Volunteer Policies
Volunteer Code Of Conduct
All Volunteers
• Abide by and support the vision and culture statement, policies and guidelines of the organisation
• Act in the best interest of the organization
• Maintain Confidentiality
• Abide by safety and risk management requirements
• Participate in orientation and training
• Maintain my own personal record of my volunteer hours
• Keep communication friendly and respectful, no bullying
• Follow any verbal or written direction of W4W Inc. senior management
• Report to senior management of any complaints, bullying/ harassment or safety concerns
• Warriors 4 Wildlife Inc., W4W Inc. or our logo is not for use without prior written permission from the executive committee
For Volunteer Rescuers
• Always communicate with the phone operator to let them know of the outcome of a rescue or if any circumstances change.
• When communicating with the public be sure to be polite, civil and respectful
• No use of inappropriate language
• Give the member of public W4W Inc.’s number if they have any questions or concerns
• Promote W4W Inc. and encourage members of the public to like our Facebook page, access our website for useful information and if appropriate to donate through our website. www.warriors4wildlife.org.
• Do NOT put yourself at risk. If you are unsure, please contact the W4W phone operator for advice or contactthe volunteer coordinator through our chat room or email info@warriors4wildlife.org
• Always wear appropriate attire when attending a rescue e.g. closed toed shoes, long pants, high vis vest.
For Volunteer Drivers
• Use a warranted, registered and insured vehicle when driving for the organization and notify us if loss of license has occurred.
License needs to be current.
• Ensure that you are responsible and safe whilst driving a car, at no time must you drive under the influence
• Agree that all costs and fines are your responsibility
• Do not put yourself at risk.
If a volunteer is driving a Warriors 4 wildlife vehicle, please refer to the organisations car policy.
On Chat Groups
• Be polite and respectful to each other, everyone is still learning
• Keep the conversation to rescues or education only and maintain professionalism
• Share your rescues and photos, however, do not disturb the animal and only take a minute to take the photo, no flash.
Volunteering for Shelters
From time to time we will receive requests from shelters for help from volunteers. This is on your own accord and not under the Warriors 4 Wildlife Inc banner, however, please ensure you:
• Follow any verbal or written direction of the shelter operator at all times
• Ensure you wear appropriate attire
• Maintain a neat and tidy area, put things back where they belong
• Call ahead if you are unable to attend
• Never assume, always ask if you are unsure
Registered Shelter Permit Holders and Foster Carers
• Keep W4W Inc. informed of your shelter registration and foster carer details
• Always communicate with the phone operator to let them know of the outcome of a rescue or if any circumstances change.
• When communicating with the public be sure to be polite, civil and respectful
• No use of inappropriate language
• Give the member of public W4W Inc.’s number if they have any questions or concerns
• Do NOT put yourself at risk.
• Always wear appropriate attire when attending a rescue e.g. closed toed shoes, long pants, high vis vest.
• Any video or images shared with W4W Inc. are to be in direct correlation with DEECA guidelines.
Under No Circumstances
Must rescuers or volunteers keep wildlife. Under the Victorian Wildlife Act 1975 wildlife are protected within this Act and it is an offence to keep or trade native species without the appropriate licence or permit. To report environment and wildlife crime through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or contact DEECA https://www.deeca.vic.gov.au/our-department/contact-us
Warriors 4 Wildlife Inc. agrees to:
• Provide information about the organization
• Provide orientation, support and supervision
• Provide a safe working environment
• Give you access to our policies and procedures
• Provide volunteers with the opportunity of attending W4W Inc.’s workshops, fundraisers, working bee’s and community projects
• Acknowledge and recognise the contribution of our volunteers
CONTACT
Please contact Warriors 4 Wildlife Inc. on 1300 352 923 or by email at info@warriors4wildlife.org
Social Media Policy
1. Overview
Social media describes the online and technological tools that people use to easily share information and content (including profiles, opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives and media itself) in communities on the internet, thus facilitating conversations and interaction between groups of people.
