Feedback on questions raised by the evaluation

How can we develop on-going volunteer

management in care homes?
Establish current level of volunteer management
Identify needs
Communicate expectations on
recruitment and management

How to increase the level of volunteer

activity in care homes?
Targeting more specifically e.g. those retired

Do you set the same standards in the

recruitment and selection process for staff and
volunteers?
Outline need for on-going training and support

Reducing time expectations in order to retain

volunteers for longer

VM training for care home managers and those

responsible for this
Awareness for care staff re roles and
expectations and potential benefits for all
Peer support
Being creative about ways of managing

Sharing good practice

Sharing good practice

Engage in intergenerational projects to get

people interested in volunteering e.g. Princes
Trust

Clarity of expectations
National guidelines and standards
Resource bank to support activities (materials
etc.)
Volunteers using activity as fundraising for care
home

Identifying existing skills and experience of all

those working in the care home looking for
strengths not just areas where support required
Informal as well as formal management clarify
roles

Look at existing volunteer activity and ask

why/why not staying

Stressing that importance of a welcoming and

supportive care home on the volunteer
experience and retention

Going and talking to the community

Distributing leaflets
Word of mouth (from existing volunteers)
Make it clear at outset that volunteers need to
go in regularly
Befriending more than one person

Look at those doing most volunteering to find

out what is unique about them
Ask care home what additional support they may
need to recruit and manage
Explore carefully peoples motivations
Need continuity for sustainable relationships

Care home owners need to share more

information about residents i.e. birthdays to help
develop relationships between volunteer and
resident
Volunteers visiting more than one home

Changing the language so its less formal e.g.

volunteer management sounds formal and
increasing volunteer activity suggests that
volunteers are being encouraged to do more
than they want to do
Help homes have a better understanding of
volunteers and what they can/cannot do how
to value volunteers,(understanding) volunteer
management structure who does what (needs to
be clarified & why its important)

This dependent on resident needs and wishes

and volunteers abilities, skills and wants.

If care homes have the evidence that volunteers

can reduce falls, accidents, level of medication &
will relieve staff because people are more
positive and engaging with life, they are far more
likely to be positive about taking on volunteers in
care homes
LA commissioners should hold care homes
accountable for volunteer management
Care home management should include training
in volunteer management

Have a volunteer manager/champion to increase

levels of activity. Ideas flexible volunteering
times, non-traditional volunteering (corporate,
micro), change attitudes of care home, move
away from activity to well being

Management of volunteers should be spread

across the care home
Training/on-going support for care homes on
volunteer management
Identify the skills/challenges for the staff each
care home will be unique need to be inclusive

Paid volunteer co-ordinator in homes to manage

volunteers
Paid activity co-ordinators
Volunteers are staff volunteer management
begins with staff management
Formal meetings for exchange of ideas
In depth inductions to help build relationships
reduce conflict
Involve volunteers in all activities e.g. xmas
lunches
Make volunteers part of the family

Role description to request people volunteer for

a minimum number of hours
Offer where possible more flexibility in time of
day and a type of activities when and how
volunteers could get involved.

Engaging more with local volunteer centre

Creating what activities we want need and target
marketing for these roles. Be clear on what role
we need and time required
Service user involvement (get residents involved
in volunteer activity where possible as
volunteers)
Person centred what do the residents want
and then match with volunteer interests and
needs
Targeted recruitment for roles identified promotional material s around the different
roles. Look to Health & Social Care students,
local residents, corporate volunteers with skills
such as advocacy, counselling. Also offer
seasonal opportunities.
Care homes open day
Flexible activities
Thanking volunteers in front of staff and
residents volunteer contribution valued and
respected helps to consolidate and build up
Tap into research trends targeting isolated
people
Building opportunities suited to volunteer
lifestyles
Spreading the word
Make sure volunteers have good positive

Clarity on volunteer roles

Same training opportunities
Ensure volunteers are equally informed about
residents e.g. hospital admissions
Develop use of technology to assist in the
management of volunteers e.g. training matrixs,
co-ordination of staffing, linking to friends and
families (apps for social networking)
Use technology for training volunteers e
learning and dementia awareness
Bespoke training for volunteer management
Need to have a lead person in care home but
also integrated volunteer management
everyones role is to support and recognise the
value of volunteers

experiences
Tapping into residents skills what can they
offer
Bite size projects to engage different types of
volunteers
Need for goal induction programme
Staff/family to put forward ideas

Base activities on past history of residents

Volunteer skills/hobbies develop in the care
home
Bring in new ideas IT, Skype, technology to
staff/residents and families. You tube juke box
for reminiscence; pictures, words and music
used as prompts. There are also story telling
apps and can write life stories on the computer
Talk to residents about what activities they want
old hobbies or old connections
Would family and friends want to volunteer
Engage staff with the value of volunteering
Managing staff expectations around volunteers
Make sure volunteers have good stories and
evidence of the value of volunteering - they are
some of the best recruiters word of mouth