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The Volunteering Lens of Public Health

Emergencies

Paula Speevak

President & CEO, Volunteer Canada

May 14, 2020

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Contents

1. Input from the field

2. Volunteering Safely & Screening

3. Virtual Volunteering

4. Keeping Volunteers Engaged

5. Governance

6. Where to from here?

VOLUNTEER CANADA

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Volunteer Canada

Our Vision

Involved Canadians. Resilient communities.

A vibrant Canada.

Our Mission

To provide national leadership and expertise on volunteering to enhance

the participation, quality, and diversity of volunteer experiences to build

strong and connected communities

Volunteer Canada works with a network of more than 200 local volunteer

centres that provide leadership and expertise on volunteer engagement

in their communities

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1. Input from the field

Based on the direction from public health authorities and the level of

vulnerability of clients and participants, organizations determined

what the immediate course of action ought to be:

a. Suspend, postpone, or cancel events, services, or activities

b. Increase and expand services, programs, and activities

c. Adapt in-person activities by:

• transitioning to a virtual format

• modifying delivery to a lower-touch format

This changed over time…. and is now evolving again as we consider

the next phase

Resources:

COVID-19: VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT IN PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES: RISK AND LIABILITY (bms, Gowling WLG, Volunteer Canada)

RISK MANAGEMENT DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: CHECKLIST TO RECOVERY (bms, Gowling WLG)

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Poll #1: Impact on Volunteer Programs

1. Since the pandemic was declared in mid-March, has your main program or service:

o been suspended, postponed, or cancelledo increased or expandedo continued by transitioning to virtualo continued by modifying to lower-touch/increased safety

2. Compared to March and April of 2019, has the number of people contacting you to volunteer:

o increasedo decreasedo stayed the same

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2. Volunteering Safely

• Stay Informed of Public Health authority directives and the risks associated with volunteering

• Determine whether it is safe for you volunteer in-person, based on your individual level of vulnerability

• Ask the organization what practices are in place to mitigate risks

• Decide whether you are comfortable volunteering in-person for the organization, based on the above

• If not, consider virtual volunteer opportunities

• See Health & Safety Considerations for Volunteering

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Are Volunteers Considered to be Employees?

• There is no consistency in the language in federal, provincial/territorial legislation that defines volunteers as employees

• When it comes to occupational health and safety, human rights, and employment standards, organizations are responsible for providing fair, safe, and supportive practices for all those who they engage in their work, including volunteers

• Organizations are also responsible for the work that is done in their name, including by volunteers

• Therefore the standard of care is to treat volunteers as employees in most circumstances, except for compensation and recognition

See COVID-19: Volunteer Engagement in Public Health Emergencies: Risk and Liability

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Considerations for Screening

• What is the direction of the public health authority?

• Have your programs and services been deemed essential services?

• What is known about the vulnerabilities for specific populations and how does this relate to your clients and volunteers?

• What additional risks does the public health emergency create for clients and for volunteers?

• What are the best screening practices for improving matches, increasing quality and safety, and mitigating risks?

See The Screening Handbook (Volunteer Canada)

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Poll #2: Impact on Screening

In which areas has the pandemic changed the way you carry out the

ten steps of screening? (Choose all that apply)

1. Assessment

2. Assignment, Role, Position

3. Application

4. Recruitment

5. Interview

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In which areas has the pandemic changed the way you

carry out the ten steps of screening? (Choose all that apply)

6. Reference Checks

7. Police Checks

8. Orientation & Training

9. Supervision and Support

10.Feedback and Evaluation

Poll #2: Impact on Screening

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3. Virtual Volunteering

What is virtual volunteering?

• volunteering done online, via computers,

tablets, or smartphones

• usually off-site from the non-profit organization

being supported. More and more,

organizations are engaging people who want

to contribute their skills and time via the

Internet

See Virtual Volunteering

VOLUNTEER CANADA

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Vision

Convert in-person volunteer jobs into virtual positions and create new

virtual positions.

Create a blog or regular email communication to update volunteers

about what your organization is doing to carry on its mission and/or

serving its clientele.

Use this blog or email blast to broadcast any volunteer requests, virtual

or other, that emerge as the situation evolves.

If volunteers are continuing to perform regular or redesigned roles

(following a risk assessment on your part), ensure that they are well

informed about all safety procedures. leadership and expertise on volunteering to enhance the

participation, quality, and diversity of volunteer experiences to build strong and connected communities

4. Keeping Volunteers Engaged

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Keeping Volunteers Engaged

• Create on-line training or convert existing training to on-line training

and encourage volunteers to participate. This might be easier to

handle as independent learning modules, rather than webinars.

• If you are a volunteer centre, connect with your municipality and

health network about volunteer needs during the pandemic – you

could serve as a link between people wanting to help and the

needs in the community. Suggest these opportunities to the

volunteers who are temporarily unable to do their regular task.

See Keeping Volunteers Engaged Blog

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5. Governance – Questions to Consider

1. Can we continue to offer programs and services according to public health authorities?

2. If we continue, how do we modify our delivery format to mitigate risks?

3. If we cancel or postpone programs, services and events, what are the financial implications?

4. What is the position of funders for program and project grants?

5. How does the situation impact our ability to retain paid employees?

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Governance – Questions to Consider

6. What resources are needed for employees to work from home?

7. What are the organization’s greatest vulnerabilities - in the short

and the long term?

8. How can we prevent worst-case scenarios from occurring?

9. What questions from the press would we least like to face?

10. How can we ensure we continue to meet our obligation to

exercise our Duty of Care?

See Non-profit boards and COVID-19 blog

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6. Where to from here…

As provinces and territories “open up” and public

health authorities change their directives, organizations

are considering:

a. Can we resume activities, programs, and services that were

cancelled?

b. If so, what measures need to be put in place?

c. Do we see the resumption as a reprieve until a potential next

wave or do we see establishing a new way of operating until

a vaccine is available?

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d. What have we learned in terms of service delivery that

we may want to retain?

e. What are the longer-term human and financial

resources requirements and realities?

f. What are the impacts on volunteer engagement?

g. What is the position of funders and regulators

regarding any service or program modifications?

Where to from here…

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How is your organization planning for the next phase of operations?

o We are thinking about next steps

o We are actively planning our next steps

o We have a plan in place for the next phase of our operations and re-engaging our volunteers

Poll #3: Planning for the next phase

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Sector Advocacy

• A number of leadership organizations in the non-profit sector have been advocating for support for the sector to respond to the pandemic and to include the non-profit sector in relief programs available to other sectors, including wage subsides, rent subsidies, mental health services, services to address family violence, and grants for services to vulnerable people

• Leadership organizations are also advocating for resiliency funds to sustain organizations whose income has been impacted by the pandemic

• See Imagine Canada Information Sheet and how to get involved

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Resources and Learning

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Questions or for more information:Deborah Pikedpike@volunteer.ca

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