospices are different, there are some concerns felt across the UK. These include:
Management structures and cultures across hospices for volunteering.
The importance of volunteers towards hospices.
In a post covid world- how will volunteering look?
In other words, volunteers not only help inside hospices, but in the community too. If your volunteer management system doesn’t work effectively, these coils pose a risk for the reputation of your hospice if your volunteers aren’t comfortable.
Managing your volunteers.
Volunteer Managers have found managing volunteers as time consuming and ‘not easy.’ To relieve this pressure, hospices have undergone strategic changes which have been pivotal to understanding more about hospice volunteers and how they can best support staff.
Similarly, there is some concern that managing volunteers and managing paid staff isn’t always distinct. Specifically the distinction between HR and Volunteer service management is becoming blurred between their roles and skills.
Having a separate volunteer management system for volunteers ensures that your volunteers would know exactly what the roles and responsibilities will have within a hospice. This service can help manage a professional and consistent volunteer programme that works for everyone.
In order to achieve full potential, systems should also listen and engage with volunteers. A two-way communication system is beneficial for hospices looking for retention and improving the overall volunteer experience. With TeamKinetic, we have numerous ways you can communicate with your volunteers. Notifications, email, SMS text- the list goes on. Why so many options? Preferences. Not all volunteers want to be emailed- some may want to receive an SMS text. Above all- communication is key.
The executive team and inclusivity.
A hospice’s executive team is important in driving a positive and inclusive culture across the whole hospice. Inclusivity within hospices is about treating staff and volunteers equally, but also ensuring access to training and support for all. Everyone should be treated with respect and treated fairly.
For some there is still a feeling of ‘them’ and ‘us’ culture within hospices. This is divisive and can stop the potential of a volunteer programme being successful. This, along with changing volunteer roles due to the pandemic, has meant that the full nature of volunteering is changing.
However, there is a fear that hospice’s could get left behind and may not be able to compete for volunteers with our programmes. A volunteer management system can help with this. At TeamKinetic, we help recruit, retain and realise your volunteers and the potential they have. If you’d like to have a chat about what we offer, email us at katie@teamkinetic.co.uk or call us on 0161 914 5757.
For many, covid-19 has put these issues in the forefront of conversations within hospices, and how they are going to run their volunteer programmes in the future.
The challenges faced through covid-19.
It’s known that hospices attract a demographic of elderly volunteers, which has also been the demographic most affected by the pandemic. This means that hospices have fallen short of active volunteers, as those in older demographic groups need to take extra care (even if they’ve had the vaccine, with new variants, the future is still rather uncertain).
Along with this, volunteer roles have also adapted and changed given the situation we’ve found ourselves in. It’s become the perfect opportunity for hospices to look at their volunteer programmes and assess how appealing it is for other demographics. Can certain roles attract younger volunteers? This may mean looking at changing roles to add more flexibility or expanding wider networks.
Looking into the future, managing volunteers is crucial for the sustainability of hospices. If you’d like to know more about how hospices can become more sustainable, you can read our blogs on our website: ‘How Can Hospices Become More Sustainable, Part One and Part Two’.
Looking for a volunteer management system?
If you’d like to look into developing a volunteer management system, why not start a FREE trial with us! Head over to our website and within minutes, you can be exploring your new volunteer management system.
Can hospices become sustainable? It’s time for part two. In last week’s post we delved into the first 5 principles, today is the final four! Hopefully this has helped you to start thinking about how your hospice can become more sustainable…
Become cost effective to be sustainable…
A threat of a severe recession and climbing competition for charitable giving could leave a lasting decrease in charitable revenue. Maintaining a grip on Hospice finances and implementing sustainable practices means there’s a chance to maximise costeffectiveness. However, it isn’t easy to develop cost effective routes. When handed a sustainable alternative, there is rarely any evidence that proves it true- but alternative practices have to start somewhere.
Stakeholders spoken to by Hospice UK want all Hospices to be aware of their own visibility. This way, they’re able to identify services which need to be redesigned for sustainability. Being more transparent about financial positions with commissioners has led to balanced financial risk in numerous areas.
Key benefits and outcomes of greater control of costs:
“The operational model for each service delivers agreed outcomes and benefits.”
“Proactive and reactive: anticipate critical issues and plan for sustainability in advance.”
“Quantify and help provide an evidence base to support decisions that require major trade-offs.”
“Increased certainty in responding to current and future demand by taking a rigorous, outcome based approach.”
Maximise your commercial revenue!
There has been a decrease in income for many Hospices, especially retail income over the past 2 years. It means that those Hospices reliant on a particular area of funding are susceptible to downturns and falling trends. So, Hospices are key in finding the effectiveness in their current revenue. The key is maximising commercial revenue.
