Agenda item

To receive an update on the new Employee Volunteering Scheme policy.

Jane Tagg, Strategic Business Partner, updated the Committee on the new Employee Volunteering Scheme policy.

The background and reasons for the policy were detailed as per Paragraphs 2, 4, and 6 of the report. It was explained that the scheme would entitle employees to take one day a year (pro-rata for part-time employees), or equivalent paid time off, to volunteer for activities that supported Wiltshire communities; including environment and conservation projects for local community projects or charities, and community care activities.

It was noted that the scheme would be monitored with regard to process and employee take-up. It was highlighted that it would align the Council with other private and public sectors. Officers explained that all proposed volunteering activities would be submitted to the Extended Leadership Team (ELT) for approval, and once a selection of appropriate activities were confirmed, officers would focus on the development of a strong communications strategy.

Finally, Members were informed that the scheme would incur no additional funding or cost associations upon its introduction, save the release time of volunteers which as aforementioned, would be the equivalent of an additional day’s annual leave for a full-time member of staff.

During the discussion, points included:

·       Members commended the policy and expressed enthusiasm at the proposed opportunities available for Council staff.

·       The possibility of expanding the scheme to allow staff further days off per year to engage with additional volunteering opportunities was queried. In response, officers noted that once the launch of the scheme had been reviewed and assessed, further discussions could be had on next steps. It was further highlighted that at present, if members of staff wished to partake in additional volunteering activities, these would be treated as part of their separate annual leave entitlement.

·       Members highlighted the importance of monitoring the scheme and producing metrics to assess the level of impact in terms of which directorates and priority areas had the largest uptakes and which opportunities were accepted or declined.

·       It was explained that once the new Oracle programme had launched, the Council would seek to record volunteering days and could therefore hopefully provide data on volunteering days for future analysis.

·       Officers highlighted that certain departments may not be able to avail of volunteering leave as the business needs of the Council and service continuity was a priority and as such, there could be instances in which officers could not approve a requested day off.

·       It was clarified that the list of key priority areas as per Paragraph 9 of the report aligned with those of the business plan and would be used as a basis for considering various volunteering opportunities.

·       Members queried if volunteering activities would be limited to those only in Wiltshire or if any outside of the County would be considered due to many Wiltshire residents using cross-border services and the opportunity to support and benefit a larger populace. It was emphasised that the policy focused on benefitting Wiltshire residents specifically and therefore, although there was scope to consider activities outside of the County, there would need to be a strong and justifiable case as to how Wiltshire residents would be supported.

·       It was reiterated that the scheme mirrored similar ventures in both the private and public sectors, and that the scheme allowed groups of staff to volunteer together on a project.

·       Members emphasised that the wording of Paragraph 7 should be amended to specify that the scheme would cover those areas encompassed by Wiltshire Council, not Swindon borough.

·       Officers explained that they were aware of a number of neighbouring Local Authorities that had also implemented similar policies, however the schemes had recently been launched and as such, it was too soon to retrieve any benchmarking information. 

·       Officers were thanked for their presentation and hard work in developing the policy.

At the conclusion of the discussion, it was:

Resolved:

The Committee supported the implementation of the Employee Volunteering Scheme Policy subject to minor amendments as raised during the meeting.

The Committee requested that an update on the delivery of the policy be brought to the Committee in 12 months’ time.