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National Volunteering Forum - October 2019 - Leeds - employer-supported volunteering
- 1. NATIONAL VOLUNTEERING FORUM EMPLOYER-SUPPORTED VOLUNTEERING: THE GOOD, THEBAD AND THE WAY FORWARD 10.00 – 16.00 23 October @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
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- 3. SHAUN DELANEY VOLUNTEERING DEVELOPMENT MANAGER,NCVO @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
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- 6. VÉRONIQUE JOCHUM HEAD OFRESEARCH, NCVO @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
- 7. LEARNINGS FROM TIMEWELL SPENT: EMPLOYER-SUPPORTED VOLUNTEERING NVF 23.10.19
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- 9. • National survey(GB, 18+) 10,103 respondents • Volunteering through groups, clubs, organisations • YouGov’s panel, via online self- completion questionnaire • Informed by stakeholder engagement • Recent, former volunteers and non-volunteers • Employer- supported volunteering • Public services • Diversity …and more Reports focusing on key themes TIME WELL SPENT - A FOCUSED LOOK AT KEY THEMES
- 10. • bring togetherlatest evidence on employer-supported volunteering (ESV) and build on previous research • capture the different perspectives of volunteers, employers, volunteer-involving organisations and intermediaries • inform practice and policy, considering key opportunities for the future in this area. OUR AIMS & OBJECTIVES ESV definition: Volunteering where employers actively support or have schemes for employees to give unpaid help to a group, club or organisation either by giving them time during working hours or organising volunteering activities for them. We are not referring to schemes for giving money.
- 11. OUR APPROACH ES V Volunteer s Employe rs Charities Brokers Further Time Well Spent analysis Workshop, (1), telephone interviews(7), written feedback (4) Telephone interviews (6), written feedback (10) Further primary research with key audiences Time Well Spent findings Incl. CVN Report (2018) Round table with stakeholders Time Well Spent report Review of key evidence Stakeholder s – employers, brokers and charities Workshop (1), written feedback (9)
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- 13. • 10% ofrecent volunteers have taken part in ESV in the last 12 months as their main volunteering Base: All recent volunteers (3,898) – main organisation (if more than one) ESV MAKES UP A SMALL PART OF VOLUNTEERING, BUT SOME PERCEIVE AN INCREASED DEMAND IN THIS AREA • In 2015-16, the Community Life Survey reported no change in the proportion of ESV compared with 2014- 15 and 2013-14 (8%), though levels are higher than in 2012-13 (6%) • ….but some perceive an increased demand in this area in recent years
- 14. THERE ARE DIFFERENTFORMS OF ESV • 5% during their work hours, organised by their employer • 7% outside of their work hours but organised by their employer • 10% during working hours and given time to participate, not organised by their employer • ‘Set’ charity partnerships • Variety / ad hoc charities • Charities of individuals’ choosing • Larger groups • Smaller groups • Individuals • Use of brokers • Direct relationshi p with charities Base: All recent volunteers (3,898) – main organisation (if more than one) • In a set team and dedicate d role • Ad hoc, addition to role
- 15. Wanting to make a differenc e Volunteer-involving organisations Employers Volunteers Othermotivations include: Connection with a specific organisation or cause Being asked to help Using or gaining skills Other motivations include: • Benefits to employees (eg staff development, positive work environment • Benefit to employer (eg enhanced reputation, increased productivity) Other motivations include: • Access to financial contributions and skills • Supporting development of partnerships Brokers Brokers Brokers THERE IS A COMMON GOAL – BUT THE DIFFERENT GROUPS INVOLVED CREATES COMPLEXITY
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- 17. ESV VOLUNTEERS AREPOSITIVE OVERALL ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE 91% very or fairly satisfied had or would recommend it to family or friends76% 76% likely to continue in the next 12 months Base: All ESV volunteers (367) – main organisation (if more than one)
- 18. THEY FEEL ARANGE OF BENEFITS FROM TAKING PART – SIMILAR TO OTHER VOLUNTEERS 58 58 65 71 74 76 77 82 83 83 83 84 It improves my employment prospects It improves my physical health It helps me feel less isolated It improves my mental health and wellbeing It gives me more confidence It gives me new skills and experience It brings me into contact with people from different backgrounds and cultures I meet new people It broadens my experience of life I enjoy it It gives me a sense of personal achievement It makes me feel I am making a difference Base: All ESV volunteers (367) – main organisation (if more than one)
- 19. “We get overwhelmingpositive feedback from ESV volunteers and they usually say they'd like to come again after their first one off experience. We…talk about our campaigns and how people can continue to support us. ESVs are always very engaged…people often ask questions…I think it's successful because we don't make it feel like work - we say thank you a lot, we tweet during the day with photos, we send thank you cards afterwards and we provide some drinks and snacks” MANY ORGANISATIONS CITE POSITIVE EXPERIENCES THAT RESONATE WITH HIGH SATISFACTION LEVELS
- 20. COMPARED WITH NON-ESVVOLUNTEERS, ESV VOLUNTEERS ARE LESS POSITIVE 91% 39% 52% Satisfied Very satisfied Fairly satisfied Non-ESV Base: All ESV volunteers (367) – main organisation (if more than one) All non-ESV volunteers (3498) – main organisation (if more than one) – excl. those who have never had 96% 56% 41% ESV
- 21. 2 1 I expected theprocess of getting involved to be quicker Things could be much better organised It was becoming too much like paid work I felt recognised enough for the help I gave Base: All ESV volunteers (367) – main organisation (if more than one) All non-ESV volunteers (3498) – main organisation (if more than one) – excl. those who have never had 4 1 5 1 3 2 7 The group/ club/ organisation was flexible around the time I give 1 2 3 1 6 1 0 9 % agree - ESV % agree – non ESV % disagree - ESV % disagree – non ESV THIS CAN ALSO BE SEEN ACROSS DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
- 22. ORGANISATIONS ALSO ACKNOWLEDGEREASONS THERE MAY BE LESS POSITIVE VIEWS • Involvement of employers means less flexibility • Employees may apply ‘work’ expectations to their volunteering • There may be limited scope for meaningful and impactful volunteering when it’s often short term (one Examples where ESV worked less well included those with: o Large groups o Not skilled in the area o Resource heavy o Low impact o Inflexible o Short notice o Not well organised
- 23. PREPARING ESV FORTHE FUTURE
- 24. THE YEARS AHEADARE LIKELY TO COME WITH A NUMBER OF CHANGES (AND CHALLENGES) LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE…. Higher expectations placed on employers are likely to drive ESV forward Research participants expected ESV to increase in the next years The financial climate is likely to get tougher ESV may evolve in new and innovative ways
- 25. THERE ARE ANUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT MIGHT HELP US PREPARE… 1. How might we better engage volunteers? 2. How might we make ESV more inclusive? 3. How might we create a more positive ESV culture? 4. How might organisations involved in ESV work better together? 5. How might we make ESV more impactful?
