What you can expect from UWE

UWE Volunteering will:

1. Provide a free and professional brokerage service where UWE Volunteering advertises volunteering opportunities on behalf of the organisation to all current UWE students once the completed online Organisation CareerHub Registration Form has been received and approved and the terms outlined in this document are agreed to.

2. Approve opportunities on CareerHub within one week of being submitted.

3. Contact the organisation with an explanation if a role is not approved.

4. Update information about your organisation and opportunities when requested.

5. Invite you to UWE Volunteering Fairs and other student engagement events.

6. Advise you about the best way to promote your volunteering opportunities within UWE.

7. Provide assistance in targeting specific UWE student groups or UWE academic Schools and departments where relevant and appropriate.

8. Maintain contact with your organisation on a regular basis throughout the academic year.

9. Provide you with support to address any issues that may arise with a UWE student volunteering with your organisation.

What we ask of all organisations recruiting UWE student volunteers

The organisation agrees to:

1. Ensure volunteers are engaged in sustainable activities that have a positive impact on the local community where they are based.

2. Provide volunteering opportunities which are appropriate for students, where levels of expectation are realistic and achievable and where voluntary activity will not replace the work of paid members of staff.

3. Indicate in the role advert what the skills, experience and training requirements are.

4. Clearly detail what the volunteer will be doing on their voluntary placement, including how many hours a day, how many days a week and what sort of work it will be.

5. Clearly detail the cost of the opportunity, what this includes, and what additional costs the volunteer will need to cover.

6. Ensure UWE Volunteering are your first point of contact to promote volunteering opportunities at UWE.

7. Keep UWE Volunteering notified of any changes in your opportunities that should be recorded on our database, including contact details, application deadlines, and changes to volunteer roles.

8. Take responsibility for ascertaining a UWE volunteer’s suitability for the volunteer role, and accept that UWE Volunteering cannot guarantee an individual’s personal or professional credibility.

9. Accept liability for all UWE volunteers placed with you, and to ensure that you are able to meet any liabilities through an adequate insurance policy or through other provision. Where organisations cannot provide public liability insurance for volunteers undertaking activities internationally, we expect these organisations to accept responsibility for ensuring that UWE students have adequate travel insurance that covers them for the volunteering activities they are undertaking and the countries in which these activities take place.

10. Have a health and safety policy and properly risk assess all volunteering activities and premises.

11. Have an equal opportunities statement or policy and to accommodate any support needs UWE Volunteers may have, as is reasonably practicable.

12. If working with children or young people, have a child protection policy and brief UWE students as necessary.

13. Promptly reply to enquiries from prospective and existing UWE student volunteers.

14. Have a named person who is responsible for the on-going supervision and support of volunteers.

15. Provide advice, guidance and support to volunteers who are required to raise funds to be able to travel and participate in an international opportunity, in order for them to raise the necessary funds.

16. Provide training and support to volunteers including pre-departure training and in-country training and support.

17. Notify UWE Volunteering about all UWE students who have volunteered with you, or have gained positive outcomes e.g. employment, and to ensure you have systems in place to enable you to do so.

18. Maintain open and on-going communication with UWE Volunteering, regarding volunteer referrals and progress, and ensure that any issues and concerns are raised immediately.

19. Follow the organisations policies for dealing with any issues or concerns involving a volunteer, but to discuss with UWE Volunteering the nature of the problem as soon as possible and to determine action to be taken.

20. Inform UWE Volunteering if a volunteer suffers an accident whilst volunteering.

21. Follow your organisations policies for the protection of children and adults at risk, but to inform UWE Volunteering as soon as possible if an allegation is made against a UWE volunteer placed with them. To also inform UWE Volunteering if an allegation is made by a UWE Volunteer in order for the University to support where required.

22. Treat personal information about UWE volunteers confidentially.

23. Participate in a short evaluation of the UWE Volunteering service on an annual basis.

24. Ensure that all staff supporting student volunteers are made aware of this partnership agreement.

25. On receipt of a written request from UWE to submit to an audit in respect of any of the foregoing requirements and produce such documentation as UWE may reasonably require in advance of, during or following such audit.