CLC Fellowship Report
The
Volunteer
Cycle
A report on the role and management of
volunteers within community legal centres
Michael McKiterick
PILCH Victoria
Victoria Law Foundation
Community Legal Centre
(CLC) Fellowship was
established in 2003 to
coincide with 30 years of
CLCs in Victoria. Awarded
annually, the fellowship
provides a CLC worker with
an opportunity to conduct
independent research into
issues identified in their
casework and advocacy.
Find out more at...
www.
victorialaw
foundation.
org.au
Contents
Acknowledgements5
Introduction and Executive summary
7
Interviewees and contributors 13
List of abbreviations
15
1 Historical origins
Volunteers as an interface with the community
Volunteers are CLCs’ shared identity
16
17
19
2 Volunteer structure and motivation
Volunteers and volunteering organisations:
a formal definition
Volunteer activity and the ‘Principles of Volunteering’
Engaging volunteer motivation
20
3 Engaging volunteers, young volunteers and the
changing volunteer paradigm
Engaging volunteers
Young volunteers
Internet and social media
26
4 Benefits of volunteering
Volunteering benefits the community
Volunteering contributes to a sense of social inclusion
Volunteering develops the sector
Volunteering develops the individual
30
30
31
32
33
5 Who are our volunteers?
Volunteer survey
Survey findings
34
34
36
20
21
22
26
27
28
6 The volunteer cycle
42
Resources42
Location42
Hallmarks of a healthy volunteer program
44
7 Strategic aims of the Federation and the sector
Sector recruitment needs
Volunteer Managers Networking Forum Centralised recruitment tool
Other findings
54
55
57
57
58
Select resource list
60
Bibliography62
Appendix A: Volunteer Survey results
66
Appendix B: Volunteer Management Survey results
72
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my Fellowship Steering Committee of Gregor Husper, Denis
Nelthorpe, Helen Yandell and Claudia Fatone for their feedback and guidance at
each stage of this project. At PILCH, I would like to thank executive director Fiona
McLeay for encouraging me to undertake this project. Without her influence I would
not be writing these words. I would also like to thank my colleagues from PILCH and
the Human Rights Law Centre, in particular Melanie Dye of the Victorian Bar Pro
Bono Scheme. I am proud of being part of such a dynamic organisation for the past
four years.
I am very grateful to Paula O’Brien, senior lecturer, and Professor Carolyn Evans,
dean of the University of Melbourne Law School for inviting me to be an academic
visitor during this Fellowship.
Thanks to Erin Dolan of Victoria Law Foundation for her support throughout the
course of this Fellowship.
In Canada thanks to Ruth McKenzie and her team at Volunteer Canada for hosting
me for a week, in particular Jeff Bond and the Publications Room. Thanks also to
Lenny Abramowicz of the Association of Community Legal Clinics of Ontario for
his introductions in Toronto.
In the United States special thanks to Andrea Fitianides of Volunteer Lawyers
Services Program of the San Francisco Bar Association.
I would like to thank all those who have assisted my research with interviews
and material in Australia and overseas. One of the most gratifying aspects of this
Fellowship has been the involvement of names and faces I have been familiar with
through PILCH. Thanks also to Ben Haskin and Ben Hart for their editorial expertise.
Finally, my thanks to my partner Marlene Dixon for her patience and support,
and for enduring four bicycles, three couches, two house moves and one knee
reconstruction during the course of this Fellowship.
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6
Introduction and Executive summary
Volunteering is an essential part of an inclusive society in which all Australians
have the opportunity for meaningful social participation. Volunteering connects
us, strengthens our sense of belonging and creates positive relationships that
build stronger local communities.
—The Honourable Tanya Plibersek
Then Minister for Social Inclusion and Minister for Human Services1
This Community Legal Centre Fellowship was conceived as an opportunity to
provide community legal centres (CLCs) with a review of volunteering and how
volunteers are used in the sector.
This Fellowship has confined its study to how volunteers are used by CLCs.
It has not examined other topics relating to volunteering, such as CLC Governance
by Volunteer Committees of Management, Clinical Legal Education or risk
management of volunteer programs.
Methodology
The research methodology for this report included:
• a literature review
• travel to the United States and Canada to interview leaders in the volunteer sector
• interviews with volunteer managers at Victorian CLCs
• interviews with staff of other volunteering organisations
• attendance at the 2011 Volunteering Australia National Conference at the
Gold Coast
• surveys of volunteers and volunteer managers.
Overseas travel
In the United States I met with and interviewed: Ted Gullickson and Adam Crayne,
San Francisco Tenants Union; and Andrea Fitianides, Volunteer Legal Services
Program, Bar Association of San Francisco.
While in San Francisco I observed the Housing Advocacy Project conducted by the
Volunteer Legal Services Program.
In Canada I spent a week with Volunteer Canada, who are based in Ottawa. During
this time I attended a Volunteer Centre Leadership Forum hosted by Volunteer
Canada at the University of Toronto on 17 and 18 October 2011.
Australian Government, ‘National Volunteering Strategy: Australia volunteers inspiring the volunteer
in you’ (Report, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2011) 1.
1
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Following this I spent two weeks in and around Toronto, meeting with
representatives at CLCs. I met with:
• Mike Hefferon and his team from Simcoe, Haliburton and Kawartha Lakes
Community Legal Clinic
• Ryan Peck and Bill Merreweather of HIV and AIDS Legal Clinic of Ontario
• Judith Wahl from Advocacy Centre for the Elderly
• Lisa Cirillo and students from Downtown Legal Service
• Lenny Abramowicz, the Executive Director of the Association of Community
Legal Clinics of Ontario
• Jeronimo de Miguel, Assistant Vice-President, External Relations at Manulife2
Sustainability report
Travel for this report was to the United States and Canada, the Gold Coast and
to suburban Melbourne and regional Victoria. This generated 045 metric tons of
carbon. This was offset by making a donation to www.carbonfund.org. Other travel
was undertaken by public transport and bicycle.
Executive summary
Chapter 1: Historical origins
Community legal centres originated from a movement based in lawyer activism and
radicalism. Community legal centres used volunteers to deliver services when they
first commenced and have maintained this use. In addition to delivery of services,
volunteers now provide CLCs with an interface with their community and a means
to respond to its needs. As CLCs developed, the identity of individual centres
diverged due to environmental and community factors. However, the use of
volunteers has remained a common feature.
Chapter 2: Volunteer structure and motivation
Formal volunteering is defined as volunteering undertaken:
• to be of benefit to the community and the volunteer
• of the volunteer’s own free will and without coercion
• for no financial payment
• in designated volunteer positions only
This definition is supported by the “Principles of Volunteering,” developed to:
• protect the integrity of volunteering
• distinguish it from other citizenship or community participation activity
• distinguish it from other forms of unpaid work
• recognise the diversity of volunteering
• provide a framework within which to promote and advance volunteering
www.getvolunteering.ca is a joint venture between Manulife Financial and Volunteer Canada.
2
8
The motivation to volunteer arises from personal choice. Present within this choice
is the expectation of reciprocity. This expectation is reflected in decisions regarding
a volunteer’s activities and the organisations with which volunteers become
involved. Another motivation is the desire to be able to identify with an outcome
that arises from volunteering. This desire is also a primary influence on a volunteer’s
choice to participate in particular causes. Community legal centres are learning to
better harness this motivation as they develop their volunteer programs.
Chapter 3: Engaging volunteers, young volunteers
and the changing volunteer paradigm
The volunteering landscape is shifting due to social, economic and technological
change. As society changes, ways in which people want to volunteer changes.
While traditional forms of volunteering are still relevant, new forms of participation
are emerging. Community legal centres need to respond to this paradigm change.
People under the age of 29 are the group that will form the next wave of CLC
governance, volunteers and staff. It is crucial that CLCs understand how to engage
and motivate this volunteer group.
The emergence of the internet and social media presents a new and powerful
opportunity for CLCs to engage volunteers. These factors provide for increased
participation in volunteering activities and are tools CLCs should use. However,
engaging in such mediums presents inherent risks that CLCs should be conscious of.
Chapter 4: The benefits of volunteering
Those that participate in volunteering activities gain clear benefits. These benefits
include an enhanced sense of social inclusion and the development of skills and
qualities that make them more employable.
Chapter 5: Who are our volunteers?
This chapter examines the results of the CLC Volunteer Survey to see who is
volunteering in CLCs and the activities they perform when volunteering.
Chapter 6: The volunteer cycle
Due to their diversity there is not one volunteer program model that applies to all
CLCs. The challenge for CLCs is to develop a program that is suitable for their
individual needs.
Examining a CLC’s volunteer program as a cycle can assist with identifying its
strengths and weaknesses. The volunteer cycle contains three phases, which can
be described as the “Three Rs.”
These are:
•Recruitment
•Retention
•Recognition
Each phase of the volunteer cycle is informed by different hallmarks—indicators of
the health of a program.
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The hallmarks of a healthy volunteer cycle are:
• volunteers are part of a centre’s strategic plan and budget
• a centre has a dedicated volunteer coordinator
• the recruitment of volunteers occurs through a clearly documented screening
and selection process that accords with the centre’s strategic plan
• there are clearly documented structures to engage and use volunteers and
to minimise risk
• there are sufficient training opportunities available to volunteers to enable them
to competently undertake their activities
• the centre has a mentor–buddy system for volunteers in place
• the centre is flexible to the needs of its volunteers
• the centre recognises the contribution of its volunteers through inclusion,
feedback and celebration.
Chapter 7: Strategic aims for the Federation of Community Legal Centres
The Federation of Community Legal Centres (the Federation) has made developing
volunteers an objective in its strategic plan for 2011–14. Members of the legal sector
believe that the Federation can realise this objective through supporting CLCs and
their volunteer programs. This support includes addressing sector recruitment
needs, continuance of the Volunteer Managers Network Forum and development
of a centralised recruitment tool for volunteers.