- 26. 1. HOW MIGHTWE BETTER ENGAGE VOLUNTEERS IN ESV?
- 27. CURRENT UPTAKE ANDFUTURE INTEREST IN ESV ARE LOW Barriers Low awareness / encouragement Not really understanding what it’s about Thinking they don’t have something to offer Time and work pressures Need to ‘justify’ Type of role – unpredictable 10% of all Time Well Spent survey respondents were interested in future opportunities to volunteer that were ‘supported or encouraged by their employer’
- 28. VOLUNTEERS NEED TOFEEL THAT IT’S EASY TO PARTICIPATE AND MEANINGFUL TO THEM •Making it as easy and flexible as possible to take part • Flexible arrangements and flexibility about how time is taken Making it more ‘personal’ • Volunteers feel they have freely chosen to participate in causes that are meaningful to them • Volunteers feel prepared for their volunteering activities, are actively involved in shaping opportunities or supported to find their own Investing in building relationships with volunteers • Volunteer-involving organisations and employers invest the same time and effort into relationships with volunteers, as they do with one another • ESV volunteers may not initially look for long-term involvement but where engaged effectively, they can go on to be involved in different and more impactful ways
- 29. HOW MIGHT WEMAKE ESV MORE INCLUSIVE?
- 30. ESV CAN FEELLIKE IT’S FOR LARGER ORGANISATIONS AND FOR SKILLED VOLUNTEERS While SMEs and smaller volunteer-involving organisations could benefit from being involved in ESV, it is an area dominated by larger organisations on both sides: Additionally, for some employees, ESV can feel exclusive – especially for skills-based opportunities. Time Well Spent: Those who worked for an employer and were aware of ESV opportunities were more likely to work for an employer with 250+ employees - the highest proportion were those working for an employer with over 1000 employees (37%) CVN survey: 80% of organisations with more than 50 employees had engaged in ESV vs 51% of volunteer-involving organisations with up to 5 employees
- 31. FOR ESV TOBE MORE INCLUSIVE, MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE ‘OUTSIDE THE BOX’ 2. adopting a wider definition of skills and experiences - recognising and valuing a broader range of skills and experiences 1. ensuring a broad range of opportunities are on offer - employers recognise that volunteering should meet different needs and preferences 3. recognising the unique contribution of smaller organisations and making ESV more ‘small friendly’ – SMEs and smaller volunteer-involving organisations have unique advantages but more needs to be done to ensure they can participate
- 32. HOW MIGHT WECREATE A MORE POSITIVE ESV CULTURE?
- 33. INTERNAL CHALLENGES WITHINORGANISATIONS CAN BE THE BIGGEST BARRIER TO MOVING FORWARD • Not always in roles dedicated to ESV • Sometimes not sitting within a specific team or not consistently in a particular team • Variable situations in relation to budget / charging • Budget not always in their control or don’t have any (employer) • Some charge, others don’t (charities, brokers) • Challenges for some in getting buy-in of others within own organisation (understanding its value) • Not necessarily linked to a strategy / wider part of business Time and resource Budget Buy in
- 34. A POSITIVE CULTUREREQUIRES EMBEDDING ESV IN DIFFERENT WAYS THROUGHOUT THE ORGANISATION Having ESV champions at different levels – while a committed lead is essential in driving ESV forward, wider buy-in is needed to support ESV Promoting values and benefits – regular communication internally and celebrating the difference volunteers make can help boost the profile of ESV Ensuring ESV is joined up to other parts of the organisation – this may help to ensure ESV has a ‘place’ and purpose in the organisation.
- 35. HOW MIGHT ORGANISATIONS INVOLVEDIN ESV WORK BETTER TOGETHER?
- 36. A MISMATCH OFNEEDS AND EXPECTATIONS CAN CREATE BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE ESV RELATIONSHIPS • Relationships are impacted by individual needs and priorities, which can pull organisations in different directions • Cost is an area of tension but there may be more than just employers not being willing to pay for ESV • Some ‘translation’ is needed to bridge the gap between volunteer-involving organisations and employers – this requires time and resource EmployersVolunteer-involving organisations
- 37. AN OPEN, HONESTAND ADAPTIVE APPROACH IS NEEDED FOR SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIPS Working better together by: • recognising one size does not fit all – being open to different partnership models, with support from brokers • having honest, upfront communications – being clearer about what works and having the confidence to say no • being willing to adapt – understanding the employer context can help build more effective relationships EmployersVolunteer-involving organisations
- 38. HOW MIGHT WEMAKE ESV MORE IMPACTFUL?
- 39. VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES ARENOT AS IMPACTFUL AS THEY COULD BE • Volunteering opportunities of most benefit to volunteer-involving organisations are not those most popular among employers • Many requests for resource-heavy, low-impact volunteering, especially among employers new to ESV • Volunteering is often equated with team-building • Measures of success focus primarily on numbers of volunteers, not impact • Not all employees want to or feel they have work-based skills to offer • Around the same % of ESV volunteers prefer using skills and experience that are different to what they do day-to-day (eg in work or study) as the same ones (40% vs 42%)
- 40. MAXIMISING IMPACT REQUIRESACTION AT DIFFERENT LEVELS Promoting a greater understanding of volunteering Focusing on shared values Recognising that impacts can be realised in different wayRethinking measures of success
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- 42. KEY LEARNINGS Volunteer experience Shared value andpurpose Internal and external relationships What could organisations managing and delivering ESV consider for the future?