This Policy is designed to protect the interests of Warriors 4 Wildlife Inc.’s members, employees, contractors, interns, volunteers, customers and clients, suppliers and business affiliates, and W4W Inc. itself when employees use social media.
W4W Inc. recognises that social media is a rapidly growing and widely used phenomenon. While W4W Inc. accepts and values the role social media plays in society, it is necessary for guidelines to be developed to ensure that employees and contractors of W4W Inc. use this style and form of communication in a manner which does not pose a risk to the operations, reputation or culture of the organisation, or a risk to the health, safety or reputation of other employees or contractors of W4W Inc.
2. Scope of this Policy
The scope of this policy covers all forms of social media, social networking, chat groups and blogging. There are numerous social networking sites however, the more mainstream ones include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Wikipedia and blogging sites.
This policy recognises that as technology changes, there may be other forms of sharing social media and social networking, and this policy will cover any form of sharing information by any medium or by any internet site; website; blog; video clip; social media site; text message, sites such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, My Space, Twitter or Wikipedia; or any similar way, or by any other medium even if not known or devised when this policy was promulgated. In essence, if you are using any form of electronic technology to transmit information (including words, sounds or images) to other persons, that usage will be treated as “social media” and covered by this Policy.
3. Social Media Conduct
All members/volunteers are cautioned that the internet is not an anonymous tool. Everything written either from employees’ home or work computers can be traced back to the individual, which has the potential to reflect on W4W Inc.
Under no circumstances should bullying, harassing, offensive comments or disparaging remarks be made about any members, employees, contractors, interns, volunteers, customers or clients, or suppliers and business affiliates of W4W Inc.
No disparaging remarks or opinions are to be made or expressed about W4W Inc. or its products, services or its business methods.
No disparaging remarks or opinions are to be made or expressed about any party to a litigation in which W4W Inc. is involved.
The privacy of all members and volunteers, customers, suppliers and business affiliates and clients of W4W Inc. should be protected with respect to posting photos or videos on social networking sites. Permission should be sought from all people depicted in any photograph that is connected in any way to W4W Inc.
Without limiting the breadth of that instruction, this applies to photographs at fundraisers, workshops, working bee’s or any event sponsored by or promoted by W4W Inc.
As security can be a concern, no photographs of company premises, either external or internal, rescues, fundraisers or events should be posted on social media without express approval from W4W Inc. and its Executive Committee.
W4W Inc. will leave it to the discretion of individual members or volunteers in deciding whether to interact with clients, colleagues and other people connected to W4W Inc. via social networking sites. However, it is understood that if employees, members or volunteers do make those connections they do so on a personal basis and not as a representative of W4W Inc. and the above restrictions will apply.
Members and volunteers should not identify themselves as employees, members or volunteers of W4W Inc. in their personal social media accounts (Facebook, etc,) without prior approval from W4W Inc.
W4W Inc. at its sole discretion can monitor the content of members or volunteers public social media content. “Public social media content” means any social media content that can be accessed by the public generally, and includes tweets, Facebook wall posts and messages sent to groups.
A member or volunteer of W4W Inc. shall not publicly post inappropriate content on a social media forum. Inappropriate content includes, but is not limited to, content that:
Bullies, harasses or discriminates against an employee, member or volunteer;
Damages the reputation or business interests of W4W Inc. and is otherwise unlawful.
4. Disciplinary Action
A breach of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, including possible termination of membership or volunteer position.
Where a member or volunteer uses social media to harass or bully other members or volunteers, W4W Inc.’s Social Media Policy will apply. Members or volunteers who are found to have engaged in such conduct will face disciplinary action, including disciplinary action or possible termination of membership or volunteer position.
W4W Inc. recognises the core role that volunteers fulfil at every level of the organisation. It endeavours to communicate with volunteers in appropriate ways, including bulletin boards, e- mails and social media platforms. It also recognises the importance of seeking volunteers' ideas and opinions at regular intervals.
