Volunteering England group to look at mediating volunteer disputes

Fundraising | Vibeka Mair | 3 Mar 2011

Volunteering England has set up a new group which will provide guidelines on volunteer management and look to create a mechanism for mediating conflicts which arise between volunteers and charities.

The body, called the Call to Action Progress Group (CAP), was announced this week in Volunteering England’s (VE) final report from its Volunteer Rights Inquiry which explored disputes between volunteers and the organisations they worked for.

The Inquiry, which lasted two years, originally suggested setting up a volunteer complaints commission or ombudsman in its interim report. However, several volunteer involving organisations and volunteers voiced strong concerns that additional legislation around volunteering rights could present more barriers to volunteering.

In response, Volunteering England has created the Call to Action Progress Group (CAP) who will provide guidance on good volunteer management through an informal code called the 3R Promise.

The CAP will also collect evidence of volunteer conflict and encourage the setting up of mediation, arbitration and other possible appeals mechanisms. It will report on its progress in two years.

Members of the Volunteering Rights Inquiry and those who have already signed up to the 3R Promise have been invited to join the CAP.

Charities which have already signed up the 3R Promise, include Cancer Research UK, Citizens Advice, PDSA, RSBP, VSO UK, Scope, St John Ambulance, the Association of Volunteer Managers, Voluntary Arts, WRVS and Timebank.

Directory: Volunteering England

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