As the year began, Jewish Care, the largest health and social care organisation for the Jewish community in London and the South East, became the first Jewish charity in England to be an Investing in Volunteers achiever, when it received the accreditation from the awarding body, the United Kingdom Volunteering Forum (UKVF).
The award was developed nationally and is supported by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO). NCVO explains that receiving the award demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to quality assurance and continuous improvement by a charity in relation to the way that it values and supports the contribution of its volunteers to the organisation.
Achieving the award involved a process that included self-assessment along with one-to-one and group interviews with 29 staff and 75 volunteers, as well as written evidence to support the volunteer process and management.
Jewish Care’s Director of Community Services, Volunteering, Social Work & Hospitality, Richard Shone, said, “We are extremely proud to be leading the way and to have been awarded the Investing in Volunteering standard. We have worked hard to achieve this because our volunteers are invaluable to us and the skills they offer are infinite. If we were to pay for all that they contribute, we estimate that it would equate to £9.25 million a year.
“It’s important to us that our volunteers enjoy a first-class experience, and that they feel valued, appreciated and supported. That’s why we have built up our professional training opportunities for volunteers, have volunteers’ handbooks, and hold an annual awards ceremony, a volunteer conference, special events during Volunteers’ Week, and outings for them to enjoy. We also produce an annual volunteer survey, using the feedback from the results to inform improvements in the following year.”
In the report to accompany the standard, the Chair of UKVF said, “Jewish Care has demonstrated a real commitment to volunteering, proving that their volunteer management policies and procedures meet nationally recognised standards.”
Jewish Care was assessed against six quality areas – vision for volunteering, planning for volunteers, volunteer inclusion, recruiting and welcoming volunteers, supporting volunteers, and valuing and developing volunteers – and proved to excel in all aspects of working with its volunteers.
The Investing in Volunteers final report stated, “There is significant investment in supporting volunteering within the organisation with a substantial central team, Volunteer Hub Managers, communication, training, and recognition, as well as investment in a robust volunteer management system. This support of the infrastructure ensures that volunteering is well managed and underpins an excellent experience for volunteers themselves.”
According to the interviews held, volunteers were unanimous in their view that their contribution was valued, appreciated and recognised. They spoke of being made to feel welcome, feeling fully included in what was going on, of being in a safe and supportive environment, and of being treated with respect. Volunteers noted, “It is in the name. They care. Really, genuinely care about us.” They also spoke of “high teas” and other special events during Volunteers’ Week; small gifts such as pots of honey for Rosh Hashanah; outings; events; cards for birthdays, house moves, get well, special anniversaries; and so on.
Across all the interviews, there was a strong sense of “belonging”. Volunteers frequently spoke of feeling like part of the “Jewish Care Family” and “just part of one big team”. “They go out of their way to make sure you have a good time,” said one.
“I get far more than I give” was a sentiment expressed by many volunteers interviewed. “They want to make you the best volunteer you can be, and they do everything they can to make that happen.” “I never have as much fun as I do when I’m volunteering.” “I look forward to coming in. It’s probably the only place I feel like I truly belong…”
The report also highlighted that volunteers feel that their views, suggestions and comments are welcomed and are listened to, citing that Jewish Care’s 2024 annual volunteer survey showed that 93% of volunteers are satisfied with their experience of volunteering. A longstanding volunteer described how they felt that the approach to volunteer management had “really developed over the years. It is very well run, very efficient, very professional.”
Jewish Care’s ‘Volunteer Managers’ Handbook’ was described in the report as “exemplary”, including “not only information around processes and procedures, but also tips and suggestions”, while its ‘A Champion of Volunteering Handbook’ was seen as “equally impressive…with key information that volunteers need in an engaging and accessible form, for example, brief summaries of key policies”.
Also noted in the report was how Jewish Care “makes really good use of the skills, talents and experiences that people bring, but also provides training and opportunities for them to further develop”.
Such training includes face-to-face, e-learning and online training, as well as mandatory induction training. Talking about this training, one volunteer said, “It was excellent. I was quite nervous about the whole thing, but afterwards I felt well prepared and, most of all, that I could ask questions and that there would be plenty of support available.”
In addition, the report stated that “There were many examples of roles that had been created to suit a particular volunteer’s talents or skills, and roles that had been initiated by volunteers themselves.”
For example, volunteer, Pam Bertschinger, who has been a Jewish Care volunteer for over 15 years, said, “I was given free rein to set up a memory café for people living with dementia and their family carers.” The Memory Way Café is now in its 12th year and testament to what volunteers can achieve with their passion and commitment, and Jewish Care’s support.
Jewish Care was also commended for welcoming volunteers who need support while volunteering, and on providing specialist equipment and accommodations to enable people to volunteer.
According to The Community Life Survey,* a government survey on volunteering in England released at the end of 2024, the Jewish community has the highest rate of volunteers than any other religious group. The survey revealed that 28 per cent of Jewish adults were likely to engage at least once a month in formal volunteering.
If you would like to find out more about Volunteering at Jewish Care, please visit jewishcare.org/volunteer, contact us on volunteering@jcare.org or call 020 8922 2405.