Both volunteers and the organisation agree that the intellectual property rights of original work produced by volunteers automatically transfers to the organisation.
Opportunities will be sought by W4W Inc. to recognise the value of member’s and volunteers’ contributions and communicate their appreciation both formally and informally.
This policy and accompanying procedures will be reviewed every year to ensure that it reflects best practice for volunteering for W4W Inc.
Work Health and Safety Policy
1. What you need to know
The health, safety and welfare of all people who interact with the W4W Inc. is of the utmost importance. This applies to all Committee members, Management, Volunteers, contractors, members of the pubic and anyone else who may be affected by our business operations.
W4W Inc. is committed to complying with its Work Health and Safety (WHS) obligations as set out in the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 supported by the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017.
2. Principles
You are responsible for knowing your WHS obligations and the WHS procedures.
All members and volunteers will proactively work together to identify and manage
potential WHS risks.
You must take care that your actions do not adversely affect the health and safety of
other persons.
You must comply with any reasonable instruction to ensure compliance with WHS
obligations.
3. Who does this policy apply to?
There are three types of people with specific obligations under the WHS legislation: workers, officers and all other people.
Executive Committee and Management includes any person who makes, or participates in making decisions that affect the whole, or a substantial part of the W4W Inc
Members and Volunteers includes any person carrying out work for W4W Inc. as a member or volunteer, this also includes contractors.
All other people, such as customers, who attend or otherwise are engaged with the W4W Inc. workplaces, workshops, fundraisers, working bee’s, community days and/or rescues.
Not complying with this policy may be considered misconduct and may result in a breach where a letter of warning or disciplinary action will be taken.
4. Objectives
W4W Inc. strives to maintain an effective approach to WHS by:
Sharing and making this policy available to you
Complying with WHS obligations, as set out in relevant legislation
Publicising and advocating our commitment to WHS
Maintaining and continually improving the WHS Management Policy through actions such as regular reviews and audits
Actively seeking to prevent injury and illness to you and other people by monitoring situations and conditions
Providing information, instruction and training
Encouraging you to take proactive steps to resolve potential WHS matters
Facilitating the sharing of information through consultation
Recognising that W4W Inc.’s work environment and conditions will continue to evolve
Adapting to changes in best practice, regarding workers’ and other people’s needs and legislation, and
Regularly reviewing WHS Management Policy documents to ensure they remain relevant and meet W4W Inc’s needs.
5. Duties of W4W Inc.
W4W Inc. will, as far as is reasonably possible, ensure:
Your health and safety while you are on duty volunteering, and
That other people are not put at risk from work carried out for, or on behalf of, W4W Inc.
W4W Inc. will, as far as reasonably practicable, develop, implement and maintain:
An environment that reduces and eliminates risks to health and safety as per the act
The provision of appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision, and
Ongoing monitoring and auditing of conditions associated with W4W Inc.’s operations.
6. Duties of Workers/Volunteers
As a worker you are required to:
Take reasonable care for your own health and safety
Take reasonable care that your actions do not adversely affect the health and safety of other people
Comply with any reasonable instruction or directions given by the Executive Committee to ensure compliance with WHS obligations
Co-operate with any policy, procedure or guideline of W4W Inc., and
Promptly report and record WHS risks or incidents, in accordance with the procedures. Managers are also expected to:
Provide leadership and model appropriate attitudes to WHS matters
Proactively assist in identifying and managing potential WHS issues
Encourage volunteers to report and record WHS risks or incidents
Respond promptly and appropriately to WHS reports
Verify that the right training, instruction and supervision is available for volunteers, and
Make sure volunteers have the right information, and
Escalate matters to warriors4wildlife@hotmail.com when necessary.
7. Duties of the Executive Committee and Management
A member of the Executive Committee and Management is a person who makes, or participates in making, decisions that affect the whole, or a substantial part, of W4W Inc..
