Common rules for a voluntary operation

Introduction

Volunteers are the foundation of RFSL’s operation around Sweden. We have common rules within RFSL to take care of the volunteers in the best way possible and create preconditions for a secure operation with high quality. These common rules are primarily aimed at those responsible for the voluntary operation within RFSL’s branches, national member networks and the national office. Each volunteer should get an adapted briefing about their work, expectations, support and rules within RFSL. 

Different branches have different preconditions, depending on size and resources. The work with volunteers should be adapted to each branch’s preconditions, but also follow certain minimum requirements that are agreed upon within RFSL. The more advanced the work and the more contact with members and vulnerable people, the more support the branch and the national office should offer, and the higher the demands of follow-up and reporting by the volunteer that can be required by the branch. 

Volunteer work means many different kinds of work that a person can do within RFSL. The work is most often unpaid, but may mean reimbursement, some form of volunteer benefit or remuneration.

Basic principles

There should be a low threshold for people to get involved as a volunteer within RFSL. A person wanting to volunteer should feel welcome. At the same time, the person must have the right preconditions to be able to carry out volunteer work.

Before a branch takes on volunteers they should understand what responsibility the volunteer will have in their work and how the branch can see to it that the person has the right preconditions for taking on that responsibility.

The work

Responsibility, tasks and expectations regarding the scope of the work should be clear both to the branch and the volunteer. In all commitments and even as a volunteer it’s important to ensure that the commitment should be sustainable by thinking about the volunteers’ working environment, burden of work, stress, time consumption and frequency of work. Volunteers should feel that it is rewarding to take on work and the branch should make sure that the work is attractive. It’s a good idea to think about how the work can be balanced between professionalism and having fun, to think about what forums can be created to care for the volunteers, and to show appreciation for the volunteers’ work.

Depending on the character of the work, the branch should have someone or some people the volunteers can turn to in issues regarding the work. For volunteers who work for an extended period of time there’s reason to think about what information should be gathered about them, and how, for example, ICE-contacts can be obtained in a safe way and who should act in different situations.

All volunteers should be welcomed into the bigger community within RFSL and gain access to information, regardless of where in the country they are. It’s also important that we quickly and smoothly can contact all volunteers. Therefore, voluntary work should be documented in RFSL’s member register.

Division of responsibility

Since volunteer work can be very different depending on the task and the responsibility associated with the task, there are different demands both on the branch and the volunteer depending on the work’s character. 

If you suspect crime

In suspicion of crime within the operation, the branch should make a police report.  Te victim can, if they want, remain anonymous in the police report. The branch should notify the national office through the president and the executive director within 24 hours after the information has reached the branch. If the suspect is from within the organisation, they should immediately be excluded from their duties. The victim should immediately be offered counselling by a professional. The people affected should be informed and be given support in the form of counselling and guidance. In a conviction, or if the circumstances require, exclude the employee/volunteer from their job.

Checklist for branches when recruiting volunteers

– Have you as a branch thought about the character of volunteering and if you have the capacity to support volunteers satisfactorily? (See the nature of the work on the list.)

– Does the volunteer have the right knowledge? (What education does the volunteer need?)

– Is the volunteer personally suitable? (Reception, health?)

– Has the volunteer been given an introduction? (For example, reviewing tasks.)

– Has the volunteer been given information about how different situations should be handled? (Is there, for example, an emergency plan to go through? Does the volunteer know about the whistle-blower policy?)

– Has the volunteer acknowledged that they have taken part of the code of conduct?

– Is the volunteer a member and is the contact information in the member register updated?

– Is there a need for an agreement to be written as documentation of the task? (For example, the scope of the task, preconditions, confidentiality.)

– How do you make sure that the task is done correctly? How do you follow up the volunteer work?

– Is there a need for insurance that covers volunteers?

– How do you keep in touch with volunteers and how do they contact you? (For example, contact person at the branch, updated information in the member register.)

– How do you care for the volunteers so that it becomes a sustainable commitment and the volunteer feels that the work is rewarding? (For example, the length of the shifts, thank you-events for volunteers.)

– Have you thought about what situations may arise during the work? Do you have a plan for different scenarios? (For example, routine to address excluding comments, emergency plan ICE list for volunteers.)

– Is the volunteer receiving compensation for their work? (For example, salary, possible reimbursement.)

Information RFSL Förbundet

– Provide general, basic education for new volunteers (for example a digital basic course in LGBTQI issues and what RFSL’s representatives should think about).

– Education for volunteer coordinators, presidents and managers in the branches. 

– Provide templates for documentation and instructions about common routines within RFSL.

– Coordinate networks for special functions within branches.

– National network for volunteers for experience exchange and competency-building efforts.

– Provide information to new branches/new volunteers about regulations and templates, and share information regularly with all volunteers and those responsible for volunteers through reminders and news.

– Regularly inform volunteers and those responsible for volunteers about whistle-blowing policy and code of conduct. 

– Have a function for branch support that works capacity strengthening and that can be of assistance if there’s a problem. 

– A contact person at the national office that those responsible for volunteers can turn to. 

– Follow up the volunteer operation with the branch’s volunteer coordinator/president/executive director.