10
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12
Interviewees and contributors
United States
Ted Gullikson and Adam Crayne of San Franciso Tenants Union
Andrea Fitianides and the Staff of the Housing Negotiation Project—
Volunteer Lawyers Services Program, San Francisco Bar Association
Canada
Ruth McKenzie and Jeff Bond of Volunteer Canada
Ryan Peck and Bill Merreweather at the HIV and AIDS Legal Clinic of Ontario
Lenny Abramowicz at the Association of Community Legal Clinics of Ontario
Judith Wahl from the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly
Lisa Cirillo of the Downtown Legal Service
Akosua Matthews and Justin Basinger of the Downtown Legal Services
Student Executive
Jeronimo de Miguel of Mutualife Inc
Mike Hefferon and his team at Simcoe Halliburton and Kawartha Lakes Community
Legal Clinic
Victoria
Jude McCulloch and Megan Blair of Monash University
Mary Anne Noone of La Trobe University
Roy Reekie of Victoria Legal Aid
Andrew Foran of the Centre for Sustainable Learning
Hugh de Kretser of the Federation of Community Legal Centres
Peter Noble, Anna Howard and Steve Womersley at Loddon Campaspe CLC
Alan Yang of North Melbourne CLC
TJ Riddell and Jason Saultry of PILCH
Nick Hudson and Charmaine Floyd of Barwon CLS
Maria Georgiou at Darebin CLC
Anthea Teakle at St Kilda CLC
Katiana Velcek, Leonie Burnham and Michael Smith at Eastern CLC
Robin Inglis and Julie Fletcher at Fitzroy Legal Service
Payal Saraf and Rebecca Wringe at the ASRC
Su Brown and April Bragg of Southport CLS
Helen Constas and Saskia Weerheim of Peninsula CLC
Daniel Jacobs of the National Pro Bono Resource Centre
Elliot Costello of YGAP and Kinfolk Café
Rosemary Kelly of FareShare
Emily Wild of Secondbite
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14
List of abbreviations
ASRC
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
CLC
Community Legal Centre
EDO
Environment Defenders Office
Federation Federation of Community Legal Centres Victoria
FLS
Fitzroy Legal Service
NACLC National Association of Community Legal Centres
NPBRC
National Pro Bono Research Centre
OECD
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
PILCH
Public Interest Law Clearing House
Standards
National Standards for Volunteer Involvement in
Not-for-Profit Organisations
UN
United Nations
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
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1
Historical origins
The use and participation of volunteers has been a hallmark of CLCs since their
inception in the 1970s. Alongside a commitment to community participation and
a collective approach to policy and law reform activities, volunteerism is a feature
of CLCs that has remained distinctive to this day.1
Community legal centres produced their own version of independent legal service,
free of state interference and free of reliance on income from the private legal
markets.2 From this independence CLCs developed into an institutional format for
the provision of legal assistance to the disadvantaged.
Similarly, today volunteers are used for the delivery of services. Volunteers play an
important role in supplementing and supporting the work of paid staff in community
legal centres.3
There has recently been an exploration of the origins of CLCs and it is not the
purpose of this report to traverse this history.4 However, what is relevant is the
manner in which CLCs developed from origins based in volunteerism and how
they have retained this.
Activists, independent of government, legal aid commissions and the legal hierarchy
of the time, established CLCs in response to government and market failure to
provide access to justice to the disadvantaged.5 Like many organisations set up in
this era, CLCs were operated on a voluntary basis until granted government funding
some years after their founding.
The activists and lawyer radicals that established CLCs saw access to legal
assistance as a right.6 This approach should not be seen as providing legal services
on a pro bono basis, notions of charity, or arising out of a traditional sense of
professional responsibility or noblesse oblige. Those involved in the earliest centres
saw access to legal information, advice and representation as a right that they
were upholding.7
Nicole Rich, ‘Reclaiming Community Legal Centres: Maximising our potential so we can help our
clients realise theirs’ (Community Legal Centre Fellowship 2007–8, Victoria Law Foundation, 2008) 47.
2
Mary Anne Noone and Stephen Tomsen, Lawyers in Conflict: Australian Lawyers and Legal Aid
(Federation Press, 2006) 229.
3
Rose Melville, ‘Volunteers and Community Legal Centres: A Partnership Under Threat’ in Tony
Eardley and Bruce Bradbury (eds), Referees Proceedings of the National Social Policy Conference 2001
(Social Policy Research Centre University of New South Wales, 2001) 332–33.
4
For a detailed history of the origins of community legal services see Noone and Tomsen, above n 2;
Mary Anne Noone, ‘The Activist Origins of Australian Community Legal Centres’ (2001) 19 Law in
context; John Basten, Regina Graycar and David Neal, ‘Legal Centres in Australia’ (1985) 7(1) Law &
policy 113–43; Rich, above n 1; and Jude McCulloch and Megan Blair, Law for Justice: The History of
Community Legal Centres (unpublished manuscript, Monash University, 2011).
5
McCulloch and Blair, above n 4, 1.
6
Rich, above n 1, 11.
7
Noone, ‘The Activist Origins of Australian Community Legal Centres’, above n 4, 134.
1
16
In the early years, centres were known as either Voluntary Legal Services or
Independent Legal Services. The founders of these services would not have seen
themselves as volunteers but rather as activists seeking to effect social change by
challenging the existing framework.8
Once established, CLCs attracted more and more to volunteer their services.9
For example, Fitzroy Legal Service arose from an alliance between lawyers involved
in anti-conscription work, a youth worker, and law students appalled by the lack of
representation for young people in the courts. Their shared concern was the failure
of the legal system to deal with the legal issues confronting the poor in an
environment where access to state-funded legal aid was severely restricted.10
Volunteers were used to remove the mystery of the law and empower people.11
These volunteers had a belief that people had a right to “equality before the law,”
which was motivated by a desire to challenge the way legal practices operated
and to change the impact of the law on the poor.12
Fitzroy Legal Service was run entirely by volunteers until February 1974. Those
volunteering were law students, lawyers and young non-lawyers. John Finlayson,
one of the founders of FLS, recalled to the Justice for All project:
Lots and lots of lawyers and non-lawyers were coming to us. They weren’t old
lawyers, they were young lawyers that were really wanting to do something
and give of their time to this free legal service cause.13
Volunteers as an interface with the community
As they evolved, CLCs worked to distinguish themselves from the legal
establishment and create a bridge between people and the law. The environment
where CLCs were located, their hours of operation (which suited volunteers who
often held day jobs14), the relationships they fostered between lawyers, clients and
non lawyers, the way they conceived legal problems, the language they used and
their dress codes (or lack thereof) all were for the purpose of making the law and
lawyers accessible and distancing CLCs from the mainstream profession.15
Interview with Mary Anne Noone (La Trobe University, 6 February 2012).
McCulloch and Blair, above n 4, 9.
10
Noone, ‘The Activist Origins of Australian Community Legal Centres’, above n 4, 128–29.
11
McCulloch and Blair, above n 4, 1–2.
12
Noone, ‘The Activist Origins of Australian Community Legal Centres’, above n 4, 133; Rich,
above n 1, 11.
13
John Finlayson, Interview with McCulloch, Mark Peel and Bridget Harris in McCulloch and Blair,
above n 4, 3.
14
Rich, above n 1, 10.
15
Noone, ‘The Activist Origins of Australian Community Legal Centres’, above n 4, 129–30.
8
9
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CLCs developed a model of providing legal assistance that was rooted in community
development and a collective approach. Now, as then, this model includes extensive
volunteer participation in governance and legal services delivery.16 In doing so CLCs
have become an interface for the community that they respond in and service.
As Helen Constas, CEO of the Peninsula Community Legal Centre, observes:
My philosophy about CLCs, certainly when I first started, was about making
sure the CLC was involved with the community and that the community gave
us the identity of evolving and becoming what we are today. Our community
has certainly become very vocal in making sure that our centre has evolved to
meet its needs.
It’s not about us dictating to the community. The community has said to us that
our priority should be making sure that we have services for the community,
that the doors are open, and that we have sufficient people to be able to provide
assistance. That is why Peninsula CLC was big on having more and more
volunteers in the early days because that is what our community needed.17
Volunteers now are such an ingrained part of CLCs that many cannot imagine what
their centres would look like without them.
Fitzroy without volunteers would be a radically different service. The fact that
we offer the only five-night volunteer service is both an indication of the depth
of support from volunteers as well as the fact that the public have heard about
the place.18
Volunteers have been recognised as “soul of the centre” and provide the opportunity
to connect with the community and to respond to its needs.19
One of the strengths of the program is that the volunteers feel a sense of
ownership. They can run the matter and it is supervised by the Principal
solicitor. We are also lucky that we have a range of experienced [volunteer]
lawyers that adds a real richness to the casework. We have practitioners who
have been operating for 30 years, and other barristers who have deep rich
experience.20
The impact of volunteering in CLCs on the operation of the justice system now
cannot be underestimated.21 CLCs have formed an important part of legal education
and training, and have helped mould the composition and commitment of the
Victorian legal community to social justice into what it is today.22
Rich, above n 1, 11.
Interview with Helen Constas and Saskia Weerheim.
18
Interview with Robin Inglis.
19
Interview with Katiana Velcek and Leonie Burnham (Eastern Community Legal Service,
7 December 2011).
20
Interview with Anthea Teakle.
21
Interview with Mary Anne Noone (La Trobe University, 6 February 2012).