They are obliged to exercise due diligence and to take steps to satisfy themselves that W4W Inc. is effectively discharging its WHS duties. This includes:
Keeping up-to-date on WHS matters
Understanding the W4W Inc.’s operations, hazards, risks and control mechanisms
Ensuring there are the right resources and processes available to eliminate or minimise risks to health and safety
Understanding the processes and systems used by W4W Inc. to comply with its WHS duties, and
Implementing adequate mechanisms for receiving, considering and acting on relevant information regarding incidents, hazards and control mechanisms.
8. Duties of other people (including visitors)
If a person attends a W4W Inc. building (for example, volunteers/visitors), they must:
Take reasonable care of their own health and safety
Take reasonable care that their actions or omissions do not adversely affect the
health and safety of others, and
Comply, so far as they are able, with any instructions that may be given by W4W Inc. regarding WHS obligations.
9. Risk management process
W4W Inc. is required to manage work health and safety risks. and should use the risk management process which is set out in the Risk Management Policy. These guidelines inform you about how to manage work health and safety risks in four key steps:
Step 1 – Identifying hazards
Step 2 – Assessing risks
Step 3 – Controlling risks, and
Step 4 – Reviewing control measures.
Risk management activities or actions should be documented, where reasonably practical and appropriate, to ensure transparency and assist with any subsequent reviews.
10. Consultation
W4W Inc. will consult with other WHS duty holders, Executive Committee, Management and volunteers, as far as reasonably practical. This is a vital aspect of the Work Health and Safety as it facilitates communication, cooperation and inclusive decision making where there is an impact on WHS.
11. Training
You are expected to stay up-to-date with your WHS responsibilities by:
Completing the W4W Basic Rescue and Transport course
Reviewing the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 supported by the
Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017.
Reading and understanding this policy
Working with your Manager and Team leaders
12. Reviews and Escalation
W4W Inc. aims to improve health and safety performance by assessing compliance with work health and safety standards.
To escalate specific WHS matters (such as a potential risk or incident) please contact the Committee on 1300 352 923 or by email: info@warriors4wildlife.org
13. Things to remember
Safety is everyone’s responsibility.
Always take reasonable care that your actions do not adversely affect the health and safety of others.
You are encouraged to report WHS issues including customer aggression.
Report and record WHS risks or incidents in accordance with the procedures.
Managers need to proactively manage potential WHS issues.
Managing WHS risks is most effective when people are consulted, and risk controls
are implemented early.
Privacy Policy
We are committed to protecting your privacy in all your interactions with Warriors 4 Wildlife Inc. We will do our best to protect your personal information from the moment you share it with us. The following Privacy Policy sets out how we deal with your personal information.
1. Collection and use of personal information
W4W Inc. collects personal information from you e.g. name, phone number, email address, postal address or credit card details, in order to provide you specific products or services. We collect this information through our website, during phone calls, from forms and through other correspondence, so that we can:
provide rescue advice and assistance
process donations or merchandise orders
send receipts
provide you with volunteer opportunities
engage with our volunteers
keep an accurate record of our supporter database
inform our supporters of our work and available opportunities assist us in developing efficiencies in marketing and fundraising activities
If you opt-in to receive information from W4W Inc. use our services, donate to us or purchase from us we may add you to our supporter database and we may communicate with you to inform you of additional related activities, products, services or fundraising which may interest you.
2. How information about you is shared
To communicate with you and to provide you specific products or services we may also share or disclose your information to other organisations that assist us in service provision e.g. Australia Post. These organisations or third party providers are under contractual obligations to not disclose your information and to use that information solely to deliver products or services to you on our behalf.
We may also need to disclose your personal information if required by law. We will never sell, rent, trade, loan or lease the information on our list to any external party for any purpose.
W4W Inc. may at your request or in the interest of animal welfare need to refer you or your details to other organisations and other animal welfare groups. W4W Inc. do not control these organisations and are not responsible for any of their practices that might breach your privacy.
