• Equal Opportunities Policy
• Volunteer Policy

We will listen carefully to what people tell us they need from HVCA and do everything in our power and within our resources to ensure their needs are met.

Physical access
HVCA premises will be reviewed regularly so that access by staff and users with disabilities can be maintained and improved where necessary.

Recruitment and Employment Practices
It is vitally important that HVCA’s staff understand the full diversity of their clientele.

As far as it lies within our power we will ensure that our recruitment processes are designed to ensure equal access for all.

We will design our job specifications to allow for as wide as possible a range of transferable experience and qualifications to be taken into account.

During a recruitment process, HVCA will take into account the guidelines set out in London Voluntary Service Council Equal Opportunities Policy.

HVCA’s work force is never likely to be large enough to reflect the full diversity of our users. However, we will do everything we can to ensure that those we do employ share our belief in the value of everyone and reflect that belief in their work.

Management Committee - November 2002

2.HVCA attracts three main types of volunteer:
a)Trustees who act as Management Committee members (‘Trustees’) b)Volunteers who help in the day-to-day running of the organisation, eg covering the office and keyholding (‘General volunteers’) c)Volunteers who help on a one-off basis, mainly at events (‘Volunteer helpers’) This policy applies to all types of volunteer unless specified otherwise.

3.Recruitment
We generally recruit through local promotion in the form of free publicity, our website, leaflet drops, and word of mouth. We also actively recruit volunteers when necessary. Our aim is to draw people from the whole breadth of our community. a)Trustees are usually local residents or from user groups. Where there are skills gaps we will actively search for volunteers, for instance by using volunteer bureaux. b)General volunteers are also recruited actively by HVCA, through outreach and partnerships with other organisations.

4.Supervision
a)Trustees have a legal duty to take collective responsibility for the management of HVCA. b)Supervision of general volunteers will normally be done directly by the Co-ordinator, or by another experienced volunteer under the overall supervision of the Co-ordinator. c)Volunteer helpers at events will be under the supervision of the person designated as Co-ordinator of that particular event.

5.Insurance and Health/Safety
We will ensure that volunteers are adequately covered by our own insurance. Volunteers will be made aware of our Health and Safety policy, and are expected to act in accordance with it. In particular we ask volunteers to be alert to any issues that could affect their own or other people’s safety.

Management Committee - August 2004