This strategy sets out how the organisation will recruit and support volunteers in their roles at Healthwatch Bracknell Forest.

Recognising and rewarding volunteers is vital for the ongoing viability of the organisation. This volunteer strategy demonstrates our commitment to recognising the efforts of volunteers within the community, whilst ensuring that all volunteers are treated equally and appropriate support mechanisms are in place.

 This strategy will run alongside the communications and engagement strategies, as well as the overarching business plan.

The key to the success of Healthwatch Bracknell Forest is active participation by the public. With limited staff resources, a number of opportunities will arise for members of the public to be involved in establishing Healthwatch Bracknell Forest and assisting with its development.

Volunteers will play a vital role in developing and adding value to Healthwatch locally and ensuring its continued success through representation of the organisation.

• To create a pool of high calibre volunteers who will support the work of Healthwatch Bracknell Forest
• To promote participation by local people in the work carried out by Healthwatch Bracknell Forest and encourage wider participation from the community
• To work with key stakeholders to support the development of volunteers with the organisation
• To increase the number of volunteers undertaking quality volunteering placements in Healthwatch, particularly those groups and/or individuals that are underrepresented, socially excluded or have extra support needs, to address inequalities at all levels
• To support Healthwatch Bracknell Forest in its retention and management of volunteers
• To support Healthwatch Bracknell Forest in recognising and rewarding volunteers
• To ensure that the strategy meets the needs of volunteers and the organisation, identified through systematic research and data gathering

To ensure that this strategy meets the objectives of Healthwatch Bracknell Forest volunteer development plan, the following key areas have been identified:

• Identifying volunteer opportunities
• Recruitment and advertising
• Selection and screening
• Creating a diverse range of volunteers
• Monitoring and support

Understanding the role volunteers play in the organisation is key to getting the most effective use from them. Volunteers will have the opportunity to be involved in Healthwatch Bracknell Forest activities in a variety of ways from top level management through to championing it as a cause.

Indicative activities are:

• Project Management Board
• Enter and View Authorised Representatives
• Community Champions
• Community Communicators

Each role will require a specific Role Description outlining the activities, responsibilities and commitment expected from volunteers. These will include duties, amount of time required, level of responsibility and other tasks relating to the role.

To ensure that Healthwatch Bracknell Forest has a wide range of volunteers, the organisation must have in place a robust strategy for recruitment and advertising. Below are examples of how Healthwatch Bracknell Forest can utilise different tools to advertise volunteer posts available:

• Healthwatch Bracknell Forest website
• Healthwatch Bracknell Forest database (E-mail, mailouts etc.)
• Local media
• Social media (E.g. Facebook, Twitter)
• Voluntary sector networks
• Word-of-mouth
• Professional networks
• Community groups
• Local authority
• Clinical Commissioning Group
• Statutory bodies
• Libraries and council buildings 

Finding the correct volunteer for the appropriate role is vital for both the organisation and for the development of the volunteers. Healthwatch must ensure that when members of the public express interest in roles, the volunteers are assessed for suitability and where training may be needed, this is provided by the organisation either in-house or by an appropriate training provider.

Training courses available may include:

• Enter and View
• Report writing
• Equality and diversity
• Confidentiality
• Safeguarding (Vulnerable adults and children)
• Media training
• Engagement techniques
• Health & Safety

This list can be expanded upon as Healthwatch Bracknell Forest develops and volunteer needs change.

Healthwatch Bracknell Forest will need to represent the views of a wide range of communities across the Bracknell Forest. It must therefore ensure that it creates a pool of volunteers that can represent these groups, including minority groups.

By doing so it will allow Healthwatch Bracknell Forest to collect a range of issues affecting both small and large groups and also engage with specialised sectors of society.

To this end, volunteers should be recruited to represent or champion Healthwatch to collect issues from these groups and also provide feedback to them around changes in services, especially those who do not engage with health or social care services.

These volunteers will need to receive appropriate training and checks, especially those working with vulnerable people.

Volunteers have many motivators for becoming involved with organisations. This can range from an active interest in the organisation, deriving a sense of ‘belonging’ and empowerment or feeling that they are contributing to the communities they live in.

Because of the nature of volunteering, it is important to ensure that individuals receive the correct level of support whilst carrying out their duties. Healthwatch Bracknell Forest should provide appropriate monitoring of volunteers and a support structure including:

• Ensuring staff are available to assist with advice and enquiries
• Informal meetings to discuss progress or issues
• Annual reviews
• Establishing a method of monitoring progress of volunteers
• Providing training where necessary 

It is important that volunteers are supported in their roles and are confident to carry out their duties. Staff will be responsible for:

• Recruiting volunteers and providing induction, training,  support and supervision, alongside volunteer co-ordinators, when appointed
• Providing information to volunteer co-ordinators, where appropriate to cascade to others
• Dealing with any problems with volunteer activities or performance
• Providing marketing & promotional materials
• Conducting Annual Reviews of volunteers 

With volunteers being a core part of the development of Healthwatch Bracknell Forest, the organisation will put in place robust plans for recruiting volunteers. During the delivery stage of Healthwatch Bracknell Forest, the development of volunteers will be a priority to enable the organisation to achieve both immediate and longer term goals. 

The initial aim of the organisation is to establish the brand of Healthwatch Bracknell Forest in the community and create awareness of the organisations function. Volunteers will be required to talk at events and meet with members of the public and professionals. Healthwatch Bracknell Forest will also develop the Champions network along with the recruitment of some Specialist roles as the need arises.

Specialist Volunteers to carry out work other work such as Enter & View will also be recruited. The view is to establish these roles at a later date to ensure that Healthwatch Bracknell Forest has acquired sufficient local knowledge of issues and has necessary systems in place to begin responding to issues. Healthwatch England is developing and providing national training for all Healthwatch about how to train volunteers to undertake Enter and Views.