3. Accuracy of information
W4W Inc. will take reasonable steps to ensure your personal information is accurate, complete and up to date. If you need to access or update your information please email info@warriors4wildlife.org.
If you do not wish to be identified you are able to contact us anonymously. W4W Inc. will not make it mandatory for you to provide personal information unless it’s required to provide a product or service. W4W Inc. may request you to provide information voluntarily and W4W Inc. will allow anonymous transactions wherever that is reasonable and practicable.
4. Media/Social media
All information, images and correspondence provided in the Warriors 4 Wildlife Inc, Google Workspace remains the property of W4W Inc. No personal information will be shared outside of Google Workspace without the express approval of the original source.
5. How you can opt out of data collection/usage
Warriors for Wildlife understands that nobody wants to receive spam and we only want to send you communication that you are happy to receive.
Your participation in all interaction with W4W Inc. is voluntary and you are able to opt out of any specific communication, or all communication with us at any time. If you wish to opt out of receiving any communications, please contact our support team on this email info@warriors4wildlife.org.
6. Credit card donations and payments
Donations and payments made online are processed in real time using a
secure payment gateway are processed in Australian dollars. If you do not wish to donate or place your order over the internet you can call or mail us instead.
7. Information exchanged within W4W Inc.
Volunteer information made available to W4W Inc. Executive Committee, W4W Inc. Management and Team Leaders through training courses, meetings, phone calls, chat groups, text, systems, conversations or correspondence is provided confidentially on the basis that it may directly or indirectly assist in the engagement, support and management of W4W Inc. volunteers, and is intended only for that purpose.
Information made available to W4W Inc. Committee, W4W Inc. Management and team Leaders through training courses, meetings, phone calls, chat groups, text, systems, conversations or correspondence is provided confidentially to our rescuers and carers on the basis that it may directly or indirectly assist in the care of native animals and is intended only for that purpose.
8. Security
W4W Inc. has security measures in place to protect against loss, misuse and alteration of information under our control. We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that paper and electronic records containing personal information are stored appropriately and only accessed by authorised personnel. We will also review our security and data management practices on an ongoing basis.
Where you have chosen a password which allows you to access to W4W Rescue and Chat groups, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We advise you to not share your password with anyone.
9. Changes to this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy is effective as of November 2020 and will remain in effect except with respect to any changes in its provisions in the future, which will be in effect immediately after being posted on this page.
We reserve the right to update or change our Privacy Policy at any time and you should check this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Service after we post any modifications to the Privacy Policy on this page will constitute your acknowledgment of the modifications and your consent to abide and be bound by the modified Privacy Policy.
Customer Service Policy
1. Introduction
Warriors 4 Wildlife Inc. mission is dedicated to rescuing sick, injured, orphaned or abandoned animals in need, assist wildlife shelters with donations of supplies through fundraising and help educate the public in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and habitat conservation.
W4W Inc. strives to provide outstanding customer service. Professional and knowledgeable staff and volunteers are empowered to serve all customers in a friendly manner with courtesy and respect and delight our customers with quality service at all times.
This policy is designed to develop an organisational culture focused on meeting the needs and expectations of our customer’s and to continuously improve our service.
