Volunteering Policy
Orkney Islands Council values the contribution made by volunteers to the fabric of the Orkney community. Volunteers have a vital role in adding value to many of the services provided by the Council, including social and community care, housing, community development, environmental improvement, economic development and job creation, education, advocacy and community engagement.
The Council encourages and supports volunteering, while recognising that the role of volunteers complements rather than replaces that of professional staff and others who are engaged in delivering services which the Council has a statutory duty to provide. To facilitate volunteering, the Council provides training and support for volunteers in public sector projects, makes provision for training and support in grants and contracts and promotes, supports and provides training for volunteers' managers where appropriate.
The Council also provides recognition, support and publicity to the work of Voluntary Action Orkney as the key co-ordination and development body for volunteering in Orkney, and as a recruitment centre for volunteers.
Volunteers formally working for the Council will be treated by the Council in the same way as ‘employees’ purely for the purposes of the Health and Safety at Work, etc, Act 1974, and regulations made thereunder. As such, the Council will comply with all relevant statutory requirements including the duty to assess and control risks. Such volunteers will be expected to operate within agreed guidelines and remits relating to their task and to follow health and safety regulations and instructions and attend training and support sessions where required.
The policy complements the Volunteering Policy for Schools which is maintained by the Education, Leisure and Housing Service, and can be obtained by emailing education.leisure@orkney.gov.uk or telephoning 01856873535.
The Volunteering Policy is available in PDF format from the ‘Related Downloads' section of this page. Should you have any queries about the document, please contact the Strategy Manager by emailing SPBS@orkney.gov.uk or telephoning 01856873535.
