Studio 24 handbook

Volunteering

Volunteering benefits everyone involved and enriches the culture of Studio 24. We want to commit to sharing our knowledge and encourage staff to engage with a broad range of people within the community.

To facilitate this, Studio 24 has developed a Staff Volunteering Policy, which enables staff to participate in a wide variety of voluntary opportunities. This policy is intended to support, encourage and develop employees by facilitating their involvement in volunteering opportunities.

It is important for all staff to recognise that any request to undertake voluntary activities will be considered on an individual basis and will be made in line with business needs.

Aim

The aim of this policy is to inform employees and managers of Studio 24’s position on staff volunteering and to provide a framework for the process. It has been designed to enable members of staff to be proactive in identifying suitable voluntary activities that mutually benefit the individual, Studio 24 and the local community.

Volunteering Definition

Studio 24 defines a staff volunteer for the purposes of this policy as an employee who carries out tasks which provide services and/or support for individuals or community organisations freely, without financial payment or compensation.

Benefits of Volunteering

Studio 24 recognises the many benefits of staff volunteering, which can include:

  • Sharing of expertise and knowledge
  • Supporting Studio 24’s values
  • Engagement with, and giving something back to, the community
  • Positive role modelling for young people
  • Development of the skills of our staff
  • Improving community relations
  • Demonstrating Studio 24’s commitment as a socially progressive employer

Examples of Volunteering

Volunteering takes place in a wide variety of organisation contexts and draws upon a huge range of skills. Some volunteering activity may include:

  • Mentoring a school student
  • Volunteering at the Cambridge Film Festival
  • Career talks for young people
  • Ward volunteering at a local hospital or hospice
  • Supporting disadvantaged persons in the community as part of an organised programme

Volunteering conditions

In order to be considered for volunteering leave, the following conditions should be met:

  • The policy applies to all Studio 24 employees
  • Employees may apply for up to 2 days’ paid leave per year (pro-rata for staff who work part time) to participate in voluntary activities. Time can be taken in half day blocks.
  • The release of employees from work to participate in voluntary work must be balanced against the other demands and priorities of the studio and as such, time-off for this purpose is not an entitlement or guarantee
  • Volunteering allowance cannot be carried from one leave year to the next
  • Some volunteering activities will require commitment and participation over and above these two days and some staff may want to volunteer for more than two days. Permission should be sought from their line manager and consideration given to using unpaid leave or annual leave for commitments which exceed the two days of paid leave per annum indicated
  • It is recognised that many staff may be volunteering significant amounts of their own time. Whilst this is welcome, it is separate from this policy which is concerned with the provision of time off within working hours. Volunteers cannot be reimbursed for any of their free time which they use for such activities
  • All volunteering time must be logged in our time tracking system, so Studio 24 can keep a record of the total annual volunteering time we have committed

Applying for volunteering leave

Staff should initially speak to their line manager and the Head of Delivery, who can confirm suitability of the volunteering work and time

Once agreed, staff should request leave via Timetastic, using the staff volunteering leave category

Volunteering reflection

On completion of the volunteering activity, the member of staff will be asked to answer three simple questions which will be returned to the line manager in order for Studio 24 to review the benefits of volunteering.

  • What volunteer work was undertaken and what were the benefits to the organisation or beneficiaries involved?
  • Please indicate the learning and development opportunities that you (employee) encountered from being part of this volunteering project.
  • Please comment on how you (employee) found the Staff Volunteering scheme and any ideas you have for how it could be improved.

You should answer these questions in our staff volunteering log. Studio 24 may also request staff members write a blog post or short synopsis which can be used for marketing purposes. We’d also like you to share your experience with the wider team in our team meetings.

Insurance, Risk & Health and Safety

All risk assessments and DBS checks should be undertaken by the organisation where the employee is undertaking their volunteering activities. Staff are covered by Studio 24's insurance when volunteering.

Expenses

Studio 24 is happy to cover reasonable expenses. Please talk to your line manager for details about this.

Policy review

The terms of this policy will be reviewed annually.

Date written: 17th October 2023