Hospice UK has found recurring themes that Hospices could explore… Start re-thinking commercial spaces – are you getting the best out of the spaces you occupy? New revenue models, including collaborations, which has always been a strong starter that benefits multiple hospices at once. And teaming up with local third sector parties or partners.
Are you deploying the correct people around your patients?
Start reviewing the shape of your workforce. Deploy the correct people around your patients. Hospices need to start looking into how their workforce is going to look in the future due to the changes occurring across the end of life and palliative care sector. We suggest Workforce Shaping.
Workforce Shaping can determine your team’s structure in the future and what will be required to introduce new ways of working. Hospices should be (re)considering:
“Consider new staffing models to better deliver care.”
“Embrace new roles and ways of working.”
Shape careers of the future, sustainably…
To attract people towards a career in end of life and palliative care, a development needs to be made in order to make careers and jobs more competitive. While most stakeholders believe it wouldn’t be sustainable to match NHS pay, they do believe that improving career pathways is a clear step in the right direction. Why not start by finding out why people want to join, stay and perform for your Hospice.
Understand and map out the journeys colleagues can take to move up within the Hospice, within their own career. Once you have this down, can you start to implement it? If you’re struggling on potential pathways, what about?
Managerial: Allow them to move up the ladder into managerial roles with more responsibility.
Expert: Build and refine their roles based on their knowledge, skills and abilities while keeping them in the speciality they want.
Mobility: For those who want to increase their knowledge, allow them to cross functions within Hospices or the NHS – they can increase their skills and abilities too!
Ways to make palliative care a place to grow a career:
Leadership and Culture: Culture is critical. The challenge for Hospice leaders is to connect the workforce to the ‘core purpose’- to help them see how their job everyday impacts the lives of everyone within their communities.
Vision and Values: A key factor that attracts people to a career in palliative and end-of-life care is the vision and mission to provide high quality, person-centred care.
Rotations and Preceptorships: There is a lot of interest across the sector for developing greater opportunities from clinical staff to undertake ‘rations’ across different providers and specialities.
Devolved Decision Making: Stakeholders noted that covid-19 has helped to break down previous hierarchical structures and devolve decision making to team members closest to the patient.
Diversity and Inclusion: Hospice leaders we spoke with talked about a desire to create a more inclusive culture where all employees thrive. Many noted that there was still more to be done in order to increase the representation of different diversity groups within the sector.
And there you have it!
And that’s that! Over the past 2 weeks, we hope we’ve been able to give insight into how Hospices can become more sustainable and rounded up The Discovery Phase of Future Vision Programme run by Hospice UK for you too.
If you’re looking for a volunteer management software that can help you:
Recruit more volunteers than ever before.
Fully customise your site and volunteer registration.
Communicate with your volunteers easily, all in one place.
Motivate and reward your volunteers with our achievement badges or create your own!
Head over to our website and set yourself up a FREE trial!
Demand for palliative and end of life care is increasing. As a result, Hospices are under greater pressure to find ways to do more with less. The Discovery Phase of the Future Vision Programme, by Hospice UK, starts a conversation around developing a more sustainable future. The charity has outlined nine principles of sustainability and today, we’ll be exploring the first 5!
So, how can hospices become more sustainable?
Integrated Care Systems for sustainability
Integrated Care Systems may have a big role to play in the coming years. Helping to ensure the public and voluntary sector act together in the best interests of patients, service users and families.
While many are in support of partnerships, there are also concerns for Hospice independence. It’s important for Hospices to develop greater integration, in addition to keeping a Hospice’s unique identity, values and high quality care. In Hospice UK’s survey, 99% of respondents thought there should be either full or partial integration with the wider Integrated Care System.
If you’re looking for ways to explore integration, why not try…
Starting at the clinical service level. What services are you going to provide and by whom? Where are these services going to take place?
Build relationships with other Hospices- it’s key to greater integration, while it takes time, you’ll reap the benefits.
Start aligning your data and reports. In order to seamless integration (further down the line) one patient record shared between all providers of a system is critical.
Start collaborating…
Through integration, it also presents the opportunity to collaborate. Covid-19 has inevitably intensified the pressure on constrained resources, and yet despite this, there’s a drive for positive change present.
Why not look towards collaborating with neighbouring Hospices on service deliveries? Similarly, look towards exploring back office joint posts and funding? Each Hospice is different, so we know that not everything suggested will work best for you, but it’s best to explore your options.
Collaboration means you can reach out and work with a wider range of partners in the sector- you aren’t limited.