- 43. THANK YOU Amy McGarvey, ResearchManager amy.mcgarvey@ncvo.org.uk Report is available at: www.ncvo.org.uk/timewellspent Including a table of questions to consider Look out for our next report on volunteering in the public sector (November 2019)
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- 45. ROUNDTABLE • How mightwe better engage volunteers in ESV? • How might we make ESV more inclusive? • How might we make ESV more impactful?
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- 47. THERRI TAIT PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER,YOUNG CITIZENS @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
- 48. Young Citizens Skills-Based Volunteering: MaximiseYour Impact Therri Tait, Partnerships Manager
- 49. • National educationcharity established in 1989 • Works within the remit of citizenship education • We train teachers, we create classroom resources and we run active learning programmes • Annually, we reach over 250,000 young people across the UK • Partner with over 50 corporate partners About Young Citizens
- 50. We partner withbusinesses to utilise the unique skills and expertise of their employees in the classroom. Working with volunteers is central to our organisational strategy Two main ways we work with businesses: • Experts in Schools • Bespoke Programmes Partnering with corporates
- 51. There are 3branches to our Experts in Schools programme: Legal, Economic and Media Project Delivery: • The business is partnered with a local school • We train the volunteers and create the materials used in the classroom • Volunteers work with small groups of young people to facilitate debate and discussion Experts in Schools
- 52. We create uniqueeducational programmes that align with the CSR and business objectives of the businesses. Examples: • Allen & Overy • CC Land Bespoke Programmes
- 53. • Upskilled employees– reported increase in facilitation, leadership and communication skills • Internal and external networking opportunity • Increase in personal and job satisfaction The Benefits – Volunteers “It’s a brilliant opportunity to work with children who inspire you and make you think differently about your job. It stops you taking work for granted and makes you realise how interesting the law actually is.” - Heloise Waudby, Volunteer, McDermott Will & Emery
- 54. • High qualityprogramme where Young Citizens brokers the relationship • Makes a real difference in their local community • Business development opportunities • Helps businesses to meet their CSR and business objectives The Benefit – Businesses “The best thing about working with Young Citizens is that we feel confident we are making a significant impact and that it answers a real need that young people have.” - Kirsty Christie, Head of Corporate Citizenship, FTI Consulting
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- 56. TINA SHELTON REGIONAL CITIZENSIN POLICING COORDINATOR, NORTH WEST POLICE FORCES @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
- 57. EMPLOYER SUPPORTED POLICING TinaShelton Regional Citizens in Policing Coordinator North West Police Forces
- 58. What Is EmployerSupported Policing? – A national scheme owned by the Home Office – A partnership benefitting employers, their staff and the police service – A scheme whereby organisations give additional paid leave to their staff who are Special Constables and/or Police Support Volunteers
- 59. What is aSpecial Constable? Local volunteer that form a vital link between communities and the police service, and carry out duties that improve public safety and increase confidence. Special Constables: • Have full police powers • Wear the same uniform, equipment, and have same responsibilities as a paid officer • Bound by Police Regulations and Policing Code of Ethics
- 60. What is aPolice Support Volunteer? Police Support Volunteers undertake roles to support and enhance the day-to-day work undertaken by police officers and staff. They: • Undertake a variety of roles to help address policing issues • Enhance service delivery • Focus on proactive prevention and strengthen links between policing and the community Karen is a Police Support Volunteer for Lincolnshire Police who is supported by her employer - G4S. They give up to nine days' paid leave to volunteer under the Employer Supported Policing Scheme.
- 61. ESP Data The Scaleof ESP: • 310 employers supporting policing – 169 other ESP registered employers – 141 in-house schemes • 43 Police Forces have internal ESP Policy • 1,381 Special Constables (approximately one in eight) • ESP Manager Module – DutySheet – ESP Toolkit & Guidance for Forces
- 62. Benefits of EmployerSupported Policing for Employers ESP Impact Report 2019: • Skills, experience and new perspectives brought back into the business • Increases confidence of employees • Enhances reputation and profile • Contributes to morale and retention of employees • Can help in employees progressing and seeking promotion at work
- 63. Benefits of EmployerSupported Policing for Employees/Special Constables • Increased participation, hours and confidence as a Special • Contributes to retention • Helps in work-life balance / wellbeing • Helps employees feel supported in what they do • Able to volunteer at different times, often assisting in accessing training and other opportunities to develop as a Special Constable • Particularly helpful in supporting longer-serving, ‘career’ Special Constables Special Constable Karl Smyth – Trafford Council says, “My paid job as a Social Care Assessor enables me share my professional knowledge with policing colleagues which in turn helps support policing in the community. In return I have developed lots of new skills, such as resilience and leadership which I can take back into my paid work place.”
- 64. Benefits of EmployerSupported Policing Employer Supported Policing is an effective and powerful way for organisations to invest in their people and the local community. But… there are challenges…
- 65. Challenges • Communication • Variationin Force ‘buy in’ and practice • Balancing flexibility and consistency • To be better at actively engaging with employers, including reward & recognition • Resourcing, including gaps in regional and national coordination
- 66. The Future New ESPNational Strategy Vision To ensure Employer Supported Policing is attractive to employers and volunteers and is valuable to the Police Service and communities. Mission To ensure that Employer Supported Policing is an effective partnership benefiting employers, their staff and the Police Service by supporting Special Constables and Police Support Volunteers with additional paid leave to allow them to volunteer in the community to increase public safety and confidence. Priorities • Develop ESP • Raising the Profile of ESP • Broadening the remit of ESP
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- 68. PETE TATHAM PROJECT COORDINATOR,HYDE PARK SOURCE @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
- 69. Pete Tatham –Project Coordinator ESV as a cultural exchange
- 70. What is HydePark Source? Est 1998 We aim to improve people’s health and wellbeing through improving the environment of local areas. We are committed to increasing the potential of individuals and communities – promoting equality of education and training.
- 72. We work with300+ ‘ESV’ Volunteers each year across approx. 30 projects. Mostly Design and Build projects. Group sizes from 2-40. Lots of bank and building societies, also lots of other type of businesses. Some through ‘brokers’ VAL & Benefacto lots through direct links built over the years. Lots of repeat groups.
- 73. Group Dynamics Work Ethos MixedGroups Information on projects
- 74. Why Cultural Exchange? What’sdifferent? Questions we get asked. A question of values? Is it meaningful? What can HPS learn?
