1. Volunteering in Scotland: Trends and Challenges Alasdair Rutherford University of Stirling

2. What is a volunteer? Formal volunteering Informal volunteering Informal helping Care for family Compulsory volunteering FORMALITY

3. Typologies of Volunteering Developed by Davis Smith (2000) for the UN’s International Year of the Volunteer 1.Mutual aid or self-help: ‘by us, for us’ 2.Philanthropy and service to others: ‘dominant paradigm’ 3.Participation: governance, civil society 4.Advocacy or campaigning: securing/preventing change Could also add ‘volunteering as leisure’ 3

4. Volunteering Participation Motivations Opportunity Varies across space Difference in character, not just quantity Altruism, ‘warm glow’, increase human capital, increase social capital, involuntary Depends on human capital, social capital, life stage, social networks Large urban/rural differences. Usually attributed to differences in socio-economic characteristics of local populations, differences in social capital Rural volunteering is broad, with more people contributing across multiple organisations, but for few hours per week. Urban volunteering is deep, with fewer individuals working with fewer organisations but with a greater time commitment per week. Trimbell (2006)

5. THE STATE OF VOLUNTEERING

6. Participation By Rurality

8. Volunteering Intensity

9. Volunteering Hours

10. Volunteer Core

11. Who volunteers formally? I live in a very remote, rural area. I live in a neighbourhood with high levels of education and better health. My household income is relatively high, I own my house. I am a woman I’m educated I’m either aged 16-24 or 60- 64 I have more than 2, but less than 5 children. Rutherford, A. & Harper, H. (2012) Understanding Volunteering Participation: A quantitative analysis of volunteering data in the Scottish Household Survey (forthcoming)

12. Overwhelmingly people in Scotland tend to volunteer locally... 86 % of respondents volunteer within their local authority area 85 % of searches on www.volunteerscotland.net are by localitywww.volunteerscotland.net

13. VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT AND MANAGEMENT

14. Survey of Charities involving volunteers Conducted by Volunteer Scotland in 2013 The top 5 challenges facing local charities: Keeping suitable volunteers involved with us (51%); Finding suitable volunteers (48%); Attracting new Board Members (22%); Lack of time affecting support for volunteering (21%); and Providing adequate support to volunteers (20%).

15. Volunteering Expectations

16. Changing nature of volunteering: The formalisation and professionalisation of volunteering Volunteering becoming more ‘work’ like Can volunteering deliver? Should it?

17. Formalisation of volunteering Increasing use of ‘top down’ methods of organising the work of volunteers Adopting private and public sector norms and ways of working: market values, authority and accountability, performance monitoring. ‘Risk’ of volunteers – are they up to the job of delivering services in a target-driven environment? Increased management of volunteers versus replacement with paid staff. 17

18. Changing nature of volunteering Improved technology and innovation means we’re seeing volunteers engage in different ways: – Micro volunteering – Volunteering at home Balance between volunteer needs as well as organisations; need for greater flexibility to fit in with current trends. Hidden volunteering? Need to increase its visibility...

19. Substituting or complementing? Do volunteers complement the work of paid professionals, or substitute for it? This is a concern for volunteers and professionals alike – and it risks undermining the valuable contribution that volunteers make. “The moment staff or the public perceive volunteers as people replacing the jobs of qualified staff is the moment goodwill towards them falls away.” Voluntary services manager “Am I encouraging cuts in the NHS because I’m volunteering?” Community centre volunteer 19

20. Typologies of Volunteering 1.Mutual aid or self-help: ‘by us, for us’ 2.Philanthropy and service to others: ‘dominant paradigm’ 3.Participation: governance, civil society 4.Advocacy or campaigning: securing/preventing change 5.Volunteering as leisure: hobby, socialising Does your organisation and your volunteers think about their role in the same way? Has the role of volunteers in your organisation changed type? 20

21. The problem with volunteering’s image The ‘dominant paradigm’ excludes a wide range of voluntary activity – Volunteering seen as essentially altruistic help to those in need – Excludes ‘mutual aid’ and ‘activism/civil society’ – Research and policy focus on formal volunteering – Trustees classed as ‘governance’ rather than ‘volunteers’ A negative image of volunteering – Excludes young people – Associated with ageing, retirement, giving up work – Excludes minorities – BME, disabilities, ill health 21

22. The nature of the perception gap 1)The range and scope of activities Mutual aid, informal participation, campaigning, governance, sports and culture 2)The nature of the rewards and benefits Benefits to volunteers as well as recipients of help 3)The kinds of people who volunteer Seen as ‘middle-class’, for ‘older people’ – ignores diversity 4)The status of volunteering ‘Closet volunteers’, avoid ‘v’ word, ‘pro bono’ 22

23. Who is excluded from volunteering? People with a disability/LLI – lower rates of participation, different routes into participation, different roles. No formal qualifications – Half the participation rate of those with qualifications. Much less likely to be involved in committee roles. Ethnicity – people born outside the UK less likely to volunteer, participation by ethnic minorities in mainstream organisations low. Age – young people (20 – 24) and older people (75+) less likely to volunteer Economic/social disadvantage – lower participation in disadvantaged communities Other groups – homeless, single parents, ex-offenders, experience barriers 23