2. Policy Application
We will treat customers with dignity, fairness, and respect, free from discrimination
We will make every possible effort to provide responsive service in all areas of the business
Should a problem arise, our goal is to resolve the matter through prompt and fair reconciliation with customers
We will listen to customers and take their views, wishes and needs seriously
We will make sure that our volunteers are trained to give customers the help and advice that customers need Policy Objective:
To listen, understand and respond often to the unique and evolving needs of our customers
To clearly communicate our service vision to our management and volunteers at every level, and ensure that service quality is personally and positively important to everyone in the organisation
To establish concrete standards of service quality and regularly measure ourselves against those standards
To ensure that our volunteers are trained in our policies and procedures so they have the knowledge and skills to achieve the service standards
To ensure that volunteers who go one step beyond the expected actions for customer service are recognised and rewarded as individuals or as a group
Principles
All members and volunteers are accountable for the quality of customer service delivered through their own work or any project/team work of which they are a part of
Executive Committee Members, head of departments and managers are responsible for developing a customer focused work ethic in their teams and empowering volunteers to undertake more customer focused decision making
Management will provide staff with the appropriate tools, information and training to provide quality customer service
Our Values
Our values are those shared assumptions and beliefs, which really influence our behavior. They are the ‘cultural glue’ of our organization as well as our beliefs. They are our driving force to achieving excellent service standards. Our values are; integrity, respect, commitment and stewardship.
Implementation and Monitoring
Every member of W4W Inc. must comply with the policy as described and documented. Committee Members, Managers, and Team Leaders are responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the policy in their respective areas of responsibility. They must discuss it with volunteers and ensure that the policy is available to them for reference when required.
3. Customer Service
To attract, retain, delight and educate customers on the valuable service we provide
Welcoming Environment
Management and volunteers are responsible for ensuring W4W Inc.’s place of work whether it be at the office at market stalls, fundraisers or events etc. are kept clean and in good order with strong visible branding.
General Cleanliness and Neatness
Clean floor and tables with no litter
Advertising material neatly arranged and dust free.
Decent and professional dressing by staff members
No drinks out in view
Customer Involvement
The Customer should always be given 100% attention when being spoken to
Ask questions to cross-check your understanding
Customers should be educated by giving them as much information as possible and that which is relevant to their situation
Realistic expectations should be set by explaining to the customer what can and cannot be done. Agree the appropriate action to be taken and explain any limitations to the customer’s request.
Confirm customer satisfaction and conclude by thanking her/him, extend an invitation to call again and wish her/him a nice day.
Market stalls and fundraising events
Market Stalls, Events and Fundraisers are a great way for W4W Inc. to expand our business, however there are some legal requirements needed before we can apply.
Insurance
• Ensure W4W Inc.’s Public liability insurance letter is attached to application
Selling Food or Alcohol
• If selling food a temporary food handling licence is needed and must comply with the Food standard practices
• If selling alcohol a permit will be needed Products
• W4W Inc. is legally required to sell goods that are safe to use and are free from defects.
What to take:
Ensure you have all the appropriate equipment on location, this may include:
Marquee
Table and chairs
Tablecloth
Banners, brochures, business cards
Donation boxes
Products to sell
Rescue kits
Computer/Ipad/Phone
Get it Right the First Time
All management and volunteers should be knowledgeable about W4W Inc.’s business products and requirements
Before the customer leaves, management and volunteer staff must ensure that all forms are clearly filled out and checked against all requirements. Confirm understanding by repeating instructions to the customer
If in doubt, always ask your Manager.
4. Communication
Verbal/ Oral communication
This is the most common form of communication, which involves speaking and listening to people face-to-face or via the telephone. Therefore when speaking to both internal and external customers, we should endeavour to be: courteous, polite, civil and respectful
Non- Verbal Communication (Body Language)
Non-verbal communication includes facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact, expressive movements, gestures, postures etc. Non-verbal communication is more important in understanding human behaviour and is more powerful than verbal communication.
Being aware of our own body language enables us to ensure that we are sending out appropriate signals in a particular situation. Therefore staff;
Should sit upright, lean slightly forward to indicate your undivided attention to what the person is saying
Should maintain eye contact, well aware of your body language
Should listen carefully for what has not been said, the hidden meaning. This will make you understand the situation more clearly. Written Communication
Letters create a favourable or unfavourable image of the Institution in a customer’s mind. Therefore letters should be well presented, clear and concise and contain accurate information. The language used should be appropriate and polite in tone. When writing to customers, we should:
Try to respond within 48 hours
Make a draft before responding
Thank customer for writing, if we are replying
Bear in mind who you are writing to
Refer directly to the subject of inquiry or concern
Be brief and to the point
Use simple positive language, not technical terms or jargon
Check spelling and grammar and end by conveying personal responsibility if it was a complaint. Telephone Handling Skills
Telephone skills are a powerful tool in conducting business. The person on the other end of the line can easily tell your attitude by your tone of voice. Customers can tell when you are smiling or in a bad mood, therefore SMILE as you speak on the phone.