- 75. More focus onwellbeing of staff from all sectors Benefits from volunteering days Ongoing connections
- 79. pete@hydeparksource.org www.hydeparksource.org Sign up toour quarterly newsletter, Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
- 80. JONATHAN WILLIAMS OFFICE ANDDEVELOPMENT MANAGER, FARESHARE YORKSHIRE @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
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- 93. IAN ALLARD SENIOR SUSTAINABILITYMANAGER, MACE GROUP LTD @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
- 94. Mace Information HandlingClassification: Unrestricted/Restricted/Confidential delete as appropriate in Slide Master 1 Classification - Public Building Sustainable Cities - How Mace uses volunteering to change communities Ian Allard
- 95. Mace Information HandlingClassification: Unrestricted/Restricted/Confidential delete as appropriate in Slide Master 1 Classification - Public Wellbeing & Opportunity Education, employment and skills Why do we volunteer?
- 96. Mace Information HandlingClassification: Unrestricted/Restricted/Confidential delete as appropriate in Slide Master 1 Classification - Public Wellbeing & Opportunity Responsible procurement Why do we volunteer? Staff wellbeing In 2015: 43 workplace accident deaths & 454 construction suicides Construction workers are 10 times more likely to commit suicide at a rate of 2 per working day**
- 97. Mace Information HandlingClassification: Unrestricted/Restricted/Confidential delete as appropriate in Slide Master 1 Classification - Public Wellbeing & Opportunity Responsible procurement Why do we volunteer? Staff retention & attraction
- 98. Mace Information HandlingClassification: Unrestricted/Restricted/Confidential delete as appropriate in Slide Master 1 Classification - Public Wellbeing & Opportunity Responsible procurement Waste Generated Carbon Emissions (Built Environment) Carbon Emissions (Construction) 42% 349m t 55% 317m t 5.8% 48m t 59% 120m t Material Consumption Why do we volunteer? Environmental impact
- 99. Mace Information HandlingClassification: Unrestricted/Restricted/Confidential delete as appropriate in Slide Master 1 Classification - Public Wellbeing & Opportunity Education, employment and skills Volunteering that makes a difference Meaningful, engaging volunteering in three key areas Maintaining green spaces Education and encouraging the next generation - Coopers Lane Station – A tube carriage turned library Long lasting community improvement - A pop-up park built by Mace Volunteers
- 100. Mace Information HandlingClassification: Unrestricted/Restricted/Confidential delete as appropriate in Slide Master 1 Classification - Public Wellbeing & Opportunity Education, employment and skills Long-Lasting Community Improvement KIDS Charity Playground 100 volunteers from local projects spent 3 weeks refurbishing the playground Rewired and repainted the community centre, offer parents a vital support space The only space for children physical and mental challenges in the borough Local supply chain donated over £60,000 of materials and skills
- 101. Mace Information HandlingClassification: Unrestricted/Restricted/Confidential delete as appropriate in Slide Master 1 Classification - Public Wellbeing & Opportunity Connect, learn and innovate Creating Green Spaces for People and Wildlife Mace encourages staff to help us achieve our target of adding 25% biodiversity Our partnership with the Canals and Rivers Trust and local Wildlife Trusts have allowed our volunteers to contribute to the creation of a new green community spaces around our projects 2 new parks opened in G. London 1 Bird Observation Hide built 1 new sensory garden for SEN Children
- 102. Mace Information HandlingClassification: Unrestricted/Restricted/Confidential delete as appropriate in Slide Master 1 Classification - Public Wellbeing & Opportunity Education, employment and skills Innovative & Inspiring Education Projects Coopers Lane Station Project, in partnership with Transport for London created a new library in a London Mace Science & Engineering Club offer after-school club support to local schools Careers days, site visits and industry talks encourage students to get into the sector
- 103. Mace Information HandlingClassification: Unrestricted/Restricted/Confidential delete as appropriate in Slide Master 1 Classification - Public Wellbeing & Opportunity Occupational wellbeing and quality of workspace What we achieved in 2018 Almost half of Mace staff participated Over 21,000hours of volunteering in 2018 2019???
- 104. ALEX WILLUMSEN COMMUNITY ANDENGAGEMENT OFFICER, SOUTHERN WATER @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
- 105. More in commonthan divides us National Volunteering Forum
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- 107.
- 108. 1 0 We wantto make a difference We want to do something meaningful We care about our community/customers/service-users We have targets to meet We don’t have much time We need to be flexible
- 109. 1 0 The personwho looks after the volunteers only works on Wednesday We don’t have a budget We feel lonely, isolated and stressed We don’t want to be a burden We have more to offer
- 110. Where do wego from here? 1 1 Get to know your local businesses Think creatively Align values Match up needs Be prepared Think long-term Capture testimonials Use social media
- 111. Where do wego from here? 1 1 Get to know your local businesses Think creatively Align values Match up needs Be prepared Think long-term Capture testimonials Use social media Be realistic
- 112.
- 113. ROUNDTABLE • How mightwe create a more positive ESV culture in organisations? • How can organisations involved in ESV work better together?
- 114.
- 115. GARY BLAKE SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS MANAGER,VOLUNTARY ACTION LEEDS @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
- 116. Our Experiences and Challengesof Developing an Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) Project Gary Blake: Voluntary Action Leeds (VAL)
- 117. From small acorns……. OurHistory of ESV, the early days
- 118. Working with Asdaand the early development of ESV
- 119. Our Investment inESV and its returns………..
- 120. • Developing aKey Contact • Upscaling • Working smarter and being more pro-active
- 121. “I am reallysorry but due to business priorities our team is unable to make the team day tomorrow morning”
- 123. ESV Now Looking tothe future
- 124.
- 125. BEN DARLINGTON HEAD OFMEMBERSHIP SERVICES, BENEFACTO @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
- 126. Making the mostof employee volunteers today 23 October 2019
- 127. w: benefacto.org e: ben@benefacto.org m:07872 522 560 127 © Benefacto Limited 2019 Employee Volunteers. Are they any use? get the role right: • ‘the grafters’ – food banks, soup kitchens, community gardens • ‘the charmers’ – social clubs, front-of-house tasks • ‘the coaches’ – employability, IT skills and languages potential to energise staff, service users and volunteers resources to free you up to do other important work Yes!