Time to get technological
As a volunteer management system, we’re all for talking technology– and it’s crucial for you to define your digital strategy. With the increasing demand for care, the opportunities to look digitally as an enabler to change is exciting.
To succeed, as Hospice UK say, is to look from a patient-centric perspective- make sure that the leadership and governance of your digital systems is in place for fostering future innovation.
Speaking to stakeholders Hospice UK picked on multiple themes that need to be addressed for greater digital enablement:
Improve patient experience and engagement. Allowing your patients to have more choice and control over their care, and how they’d like to receive it.
Help provide integrated care- it will be easier to connect individuals to the right parts of the health system. You can strengthen the partnerships across sectors.
Help decreasing the demand for palliative and end of life services driven by the UK’s aging population, a growing population, and an increasing prevalence of chronic conditions and diseases (just to name a few).
Technology can also help with making systems more efficient- there’ll be less time looking for information or duplicating patients.
Influencers for sustainability
Alongside rising demand, hospices may also be providing services to just a minority of people who need it. So, Hospices need to start reaching greater numbers of people with the limited resources they have. Stakeholders have expressed that the focus has to shift from efficient delivery of direct services to patients towards earlier system interventions and advanced care planning- to do this? Influence.
Hospices can use their own influence to bring additional resources in to meet the evolving demands:
Influencing the system through closer working relationships with other providers.
There is a value in education, and adding family members/friends to support delivery of care can help avoid crises alongside meeting a patient’s needs.
Covid-19 has sped up education through online learning and training. Hospices can use this to their advantage to promote awareness and help drive referrals to other sectors in the system.
Hospices can use their unique data insight, this complemented with other systems intelligence, gives opportunity to enable a needs-based approach to the allocation of resources in future.
Is the current funding model sustainable?
The Hospice UK’s survey also highlighted that 83% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the current funding model is unsustainable in the long term. Most respondents went on to point towards a renegotiation of the funding offer with relevant commissioners as a high priority to ensure stable sustainability in the future.
An example of this would be End of Life Together in Nottinghamshire. The collaboration between a number of local Hospices’, Trusts and Primary care providers formed a partnership to secure funding and create an integrated care model. There key services included:
One point of referral providing a triage, assessment and coordination of a person’s needs.
‘Hospice at Home’ services with community hospice beds.
Access to bereavement and carer support services.
And more!
To conclude…
After all that, we’re coming back with a part 2! This week we’ve looked at the first 5 principles for sustainability through the Discovery Phase of the Future Vision Programme. Hopefully, you’ll be gathering some ideas on how you can develop the sustainability of your Hospice, we’ll be back next week for the final 4 principles- we’ll see you there!
Above all, if you’re interested in developing your volunteer management processes, why not start a trial? Head over to our site and sign up today!
The majority of work we refer to in Willowbrook Hospice’s case study is based on figures and interviews from the year 2020. This data has then influenced the extra research conducted in the hospice sector.
It is also worth noting that these figures are taken from the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic and with fewer people volunteering, the activity on the system we’ve recorded has been limited.
Before TeamKinetic
We’ve previously spoke to Willowbrook Hospice’s volunteer manager, Bev, about how they managed volunteers before TeamKinetic and what it was that made Willowbrook decide to look into a volunteer management system. Before TeamKinetic, they were managing volunteers through an access database described by Bev as an “archaic system”- with no way of contacting volunteers. With the access database, they’re was no opportunity for interaction and Bev realised that they needed something that would better manage their volunteers.
They realised they needed something web-based that can be accessed from anywhere. The system previously in use was linked to the NHS SHK system, it couldn’t be accessed at any time or place. Willowbrook decided they needed something shop managers could also use; this when they decided to start looking for a volunteer management system and came across TeamKinetic.
Moving to TeamKinetic and Implementation
Willowbrook Hospice chose TeamKinetic after seeing how local we are, watching a number of videos on our YouTube channel and speaking with our Director of Sales, Chris.
At TeamKinetic, we are constantly changing and adapting to suit our customers needs. This was another factor that “sold” us to Willowbrook – they knew if they ever suggest anything, we will take it on board and look into adapting the system to include this.
Regarding implementation, Bev openly mentioned that they needed “lots of planning”, but Steve, our Implementation Consultant, helped with all their planning needs. Willowbrook has numerous shops and with the way they manage their volunteers, it helped them to have a staged way of implementing the system.