Use clear language and ask logical questions.
Answer the phone with our business name e.g. “Good morning, Warriors 4 Wildlife, Linda speaking, how may I be of assistance”
Assist, if unable, or you need to call them back, always record name, number, location etc.
Thank the caller and inform him/her they are free to call again.
Where possible ask them politely to like our Facebook page or make a donation through our website: www.warriors4wildlife.org
5. Customer Complaints
Handling customer complaints
Customer complaints should be received with a positive attitude.
Acknowledge the problem, empathise with the customer and apologise to the customer for the inconvenience caused
Never get into a heated argument with a customer.
Politely let the customer know you are passing them onto a manager and explain to the manager the customer’s problem.
Managers to try to rectify the problem otherwise give them a complaint form to fill out and forward to an Executive Committee Member or Manager
Keep record of the complaint and ensure it is followed up to a conclusive end and the customer contacted upon completion.
For telephone complaints: If a customer calls in to complain, give the customer a chance to air their grievances rather than talking over them and email them a customer complaint form.
All formal written complaints will be dealt with by W4W’s Committee or appointed Manage. They can email warriors4wildlife@hotmail.com
Always ensure that the customer’s complaint has received proper attention, whether an immediate solution has been found or not. Customers will tend to be more forgiving if you are truthful with them.
6. Personal Grooming
W4W Inc.’s volunteers should always be dressed neatly (in W4W T-Shirts where provided) and professionally.
Volunteer policy
Warriors 4 Wildlife Inc.’s Volunteer Policy has been written to recognise the contribution made by volunteers and to provide a framework for how we will manage volunteers whilst recognising the voluntary nature of our relationship with volunteers.
W4W Inc. believes that volunteering should be a mutually beneficial experience whereby we benefit from the skills, experience and enthusiasm of volunteers, and they too gain personal benefits from the experience. We are committed to managing volunteers in a way that ensures that the needs of both parties are met.
W4W Inc. defines volunteering as “The commitment of time and energy, for the benefit of society, the community and the environment. It is unpaid and undertaken freely and by choice.”
W4W Inc. strives to create a diverse and inclusive organisation. We are committed to ensuring equality of access to high quality volunteer opportunities and equality of treatment for our volunteers in all our policies and practices.
• W4W Inc. identifies meaningful roles for volunteers which extend the work of the organisation. Volunteers are involved across all areas of the organisation .
• All managers are provided with a written role description, outlining the purpose, tasks, main expectations and boundaries of their role.
• An assessment of potential risk to volunteers is carried out when designing volunteer roles and strategies put in place to control the risks.
• W4W Inc. may at times reimburse volunteers' out of pocket expenses for claims that are approved by the Executive Committee, claims need to be submitted on a standard Expenses Claim Form and accompanied by proof of expenditure.
• W4W Inc. endeavours to provide adequate and appropriate facilities, equipment and resources to enable volunteers to fulfil their roles.
• Volunteers under the direction of W4W Inc. are fully protected by the organisation's public liability and personal accident insurance. However, drivers using their cars in connection with their voluntary work must inform their own insurance company to ensure adequate and continued cover.
W4W Inc. is committed to involving all sections of the community as volunteers and will promote opportunities widely throughout W4W Inc. We will endeavour to make recruitment and selection materials available in alternative formats upon request and use images and/or descriptions that reflect the diversity of the community. We regularly review the make-up of the volunteer team to identify and target any under-represented group(s)."