22
Jude McCulloch (Speech delivered at the Federation of Community Legal Centres Forum,
7 February 2008).
16
17
18
Through volunteer and clinical programs CLCs have played a very important part in
the professional, ethical and personal development of thousands of lawyers. CLCs
have provided important links with the changing dynamics of legal education and
training. They have become linked to mainstream legal education. University law
courses now rely upon CLCs to give students practical experience through volunteer
or clinical programs.23
Volunteers are CLCs’ shared identity
The identity off CLCs grew from a reformist and radical purpose. CLCs rejected the
power relationships in the structures of the legal institutions and the organisation
of the profession and of legal education.24
Throwing of the shackles of established norms occurred at the genesis of the CLC
movement. However, it is arguable that today CLCs would agree on a shared
strategic goals or vision.25
Superficially, a shared identity can be defined by a common funding source, and a
commitment to law reform and community legal education. Beyond this, what CLCs
do and why they do it differ widely. This diversion has arisen as a result of the
environmental and geographic factors that CLCs have responded to as they have
matured and become established in their communities.
A commonality that has remained is the extensive participation of volunteers.
This was and remains one of the important distinctive features of CLC,26 recognised
in 1974 by the Turner Committee27 and continues to be recognised today.
What has resulted is a unique partnership between lawyers and the community.
This partnership has arisen from a volunteer base that has facilitated the provision
of legal assistance to low-income Australians for over thirty years. There are benefits
and costs involved in this partnership for all parties and it has been able to survive
because of the highly motivated and skilled volunteers who provide their services
to CLCs.28
Rich, above n 1, 2.
Simon Rice, ‘The challenge of remaining ‘unfinished’ in the campaign for justice’
(Paper presented at 2010 National CLCs Conference, Melbourne, 26 October 2010) 1.
25
Ibid 3.
26
Rich, above n 1, 38.
27
Governments were aware of the value for money that CLCs provided with their service delivery.
In 1974 the Australian Legal Aid Review Committee, known as the Turner Committee, noted that
‘this approach to legal aid provides a valuable addition to the more traditional private practitioner
model. Cost wise this approach appears to make fewer demands on scarce resources whilst being
capable of handling a greater number of matter.’ Australian Legal Aid Review Committee Report,
February 1974, in Noone and Tomsen, above n 2, 199.
28
Melville, above n 3, 326.
23
24
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2
Volunteer structure
and motivation
“One of the reasons that many people gave for wanting to volunteer is ‘I’m sick
of yelling at the TV.’ I think the political climate has had a significant impact.
You also feel like you are part of something at the ASRC, and that is one of the
most attractive things about the place for staff and volunteers.”
—Payal Saraf, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre1
Volunteering is a basic expression of human relationships. It allows a person to
express their need to participate in their community and to feel that they matter
to others.2 Volunteering takes place across all facets of Australian life, from charity
groups to surf lifesaving and emergency services. It has been celebrated with the
International Year of the Volunteer in 2001 and last year with the International Year
of the Volunteer +10.3
The volunteering landscape in Australia is changing. Emerging technology is
providing new opportunities to volunteer, and a more diverse range of people are
looking to donate their time and skills. To assist with this, a body of principles and
standards around volunteering, including working definitions, has been developed.
This chapter will examine the fundamentals of volunteering, which are:
• a formal definition of volunteering
• the motivations for becoming a volunteer
Volunteers and volunteering organisations:
a formal definition
Community legal centres can be classified as formal volunteering organisations at
which formal volunteering takes place.
A formal voluntary organisation:
• is properly and lawfully constituted
• is institutionally separate from the state, albeit reliant on state funding
• is not-for-profit
• is self governing
• relies on the use of volunteers4
Interview with Payal Saraf and Rebecca Wringe (Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, West Melbourne,
13 January 2012).
2
United Nations Volunteers, ‘State of the World’s Volunteerism Report 2011: Universal Values for Global
Well-being’ (Report, United Nations Volunteers, 2011).
3
Melanie Oppenheimer, Volunteering: Why we can’t survive without it (UNSW Press, 2008).
4
William Beveridge in Melanie Oppenheimer and Jeni Warburton (eds), Volunteers and Volunteering
(Federation Press, 2000) 10.
1
20
Those who offer their services as volunteers at CLCs are “formal volunteers.”5 The
National Standards for Involving Volunteers in Not-for-Profit Organisations defines
formal volunteering as:
An activity which takes place in not-for-profit organisations or projects and is
undertaken:
• to be of benefit to the community and the volunteer
• of the volunteer’s own free will and without coercion
• for no financial payment
• in designated volunteer positions only6
Volunteer activity and the ‘Principles of Volunteering’
Volunteer activity covers a broader range of activities than formal volunteering.
For some, volunteer activity is any work that is unpaid. Under this definition, any
labour that was undertaken without remuneration could be defined as volunteer
activity, such as domestic chores and unpaid overtime undertaken at a workplace.
This definition is clearly unsatisfactory.
To assist with defining volunteer activity more accurately, Volunteering Australia Inc
has developed its “Principles of Volunteering”. These principles have been developed
to:
• protect the integrity of volunteering
• distinguish it from other citizenship or community participation activity
• distinguish it from other forms of unpaid work
• recognise the diversity of volunteering
• provide a framework within which to promote and advance volunteering.
The “Principles of Volunteering” are:
1. Volunteering benefits the community and the volunteer.
2. Volunteer work is unpaid.
3. Volunteering must be a matter of choice.
4. Volunteering is not compulsorily undertaken to receive pensions or government
allowances.
5. Volunteering is a legitimate way in which citizens can participate in the activities
of their community.
6. Volunteering is a vehicle for individuals or groups to address human,
environmental and social needs.
7. Volunteering is an activity performed in the not-for-profit sector only.
8. Volunteering is not a substitute for paid work.
9. Volunteering respects the rights, dignity and culture of others.
10. Volunteering promotes human rights and equality7
Informal volunteering is volunteering activity that takes place outside of a formal voluntary
organisation. This can include volunteering in social and community networks.
6
Volunteering Australia Inc, National Standards for Involving Volunteers in Not-For-Profit Organisations
(Volunteering Australia Inc, 2nd ed, 2001) 62.
7
Ibid. Volunteering Australia Inc provides a detailed discussion of the thinking behind these principles
in: Volunteering Australia Inc, ‘The Principles of Volunteering: Why have them?’ (Paper, Volunteering
Australia Inc, 2006). This can be found at: http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/files/E0EZLOSW05/
The_Intent_of_the_Principles_of_Volunteering.pdf
5
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Engaging volunteer motivation
Some of what makes up a good volunteer program includes feeling a sense
of belonging to the centre and the support of the centre.8
—Leonie Burnham, Eastern Community Legal Centre
Volunteering is a private action that allows the volunteer to advance a social
purpose.9 It provides a person with an activity to demonstrate their citizenship
rights and an opportunity to improve his or her own environment and community.
Volunteering Australia Inc recently found that the two most frequently mentioned
things volunteers said they value most about their volunteering experience is the
difference they make to the community and the sense of purpose it gives them.10
The decision to volunteer is a personal one. The motivation to provide time and
services as a volunteer will differ for each person. As well as the amount of
participation expected, age, gender, income and education are significant individual
factors that affect the decision to volunteer.11
Present within a person’s motivation to volunteer is the expectation of reciprocity.
This expectation is reflected in volunteers’ choices regarding their volunteer
activities and the organisations with which they become involved. A desire to be
able to identify a direct outcome from volunteering activity influences a volunteer’s
choice to participate in a particular social or community cause. For example,
younger volunteers want to be involved in something that is meaningful and of
benefit to the community.12 Younger volunteers also pay attention to the value of
volunteering as a pathway to developing new skills and finding employment.13
As Andrea Fitianades of the Volunteer Lawyer Service Program of the San Francisco
Bar observes:
I also think the reason people volunteer, which we make sure to build in with
our programs as well, is to gain certain skills sets and to volunteer pro bono
can be a great way to do that.14
These expectations are supported by the findings of the Community Legal Centre
Volunteer Survey. Respondents’ main reasons for volunteering were:
• to make a difference to the community
• to develop new skills
• to get involved in a good cause
• for the opportunity of professional development15
Interview with Leonie Burnham and Katiana Velcek (Eastern Community Legal Centre,
7 December 2011).
9
Oppenheimer and Warburton, above n 4, 11.
10
Volunteering Australia Inc, ‘Insights from the National Survey of Volunteering Issues 2001’ (Report,
Volunteering Australia Inc, 2011) 5.
11
Marc Musick and John Wilson, Volunteers: a Social profile (Indiana University Press, 2008).
12
Clare Wynne, ‘Volunteering is Catching: A study into young people’s volunteering in Victoria
2011’(Report, Youth Affairs Council of Victoria Inc, 2011) 3.
13
Government of Victoria, ‘Victorian Volunteer Strategy 2009’ (Report, Department of Planning and
Community, 2009) 9.
14
Interview with Andrea Fitianades (Volunteer Legal Services Program, San Francisco Bar Association,
29 September 2011).
15
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey 2012, Question 10 (2012).
8
22
2.01 Reasons for volunteering
80%
60%
40%
20%
s
se
on
sp
re
er
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The Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey also revealed that respondents most
valued these aspects of their volunteer experience:
• making a difference to the community
• having a sense of purpose
• developing new skills
• their involvement in a good cause
• the opportunity for professional development16
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey 2012, Question 11 (2012).
16
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
23
2.02 Aspects of volunteering experience most valued
80%
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Community legal centres in Victoria are recognising the need to harness motivation
in ways that are meaningful for both the volunteer and the CLCs. Nick Hudson and
his team at Barwon Community Legal Service have sought to develop a collegial
approach to Barwon’s volunteer program. They noted that volunteering at Barwon
allowed students and new lawyers to meet each other and demonstrate their
credentials to each other and to other more senior lawyers.17
Once engaged, motivation extends to people wanting “to stay on and stay in touch
after they finish,”18 with volunteers being exposed to the “good and valued work”
undertaken by CLCs.19
Interview with Nick Hudson and Charmaine Floyd (Barwon Community Legal Service,
23 November 2011).
18
Interview with Alan Yang (North Melbourne Community Legal Service, 7 December 2011).