They started with one shop first, and shop by shop they managed to get all their volunteers on board. Bev even mention that COVID-19 helped them in some ways; having shops closed gave them the time to fully roll out the system to the volunteers. Joining TeamKinetic also allowed them to have a “data cleanse” – speaking to volunteers who didn’t want to volunteer anymore. With a new system, Willowbrook now know that the volunteers they have registered are the ones who are active and want to volunteer.
COVID-19
COVID-19 affected everyone, including Willowbrook Hospice. While we’ve has multiple lockdowns, the Hospice’s nine shops have been closed during those times . The pandemic also meant that the fundraising team at Willowbrook had to come up with ways to ensure they came up with COVID-19 safe fundraising events. So, having TeamKinetic really helped them with managing their volunteers during COVID-19 safe events. This is what Bev had to say about using TeamKinetic for one of these events:
We had an event that came up where we could sell things in a local Garden Centre. It’s something we had to implement quite quickly because it was over Christmas and the garden centre had told us that if we wanted a stall to sell our Christmas cards and other things then we could. So within half an hour, I had created it on TeamKinetic and had it emailed out to all the volunteers. I would say within the hour, we filled up all the slots for two weeks worth of people volunteering for it. I think that raised over £2,000; without TeamKinetic that would never have happened.
Bev Neilson, volunteer manager at willowbrook hospice
As well as events, from a communication point they were able to stay in contact with volunteers throughout every stage of the pandemic; something that was very important to them. Before TeamKinetic, staying in touch with volunteers was “virtually impossible” and would have involved bulk emails which never worked because the NHS system was too slow for them. Now, they can email and text volunteers from one system with a click of a button.
In addition to this, having the TeamKinetic system available to them during the pandemic allowed them to set up a ‘befriending system’ between the volunteers. From this, they have been able to keep volunteers in touch with each other, solely from the private notes function on the TeamKinetic system.
Willowbrook’s Volunteering by Index of Mulitple Deprivation Rank (IMDR) For All Volunteers Registered Since 2020
This graph shows the number of Willowbrook Hospice volunteers by decile. That is the number of volunteers with a home postcode that is ranked using IMDR.
1 = bottom-ranked postcode area in bottom 10% ranked area of England
10 = top-ranked postcode area in the top 10% ranked area of England
These figures are interesting to see as volunteering is typically viewed as a traditionally middle-class activity. A report by NCVO supports this, as their statistics show 48 per cent of those who volunteered in the last 12 months have a degree compared to 20 per cent who have no qualifications. Some 42 per cent of unemployed people have never volunteered, compared to 21 per cent of those who work part-time.
This is of course also impacted by the fact that Greater Manchester has more postcode areas that fall into the bottom 50% according to the IMDR rank. Despite this factor, I believe it is captivating that despite these statistics, Manchester shows that poverty is not a defining factor in their willingness to volunteer.
When looking at this graph, it shows that Willowbrook has been able to recruit and retain volunteers from all different postcode ranks in England. Showing their inclusivity in welcoming all volunteers into their volunteering programme.
Age
As evidence shows, volunteering is often found to be a pursuit of older individuals. This typically comes from them having more spare time to volunteer than others. Although Willowbrook’s figures around age profiles accurately represents this statement, their figures also show the rising ability to recruit younger volunteers. This comes from the use of TeamKinetic as their volunteer management system. We are able reduce barriers into volunteering, especially for younger volunteers who are digitally engaged through TeamKinetic. We also allow for a quicker and easier recruitment process, something that is favoured in young people volunteering.
Gender
Stereotypically, data from the voluntary sector normally suggests a divide of 60% female volunteers and 40% male volunteers. Linking to this, evidence and research online also suggests a gender split in hospice volunteering with far more female volunteers over male volunteers is common.
Therefore, these figures from Willowbrook are not surprising with over 3/4 of volunteers being female. Despite this, Willowbrook Hospice does demonstrate inclusivity in volunteers with a range of female, male, transgender, and non-binary volunteers getting involved in hospice volunteering. This shows the TeamKinetic system is successful in ensuring anybody can register to be a volunteer as however they identify, allowing further inclusivity in the voluntary sector.
Opportunity Data
Volunteers recorded 16,007 hours of volunteering in the system from 2020. These hours took place over 49 opportunities.
The top 8 most popular opportunities regarding the number of hours undertaken by volunteers are:
1
Retail
2
Admin
3
Fundraising Events
4
Teaching Roles
5
Reception
6
Gardening
7
Catering
8
Driver
As you can see above, the top 8 most popular opportunities is a very diverse range. This shows that since Willowbrook has been using TeamKinetic they have been able to recuit volunteers onto a wide variety of volunteering opportunities. Since Willowbrook Hospice rasies a lot of their funds from their charity shops, it is not a shock to see retail at the most popoular choice. Alongside this, one off fundrasing events are always popular amongst the volunteering community.
