Wakefield Museums and Castles

This document states the Wakefield Museums and Castles policy on involving volunteers in its work across all teams. It also defines how Wakefield Museums and Castles will recruit and manage volunteers, who are defined as people who spend unpaid time working on defined activities for the benefit of Wakefield Museums and Castles.

The purpose of developing a policy is to enable Wakefield Museums and Castles to think about the value of its volunteers, and to achieve clear, workable principles within which volunteers and their supervisors can operate.

The policy also recognises the value which volunteers add to Wakefield Museums and Castles, and the commitment they give to us. The policy aims to support volunteers to achieve their full potential, and work towards building a good and successful relationship between volunteers and the people who engage with them.

– This policy provides a basis for the expansion of volunteer involvement.

– It sees volunteer involvement not as a replacement or alternative to paid staff, but as a way of extending our service as an organisation and the voluntary sector in general.

– This policy gives a framework for recruiting and supporting volunteers.

Wakefield Museums and Castles is responsible for preserving and making accessible sites, objects and information relating to the culture and heritage of the area and its people for the inspiration, learning and enjoyment of everyone.

We are part of Wakefield Council, with responsibility for three Museums and two castles, as well as museum hubs across the district.

Wakefield Museums and Castles are designated a National Portfolio Organisation by Arts Council England, and receive additional national funding direct from the Arts Council.

Volunteers are a core part of our team. They help us to meet the objectives set by Arts Council England.  They ensure we constantly achieve our own target of doing more, better. Crucially they also help us meet the expectations of our visitors.

Volunteers make it possible for us to welcome nearly 10,000 people a year to our major events, offer over 150 dungeon tours a year, deliver learning activities to over 30,000 people a year, and care for and provide access to over 110,000 objects in our collections.

Our volunteering opportunities are both visitor-facing and behind-the-scenes, taking place at our venues, in the offices or collections store, or even at home. The range of available opportunities is increasing all the time.

2.1       Wakefield Museums and Castles is committed to engaging and developing a diverse volunteer body and Wakefield Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy will be adhered to when recruiting volunteers.

2.2       Wakefield Museums and Castles welcomes all applications from potential volunteers to join its Volunteer Scheme.  Wakefield Council selects individuals via an Expression of Interest form and invites them to a meeting to determine whether the individual is suitable as a volunteer.  Wakefield Council’s decision on the suitability of a prospective volunteer is absolute and final. 

2.3       Wakefield Museums and Castles recognises that volunteers may be different from paid staff in terms of age, race, cultural background, socio-economic background and educational level and will help to diversify and strengthen the workforce as well as offer a wide range of skills and enthusiasm.

2.4       Volunteers will be expected to provide a minimum of one reference, this should not be a relative, and ideally someone that knows you in their professional capacity.  For some roles volunteers may be asked to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal records check.

2.5      Volunteer roles can be tasked and project specific or rolling membership of the volunteer ‘pool’.  Individual tasks will be listed on the pool sessions list on an ‘as and when’ basis.  Additional projects will be advertised to the ‘pool’ and may also be advertised on a local or national basis externally.  Additional projects will be subject to the same recruitment policy as detailed above.

3.1       Volunteering opportunities will complement the role of paid staff.  The availability of volunteers will not be used as an opportunity to reduce the number of paid roles.

3.2       Volunteers can give as much or as little time as they feel is appropriate for them. Whatever commitment the volunteer can give is a great asset for Wakefield Museums and Castles. However we would ask that Volunteers do consider this as ‘a commitment’ and if unable to attend for one reason or another, they should inform a supervisor, or the Volunteer Coordinator. Some roles may have a minimum requested commitment (for example, a certain number of hours or a specific day per week) – where this is the case, it will be stated on the role description. 

3.3       In the same way, Wakefield Museums and Castles considers the management of volunteers to have equal importance to that of managing paid staff. Therefore this will be carried out with the same level of professionalism. You can expect to be treated fairly, professionally and above all, as an equal to members of paid staff working alongside you.

All volunteers can expect an appropriate level of support and supervision to the task they are engaged with. For every task they are given a named person responsible for that task and if that differs a separate named supervisor. If at any time a volunteer feels that they are not given adequate supervision or support then the volunteer coordinator is available to discuss this with them and the task supervisor to ensure this is resolved in a mutually satisfactory way.

5.1      Wakefield Museums and Castles works with young volunteers under the age of eighteen. We will take appropriate measures to safeguard young people in voluntary activity in line with Wakefield Council ‘Procedures for Safeguarding and Protecting Children and Vulnerable Adults’. We also have a supervisor safeguarding champion for the service.

5.2       All staff who are responsible for young volunteers should be checked by Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). We are unable to carry out these checks on volunteers under the age of eighteen however we shall follow up two references for volunteers between the ages of sixteen and eighteen.

5.3      We will seek parental consent for voluntary activity from the parent/legal guardian of all volunteers under the age of sixteen and where possible for volunteers between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. Details of the voluntary role, location and times of participation will be provided to parent/legal guardian.

5.4       Young volunteers will not be placed in any unsupervised voluntary roles either at or away from our sites and will not be left to supervise other young people or be responsible in any capacity for members of the public including children visiting our sites.

6.1    Your Rights

• To know how the service works, your role in it and receive any training you need
• To be provided with regular opportunities to give and receive feedback on how your role is progressing
• To have your skills, dignity and individual wishes respected
• To be consulted with and kept informed of possible changes
• To have a safe workplace
• To be treated fairly and in line with the Wakefield Council Equal Opportunities Policy
• To know what is expected from you, be given clear instruction and appropriate support.
• To be free from discrimination
• To be treated as an equal part of Wakefield Museums and Castles
• To be shown appreciation for what you have freely given.