19
Interview with Helen Constas and Saskia Weerheim (Peninsula Community Legal Centre,
16 January 2012).
17
24
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
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3
Engaging volunteers,
young volunteers and the
changing volunteer paradigm
Engaging volunteers
The volunteering landscape is shifting due to social, economic and technological
change. Technology has transformed the way society communicates and works.
Governments, businesses, not-for-profit organisations and communities work
together in ways different to the traditional pathways of the past.1
As society changes, ways in which people want to volunteer changes. While
traditional forms of volunteering are still relevant and practised by many individuals,
new forms of participation are emerging. CLCs and the wider volunteer sector need
to respond to these changes.
Changes include a growing preference for online volunteering, an increased desire
by more young people and highly skilled early retirees to volunteer and an increasing
interest in short-term or project-based volunteering. These changes pose an
additional challenge for CLCs in recruiting and retaining volunteers.2
As volunteer expectations have changed, so have consumer expectations. As Ruth
McKenzie, CEO of Volunteer Canada, remarks, the volunteer relationship has moved
from a notion of giver and receiver to that of a reciprocal shared experience.3 The
requirements of the volunteer and the organisation need to be addressed mutually.
Consumers now seek goods that are more ethical, sustainable and will give them
a return for their investment. Similarly, volunteers now seek a “return on their
involvement.”4 Participating as a volunteer in an organisation, such as a CLC,
can deliver that return. This leads to volunteers “buying-in” and “purchasing”
an emotional stake in an organisation.
This change has been recognised by the Australian Government in its National
Volunteering Strategy and Consultation Report. The report recognises that people
increasingly want to volunteer at a range of different organisations, participate in
episodic and project-based volunteering, combine travel or work with volunteering,
and volunteer online.5
Highlighting the changing nature of volunteering in Australia and the diverse
range of ways in which people wish to volunteer, the report recommends that
organisations who have volunteers accommodate and encourage emerging trends.
This can occur through the development of flexible opportunities for involvement,
while continuing to cater for traditional forms of participation.6
Australian Government, ‘National Volunteering Strategy: Australia volunteers inspiring the volunteer
in you’ (Report, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2011) 4.
2
Australian Government, ‘National Volunteering Strategy Consultation Report’ (Report, Department
of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2011) 21.
3
Ruth McKenzie (Speech delivered at the Volunteer Centre Leaders’ Forum, Volunteers/Benevoles,
University of Toronto, 17 October 2011).
4
Edelman, ‘Edelman goodpurpose Study 2010: Fourth annual global consumer survey’ (Report,
Eldelman, 2010). This study promotes the notions of mutual social responsibility. To engage with this
notion, a centre’s purpose has to be matched to higher social purpose. If so, the nexus is that
consumers will have a deeper emotional connection to a brand.
5
Government of Victoria, ‘National Volunteering Strategy Consultation Report’ (Report, Department
of Premier and Cabinet, 2011) 4.
6
Ibid.
1
26
Young volunteers
The majority of people who volunteer at community legal centres are under the age
of 29.7 As this group represents the next generation of the sector it is crucial that
CLCs understand how they can be engaged.
In Australia, 27 per cent of all people aged 18 to 24 volunteer.8 Young people who
participate in volunteer activities are motivated to do so because they want to do
something to benefit their community as well as themselves. Young people volunteer
for different reasons and in different ways than other groups. This group also
volunteers to challenge the popular impression of young people as selfish, selfcentred and uninterested in community participation.9
Young people get involved in their community when they feel inspired, encouraged
and informed. They are also more likely to volunteer when they are a part of a
“community of volunteering”—a community where people volunteer and talk about
volunteering. This reflects the shift of responsibility of young people’s involvement
from being an individual responsibility to a shared community responsibility.10
Volunteer opportunities that young people wish to engage with are those which:
• offer flexible, project-based roles
• require meaningful work with room for autonomy
• involve innovative use of technology
• are rewarding
• provide social connections11
The change in the volunteer involvement of young people can be seen in the
philosophy of Kinfolk Cafe in Melbourne’s central business district. The cafe is
run by Y Generation Against Poverty (YGAP) as a social enterprise and relies on
volunteers for staff. Elliot Costello, co-founder and current CEO of YGAP, believes
that the success of Kinfolk has been in its simplicity:
It’s [a] decision process that we harnessed with Kinfolk. People are naturally
going to have a coffee in the morning. If we can offer a decision between one
cafe that offers a social return and one cafe that offers a product and a service,
the decision is quite easy. It integrates something that Australians are good at
doing or want to do, which is providing a social return for those less fortunate
with their everyday consumption habits. I think that’s a great model. You don’t
have to do anything but come to this cafe.12
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey 2012 (2012).
Australian Government, above n 1,12. This is less than the national average, which is 36 per cent of
people from all age groups.
9
Australian Bureau of Statistics, ‘4441.0—Voluntary Work, Australia’ (Report, Australian Bureau of
Statistics, 2010); and Clare Wynne, ‘Volunteering is Catching: A study into young people’s
volunteering in Victoria 2011’(Report, Youth Affairs Council of Victoria Inc, 2011).
10
Clare Wynne, ‘Volunteering is Catching: A study into young people’s volunteering in Victoria
2011’(Report, Youth Affairs Council of Victoria Inc, 2011) 13.
11
Ibid.
12
Interview with Elliot Costello, Chief Executive Officer (Y Generation against Poverty (YGAP), 18
January 2012).
7
8
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When engaging volunteers at Kinfolk, Costello is conscious of the needs of the
demographic he is working with.
[O]ne of the challenges is keeping people inspired and engaged. Our
demographic has a very short concentration span. People will fly in, give
their ideas, provide their energy, provide their network and resources then
after a few months feel disengaged and drop out completely. So that model
of retention is a challenge.
Authenticity is imperative with our generation. Unless it is authentic, unless it
is tangible and actually relates to their interest they just switch off. You see big
brands with the most money that they use to flood the market with digital
campaigns but unless it’s authentic our generation won’t want to touch it.13
The challenge for CLCs is to recognise and respond to this paradigm change. In
doing so, CLCs need to be aware of these issues and adapt programs according to
the needs of their volunteers.14
Internet and social media
The emergence of the internet and social media in recent years presents new
opportunities for CLCs to engage volunteers. Internet and social media provide
CLCs with a new and powerful platform to engage volunteers, enhance their
involvement and enable collaboration with other agencies.15 All of these factors
provide for increased participation in volunteering activities, particularly for those
with time, location or physical barriers.16
Having an online profile has an effect on those seeking volunteering opportunities.
Young people, in particular, participate more in social media and online networks.
As more young people volunteer at CLCs, centres need to engage the media and
communication tools used by this demographic, and create roles and experiences
that appeal to them, as evidenced by the following example.17
In our 2010 survey of 271 Facebook users, 38 per cent said they would definitely
or probably look for a Facebook page for an organization with which they were
considering volunteering. This climbs to 43 per cent for respondents who said
they use Facebook daily. Of the same Facebook users, 85 per cent said they
would definitely look for a nonprofit’s website.
This number is much higher than those that would rely on Facebook, meaning
the site is still not considered nearly the go-to information source that a web
page is. However, that doesn’t diminish the fact that you could be losing
potential volunteers who look for a Facebook page and don’t find one.18
Interview with Elliot Costello, Chief Executive Officer (Y Generation against Poverty (YGAP), 18
January 2012).
14
Volunteer Canada, ‘Bridging the Gap: Enriching the volunteer experience to build a better future for
our communities’ (Report, Volunteer Canada, 2010) 9.
15
Australian Government, above n 1, 19.
16
Government of Victoria, above n 5, 22.
17
Australian Government, above n 1, 12.
18
Idealware, The Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide (Idealware, 2011).
13
28
Use of technology can increase the freedom and flexibility of volunteer engagement
and complement the reach and impact of volunteer activity taking place at a
centre.19 This can allow CLCs to engage a broader volunteer and client base.
Online volunteering has eliminated the need for volunteerism to be tied to specific
times and locations. The internet can provide new opportunities for variations on the
volunteering model through variations to the volunteering model such as “episodic
volunteering”20 and “micro-volunteering.”21 With both, discrete tasks can be
completed in a confined time period, at a venue that is removed from a centre.
There are risks in CLCs too readily embracing new technologies. The impact of
services delivered by centres can be reduced. There is a risk of alienating existing
volunteers that form part of a centre’s unique identity, who may be uncomfortable
with new forms of volunteering.
Endeavours to engage volunteers remotely or through episodic or microvolunteering can lead to “telescopic volunteering” and “clicktivism.” Telescopic
volunteers engage from afar and may not be willing to make any meaningful
contribution to a CLC at a local level. Similarly, clicktivists who support a CLC or
campaign may not go further to engage in more meaningful volunteer activity.22
Using volunteers to engage with clients through web-based services in remote
locations is subject to technological limitations. If such services are used, centres
need to ensure that strong relationships are established at the end-user point to
manage risk and ensure that client need is being properly met.23
The use of the internet and social media may not lead to radical social change,
but they are tools that can be used by centres to realise strategic goals. Offering
volunteer activity through technology can complement existing service delivery.
Technology can also be used by centres to develop their profile and communicate
easily and effectively with their community. There are clear risks, such as those
detailed briefly above, but they are far outweighed by the benefits of engagement.
United Nations Volunteers, ‘State of the World’s Volunteerism Report 2011: Universal Values for Global
Well-being’ (Report, United Nations Volunteers, 2011) 27.
20
Volunteering on a project for a defined period of time.
21
Volunteering that is performed conveniently and in a short period of time (i.e. less than one hour) by a
volunteer, see: blog.sparked.com.
22
United Nations Volunteers, above n 19, 28.
23
Interview with Tiffany Overall (Youthlaw, 2011). Youthlaw in Melbourne, operates an outreach legal
service for young people in rural and remote areas via Skype. This service is staffed by paid staff and
not volunteers.