Support
To conclude, when on our Enterprise Plan you get telephone support from 9:00 am-5:30 pm, online chat support, support tickets you can raise in the system, YouTube ‘How To’ videos, and Facebook groups and livestreams. From this, we asked Bev from Willowbrook Hospice, who is on the Enterprise Plan, how she found the support she has received from TeamKinetic. Here’s what she had to say:
So from the beginning, and I will say, the support has been absolutely fantastic. If I ever send an email or put a support ticket because I need something, the efficiency is fantastic and I think that it’s that personal touch we get from TeamKinetic. I think if we’d have gone to one of the bigger companies, we wouldn’t have got that.
With TeamKinetic, you never feel like any questions stupid, because I have asked some really silly questions in the past, but actually they’ve come back and easily explained everything to me.
I also think the help videos have been really good. We’ve sent those through to shop managers for them to watch. And I think that’s helped them train them, so I would definitely say support has been absolutely fantastic and I can’t fault that at all.
BEV NEILSON, VOLUNTEER MANAGER AT WILLOWBROOK HOSPICE
Find Out More…
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
The pressure and demand on hospices is only increasing. With an aging population, it’s important to note, this demand will continue to increase in the next few years. So, how important will volunteers be in the future? We’re aware of the immense impact volunteers make today- they are the backbone for many hospice services.
In 10 years time, could the role of volunteers look?
Building on best practice…
Hospices will need to adapt to the growing demand for care so can we strengthen hospices best practices to help ease increasing pressures. In the context of volunteers, a large volunteer workforce could be needed. To do so, there should be plans to encourage growing recruitment.
It would be beneficial to have a volunteer management system in these times to help you recruit, retain and realise the potential of your volunteers (and yes, we mean us!) You can start a FREE trial with us, here at TeamKinetic, through our website – or book in a demo with us today!
After all that plugging, why not work towards developing a package for volunteer training. The quality of training is key for volunteers to deliver the best care to patients and their families. While training costs money, it means volunteers become an integrated part of hospices and their team. These packages should be general and available to all, but they should also have the chance to be adopted and changed at a local level…
The perception of volunteers also looks to have improved. They are too essential to be left out of any hospice strategy for extending the impact a hospice can make to those who need its services. If you’re looking for new volunteer recruits, why not get your current volunteers to help? They may have reaches in the community that the hospice doesn’t.
As volunteers become more significant in the supporting of hospices, we could also see:
Clear boundaries for those volunteers working in patient-facing roles.
Extend the supervision of volunteers in patient-facing working roles too.
There should be common applications for approaches that sustain volunteer practice safely.
Promoting excellence in the future
There is a belief that investing volunteers and voluntary management can push more volunteers to contribute more, and we have to agree. We find volunteer management systems (whether it’s our own or others) helps build up communication, and a relationship between organisation and volunteer. In turn, this encourages the volunteer to volunteer more.
In the future, hospice models could look towards changing models and programmes that, while might be working now, could become unsustainable with increasing pressure. Therefore, more innovation is needed. Hospice UK believes this can start in three core areas…
Enabling volunteers to play a full role in the work of the clinical team- working in partnership with clinical colleagues.
Having volunteers contribute to the services and strategy for hospices. They play an important role and should be recognised as the vital connection between hospice and community.
Take new approaches to sustaining and nurturing volunteer contribution through volunteer stewardship…
Exploring new approaches for the future
It’s encouraged that hospices look to experiment with volunteer roles. Like a trial and error process, hospices can learn, evaluate and share their findings to pinpoint the useful roles volunteers can play. There are a number of new approaches which could be taken…
Encouraging new organisation forms of hospice-owned but volunteer-led volunteer services at the end-of-life. Volunteers may be able to organise ways that support their contributions across end-of-life providers. They may be able to bring knowledge and continuity to systems of care.
Volunteers can take on significant roles for helping people, and their carers and families. This can relieve pressure on other providers, who may have other responsibilities to attend to; you can’t have one person in two places at once.
There is a call for extensive research in hospices, in particular hospice volunteering. It can build a base around the effectiveness and economic impact of volunteer-led, volunteer delivered and volunteer enable innovation.
In conclusion…
It’s known to us now just how important volunteers are for Hospices. There is no doubt that this importance is only going to increase as pressure on hospices increases. Volunteers will continue to be the backbone of hospice services, and more should be done to support volunteering in these circumstances.
If you’re looking for a volunteer management system, why not sign up for a FREE trial with us! Head over to our website, and set your site up now…