24. How are they excluded? Psychological barriers – time (perceptions of spare time); lack of flexibility; negative image of volunteering; perception as recipients rather than helpers; lack of confidence – social exclusion; discrimination; concerns about benefits; health & safety/risk. Practical barriers – not knowing how to get involved (not asked); lack of appropriate opportunities (demand/supply); management/bureacracy (formal recruitment and CRB checks); inaccessible locations; costs (travel, child care) 24

25. What can be done? Government initiatives, programmes, initiatives by third sector organisations – good practice guides, reports and research studies. – Positive action – targeting under-represented groups – Recruitment – advertising widely, inclusive images, information – Matching – roles to volunteers – understand volunteer’s needs – Progression – identify goals, provide support – Training – at start and ongoing, develop skills – Support and supervision – effective for individual, role and org – Recognition – both thanks and participation in shaping org – Volunteer management – professional, clear, transparent, records, relationships 25

26. Threats to independence of volunteering Compulsion – making volunteering compulsory (school-based community service; employability programmes Government volunteerism – volunteering in the public sector to further policy goals Setting the agenda – funding programmes, contracting Creating the environment – government policy discouraging voluntary action e.g. ‘workfare’; criminal record checks, regulation, 26

27. The ‘volunteering industry’ Government focus on volunteering privileges formal types of involvement – monitoring, measurement, reporting. Growth of volunteering ‘infrastructure’ – national, regional and local – supporting volunteering and volunteer-involving organisations. Tends to be dominated (and focussed on) larger, formal voluntary organisations. This leads to a concentration of research, policy and practice on these types of participation. A ‘volunteer management’ profession – formal roles, qualifications, careers 27

28. What are the consequences? More ‘professional’, transparent management of volunteers, including a concern for supporting volunteers. Better understanding of who volunteers are and what they do. Growing bureaucracy alienates some volunteers. Reduction in flexibility, innovation and autonomy. Move power from volunteers to staff. Promotion of formal participation at the expense of more informal ways of participating. 28

29. Conclusion ‘Traditional’ volunteering has been, and continues to be, critical for the functioning of many volunteer-involving organisations. BUT, if we are to retain and build on participation we need to think beyond the formal, role-based involvement of volunteers … How do you think about your volunteers … and how do they think about you?

30. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING … Alasdair Rutherford University of Stirling

31. First stage Respondents are first asked: “The next set of questions are about the kinds of things that some people do to give up their time, without pay, to help people or for the benefit of their neighbourhood or a wider area, and either through organisations or acting as individuals. Thinking back over the last 12 months, have you given up any time to help any clubs, charities, campaigns or organisations. I mean in an unpaid capacity” Scottish Household Survey Questionnaire

32. For volunteers, speaking to friends and family is by far the most popular way of finding out about volunteer opportunities

33. Second Stage Respondents who answer ‘no’ are then presented with a list of types of organisation or group, and are asked: “We often find that people forget about some of the things they have done because they only do them occasionally or wouldn't normally think of it as helping people or their community. Have you undertaken any work or activities on a voluntary basis for any of these types of groups or organisations at any time in the past 12 months? Code all that apply. Probe fully. Any others? Any others?” Scottish Household Survey Questionnaire

36. Committee Raising Money Providing Assistance Helping Out Organizing Committee Raising Money Providing Assistance Helping Out Organizing Doing Whatever

38. Value of Volunteering: To Organisations Volunteering has the potential to deliver a number of benefits to volunteer-involving organisations including creating services that are more responsive to local needs (Paylor 2011); engaging ‘hard-to-reach’ communities more effectively (Kennedy 2010); filling gaps in provision (Hussein 2011; Kennedy et al 2007; Paylor 2011); and facilitating improvements in professional– patient relationships and interactions (Paylor 2011; Jones 2004). SPC9JW 2014 (ACR)38

39. Value of Volunteering: To Communities There is evidence to show that volunteering can bring broader benefits to communities, including by enhancing social cohesion, reducing anti-social behaviour among young people, and providing placement opportunities that may then lead to employment (eg, Prasad and Muraleedharan 2007). Recent research suggests social participation is cumulative, meaning that formal volunteering can also encourage people to get involved in other activities in their communities (Morrow-Howell 2010; Department of Health 2011a). SPC9JW 2014 (ACR)39

40. What is a volunteer? Formal volunteering Informal volunteering Informal helping Care for family Compulsory volunteering FORMALITY

41. Discussion: Volunteering in Scotland There has been a small decline in overall volunteering participation levels. There are large variations between communities in participation rates: this is only partly explained by differences in demographics and socio-economics.

42. Discussion: Volunteering in Scotland The bulk of volunteer effort is undertaken by a small core of the population. The participation of this core is stable; it is more infrequent volunteer participation that has declined. Despite this, demand from voluntary organisations for more volunteers is high.

43. What can be done? Promoting the ‘volunteer brand’ … Developing a ‘culture of volunteering’ … Changing social norms … Building social capital … National campaigns and promotion, volunteering support bodies, government policy, developing volunteer management, volunteer champions, accrediting volunteer experience, avoiding the ‘v’ word e.g. community empowerment SPC9JW 2014 (ACR)43