6.2    Your Responsibilities

• To complete an application form fully and honestly, updating us if any details change.
• To provide the references requested
• To undertake a DBS check if it is required for the role, at no cost to you
• To give active support to the objectives of Wakefield Council and to perform the voluntary duties to the best of your ability
• To adhere to Wakefield Council’s policies and procedures
• To make Wakefield Council aware of any medical condition or disability either temporary or permanent that might affect my mobility or performance so that support can be arranged, if appropriate
• To inform your supervisor as soon as possible if you are prevented by sickness or other reason from meeting your mutually agreed time commitments.
• To dress appropriately and wear Wakefield Council’s volunteer uniform and/or ID badge
• To behave in a manner that does not contravene any of Wakefield Council’s policies or regulations whilst wearing Wakefield Council’s volunteer uniform or ID badge
• To assign the copyright of any work you do as a volunteer to Wakefield Council.

We, Wakefield Council, will:

• Introduce you to how the service works, your role in it and provide any training you need
• Provide you with your own copy of this agreement and an induction pack
• Provide regular opportunities to give and receive feedback on how your role is progressing
• Respect your skills, dignity and individual wishes and do our best to meet them if we can
• Consult with you and keep you informed of possible changes
• Provide a safe workplace
• Insure you against any injury you may suffer or cause due to negligence
• Treat volunteers fairly and in line with the Wakefield Council Equal Opportunities Policy
• Follow the appropriate problem solving policies in the event of any difficulties that cannot be resolved through supervision and review
• Issue you with a uniform and any other personal protective equipment needed to carry out your role
• Acknowledge the role volunteers play in enabling us to deliver what we deliver

This is intended to give a brief outline of key parts of policies which you should be aware of whilst volunteering with us.  Each of these documents are available in full upon request from the volunteer co-ordinator and are available at each site.  These documents are applicable to all persons engaged by Wakefield Museums and Castles. 

Wakefield Council Health and Safety

In particular it is the intention of the Council, where it is reasonably practicable to ensure:

• The provision of suitable information, instruction, training and supervision to enable employees/volunteers to perform their work safely and to understand the risks associated with their activity, and the control-measures and actions to be taken in the event of an emergency or imminent danger
• The availability of appropriate work equipment and personal protective equipment and to encourage, train and supervise employees / volunteers in its correct use and limitations
• Provision and maintenance of a working environment that is as safe and free from risk to health as possible, along with suitable welfare facilities, safe means of access and egress from the workplace
• The Council maintains a constant and continuing interest in all health and safety matters, and regular consultation with employees/volunteers

Employees and volunteers are responsible for ensuring they take reasonable care of their own safety and that they do not put at risk the safety of anyone else who may be affected by the work they are carrying out. They have to co-operate with the employer and others, where required, to ensure statutory requirements are met.

Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy

• Always work in an open environment - for example avoid private or unobserved situations
• Treat all children, young people and vulnerable adults equally and with respect and dignity
• Maintain a safe and appropriate distance from children, young people and vulnerable adults
• It is important not to touch, hold or establish a close relationship with any children, young people and or vulnerable adults
• All staff and volunteers are in a position of trust when working with children, young people and vulnerable adults

Unacceptable practices:

• Spending excessive amounts of time with children, young people or vulnerable adults
• Taking children, young people or vulnerable adults to your home where they will be alone with you
• Allowing children, young people or vulnerable adults to travel on their own with you in a vehicle
• Engaging in rough physical or sexually provocative games, including horse play
• Touching, holding, lifting or any form of inappropriate physical contact
• Making sexually explicit comments to, or within hearing of, a child or young person
• Using inappropriate language such as swearing or sexually or discriminatory remarks about gender or race
• Allowing allegations made by a young person to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon
• Doing anything of a personal nature for children, young people or vulnerable adults that they can do themselves

We do not know, and cannot tell, the background and experience of children or vulnerable adults visiting our sites – either as part of a school group, or informally.

For some children, their life experiences can result in the meaning of touch becoming distorted or changed. Some may have experienced inappropriate use of touch and physical contact. For some children, physical affection may have previously been linked to sexual activity. Understanding the possible meaning and interpretation of touch in this context can help identify risk and protect both children and volunteers.

Children can misinterpret contact or make allegations for various reasons: they may link the contact with a past experience/an allegation can be a way of obtaining power or control over a situation/ the child may think making an allegation could help remove them from an unhappy situation or placement.

Contact may be genuinely misinterpreted.

To minimise opportunity for misinterpretation and false allegations, physical touch should always be avoided.

In summary:

• Volunteers must not touch children, young people or vulnerable adults
• Be mindful of your language and body language

If you see any of the above happening with other members of staff, volunteers or freelancers it is your duty to report this occurrence to your supervisor who will be able to address the situation.

A full copy of all Council policies and procedures are available at all sites. 

We request personal information from you as part of our volunteering scheme.  Your information will be used to create and manage your volunteering record.  We will not use your personal data for any other reason, or share it with others, unless we need to do so by law e.g. to prevent or detect crime.

If you have provided your email address, we will use this to send you alerts information and opportunities that we think may be of interest to you as a volunteer.

Your information will normally be deleted from our system within 28 days of your ceasing to be a volunteer.

As volunteers there is no commitment to hours or sessions and you can sign up for as much or as little as you like. We only ask that if you have periods where you’re not volunteering regularly you let us know every now and again that you still wish to remain on our correspondence list. If we don’t hear from you over a period of 6 months we will write to you to ask if you still wish to be a volunteer.

For further information please see the Wakefield Museums and Castles Volunteer Transparency Notice.