A new Research Bulletin, ‘Monitoring volunteers: a guide to collecting and using data’, has been published by the Institute for Volunteering Research.

It aims to provide guidance to both volunteer-involving organisations (VIOs) and volunteer development agencies (VDAs), based on findings from a four-month research project. In pdf, 168KB.

Media regulator Ofcom has published ‘Community radio: volunteer input’, containing guidelines for community radio stations that wish to use volunteer time as part of station turnover (e.g. when calculating allowed income from sponsorship).

Download in pdf, 112KB, from http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radio/ifi/rbl/commun_radio/volunteerinput.pdf. Community Media Association will be producing more detailed guidance shortly (http://www.commedia.org.uk).

Anyone currently working in the voluntary sector in the policy field, or wishing to develop the policy functions of their organisation, are invited to complete a ten minute survey which will guide the work of the NCVO Policy Skills Development Programme.

The survey aims to capture information on:
- How policy work is understood and carried out by organisations and individuals across the sector,
- Individual learning needs of policy workers,
- Broader challenges to effective policy work.

Closing date 31st July, http://www.ncvo-consult.org.uk/survey.asp?s=01220217234165148.

People Management magazine reports that errors at the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) in the year to February 2008 resulted in wrong information being given about 680 applicants for jobs in teaching, nursing, childminding and volunteer work.

Given the volume involved this is not very high, but still a serious issue for those concerned. http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/2008/07/crb-checks-hit-by-errors.htm.

A thriving third sector has been recognised as a high priority for nearly two thirds of top tier local authorities in England. In drawing up a shortlist of 35 ‘National Indicators’ on which they will be measured (out of the set of 198), 62 per cent chose to include one or both of the two third sector indicators: NI6 - participation in regular volunteering; or NI7 - creating an environment for a thriving third sector. Society Guardian has a short item at http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jul/02/voluntarysector.localgovernment, or see the Office of Third Sector news item. The latter quotes the chief executive of Acevo (the chief execs body) saying “The take up of these indicators is far better than I expected.”

You can find out what local priorities in your area have been negotiated with government at the Local Priorities site, http://www.localpriorities.communities.gov.uk/. See Podnosh blog for a few comments on how helpful this is, or could be.

Work Re-tune is a new web tool to help senior professionals and managers to understand, negotiate and implement more flexibility in their roles.

It has been created using the expertise of the Working Families charity with government funding. http://workingfamilies.ionetwork.ac.uk/retune/pages/EG1.html?menuID=0_2.

(Source: HRzone)

A report on the skills survey for the Northern Ireland voluntary and community sector, a collaboration between nine of the Sector Skills Councils and led by Skills for Justice and sector umbrella NICVA, found that ninety five per cent of sector organisations fall within the footprint of one or other of the Sector Skills Councils, with over half falling within two or more.

Other key findings include: Recruitment is difficult for organisations; Skills gaps exist across the sector; Current and future skills needs in relation to management and leadership are of particular importance.

News item at http://www.nicva.org/index.cfm/section/news/key/240608_Sector_Skills, or download the survey (pdf, 822KB).

‘Time to Train’ is about how up to 22 million workers in England should be able to use a proposed new legal right to request time to train, published by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

Consultation closing date 10th September, http://www.dius.gov.uk/consultations/con_180608_timetotrain.html.

The government’s independent volunteering champion Baroness Neuberger is seeking views on volunteering in the criminal justice system.

This follows her first report on volunteering in health and social care, and Plaza Publishing news alert last week quoted her as saying that this second review was proving to be “more complicated”. Responses by 1st September - the Office of the Third Sector news item includes some specific questions.

As announced in November, the government funded Train to Gain service, which provides specialist advice to employers on training and skills needs, now covers volunteers as well as paid workers.

A sector specific guide to Train to Gain has been produced by the Learning and Skills Council, and can be downloaded from http://www.lsc.gov.uk/whatwedo/employer/VCS.htm, or direct link to pdf, 943KB, http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/national/nat-traintogainandthethirdsector-jun08.pdf.

The employment relations body Acas has now issued draft guidance to accompany its new Code of Practice on discipline and grievance.

The code has been revised to reflect changes being made to workplace dispute resolution due to upcoming employment law, and has also been streamlined to 12 pages. The guidance is more detailed and somewhat longer.

While this is only draft, the importance of the Code is such that it is worth taking into account. http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2080.

The Institute for Volunteering Research published a number of research bulletins for Volunteers’ Week, based around Helping Out: the 2007 national survey of volunteering and charitable giving.

Titles include ‘Managing for success - Volunteers’ views on their involvement and support’, ‘Regular and occasional volunteers - How and why they help out’. See What’s New page, http://www.ivr.org.uk/whats-new.htm.