- 128. w: benefacto.org e: ben@benefacto.org m:07872 522 560 128 © Benefacto Limited 2019 My talk today what should you expect from employee volunteering today? when are employee volunteers useful? When aren’t they? how can you get the best out of an employee volunteering programme? how can you get the best out of volunteers?
- 129. w: benefacto.org e: ben@benefacto.org m:07872 522 560 129 © Benefacto Limited 2019 How has employee volunteering changed? CSR isn’t just a tick-box exercise companies have moved away from ‘paint and fix’ to longer-term programmes more smaller companies are interested in investing in their communities increasing emphasis on the benefits for volunteers participation and perspective
- 130. w: benefacto.org e: ben@benefacto.org m:07872 522 560 130 © Benefacto Limited 2019 Where are employee volunteers most effectively used? grafter, charmer, coach roles front-of-house, not back office: inspire them and reduce admin for you “any comer” roles capitalise on their energy, competence and desire to achieve something
- 131. w: benefacto.org e: ben@benefacto.org m:07872 522 560 131 © Benefacto Limited 2019 When aren’t they useful? pro bono can be a big red herring – who does the project management? when you really need regular volunteers for jobs or projects that need the same people for more than a day or two if you require DBS checks, driving licenses or training
- 132. w: benefacto.org e: ben@benefacto.org m:07872 522 560 132 © Benefacto Limited 2019 How to get the best out of Employee Volunteering 1: Understand what volunteers (and the companies they work for) want choice convenience impact skills – we need to redefine this
- 133. w: benefacto.org e: ben@benefacto.org m:07872 522 560 133 © Benefacto Limited 2019 How to get the best out of Employee Volunteering 2. Be clear about what you want be in this for what it is, not what it might lead to distinguish between volunteering to create revenue and volunteering because it’s useful say no, say what you need
- 134. w: benefacto.org e: ben@benefacto.org m:07872 522 560 134 © Benefacto Limited 2019 How to get the best out of Employee Volunteering 3. Relationships matter a single point of contact on both sides work with a CSR manager or similar, not a team leader looking for a summer group day use a broker address problems head on
- 135. w: benefacto.org e: ben@benefacto.org m:07872 522 560 135 © Benefacto Limited 2019 How to get the best out of Employee Volunteering 4. Efficiency and expectations the right opportunity is key: regular, busy, consistent, minimal supervision make it easy to book: can tech work for you? have your Public Liability Insurance and Health and Safety Assessment done have a single point of contact at your organisation
- 136. CHELSIE RILEY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER,BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
- 137.
- 138. 08/11/2019 Membership Presentation WE EXISTTO INSPIRE AND ENGAGE BUSINESSES TO BECOME MORE RESPONSIBLE AND TACKLE SOME OF SOCIETY’S BIGGEST ISSUES
- 139.
- 140. 08/11/201908/11/2019 • Employee engagement •Skills development • Future talent pipeline • Evidencing impact • Best practice • Brand awareness • Contributing to the community BUSINESS DRIVERS
- 141. 08/11/2019 • Ease • Time •Reduce admin • Network • Knowledge • Local understanding • Best practice • Evaluation WHY DO COMPANIES USE A BROKER?
- 142. 08/11/2019 BENEFITS TO COMMUNITYORGANISATIONS • New business support • Time and cost saving • Project management • Knowledge • Training • Evaluation
- 143. 08/11/2019 WHAT MAKES ANEFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIP: • Ground rules • A safe environment • Managed expectations • Good communication • Clear responsibilities • Mutually beneficial • Sustainability
- 144. 08/11/2019 • Not justdonations – skills can be valuable long term • Don’t assume understanding • What makes you different? • Business benefits • Don’t underestimate the benefits • Manage your own expectations • Remember why businesses are in it • Heart strings • Celebrate • Create ongoing partnerships TOP TIPS FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS
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- 148. JARINA CHOUDHURY VOLUNTEERING DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT,NCVO @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
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- 150. CHARLIE GILLIES TRAINEE VOLUNTEERING DEVELOPMENTPOLICY OFFICER, NCVO @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
- 151.
- 152. BREXIT AND THEVOLUNTARY SECTOR/VOLUNTEERING • Will EU nationals be able to continue to volunteer in the UK? o Yes, if they have one of the following: settled/pre-settled status Euro temporary leave to remain (although only permitted to stay in the UK for three years after end of 2020) a visa which doesn’t prevent them from volunteering. • Will UK nationals be able to continue to volunteer in the EU? o UK citizens are currently eligible to take part in several schemes through the European Voluntary Service. o The long-term UK membership of these schemes is still unknown, however the UK government has guaranteed to cover the cost of funding from these schemes should the UK leave the EU without a deal. o Outside of these schemes, without a collective agreement in place, this will largely come down to the view of the authorities of that specific nation. Check with UK-based embassy of that nation.
- 153. GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION: PREVENTIONSAGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE • During the summer the Government Equalities Office launched a consultation asking whether the current laws on protecting people from sexual harassment in the workplace are effective and set out some options for change. • One of the key proposals by the Government is to give volunteers the same Equality Act protections against sexual harassment that employees have, with the same recourse to employment tribunals. • NCVO ran its own consultation process with its members to get their views on these proposals. NCVO has now submitted its own response to the Government’s consultation – you can read this in full on the NCVO website.