19
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4
Benefits of volunteering
Community Legal Centres without volunteers are difficult to imagine. CLCs rely
on the contribution of volunteers to provide assistance to the community. Volunteers
enable strategic and funding needs to be met, form part of the interface with
the community and provide CLCs with the ability to provide legal assistance
and legal education.
By allowing people to participate in CLCs as volunteers, the sector is continually
exposing itself to a new staff and supporters and allowing itself to meet strategic
and funding goals. These benefits form one part of the volunteer equation.
The other part of the volunteering equation, which this chapter will examine, is
the benefits gained by those who volunteer. Through volunteering, community
wellbeing and feelings of social inclusion are increased and engendered?1
It is a combination of both sides of the equation that contribute to a sector that
is sustainable and has longevity.
Volunteering benefits the community
A healthy community is one in which there is broad participation by all sections
of the population. Volunteering builds a sense of belonging in giving importance
to formal and informal relationships that facilitate interaction and engagement.2
Volunteering provides an opportunity for participation, which helps individuals feel
more connected to their local communities. CLCs provide an opportunity for people
to fulfil this need that, in turn, helps develop an inclusive society in which members
feel valued.
Where volunteering is recognised and appropriately supported, it builds social
capital and contributes to a healthy society. Studies conducted by the UN and the
OECD have demonstrated that where volunteerism is present people’s interactions
within their communities are improved. The richness of interaction occurs through
the values that volunteering represents and the sense of meaningfulness and
purposefulness that it gives to people’s lives.3
Debbie Haski-Leventhal and David Bargal, ‘The volunteer stages and transitions model:
Organizational socialization of volunteers’ (2008) 61(1) Human Relations 71.
2
United Nations Volunteers, ‘State of the World’s Volunteerism Report 2011: Universal Values for
Global Well-being’ (Report, United Nations Volunteers, 2011) 89.
3
Ibid.
1
30
Volunteering contributes to a sense of social inclusion
Social inclusion occurs by bringing together people who may not otherwise have
the opportunity to make a connection. This enables them to understand each other’s
perspectives and experiences, develop relationships, and learn from and support
each other.4
Volunteering also provides important pathways to participation through
employment opportunities, to the development of higher levels of trust and can
lead to stronger social ties between different groups of people. For CLCs, engaging
volunteers provides an interface that enables them to build stronger links to their
communities and to contribute greater social cohesion.5
Volunteering can have a profound effect on those who participate in it. As people
participate in volunteering, changes that emerge include improved self-confidence,
personal satisfaction, networking and a willingness to take on additional tasks.6
Volunteers value the recognition and satisfaction they gain from volunteering.
This, combined with the respect gained from their communities, is more important
to volunteers than material reward.7
The 2010 National Survey of Volunteering conducted by Volunteering Australia Inc
and the 2012 CLC Volunteer Survey reinforce these findings. In the national survey,
83 per cent of volunteers believed that participating in volunteer activities had:
• increased their sense of belonging to their community
• helped reduce feelings of personal isolation
• offered people skills and social contacts
• supported a greater sense of self-worth
• challenged stereotypes about different groups8
The CLC Volunteer Survey reflected these findings. In this survey the top two things
that respondents identified as valuing most about their volunteer experience were:
• the difference they made to the community
• the sense of purpose it gave them.
Socially inclusive volunteering is a goal that all CLCs should aspire to. The inclusive
culture of CLCs provides the building blocks for having a socially inclusive and
beneficial volunteering program.
Socially inclusive volunteering can be promoted through interaction with staff,
clients and other volunteers. Through such practice, volunteers are able to develop
relationships with people who are experiencing social exclusion and assist these
people from making the transition from user to provider of services and support.9
Bessy Andriotis, ‘Pathways to Social Inclusion through Volunteering’ (Paper, Volunteering Australia
Inc, 2011) 17.
5
Australian Government, ‘National Volunteering Strategy: Australia volunteers inspiring
the volunteer in you’ (Report, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2011) 15.
6
Andriotis, above n 4, 53.
7
United Nations Volunteers, above n 2, 42.
8
Ibid 16.
9
Andriotis, above n 4, 31.
4
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However CLCs should be aware that successful and inclusive programs cannot
operate in isolation. For success, there needs to be an organisational structure that
supports and promotes volunteering in a socially inclusive way. Features of a
successful organisational culture include:
•adaptability
•flexibility
• the valuing of diversity (of all kinds)
• commitment to learning and sharing knowledge
Also identified as a key to success was a “whole of organisation” ownership of and
approach to socially inclusive volunteering. The development of strong participatory
culture and practices were also identified as important to success.10
Volunteering develops the sector
[I]t’s learning for the students, learning for the solicitors, for everyone involved.
It adopts the holistic approach, so that particularly the students see that it’s not
just issuing legal advice, what you can do. It’s looking at what else is available,
what else is available in the community, what else is available at the
community centres.”
—Inka Alexander, St Kilda Legal Service11
“M was a student at Deakin and did clinic about 8 years ago. She stayed
on as a volunteer and then spent two years as a chair of our Committee
of Management. Her and her firm are one of the mainstays of [one of our
practice areas].
—Nick Hudson, Barwon Community Legal Service12
CLCs ultimately exist to assist clients, provide access to legal services and develop
and educate their client base. Taking a short-term view, providing opportunities for
volunteer participation in CLCs is a direct way to achieve this aim.
In the long term, volunteers’ exposure to CLCs can develop an awareness of social
justice issues. When people participate in CLCs as volunteers, they have an
opportunity to convey issues that they encounter into their broader community.
Examples of this can be seen in universities including clinical programs as part
of their curriculum, and the way in which commercial law firms and government
departments participate in social justice initiatives. In turn, this has provided a
pathway for lawyers back into the community legal sector.
Ibid 25.
Inka Alexander, Interview with Jude McCulloch (27 March 2009). Interview for Jude McCulloch and
Megan Blair, Law for Justice: The History of Community Legal Centres (unpublished manuscript,
Monash University, 2011).
12
Interview with Nick Hudson and Charmaine Floyd (Barwon Community Legal Service, 2011).
10
11
32
Volunteering develops the individual
People engage in volunteering activities for numerous reasons, including to improve
their employment prospects by enhancing their human capital. In the CLC Volunteer
Survey, 43 per cent of respondents identified development of professional skills as
being one of their top three reasons for volunteering.13
Volunteering can be used to obtain better employment or to send a positive signal to
employers.14 Social networks are developed through volunteering, which can lead to
the securing of useful references and finding a job.15
There is a perception that numerous students volunteer for the purposes of building
their résumé. This perception has been proven.16 However, where this motivation is
present, it is usually secondary to other altruistic motivations, including genuine
interest in issues affecting disadvantaged persons. Those students motivated solely
by résumé building have a lower intensity of volunteering.17
In countries where volunteering is viewed in a positive light, volunteering rates
are significantly higher. Many employers use volunteering experience to identify
appropriate individuals for job roles and for desirable personality characteristics.
Volunteering can signal that an applicant cares about social justice, is more likely
to possess compassionate tendencies and therefore is a better candidate for a role.18
For the health of their own programs, and for the long-term health and sustainability
of the sector, CLCs have a clear role to play in supporting the development of skills of
their volunteers.
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey 2012, Question 10 (2012).
Femida Handy et al, ‘A Cross-Cultural Examination of Student Volunteering: Is It All About Résumé
Building?’ (2010) 39(3) Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 500.
15
United Nations Volunteers, above n 2, 53.
16
Handy et al, above n 14, 499.
17
Ibid.
18
Ibid 502.
13
14
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5
Who are our volunteers?
Volunteers have played a central role in CLCs since their inception. Until granted
government funding, CLCs were established and operated by volunteers. Volunteers
now play an important role in supplementing and supporting the work of paid staff.
Volunteers contribute over 730 million hours annually to Australian society and the
economy.1 In 2010, 6.1 million people, or 36 per cent of the Australian population
aged 18 years and over, participated in voluntary work.2
It was been estimated in 2007 that volunteers contributed work to the value of
23 million dollars to CLCs.3 In their 2009/10 annual report, the National Association
of Community Legal Centres recorded that 988 people volunteered at centres in
Victoria.4
Although government funding provides a centre with resources to employ paid staff,
volunteers generally perform the bulk of the advice and referral work. Volunteers are
drawn from students (legal and non-legal), private practitioners (solicitors and
barristers) and others in the legal sector.
Volunteers in CLCs work in three main areas:
• they provide legal advice and information to clients
• they undertake policy and law-reform work
• they are members of management committees, which oversee the administrative
and governance functions of centres.5
All governments, state and federal, have recognised the cost effectiveness of this
reliance on volunteer labour.6
Volunteer survey
One of the central research tools for this report was a survey of volunteers (“CLC
Volunteer Survey”)7 and of volunteer managers (“Volunteer Management Survey”).8
The surveys were designed to obtain a picture of:
• who volunteers at CLCs
• what types of volunteering and tasks are undertaken
• what support and recognition is given to volunteers
• what impressions volunteers and volunteer managers have of CLCs
and the sector.
Government of Victoria, ‘National Volunteering Strategy Consultation Report’ (Report, Department
of Premier and Cabinet, 2011) 23.
2
Australian Bureau of Statistics, ‘4441.0—Voluntary Work, Australia’ (Report, Australian Bureau of
Statistics, 2010).
3
National Association of Community Legal Centres, ‘National Association of Community Legal
Centres, Annual Report, 2007–8’ (National Association of Community Legal Centres, 2008) 6.
4
Ibid 2.
5
Rose Melville, ‘Volunteers and Community Legal Centres: A Partnership Under Threat’ in Tony
Eardley and Bruce Bradbury (eds), Referees Proceedings of the National Social Policy Conference 2001
(Social Policy Research Centre University of New South Wales, 2001).
­6 Mary Anne Noone and Stephen Tomsen, Lawyers in Conflict: Australian Lawyers and Legal Aid
(Federation Press, 2006) 226.
