Strategy Publications

This guidance has been produced to assist NHSScotland Boards to develop their own strategic, ongoing plans on volunteering and how it will assist them to achieve patient wellbeing.

Guidance on Developing a Strategic Action Plan on Volunteering

This guidance has been produced as part of the Scottish Government Refreshed Strategy for Volunteering in the NHS in Scotland (CEL 10 2008). It aims to help NHS Boards to consider the incorporation of information about its, and national, provisions for volunteering into the staff induction programmes and offers suggestions on what information could be included about national provisions.

Guidance on Staff Induction

This information about employer supported volunteering has been produced as part of the Scottish Government’s Refreshed Strategy for Volunteering in NHS Scotland (CEL 10 2008) and is intended to help NHS Boards, through the Nominated Leads on Volunteering, to consider what actions , if any, they could take on employer supported volunteering.

Guidance on Employer Supported Volunteering

This guidance has been produced for NHS Boards in Scotland as part of the Refreshed Strategy for Volunteering, launched by the Scottish Government in February 2008.

All volunteers should have an induction appropriate to their level of involvement and the nature of their volunteering role which helps them to understand how they contribute towards the day to day activities of the area in which they are involved and also covers how they contribute towards an NHS Board’s goals.

Guidance on Volunteer Induction

The following document provides a summary of the various roles and activities undertaken by volunteers accross NHSScotland as of January 2010.

Volunteer Roles & Activities

The Learning Event on the Scottish Government Strategy for Volunteering was held in Edinburgh on 24 March 2009. Around 80 particpants attended to hear about the achievements of the first year of the Strategy and to consider the future opportunities and challenges for volunteering in NHSScotland.

Learning Event Report 2009

Volunteer Development Scotland has produced 3 on line information sheets which explain briefly what the Strategy means for NHS staff, patients and volunteers

What does it mean for NHS Volunteers
What does it mean for NHS staff
What does it mean for NHS patients

The Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit enables organisations to assess the impact of volunteering on their key stakeholders - the volunteers, the organisation, the beneficiaries, and the broader community. Organisations can use it to assess a wide range of impacts, from the skills development of volunteers to the economic value of volunteering to organisations.

The Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit has been piloted in NHS Lothian, the State Hospital and the Glasgow Breastfeeding Initiative. 
 
Impact Assessment Toolkit

Impact Assessment Report - Glasgow Breast Feeding Initiative

Impact Assessment Report - NHS Lothian

Impact Assessment Report - State Hospital

 
Key Learning Report - Assessing Volunteer Impact in NHS Scotland

A review produced by Volunteer Development Scotland which includes information from the Insitutue of Volunteering Research, Scottish Council Foundation and the Welsh Assembly. The document also contains details on

• a study of womens experiences in community well women clinics
• a review of Community Service Volunteers " Primary Care Scheme"
• studies on the health benefits of volunteering

Review of Literature and Research

In February 2009 the Scottish Government published guidance on out of pocket expenses for volunteers involved directly with NHS Scotland. The guidance seeks to introduce a consistent approach to this matter across all of the NHS Boards in Scotland

Scottish Government Guidance on Volunteers Out of Pocket Expenses