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Scotland Volunteer Survey

Mapping and Consultation in Scotland: Summary Report November 2007

Aims of the Survey and Consultation

  • Inform volunteers of the work of the staff  arising from the implementation of the Scottish Strategy for Action which had been drawn up and approved in May 2005
  • Assist the branches to develop a local action plan which fitted into a national picture

 

It was important that as many volunteers as possible were involved with the process, as a previous consultation exercise carried out in 2004/05 reached only around 15% of the volunteers in Scotland.  In this survey, 292 volunteers out of a total of 931 active volunteers responded – a participation rate of 31.3%.  We believe this to be a very representative and useful sample.

This was also an opportunity to inform volunteers of the current roles and objectives of Regional staff, and to encourage volunteers to direct priorities and activities in the future.

 

Methodology

A standardised approach was adopted for all branches which comprised:

  • A visit to every branch by the SSO publicised in advance to encourage volunteers to meet him
  • In-depth interview with Chairmen and other office bearers using standardised format
  • Questionnaires for volunteers discussed with those attending and left with the Chairmen to encourage completion by all volunteers and to be posted back

The visits were organised in blocks of 5 to enable reports and feed-back to be given quickly following visits.  Reports included a proposed action plan with areas where the SSO could provide assistance being highlighted.

 

Timescale

The process began in January 07 and was completed by October 07.  The report was presented to the Regional meeting in November 07.

 

Summary of Outcomes

Volunteer Profiles

  • 931 active volunteers in Scotland at time of mapping (932 in 2006)  1026 total.
  • Number required as a minimum to do all jobs:  943
  • Estimated number required to avoid overstretching:  1333
  • Support volunteers across Scotland:  26
  • Teams short across Scotland by 349 volunteers
  • Smallest teams:  external training, fund-raising , publicity and schools
  • 73% female – 34% under 45 years
  • 27% male – 62% under 45 years
  • 64% over 46 36% under 45
    (figures for survey – close to figures for organisation generally)

Implications:  we are running at minimum levels and the low number of support volunteers is an indication that we are asking listening Samaritans to carry the bulk of additional activities.  Is this something we need to address?

 

Volunteer Attitudes and Experiences

  • 95% said their experience was good/above average
  • Best thing about being a volunteer:  having supportive and friendly fellow volunteers
  • Worst thing – expected and actual levels of commitment and participation
  • Top suggested improvement/s:  More volunteers and more opportunities to meet and learn from other volunteers

Only 74 responses listed helping callers as the best thing about being a Samaritan.

 

Implications:  we can use the positive aspects of being a volunteer more in our recruitment materials, although helping callers is clearly also important.  We have a fledgling team of media volunteers prepared to talk about their experiences – this is something that we could develop.

 

Participation in Branch Activities/Teams

  • 47% had held an office bearer’s post
  • 53% had not because of the time commitment required
  • 65% participated in activities other than shifts
  • 35% had not because they were too new or inexperienced

Volunteers listed that the top positive aspect of branch activity was the range and extent of work, and prison work was especially highlighted.  Volunteers showed considerable levels of awareness of the work available to them, but this was balanced by the views that a high level of commitment was required to participated and be supported effectively.

The top areas of participation were listed as:

  • Prison work
  • Training
  • Schools/talks/publicity and fund-raising
  • Caller care

Less positive aspects of being a volunteer highlighted were:

  • Expected and actual levels of commitment
  • Branch politics
  • Lack of calls or inappropriate calls.

There was a range of other views with less overall consensus such as too much paperwork, specific services not preferred like text or e-mail and poor communication.

Implications:  not surprisingly, the levels of commitment is a significant negative for volunteers, and this squares with the basic reality that we are running with less than minimum levels of volunteers.  However there are other issues for concern such as low call numbers and the unwillingness of some to take on new services.  Are there issues to address as our service continues to change – e.g. more calls at night times; impact of call diversion on quieter branches?

 

Making Things Better

  • More volunteers
  • More opportunities to meet/network with fellow volunteers through local and regional events
  • More training opportunities

There was a range of other responses around clearer decision-making, better rotas and improved organisation generally.

 

Implications:  the significant lesson here is how keen volunteers are to meet together and yet this is at odds with the very low number of people who choose to take the opportunities for meeting at regional training events and the national conference.  What do we need to change about these events to encourage people to come?  Organising activity on a more local level may help.

Also this desire to meet up and share ideas with each other was contradictory to the answer to the question about what volunteers would like to know more about:  a surprising number said that they knew enough already or were happy with what they knew.  There is an issue of how we train, and what we provide training on implicit in these answers.

 

Recruitment

  • Most volunteers found out about Samaritans from the press
  • 55% said they had encouraged a friend to join
  • 45% said no because of fears of imposing on others
  • Overall, recruitment process was good
  • Recruitment/selection satisfactory; training very good

There were comments about pre- and post-SIT with varying views as to which training was more effective. More worrying was the emerging perception that there were 2 distinct groups of volunteers (pre and post SIT) and views as to respective outlook, commitment, and awareness of policy.

Implications:  no specific problems – although the responses to the recruitment and selection were on the whole less good than responses to the questions about training.  There are lessons about the experience of recruitment and selection which may help us to get more volunteers through to training.

Wider Aspects of Samaritans Work

Choose Life

  • All but one branch answered questions about Choose Life
  • 4 reported limited impact either financially or through partnership working
  • All other branches were very positive about the impact of Choose Life, through both funding for publicity, training and other resources, and through opportunities for new or improved networking and awareness raising.

DEAL

  • 10 branches were confident of somewhat confident about promoting and supporting DEAL
  • 7 were not very or not at all confident.

This is a surprising result as anecdotally we had expected more branches to be not confident about DEAL.

Developments

Final comments were made around developmental work.  Most volunteers supported developing the Scottish newsletter, e-bulletin and a Scottish web site.  There was also already activity around working with young people and focusing on rural issues.  Detail of the breadth of other activities is contained in the full report.

However a snapshot of the kinds of developmental/outreach activity is:

  • GP referral schemes
  • Charity shop
  • Drop-in centre
  • Refurbishments or finding new premises
  • Notice boards at hot spots
  • Recruitment of eastern European volunteers and links with the polish/eastern European community
  • Links with elderly callers

Summary of Implications/Learning Points

  • We need to recruit more volunteers – around 300 this year
  • We have issues of gender and age imbalance to address – implications for publicity materials, and targeting of information
  • We have a huge wealth of positive feed-back from volunteers to use in our recruitment advertising/publicity/open evenings
  •  We need to create opportunities for volunteers to mix more – but why don’t they attend national conferences/on-going training?  Open agendas?  Travel – cluster groups etc?  Implications of the pre-post-SIT attitudes
  • Half of our volunteers would not approach friends/family.  Should we pilot something?
  • Involvement of support volunteers – smallest teams are those where support volunteers might be most help – publicity, fund-raising, talks
  • Local involvement brings rewards – explore more options – implications for staff roles (Choose Life)

 

An introduction to the work of Samaritans in Scotland