7
Ibid 266.
8
Ibid 28.
1
34
The CLC Volunteer Survey was open to those currently volunteering and those
that had volunteered at a CLC in the previous twelve months. The Volunteer
Management Survey was open to those, whether paid or volunteer, who manage
volunteers at a CLC.
These surveys were hosted by www.surveymonkey.com and were open from
Monday 16 January 2012 to Friday 10 February 2012.
The surveys were distributed through online mediums only. The Volunteer
Management Survey was distributed by the Federation of Community Legal
Centres via direct email to CLCs.
The CLC Volunteer Survey was distributed through a variety of online mediums
including:
• emails from the Federation to all CLC members with a request for distribution to
their volunteer pool
• direct links to the CLC Volunteer Survey in social media forums, such as Facebook
• direct links to the survey through email updates and newsletters, such as the Law
Institute of Victoria’s “Friday Facts” and the Victorian Bar’s “In Brief”
There were 28 respondents to the Volunteer Management Survey and 266
respondents to the Volunteer Survey.
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
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Survey findings
Volunteer profile9
Almost three quarters of respondents who volunteer at CLCs are female:
5.01 Gender
Male
28.6%
Female
71.4%
Over half of the respondents are under the age of 29:
5.02 Volunteer grouping by age
18–24
33.3%
25–29
25.6%
30–34
12.4%
35–39
9.4%
40-44
6.0%
45–49
3.4%
50–54
3.0%
55–59
2.6%
60+
4.3%
More than half of respondents have obtained an undergraduate degree:
5.03 Level of education obtained
Secondary school
15.0%
Undergraduate study
53.6%
Postgraduate study
18.9%
Masters or higher qualification 12.4%
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey 2012, Responses (2012).
9
36
The majority of respondents are studying a law degree:10
5.04 Occupation
Studying a law degree 34.8%
Studying another qualification 3.5%
Legal graduate 11.9%
Private practice lawyer 19.8%
Government lawyer 8.4%
VLA lawyer 0.4%
CLC lawyer 2.2%
In-house counsel 1.8%
Law firm partner 1.3%
Barrister 1.3%
All other responses 14.5%
The greatest number of respondents had studied at Monash University, followed by
the University of Melbourne:
5.05 University studied at
Deakin University 9.9%
La Trobe University 10.8%
Monash University 33.8%
University of Melbourne 23.9%
Victoria University 3.2%
RMIT University 2.7%
Interstate9.5%
Overseas2.3%
Not applicable 4.1%
Other findings included 1.7 per cent of the total respondents identifying as
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders. Twenty-one per cent of respondents spoke a
language other than English at home.
Other volunteers included Queen’s Counsel and Senior Counsel, and Statutory Office Bearers.
10
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
37
Volunteering work11
Over half of the respondents volunteer as legal volunteers:
5.06 Type of volunteering role
Legal volunteer
Student volunteer
Student volunteer as part of a
clinical placement / course requirement
Administrative/community volunteer
Committee of management
Other
More than 60 per cent of respondents volunteer fortnightly or more
frequently:
5.07 Incidence
Once per week 40.2%
Once per fortnight 22.2%
Once per month 22.9%
Once every three months 1.9%
Less than once every three months 3.8%
Other
9.0%
The greatest number of respondents have been volunteering for at least one year:
5.08 Years volunteered
1
38.8%
2
17.6%
3–4
20.8%
5–7
11.0%
8–10
3.1%
10–15
3.9%
15+
4.7%
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey 2012, Responses (2012).
11
38
When volunteering, respondents take on a range of tasks:
5.09 Tasks performed when volunteering
80%
60%
40%
20%
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ic
dv n
l a tio
ga ma
Le for
in
Motivation to volunteer12
Respondents gave a wide range of reasons why they chose to volunteer.
Respondents were asked to select their top three reasons for volunteering:
5.10 Reasons for volunteering
80%
60%
40%
20%
s
se
on
sp
re
er
th
lo
Al
f a nt
to e
en em
r
m uir
he
ire eq
Ot
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re rs
a ou
lfil / c
fu ct on
To bje cti
e
su
t
nn
gs
en
co
in
th
al
pm
ci
w
elo
So
ne
ev
e
rd
nc
ee
rie
ar
pe
rc
ve
Ex
fo
ha
ty
dy
ni
ea
rtu
alr
po
I
Op
ills
t
sk
e
en
th
m
g
r lop
in
fo ve
Us
ty e
ni al d se
u
rtu on
ca ut
po si
s
Op rofe in a abo
t
p
en te
m ona ls
il
lve si
sk
vo as
w
In m p
ne
I’
g
in
lop
e
ve
ak ity
De
Im n
e u
nc m
re om
ffe e c
Di th
to
12
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey 2012, Responses (2012).
39
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
40
iss
ue
s
Co
st
Ot
he
Cu
r
ltu
Co
ra
m
l is
m
su
un
es
ic
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on
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itm
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to C
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nt y
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ds
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ab som a C er
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ou die f
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m ug
lo
ed h
th
ia
er
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sp
on
se
s
In finding out about volunteering opportunities at CLCs, respondents gave a range
of reasons. In answering this question, volunteers were given a range of options.
5.11 Pathways to volunteering
40%
30%
20%
10%
Respondents were asked to provide reasons for what affected their volunteering
commitment. Volunteers were asked to tick as many responses as applied:
5.12 Circumstances affecting volunteering
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
Respondents were asked to give reasons for what would influence their decision
to volunteer in the future. Respondents were asked to tick as many responses
as applied.
5.13 Circumstances affecting volunteering
200
150
100
50
e
as
r
ce
he
to
Ot
ng
ni g
an in
pl teer
Am lun
vo
e
ur
ts
No
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rn
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so a
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te ing ctiv
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nt
sh volu LC
C
ly e
lar am
gu e s
Re t th
a
The full results of both surveys, including select open field answers are appended to
this report.
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
41
6
The volunteer cycle
Community legal centres are diverse. Each CLC has a different catchment
area, different staffing needs and each responds to a different client base.
The consequence is that the volunteer needs of each centre differs.
Due to their diversity there is not one volunteer program model that applies to
all CLCs. The challenge for centres is to develop a volunteer program that suits
their individual needs.
Examining a CLC’s volunteer program as a life cycle can assist with identifying
strengths and weakness. This life cycle contains three phases, which can be
described as the “Three Rs.”
These are:
•Recruitment
•Retention
•Recognition.1
Each phase of the volunteer cycle is informed by different hallmarks, which are
indicators of the health of a program.
Resources
There are numerous resources available to CLCs about volunteering theory and
practice. In designing or redesigning a volunteer program the three resources that
CLCs can turn to are:
1.Valuing Volunteers Training Kit, published by the Peninsula Community
Legal Service
2.Volunteering Australia’s National Standards for Involving Volunteers in
Not-For-Profit Organisations
3.Volunteering Australia’s ‘The Principles of Volunteering: why have them?’
This chapter draws on these resources, and also other resources and findings, such
as the Volunteer Management Survey and the CLC Survey. A select reading list has
been provided at the end of the report for further resources that are recommended.
Location
Community legal centres operate most effectively when there is a pool of people and
private legal practitioners to use as volunteers and also to refer casework to. The
hallmarks that will be examined are predicated on the assumption that a CLC has
such a pool available. If a CLC is located in an area where there is not a suitable pool,
the result is small and/or ineffective volunteer program.2
Interview with Jeff Bond (Volunteer Canada, 22 October 2011).
Mary Anne Noone and Jeff Giddings, ‘Australian community legal centres move into the twenty-first
century’ (2004) 11(3) International Journal of the Legal Profession 276.
1
2
42
Volunteering standards
Effective volunteer management policies and procedures are essential to manage
risk for volunteers and organisations.3
Volunteering Australia Inc has published National Standards for Involving Volunteers
in Not-For-Profit Organisations. This represents what Volunteering Australia Inc
regards as “best practice” in the management of volunteers.4
The standards are:
1.Policies and procedures: An organisation that involves volunteers shall define
and document its policies and procedures for volunteer involvement to ensure
that these are understood, implemented and maintained at all levels of the
organisation where volunteers are involved.
2.Management responsibility: An organisation that involves volunteers shall ensure
that volunteers are managed within a defined system and by capable personnel
with the authority and resources to achieve the organisation’s policy goals.
3.Recruitment selection and orientation: An organisation that involves volunteers
shall plan and have clearly documented volunteer recruitment, selection and
orientation policies and procedures that are consistent with non-discriminatory
practices and guidelines.
4.Work and the workplace: An organisation that involves volunteers shall clearly
specify and control the work of volunteers and ensure that their place of work
is conducive to preserving their health, safety and general wellbeing.
5.Training and development: An organisation that involves volunteers shall ensure
that volunteers obtain the knowledge, skills, feedback on work and the
recognition needed to effectively carry out their responsibility.
6.Service delivery: An organisation that involves volunteers shall ensure that
appropriate processes and procedures are established and followed for the
effective planning, control and review of all activities relating to the delivery
of services by volunteers.
7.Documentation and records: An organisation that involves volunteers shall
establish a system and have defined procedures to control all documentation
and personnel records that relate to the management of volunteers.
8.Continuous improvement: An organisation that involves volunteers shall plan and
continually review its volunteer management system to ensure that opportunities
to improve the quality of the system are identified and actively pursued.
Government of Victoria, ‘National Volunteering Strategy Consultation Report’ (Report, Department of
Premier and Cabinet, 2011) 17.
4
Volunteering Australia Inc, National Standards for Involving Volunteers in Not-For-Profit Organisations
(Volunteering Australia Inc, 2nd ed, 2001) 7. For a comparative standard see the Canadian Code for
Volunteer Involvement, developed by Volunteer Canada in 2006 (more information at www.volunteer.ca).
Peninsula Community Legal Centre’s Valuing Volunteers Training Kit uses these standards as the
basis point for its modules.