- 154. THANK YOU TOOUR SPEAKERS! @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum
- 155. @NCVOvolunteers #VolForum PLEASE FILL INYOUR EVALUATION FORMS
- 156. NCVO champions thevoluntary sector and volunteer movement to create a better society. We connect, represent and support over 13,000 voluntary sector member organisations, from the smallest community groups to the largest charities. This helps our members and their millions of volunteers make the biggest difference to the causes they believe in. • Search for NCVO membership • Visit www.ncvo.org.uk/join • Email membership@ncvo.org.uk 156
Editor's Notes
- #8 Pleased to be here to kick off this NVF on the theme of Employer Supported Volunteering with our research focusing on this topic, that we did earlier this year in partnership with the Corporate Volunteering Network
- #9 To start, just a bit of background to the research
- #10 As some of you may be aware – at NCVO we’ve been exploring the volunteer experience for over a year, through a programme of research called Time Well Spent, which is based on national survey of over 10,000 people across Great Britain, which we carried out last year. The focus was on volunteers themselves but we also had the perspective of former and non-volunteers too. Following the launch of the main research report, we wanted to take a closer look at some key themes which came out of the original research – and the research I’m talking about today is the first of these looking at Employer Supported Volunteering (ESV) and as you can see we have more in store
- #11 For this focused research, our aim was to bring together the latest evidence and get a 360 perspective on the issues of ESV including the context and landscape, importantly the experience of ESV, the motivations and impacts and wider engagement with ESV. All with a view to using the findings to inform practice and policy in this area The definition that we used is referred at the bottom It explores issues such as: The context and landscape of ESV, including key challenges The experience of ESV, including the organisation of ESV, volunteering opportunities and relationships between those involved The motivations for getting involved, and benefits and impacts gained Wider awareness, participation and engagement with ESV
- #12 Briefly on our approach, we used the TWS findings as a basis – and built on it with review of existing literature, esp CVN’ s recent research, and then conducted interviews and workshops with brokers, employers and charities involved in this area. And held a round table with these audiences to reflect on the findings. CVN supported at these different stages.
- #13 To start with a bit of context 3 key things to highlight
- #14 Firstly, the scale of ESV Overall, ESV makes up a small part of the volunteering population overall - from our TWS data, 10% of recent volunteers had done it via ESV in the last 12 months as their main vol (if multiple) – this confirms other research It’s a bit tricky to say whether participation levels have changed over time – the most recent data we have year-on-year at a national level didn’t report any changes between 2013/14 – 2015-16 , no data more recent on ESV to look at But in our recent research when we spoke to volunteer-involving org and brokers through our recent research, some reported seeing an increased demand in this area in recent years
- #15 The second point of context worth mentioning is just to highlight that there isn’t just one form of ESV – whilst we have provided a definition, this slide shows some of the many different variations in terms of when / how it takes place. And we know it’s not even known by one name.
- #16 Finally for context – and something which is important to keep in mind for what we’ll discuss next, is the motivations for getting involved in ESV What our research highlights is that ESV volunteers (as with non-ESV volunteers), volunteer-involving organisations and employers all have a common aim of wanting to improve things and help people. However, these different groups of stakeholders also have a range of other individual motivations These can shape the way they participate in ESV and what they prioritise. Where they clash, it can lead to tensions but where they focus on shared values, ESV works best.
- #17 So as mentioned being based on our TWS research the volunteer experience was a key aspect of this research
- #18 What we found is that, consistent with high satisfaction levels for volunteers overall,, the majority of those who volunteer through ESV are positive about their experience
- #19 Feel a range of benefits Primarily around making a difference, achievement , enjoyment These are broadly similar to non-ESV One area where there was particular difference – was improved employment prospects but as you can see it still at the bottom
- #20 When organisations (both employers and VIOs) reflected on these findings from TWS, I broadly resonated with their experiences Where these positive experiences were cited as seen in this quote was often around development of a connection to the organisation and its cause and ESV that was well planned and organised
- #21 However, whilst positive on the whole our TWS findings show that compared with non-ESV volunteers, ESV vols less positive, as you can see from satisfaction esp difference for v satisfied
- #22 And these differences can be seen across different aspects of vol experience from the process of getting involved to feeling recognised – and it’s worth highlighting that in a que asking how important recognition was to volunteers, it was more likely to be important to those volunteering via ESV compared with non ESV volunteers
- #23 Again when reflecting on these less positive findings, VIOs and employers were overall not surprised. They attributed these less positive perceptions to a number of things, esp that as it was going via employers, volunteers may have less flexibility or choice in who they’re volunteering for and how. Also, often it may be very short –term in nature There were a number of features also which seemed to be common to ESV which worked less well, such as where it involved large groups, was resource heavy and low impact.
- #24 So as we’ve seen the overall picture is positive but it highlights some room for improvement I now want to spend rest of this presentation thinking about ESV and the challenges and opportunities in the context of the future
- #25 When we asked participants in our research what they thought the next 5-10 years would hold for ESV there were a number of common themes 1. While a small % overall, many volunteer-involving organisations and brokers had already perceived an increased interest in ESV among employers in recent years, and many felt this trend was likely to continue. 2. A key concern among all groups, however, related to the economic climate in which ESV operates, and how to address the challenges of meeting a growing demand for ESV in an uncertain economic environment esp. around funding 3. While the climate in which ESV operates is likely to get tougher, some perceived that increased expectations on employers to place more emphasis on employee wellbeing and to have a values-based culture and ethos, were likely to give impetus to ESV. 4. These increased expectations on employers may mean organisations (and some are) looking to creative and more innovative ways of incentivising employees through ESV. Additionally we know there wider changes in the work environment such as increasingly flexible and remote working may trigger changes in the way ESV is delivered. Where volunteer-involving organisations choose to support and deliver ESV, the need to engage with these changes is likely to increase.
- #26 It can be quite daunting to think about ‘the future’ in this context so we looked at challenges and opportunities through five key ques Whistle stop tour through our key findings in these areas (much more detail in the report)
- #28 While orgs feel there is an increased demand for ESV, our TWS shows that only a minority are actively interested in participating : only 10% of all survey respondents (including both volunteers and non-volunteers), when presented with a number of ways of getting involved in volunteering in the next 12 months, were interested in future opportunities to volunteer that were ‘supported or encouraged by their employer’. A number of barriers to engagement Key barrier is competing work pressures also make it challenge for employers to engage employees and plan ESV activities, and sometimes can be hard for employees to take part depending on their role. Additionally engagement in ESV relies first and foremost on employers providing opportunities for employees to get involved, and employees being aware of these opportunities. TWS indicates that more could be done to raise awareness and encouragement of ESV both within organisations and more widely. Around a third (34%) of those who had volunteered during work hours or participated in volunteering activities organised by their employer in the last 12 months, said their employer encouraged them in their volunteering ‘not very much’ or ‘not at all’.
- #29 To better engage volunteers, suggestions made were around Removing practical barriers by making ESV as easy and flexible as possible – and help them fit around competing work priorities making it more ‘personal’ – really engaging with what is meaningful to volunteers, whether it be through getting them involved in shaping opps or supporting them to find their own building connections with volunteers - our research highlighted that volunteer-involving organisations can often focus on relationships with employers but need to invest the same time and effort into relationships with volunteers – and recognise that while ESV volunteers may not initially look for long-term involvement but where engaged effectively, they can go on to be involved in different and more impactful ways.