W4W Inc. implements a fair, effective and open system in the recruitment and selection of volunteers and treats all information collected in this process confidentially.
All volunteers will be required to provide a Nationally Co-ordinated Criminal History Check through our provider Crimcheck. W4W Inc.’ uses registration forms, references and may meet the volunteers face to face for a discussion about their suitability.
The selection process is conducted by appropriately briefed/trained members/managers and aims to allow both parties to give and receive sufficient information to assess whether the volunteer opportunities available match the potential volunteer's skills, qualities and interests.
There is a procedure for dealing with unsuccessful applications whereby individuals will be offered an opportunity to discuss the outcome and identify possible alternatives within or outside of W4W Inc.
Volunteers are provided with an email of welcome, which outlines the expectations and responsibilities of both the volunteer and W4W Inc. and acknowledges the voluntary nature of the relationship. This agreement may be reviewed at any time with the consent of the volunteer and his/her supervisor, including at the review meeting at the end of the settling in period.
All volunteers are provided with an induction before commencing their role and this can continue as required during the settling in period. The induction provides background information on W4W Inc. explains its structures and procedures, describes the volunteer role and the work team and outlines how you will be supported, including practical information on the building, health and safety, confidentiality, and code of conduct. Access to organisational policies will be outlined and an opportunity given to discuss issues with their manager.
Volunteers will be given a settling in period, the length of which depends on the nature and hours of the volunteering. During this period volunteers are given additional support and a review meeting between the volunteer and his/her supervisor is held at the end of the period to ensure that all parties are satisfied with the arrangement.
All volunteers are allocated a named manager as their supervisor (and an alternative contact for other Committee members and for emergencies). This individual can provide day-to-day guidance on any volunteering issue and is responsible for providing regular support to, and supervision of, the volunteer. The frequency, duration and format of this support and supervision is agreed between the volunteer and his/her supervisor at the end of the settling in period.
W4W Inc. is committed to improving the effectiveness of volunteers. Volunteers are provided with relevant training (some of which will be compulsory) to help them carry out their role safely. They may be offered other training courses run by W4W Inc. that are relevant to their role, subject to the approval of their supervisors and availability of places. Volunteers attending approved training courses, internal or external, may do so within their normal hours of voluntary work.
W4W Inc. is committed to improving the effectiveness of volunteers. Volunteers are provided with relevant training (some of which will be compulsory) to help them carry out their role safely. They may be offered other training workshops run by W4W Inc. that are relevant to their role, subject to the approval of their supervisors and availability of places.
W4W Inc. takes complaints about or by members or volunteers seriously. A complaints procedure is in place whereby the volunteer supervisor will try to resolve minor complaints or issues about or by volunteers or their work through the usual support and supervision procedures, in the first instance. However, in the case of more serious issues, formal procedures will be followed which will include in the case of particularly serious offences by passing the process and/or asking the subject of the complaint to leave. Where a criminal offence is suspected, the matter will be handed over to the police.
W4W Inc. recognises the core role that volunteers fulfil at every level of the organisation. It endeavours to communicate with volunteers in appropriate ways, including bulletin boards, e-mails and social media platforms. It also recognises the importance of seeking volunteers' ideas and opinions at regular intervals. Feedback from volunteers is always welcome and any volunteer may make representations to the Executive Committee.
Both volunteers and the organisation agree that the intellectual property rights of original work produced by volunteers automatically transfers to the organisation.
Opportunities will be sought by W4W Inc. to recognise the value of volunteers’ contributions and communicate their appreciation to volunteers both formally and informally.
This policy and accompanying procedures will be reviewed regularly to ensure that it reflects best practice for volunteering for W4W Inc.
Warriors 4 Wildlife Inc. reserves the right to update or change our Policies at any time and you should check this page periodically. Your continued use of the Service after we post any modifications to the Policies on this page will constitute your acknowledgment of the modifications and your consent to abide and be bound by the modified Policies.