3
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
43
Hallmarks of a healthy volunteer program
The hallmarks contained in this report are those that have been identified from
research conducted in the course of this Fellowship. They are not intended to be
exhaustive. These hallmarks should be read in conjunction with the Volunteering
Australia Standards.
These hallmarks are discussed in combination with the “Three Rs” of volunteering.
CLCs can use these hallmarks to conduct a health check of their own volunteer
program.
The hallmarks of a healthy volunteer cycle are:
1.Volunteers are part of a centre’s strategic plan and budget.
2.A centre has a dedicated volunteer coordinator.
3.The recruitment of volunteers occurs through a clearly documented screening
and selection process that accords with the centre’s strategic plan.
4.There are clearly documented structures to engage and use volunteers and
to minimise risk.
5.There are sufficient training opportunities available to volunteers to enable them
to competently undertake their activities.
6.The centre has a mentor–buddy system for volunteers in place.
7.The centre is flexible to the needs of its volunteers.
8.The centre recognises the contribution of its volunteers through inclusion,
feedback and celebration.
Hallmark 1: Volunteers are part of a centre’s big picture
In many ways we learned from other peoples and our own mistakes. This has
allowed us to develop the program to where it now is … The increase in staff
allowed time and budget to be put into how the volunteer program would run.
—Brendan Sydes, EDO5
We have been fortunate to get greater resources through strategic planning.
We’ve made it important to look after our volunteers. We have a budget for
our volunteers.
—Helen Constas, Peninsula Community Legal Centre6
A volunteer program cannot operate in isolation, nor should it be used solely to
address immediate need.7 To have a healthy volunteer program, a culture of
volunteering should be part a CLC’s fabric.
Interview with Brendan Sydes and Mandy Johnson (Environment Defenders Office, 24 January 2012).
Interview with Helen Constas and Saskia Weerheim (Peninsula Community Legal Service,
16 January 2012).
7
Interview with Mary Anne Noone (La Trobe University, 6 February 2012).
5
6
44
A volunteer program should be included in:
• a centre’s strategic plan and mission
• a centre’s budget
• a centre’s policies and procedures8
To develop a volunteer program as part of its strategic framework, a centre can:
• lay out the goals, projected impact and value of the volunteer commitment
• clarify “the what” of the volunteer program and be more flexible regarding
“the where, how and when” of volunteer activities
• clarify how a volunteer’s unique skills, talents and interests will be engaged
to increase engagement and satisfaction
• identify how they will get to know their volunteers better, including what
individuals are looking to achieve by volunteering9
Eastern Community Legal Centre provides a good example of how the volunteers
are incorporated into its practice. Leonie Burnham described its volunteers as being
“the soul of the organisation” which all staff are expected to respect. To ensure that
staff share responsibility for the volunteer program, this expectation is built into staff
position descriptions and is part of staff inductions.10
Hallmark 2: Volunteer coordinator
The problems that we experience with our volunteers all stems from not having
a single person appointed to the role of volunteer coordinator. This has caused
underuse and inadequate use of volunteers. This is especially important as a
centre that is looking to expand its services.
—Peter Noble, Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre11
A centre should have a person who solely or as part of their job description is
charged with the role of volunteer coordinator. Allowing this role to be subsumed
is an immediate indicator of poor health.
Seventy-two per cent of Victorian CLCs have a volunteer manager appointed.
Of these managers:
• almost all are paid positions
• thirty-eight per cent are in the role 0.8 or 1.0 equivalent full time (EFT).12
Having a coordinator gives a contact point for volunteers within a CLC. This person
can nurture and develop volunteers and guide the contribution they make to a
centre. It allows for development and implementation of other hallmarks of a
healthy cycle.
Interview with Leonie Burnham and Katiana Velcek (Eastern Community Legal Centre,
7 December 2011).
9
Volunteer Canada, ‘Bridging the Gap: Enriching the volunteer experience to build a better future
for our communities’ (Report, Volunteer Canada, 2010).
10
Interview with Leonie Burnham and Katiana Velcek (Eastern Community Legal Centre,
7 December 2011).
11
Interview with Peter Noble and Anna Howard (Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre,
21 November 2011).
12
Volunteer Management Survey 2012.
8
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
45
For Barwon CLS, appointment of a volunteer coordinator enabled it to implement
a raft of changes in its volunteer program. One of the immediate results was an
improved strike rate in volunteer attendance at night service.
With Charmaine starting we had a dedicated person doing the volunteer
coordination and attending the clinic. Prior to that we had a person doing the
coordination as part of their job. They weren’t at the service all the time so they
didn’t build up a huge rapport with the lawyers because they didn’t actually
meet a lot of them.
With the opportunity to recruit Charmaine into the role, actually attending night
service and interaction with the lawyers was important in the management of
it. I think that has been really important in allowing the person to see how it
works and provide those improvements and tweaks.13
“Three Rs” of volunteering: Recruitment
The recruitment process at my CLC is quite flawed. There doesn’t seem to be
any deep thinking behind the recruitment process, which is a reflection of there
being no real deep thinking behind the volunteer program. Basically, we get
ambitious students who want to tick off the “volunteer” box on their résumé
and make it to the big law firms.14
Community legal centres can use the recruitment phase to meet their strategic
needs. Also, strategies to eliminate and minimize risk can be developed and
implemented through screening of volunteer applications and systematic analysis
of volunteer position descriptions and the work environment of the centre.15
Hallmark 3: Screening and selection
We hope that for a lot of people it will be the beginning of them being involved
(e.g., we hope they will grow into doing other tasks.) Ideally we hope our
volunteers will self select out if it’s not good for them, if they don’t like the
environment.
—Robin Inglis, Fitzroy Legal Service16
Screening of applicants identifies suitability for volunteer roles. Through this
process, centres can identify whether the needs and interests of an applicant fit
the organisation’s workplace and culture.17 Screening also provides a basis for
identifying those applicants who may present risk.18
Interview with Nick Hudson and Charmaine Floyd (Barwon Community Legal Service,
23 November 2011).
14
Michael McKiterick, Volunteer Management Survey, Response (2012).
15
Peninsula Community Legal Centre, Valuing Volunteers Training Kit (Peninsula Community Legal
Centre—Frankston, 2007) Part C Module 1, 6. This module contains a very useful discussion of ethical
principles in screening volunteers, including consideration of issues such as disclosure, consent,
confidentiality, and suggestions regarding disputes
16
Interview with Robin Inglis (Fitzloy Legal Service, 9 December 2011).
17
McCurly (1998) in Peninsula Community Legal Centre, above n 15, 4.
18
Volunteering Australia Inc, ‘Screening and the volunteer recruitment process—Information
Sheet’(Information Sheet, Volunteering Australia Inc, 2005).
13
46
The screening process should be informed by a centre’s strategic plan. It can be also
used to actively select people who will fit a centre’s culture.19
When screening and selecting volunteers, consideration should be given to what
skills, qualities and attitudes a Centre is seeking. This can be broken down into:
• the skills, qualities and attitudes that the person must demonstrate prior to being
accepted as a volunteer (prerequisites)
• the skills, qualities and attitudes that the centre may be able to assist the person
develop through training and supervised experience
There are numerous tools that CLCs use for screening volunteer applicants,
as demonstrated below:20
6.01 Recruitment tools
80%
60%
40%
20%
ns
so
er les
t p ip
in nc
po ri
ap p
r
d nd
he
an es a nts
Ot
e
ek lu
se t va sid
ely ll fi o re
tiv wi e t t
Ac ho enc en
w er m
ef ch
pr cat um
ve ur
m
Gi f yo ini ent
m tm
o
ta i
es m
m
s
qu co
Re e
ew
vi
tim
r
e
nt
g
ti
in
uc
en
re
nd
sc
Co
a
ke
rta
de ss
Un roce
p
Other tools used by CLCs included:
• a demonstrated area of specialisation
• compulsory attendance at induction sessions
• membership of the centre
Interview with Gregor Husper (Public Interest Law Clearing House, 2012).
Michael McKiterick, Volunteer Management Survey, Question 12 (2012).
19
20
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
47
“Three Rs” of volunteering: Retention
To make it easier for me to volunteer I would like my CLC to keep me updated
about what is happening at the centre so I’m across all issues when I next turn up
to volunteer. It will also help me feel included even if I can’t make it. CLCs should
also conduct annual training or refresher sessions so I can also meet other
volunteers that I wouldn’t normally see.21
People volunteer for numerous reasons. One of the primary reasons is a person’s need to
be involved in a cause that they are passionate about.22 To retain volunteers CLCs need
to successfully harness volunteer motivation. If so, volunteers will contribute to the CLC
meeting its strategic objectives, while working towards their own personal objectives.
The process by which volunteers learn about a centre is known as “organisational
socialisation.” Through this process a volunteer acquires the social knowledge and
skills necessary for their role. 23
When starting a role, volunteers are faced with ambiguity about their tasks and
expectations. In addition, much of the induction that a volunteer will receive into the
culture and technology of a centre is done on the job.24 Organisational socialisation
can assist a volunteer to cope with their new role, while assuring the continuance
and sustainability of the values, culture and norms of a centre.25
To retain volunteers, CLCs can use organisational socialisation to:
• provide clarity about what volunteers are expected to do
• provide structures around what is expected of volunteers
• inform volunteers of how their work contributes to the overall work of the centre26
Hallmark 4: Structures
I would say that North Melbourne has a good structure. We have a procedure
for every step.
—Alan Yang, North Melbourne Community Legal Centre27
We have made quite a few changes to the legal program over the last couple of
years. In the past we have had a volunteer “free-for-all”—it was a case of collating
discrete tasks which needed to be done and getting volunteers who were there
that day to do them.
—Payal Saraf, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre28
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey 2012, Response (2012).
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey 2012, Question 10 (2012).