- #31 Previous research shows that orgs of all sizes could benefit but the reality is that involvement is v skewed to larger orgs on both sides Additionally, it can sometimes feel ‘exclusive’ from the volunteer perspective too - especially for skills-based volunteering opportunities. For example, a law firm reported a contrast in engagement between those in their legal roles, many of whom participated in pro-bono volunteering, and those in their support functions who were less likely to see volunteering as relevant for them. (The imbalance in skills-based volunteering participation is also highlighted in Time Well Spent research: those using professional and occupational skills (not just in ESV) were more likely to be from higher socio-economic groups.)
- #32 Taking steps in the right direction for ESV is likely to be about thinking beyond where we’re at now, doing more to go outside the box. Whether it’s offering a broad range of opps, recognising that people come with more than just their professional skills and may have a wider range of skills and experiences to offer. Eg MH experiences (and we know from our research that people often want to offer these not their work skills) Also seeing small orgs differently – while charities may tend to go for larger orgs with a view of greater financial contributions, SMEs can have unique advantages, eg being more flexible
- #34 Both engagement of volunteers and making ESV more inclusive relate to having a ESV culture – and a positive one While research has often focused on the relationships between those involved in managing and organising ESV, one of the things our TWS report highlights is that many of the barriers to progress relate to internal challenges, rather than external ones. And what’s interesting to note is that both employers and VIOs experience similar internal challenges – as seen here relating to time and resource, budget and buy-in
- #35 And just as the barriers are the same, some of the same things can be done within orgs – whether employers and VIOs to help create a more positive ESV culture. The findings suggest that employers and volunteer-involving organisations could focus on: First, is ensuring that ESV is bought in at different levels. The CVN research highlights that within volunteer-involving organisations, wider buy-in was most challenging at the middle-management level. Second, is showing the value that ESV can bring and talking about it Thirdly, particularly important for charities is ensuring ESV is joined up to other parts of the orgs including its processes, structures and strategies, – in our workshops with VIOs for example, we heard about ESV being disconnected from other volunteering in the org and not having any strategy. Without this, it is difficult for it to have a place and purpose within the org and will never be a priority.
- #36 Of course can’t ignore the external side of things
- #37 As mentioned much of the research previously done eg by CIPD has focused on issues in this space, esp. some of the tensions between volunteer-involving orgs and employers Our research suggests these challenges still remain, and one of the thing our research highlights is that it starts early, I showed the chart earlier about motivations and the fact that those involved in ESV, while sharing a common aim, also have different individual motivations driving them which can influence their priorities. The findings from this research highlight that differences in the ways volunteer-involving organisations and employers manage these ‘other’ priorities are what often drive relational issues between them. For example, volunteer-involving organisations were most likely to look for long-term partnerships with employers, as a more secure route to financial contributions. For employers, however, wanting to meet the range of employees’ needs and preferences often meant that a variety of partnerships was preferred, over a small number of long-term relationships. The issue of charging for ESV has also continued to be an area of tension. Again, our research highlights this continuing issue but also sheds a bit more light on this – while the perception among charities was that employers are simply not willing to pay for ESV, the reasons from employers were more wideranging -= including that they weren;t always clear what the cost is for, that it was confusing because there was variaton in practice around charging for ESV, it was not always talked about clearly. We know that some charities are fearful of these conversations. Finally, beyond cost sometimes issues were driven by a lack of ‘bridging the gap’ on both sides - it was not always clear to employers what volunteer-involving organisations’ needs were, and in turn employers themselves found it difficult to translate their offer into something that was appropriate in the context of the volunteer-involving organisations they were working with. All groups acknowledged, however, that this ‘translation’ process did not just happen on its own. It required time and resources on the part of both organisations to look at individually but also to work on together. However, with limited resources (especially for smaller volunteer-involving organisations and SMEs) this was not always possible. Some drew on broker support for this.
- #38 While many suggestions had been previously made, the key ways forward suggested among VIOs, employers and brokers were about the approach that needs to be taken on both sides. Given employers are not always looking for long term relationships, there was a suggestion that charities need to be more open to different types of partnership models, and that brokers could help them. Also felt to be important for charities to be clearer about what works and able to say no, which can increase wider understanding about what it takes to organise impactful ESV opportunities and also support employers to understand what it takes. At same time need to understand their context too and being willing to adapt to one another.
- #39 Last but not least, volunteer impact
- #40 We talk a lot about impact when it comes to volunteering but within the discussions on ESV, what was clear that there are some barriers that is leading to opps that are not as impactful a they could be. These include the fact that much of ESV still centres on requests for the ‘big group’ activities, that aren’t that beneficial for charities and this is often driven by a perception that volunteering is the same as team building A third barrier is that measures of success are often focused on numbers – this can often drive these big group activities as employers may be more concerned about ensuring maximum participation. But many charities themselves told us they struggled with measuring impact Finally a factor to take into consideration is the preferences themselves - while skills-based opps are often what charities find most impactful, not all want to do ‘skilled’ volunteering, even if they have the skills. Often vol is about wanting to do something different
- #41 Just as there are many different types of barriers, maximising the impact of vols involves action in a variety of different areas Given the issue of understanding among some employers about what volunteering is (and not) more needs to be done to promote a greater understanding of volunteering . Brokers and VIOs can support employers to do this One way of doing this is also about identifying the shared values to help ensure that opportunities aren’t just aligned in terms of benefit but also are impactful all round While skills-based vol can often be equated with impactful opps, research indicates not seeing as the magic bullet but instead being open minded and focusing on how the biggest impact can be made – already seen orgs doing different things, whether it be through collaboration or schemes that approach ESV a bit differently And finally when it comes to measuring impact, research highlights that just focusing on numbers can be restrictive and should challenges these looking at impact in the wider sense.
