About GoldStar 
Flexible support agreements
It is essential that support is delivered in a way that is flexible enough to meet differing needs of particular volunteers.
Below are a few examples of how other organisations have accoplished this: |
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Leeds Home-start has support available on demand at anytime for its volunteers. |
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Home-Start Leeds: Ongoing support
Home-Start Leeds provides extensive ongoing support to volunteers delivering services to families. This includes:
Easy access to and regular contact with a co-ordinator
One to one support & supervision contacts, at least monthly
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Provision of home contact information of co-ordinators offering 24 hrs x 7 day per week support
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Group support is also offered
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Regular social activities
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Annual reviews
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A Bi-monthly newsletter and Bi-monthly Team news sheet
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Access to 1-1 individual developmental reviews
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Learning portfolio support.
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References relating to individuals volunteering at Home Start.
Because Home-Start Leeds want to make volunteering accessible to anyone who feels they have something to offer a family, the organisation does not restrict volunteering hours, but accommodates volunteers in terms of the times they are able to offer.
However, Home-Start recognised that if they were going to open up volunteering to suit the hours volunteers could make and match these hours to the needs of particular families, then “we can’t say to the volunteers, if you have a problem with the family or a difficulty with the family, or have a child protection issue, you can only ring us between 9 and 4.30. This doesn’t work”.
It was recognised that to have that flexibility, there was a need to have a contact that volunteers could use out of office hours. Otherwise it was felt that volunteers would not feel confident to undertake volunteering at such times.
In order to tackle this issue there is a phone number that every volunteer can ring, no matter what time of day or night and get the particular issue resolved. In practice, it is very rarely used, because people respect it. All volunteers have a list of all staff home phone numbers and all trustees home phone numbers. Particular contacts are designated for particular days/times, but in the event these are not contactable, volunteers can use any of the other contacts on the list.
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