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Smarter Volunteer Manager Programme

Q. Who is our Smarter Volunteer Manager programme for?

This programme is for anyone who engages with volunteers, including . . .

• Managers of volunteering programmes
• Personnel with responsibility for day-to-day supervision of people volunteering
• Strategic lead officers
• Members of governing bodies

When you engage with volunteers, it’s easy to feel the pressure. This training programme, based on Volunteer Glasgow’s Dynamic Model, will help you to apply the Model and ensure that you design and create effective, satisfying roles to recruit the volunteers you need. Importantly, you can do this in a way that makes the most of your resources while reducing unnecessary effort.

Q. What will the programme cost?

*NB Volunteer Glasgow can offer ONE FREE place (if this has already been taken then the option to take it up in the next SVM Programme will be offered) per Programme to organisations whose Annual Income is £20,000 or less. Volunteer Glasgow uses OSCR Register Search to determine this. Queued Free places can role over to the next programme on a first refusal basis)

• Organisations with an annual income of less than £20,000 per annum, can book a place on this course for FREE.
• Organisations with an annual income between £20,000 – £500,000 or more will be invoiced for £250.

For further information or to book your place, please contact the Organisation Support Team via findvolunteers@volunteerglasgow.org or contact 0141 226 3431 alternatively just fill out the short form at the bottom of this page and we will get back to you.

Q. What is the Dynamic Model of Volunteer Management?

The Dynamic Model of volunteer engagement was created by Volunteer Glasgow as a methodology for developing a volunteer involvement programme that balances the benefits to the potential volunteer with the needs and expectations of the volunteer-involving organisation.

When using the Dynamic Model it is important to do an analysis of the roles you are offering. You should create:

• A list of clear benefits for the volunteer, associated with the role, is essential for enticing the right people to commit.
• A detailed role description that presents the benefits in a narrative and accessible format.
• A recruitment strategy that maximises the likelihood of attracting the right people.
• A support and supervision model tailored to the role.
• A range of assessment and monitoring tools to provide essential and useful feedback. This feedback is then used to maximise resources and make positive changes to the project and/or volunteer role.
• An engagement model which allows you to respond effectively and flexibly to offers of support.

Q. What can I expect from the programme?

The course is currently delivered entirely online using MS teams, the programme runs over six, 3-hour sessions spaced over several weeks.

• Learner-driven and self-directed.
• A relaxed experience for participants.
• Expands participants’ reference and knowledge points on engaging volunteers.

• Encourages a knowledge-share culture.
• Collates valuable resources for participants.
• Offers social learning.
• Allocate time to learn.

The Smarter Volunteer Manager Programme Objectives are:

Objective 1

• Explore aspects of the psychology of volunteering and why this is fundamental to the successful recruitment & management of volunteers.
• Gain a detailed understanding of the Dynamic Model of Volunteer engagement.

Objective 2

• Learn how to apply the Dynamic Model and begin a role analysis;  test understanding through experimentation.
•  identify a role and consider the tasks required of a volunteer

Objective 3

• Begin to create a list of mutual expectations for the volunteer the organisation and the beneficiaries/communities served.
• Understand the structural and procedural requirements to support the volunteer’s successful engagement in the role.
• Develop a list of benefits that emerge from the role analysis.
• Construct a ‘Benefits Narrative’ that can be modelled into a role description; recruitment strategy; and general communication tool.

Objective 4

Examine a range of best practice examples of:

1. Support and Supervision model.
2. Risk management.
3. General and specific monitoring tools – third-party reflection tools; impact assessment; review cycle; completion process.
4. Retention through positive engagement.
5. Ensuring compliance with boundaries.

Q. What have previous participants had to say about the programme?

Here are some quotes from our SVM participants from 2021 that they stated in their evaluation forms of the SVM programme:

Absolutely brilliant, professional, incredibly relevant and very current!  (Participant January 2023)

SVM programme was: – Really informative and clear; – Informative guidelines but flexible to an extent which is important when you work in this field; – Adequate number of learners; – Very good facilitator.  (Participant January 2023)

This has not only benefitted me and my role but my future volunteers, thank you! (Participant October 2022)

This course helped me understand my job role better and increased my knowledge of recruiting and supporting volunteers. (Participant July 2021)

The course was extremely useful for me to gain the knowledge I needed and best practice methods for setting up a volunteer programme. (Participant August 2021)

I’ve been in the role for over 2 years but never formally trained to carry it out. I thought I was flying by the seat of my pants but realised now that I do know what I’m doing. After being on the Programme, I now have the tools and framework from the Dynamic Model to be a more effective volunteer manager. (Participant December 2021)

Q. When will the next programme be?

Places are first come first serve and are limited to six places. The closing date for booking for this SVM Programme is Noon Thursday 5th of October 2023. Candidates booking over the 6 limits will have the first refusal on future SVM dates (TBC).

(All sessions are consecutive and not individual)

Volunteer Glasgow will be running SVM programmes throughout 2022/ 2023, so if you cannot attend the upcoming programme below then bookmark this page and check-in for the next dates. Or Subscribe to our E-Bulletin under Organisations & Partners to get updates, including SVM future dates.

Q. How do I book a place?

EVEN WHEN PLACES FOR THE CURRENT SVM PROGRAMME HAVE BEEN FILLED YOU CAN STILL SUBMIT A REGISTRATION OF INTEREST TO BE CONSIDERED FOR A RESERVE PLACE OR FOR THE FIRST REFUSAL FOR THE NEXT PROGRAMME FOR 2024 (TBC).

Please use the form below to request a place or if you have any further questions not answered here then please drop us an email at findvolunteers@volunteerglasgow.org and we’ll be delighted to help!