- #43 So obviously the questions we’ve looked at are quite big questions that are a little challenging to cover in two slides each but hopefully something to get you thinking at the start of this day where we’ll be reflecting on ESV In our full report, we have provided a table of different things which all orgs involved can ask themselves across these different elements in more detail - we’ve got some printed copies as well on the tables, but if there are three take-aways from our research to highlight 1) When it comes to ESV, previously much of the focus has been on the relationships between the orgs involved and less focus on the volunteers themselves. Our research highlights that more could be done to look at them – both in helping to improve their experience but this is also likely to have multiple benefits to the orgs involved – eg employee satisfaction for employers, or volunteers who are more likely to get involved in other vol for charities 2) Our research higlhights the importance of identifying and focusing on shared value and purpose. While all groups participating in ESV share a common aim in wanting to improve things and help people, they each have their own motivations for getting involved. Where these are not aligned, it can have a negative impact on relationships and result in high-resource, low impact opportunities. Conversely, where volunteer-involving organisations and employers (sometimes with the support of brokers) focus on shared values and purpose, we see ESV being successful. Underpinning ESV opportunities with these core values can also help those managing and organising ESV to consider key questions of where it is appropriate or not, and what types of opportunities can best meet needs. 3) Lastly, we’ve highlighted that orgs involved need to look internally within their own orgs as well as the relatiohnships they hold with each other. Our findings highlight that it is often internal challenges within organisations that can be the biggest barrier to moving forward. It also shows that volunteer-involving organisations and employers face many of the same issues, especially around getting buy-in. For ESV to truly have a place and purpose within organisations (whether volunteer-involving organisations or employers), it needs to be supported, by a strategy, a structure which connects ESV with the rest of the organisation’s activities, or through colleagues who understand what ESV is for, and its benefits and value.
- #96 Volunteering improves the quality of communities around our projects This enhances Mace’s reputation and brand Empowers our staff to be part of responsible business Helps our staff improve their own personal and professional development Can improve productivity, happiness, wellbeing and creativity Increases the value to society contribution Integrity is a Mace Value Volunteering helps us build sustainable cities, improves assurance, better staff engagement, well being etc. (less likely you will get a noise complaint if the local community feels empowered by Mace’s presence) Use example of how education and working with children can improve communication (if you can master working with children, onsite briefings will be a breeze!) Volunteering helps us achieve our V2S target The age of responsible business is upon, and we are leading the industry We aim for volunteering projects around company values and goals, let’s do what we do best, and help build strong communities
- #97 in 6 people of working age have a mental health condition. This can stop people performing at their best. Mental illness is the largest single cause of disability in the UK There were 5,965 deaths through suicide in 2016, down from 6,188 in 2015. Male construction workers have the highest suicide rate across all professions in the UK Suicide is the leading cause of death in males under 50. 81% of suicides are male. Stress is predicted to be the most prevalent disease by 2020 and depression is due to be the second most prevalent In a recent report in Construction News (April 2017) a survey of construction workers found: 54% have experienced mental health issues 41% have experienced mental health issues at their current place of work 24% had considered taking their own life 14% had lost a colleague to suicide 90% didn’t ask their employer for support 29% had taken time off work due to mental health issues 60% did not tell their employer the reason for their absence 82% said there is a stigma surrounding mental health in the construction industry 88% said there needs to be more support Only 28% are satisfied with the support they have been given by their line manager
- #99 Go farther afield
- #100 We encourage our supply chain to join us in offering our expertise to change lives and communities
- #104 Just a few of the magnificent projects last year – 48% got involved last year – aim for 60% this year Staff are expected to participate in the programmes There are a range of opportunities
- #138 Introduction to me
- #139 Business in the Community is the oldest and largest business-led membership organisation dedicated to responsible business. We were created nearly 40 years ago by HRH The Prince of Wales to champion responsible business. We inspire, engage and challenge members and we mobilise that collective strength as a force for good in society to: Create a skilled, inclusive workforce today and for the future Build thriving communities in which to live and work Innovate to repair and sustain our planet Today, we have a vibrant membership of hundreds of businesses, large and small, connected by the conviction that their success is inextricably linked to society’s prosperity. We set a course for responsible business. We use our Responsible Business Map to guide members on a journey of continuous improvement, working across the whole responsible business agenda. From community engagement to employment, diversity and the circular economy, we offer expert advice and specialist resources, driving best practice by convening, sharing learning and recognising great performance across our influential Network.
- #140 Community Engagement is BITC’s national campaign to engage employees in the communities through volunteering. More than 400 companies support city-based and regional Community partnerships in 35 locations across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The campaign promotes employee volunteering in work time and engages employers in collaborative action targeting key social issues in the most deprived communities. Using 35 years’ experience of building mutually beneficial partnerships, Business in the Community is well-placed to provide strategic guidance, practical tools, facilitation and evaluation to enable your business to have the greatest possible positive impact in the community through skills-based volunteering. 4,713 individual community organisations have received support (includes schools)
- #142 Makes it easier to get started if you don’t already have a community programme or have just moved into the area Why do companies use a broker? Save time and resource Reduce administrative burden of community activity Opportunity to network with other businesses as well as link more effectively to the community Access Knowledge - Opportunity to maximise impact to hard to reach communities and Local understanding Independent third party to provide advice and access to best practice Evaluation
- #143 Benefits TO THE COMMUNITY ORGANISATION Access to new sources of business support Introductions to ‘appropriate’ businesses reducing time and cost of making approaches to business Project management experience and administration Knowledge of legal issues, insurance, etc Can provide training and briefing for all staff
- #144 WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIP: Agreement of ground rules and confidentiality A safe environment in which to admit weakness and ask for help An opportunity to discuss feelings as well as facts about the work situation An opportunity to hear and be heard Managed expectations from the outset Clear responsibilities Mutually beneficial
- #145 • Don’t just think of business support in terms of donations – volunteers sharing skills may be more valuable in the long term • Don’t assume your business partner will understand what you do • Don’t forget that you may not be the only request they receive. What makes you different? • Don’t forget that the business will want to benefit too • Don’t forget that policies and people may change quickly – don’t rely completely on future support • Don’t underestimate the benefits their staff will gain • Don’t be greedy and expect business to be able to meet all your needs • Do remember that businesses are in business for profit and may often be struggling to survive themselves • Do prepare your case – why does your work fit with theirs? • Do think about how you can recognise and celebrate your partnerships • Do ask if they’d be happy to receive information from you on an ongoing basis • Do strive to forge an ongoing partnership