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Volunteer Management qualification approved

A brand new qualification for people who manage volunteers has been approved by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) and is now available across the UK from Lantra Awards.

The nationally recognised 'Advanced Certificate in Volunteer Management' has been created to encourage consistently high standards of volunteer management within organisations and to provide a framework for candidates to develop their skills and knowledge in the workplace.

The qualification is aimed at anyone who manages, supervises or leads volunteers on a day-to-day basis, including people who are volunteers themselves. It is applicable in any sector to any organisation working with volunteers.

The new qualification has been developed by Lantra Awards, in association with leading voluntary organisations, including the BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers), the National Trust, RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) and the Wildlife Trusts, many of whom have already piloted the qualification with their own candidates.

Director of Lantra Awards, Hilary Bayliss says, "We are delighted that we have been able to work with high profile organisations, who have much experience of working with volunteers, to develop a new qualification that recognises and develops the skills of those who manage volunteers".

The Voluntary Sector National Training Organisation (VSNTO) sees the qualification as a key tool for professionalising the role of volunteer managers:

"We welcome the launch of the Lantra Advanced Certificate. The fact that it has been developed with the voluntary sector and thoroughly road tested ensures that it will be a very useful qualification for those in direct day-to-day management of volunteers. This new certificate will be a useful addition to the range of options available".

Half a million volunteers work in the environmental and land-based sector alone. This qualification will be key to improving the skills of the people who manage them.

Candidates who completed the qualification in its development phase played a key role in shaping the qualification and are extremely positive about their involvement:

Christine Robinson, Conservation Volunteers - Northern Ireland: "I have benefited from an improved management style, which should hopefully result in happier volunteers."

Sarah Mason, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust: "I have gained a better understanding of the work I do and an overview of volunteering - so that a review can take place which had not been done before."

Irene Cieplak, Wigan & Leigh Hospice: "I have most certainly benefited. I have reviewed, questioned and updated some of the forms and the working document I use. I have researched into volunteer management publications to find better ways to produce, plan and manage."

Anita Goodwin, The National Trust: "I am actively looking at how I manage, which will ultimately improve my work with volunteers."

Feedback received from industry during the pilot phase has also been greatly supportive:

Anita Goodwin's Line Manager, The National Trust: "This has resulted in improved monitoring and feedback procedures and better induction and information to volunteers. As a knock-on effect, this information is also available for all staff, making improvements across the board."

Irene Cieplak's Line Manager, Wigan & Leigh Hospice: "Irene has found working towards this qualification a very positive experience. It has enabled her to look objectively at her role and to recognise areas of best practice. Key tasks identified from the project will form part of Irene's next appraisal."

The Advanced Certificate will be launched at a joint event on 18 July with the VSNTO and Ufi (University for industry). Ufi will be launching its own Managing Volunteers learndirect programme - a comprehensive course designed to provide volunteer leaders with the skills they need to manage volunteers in any voluntary sector. The learndirect course has been specifically written in a way that allows it to contribute to the evidence required for the Lantra Awards Advanced Certificate in Volunteer Management
qualification.

For more information about the Advanced Certificate in Volunteer Management, contact Lantra Awards on 02476 419703 or email awards@lantra.co.uk

 

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