23
John van Maanen and Edgar H Schein (1979) in Debbie Haski-Leventhal and David Bargal, ‘The
volunteer stages and transitions model: Organizational socialization of volunteers’ (2008) 61(1) Human
Relations 68.
24
Haski-Leventhal and Bargal, above n 23.
25
D Cable and C Parsons (2001) in Haski-Leventhal and Bargal, above n 23, 68–9.
26
Peninsula Community Legal Centre, Valuing Volunteers Training Kit (Peninsula Community Legal
Centre—Frankston, 2007) Model C Part 2, 4.
27
Interview with Alan Yang (North Melbourne Community Legal Centre, 7 December 2011).
28
Interview with Payal Saraf and Rebecca Wringe (Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, 13 January 2012).
21
22
48
A common issue faced by CLCs is the turnover rate of volunteers. This can arise
through a lack of consistency and continuity in duties expected to be undertaken,
or deficiencies in a centre’s structure.29
Community legal centres can manage retention though having a good structure in
place for their volunteer programs. Tools that form part of this structure can include:30
• general information about a centre
• specific information in the form of volunteer procedures and policies
• volunteer position descriptions
• documented screening and selection policy
• volunteer assessment and/or rating tools
• proforma letters and documents
• volunteer files.31
Community legal centres are using a variety of tools to manage their volunteer
program.
6.02 Volunteer management tools
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
s
se
on
sp
dy
re
ud
er
th
r/b
lo
to
Al
en
rm
t /
ee
en
nt
m n
lu
ee tio
Vo
gr ip
r a scr
ee e
nt d
lu ion rest
Vo it
s
te
po
in
of
ts
ic
nfl
Co
e
ag
us
y
IT
lit
ia
nt
de
t
nfi
en
m
Co
e
ag ity
es
an n
m em dur
sk nd
ce
Ri d i
ro
p
an
nd
g
in
sa
in
ie
lic
tra
c
Po
ifi
ec
sp
cl
pi
ua
To
an
m
n
n
io
io
ct
at
du
nt
In
ie
or
n/
io
ct
du
In
Peninsula Community Legal Centre, above n 26, 12.
Peninsula Community Legal Centre, above n 15.
31
Peninsula Community Legal Centre, above n 15, 15–6.
29
30
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
49
An example of an effective structure is the ASRC’s use of volunteers as “file
managers.” Volunteers in the legal practice attend once per week and are given
files to manage under supervision of a staff lawyer. The file manager reviews the
file each week and is responsible for administrative tasks.32
In implementing this system volunteers have fed back to the ASRC that they feel
they can take greater ownership of a matter, develop a greater relationship with the
client and feel more connected to the centre.
Hallmark 5: Training
The training was great—specific and concise. I was then allocated a solicitor I
would work with—she gave me various tasks to do. The instructions would be
written on the front of each file then I do it. It gave me a sense of independence
and responsibility. I feel good when I can finish all the tasks set out for the day.33
A training program is an effective tool to assist with the organisational socialisation
of volunteers.
Ninety-one per cent of respondents to the CLC Volunteer Survey 2012 believed
that the training they received gave them the relevant skills to complete their
volunteer role.
6.03 Satisfaction with training and support
50%
40%
30%
20%
Sa
tis
fie
d
Ve
ry
sa
tis
Ne
fie
i
d
t
no he
ru rs
ns ati
at sfi
No
isfi ed
tv
ed
er
y
sa
tis
fie
d
10%
Interview with Payal Saraf and Rebecca Wringe (Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, 16 January 2012).
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey 2012, Response (2012).
32
33
50
How a training program is constituted will be unique to each CLC. The training
that a centre determines necessary will depend on location, staffing, resourcing,
and the volunteering program. It is also dependent on the community the centre
responds to.
Hallmark 6: Mentor–buddy
Having a mentor to support me every time I came in and giving me the
opportunity to experience new work and meeting clients. As well as having
an open door to discuss my work or any issues that I may be experiencing
and learning more about the processes and work.34
The CLCs I have volunteered at have provided great support for mentors.
Something that CLCs could do to make it easier for volunteers is to implement
a strong network system comprising of a supervisor and a buddy to discuss
matters with.35
A mentor or buddy gives volunteers a touch point within a centre. It contributes
to the sense of community and inclusion that volunteers identify as being unique
to CLCs.
The EDO assigns a mentor to each volunteer it hosts in its intern program. This
allows the volunteer and mentor to enter into a feedback loop to discuss activities
and performance.
The feedback received by the EDO is that having a mentor has contributed greatly
to the level of satisfaction and feeling of inclusion by volunteers who participate in
its practice.
Hallmark 7: Flexibility
Flexibility in a volunteering role has been identified as an important feature for
enabling people to participate.36 Forty-four per cent of respondents to the CLC
Volunteer Survey identified flexibility as one of the three most important things
for them to continue volunteering in the future.37
Flexibility can apply to a range of circumstances but depends on the volunteer and
the centre. The key element of this feature is the ability of a centre to work within
the volunteer’s capacity, either as it increases or decreases.38
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey 2012, Response (2012).
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey 2012, Response (2012).
36
Bessy Andriotis, ‘Pathways to Social Inclusion through Volunteering’ (Paper, Volunteering Australia
Inc, 2011) 24.
37
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey 2012, Question 22 (2012).
38
Andriotis, above n 36.
34
35
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
51
“Three Rs” of volunteering: Recognition
Volunteers value the contribution they make to a CLC. Recognition of this
contribution makes the volunteer feel that they are doing meaningful work, are
part of a team and provides them with motivation to continue their involvement.39
In the CLC Volunteer Survey, the form of recognition most favoured by respondents
was being accepted as a team member. This was followed by feedback about
contribution and a personal thank you.
6.04 Most important form of volunteer recognition
Public award
Public acknowledgement
by organisation
Ceritificate/gift
Special gathering / celebration
Personal thank you
Feedback about contribution
Being accepted as a valuable
team member
None of the above / no need
Other
10%
20%
30%
40%
CLCs can recognise volunteers through inclusion, feedback and celebration.
a.Inclusion
An example of inclusion is the ASRC’s daily volunteer briefings. Here the CEO
and volunteer coordinator update volunteers about the activities of the centre.
This allows volunteers an opportunity to “eyeball” each other and staff and develop
a sense of connection to the governance and aims of the centre.40
There are many techniques that centres can use to make volunteers feel included.
How this occurs will depend on each centre’s unique location, staffing and
volunteering requirements.
Peninsula Community Legal Centre, above n 26, 8.
Interview with Rebecca Wringe and Payal Saraf (West Melbourne, 13 January 2012).
39
40
52
b.Feedback
I appreciate the personal feedback sessions (one-on-one) my supervisor has with
me as they offer constructive criticism on my work.41
At five weeks we have a catch up and review. We ask them if there is anything
they have found difficult. At the end of semester we catch up again.
—Alan Yang, North Melbourne Community Legal Centre42
A healthy feedback loop forms an effective and easy means to recognise volunteers.
Forty-three per cent of CLCs responding to the Volunteer Management Survey
identified this as one of the recognition methods they engaged.
As described earlier, a good example of a feedback loop is the EDO’s intern program.
Each intern is assigned to a member of staff who provides feedback during their
tenure. The EDO observed that upon completion interns say they leave with a
palpable sense of satisfaction and inclusion in the centre. This arises through the
work undertaken, and recognition through having a mentor and feedback received.43
Again, how feedback is conveyed to volunteers will depend on a centre’s unique
location, staffing and volunteering requirements.
c.Celebration
The other thing we have done is to put budget into volunteer recognition.
We had a function last year during volunteer week. We invite the solicitors and
the volunteers so it is a chance for them to mingle outside of the centre. We used
to have a beer and chips do in our staffroom and we got no RSVPs. It was a low
stakes event.”
—Nick Hudson, Barwon Community Legal Service
The final component of recognising volunteers is celebrating their contribution.
Celebration can be in a public setting such as a volunteer party or dinner, a karaoke
night, an award or certificate of appreciation.
It can also be through a private medium, such as a thank you note.44
Peninsula Community Legal Centre has numerous awards to recognise and celebrate
its volunteers. This includes the hotly contested Kath Nielsen Memorial Award,
awarded to a volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution to the Centre,
and the Volunteer Encouragement Award.45
How a centre chooses to celebrate its volunteers will depend on its unique location,
staffing and volunteering requirements.
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Volunteer Survey 2012, Response (2012).
Interview with Alan Yang (North Melbourne Community Legal Centre, 7 December 2011).
43
Interview with Brendan Sydes and Mandy Johnson (Environment Defenders Office, 24 January 2012).
44
Interview with Bill Merreweather (HIV and AIDS Legal Clinic of Ontario, 1 October 2011).
45
Interview with Helen Constas and Saskia Weerheim (Peninsula Community Legal Service,
16 January 2012).
41
42
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
53
7
Strategic aims of the Federation
and the sector
Volunteering is a unique feature of CLCs. When properly managed, volunteer
programs allow centres to deliver services to their communities in ways that are cost
effective and efficient. As Helen Constas of the Peninsula Community Legal Centre
observes:
The cost effective nature of volunteerism and pro bono work is what makes us
different and what makes us survive in this era of funding shortages. If you do a
cost analysis of how much we save the government, that is what makes CLCs
different and what makes us continue to be viable.
… Look at the new State Attorney-General, his comments: that CLCs are viable
and important because they have the volunteer aspect. This should be the most
important thing that CLCs do.1
The Commonwealth Government has recognised the value and contribution that
volunteers make to society. Through the National Volunteering Strategy launched in
2011, the Commonwealth has outlined how it will support the volunteering sector.
The focus areas of the strategy include responding to volunteering trends and new
technology, strengthening management and training, and recognising and valuing
volunteering.
The need to support and develop volunteers has been identified by the Federation’s
Committee of Management. Its strategic plan for 2011–2014 outlines as part of its
objectives the need to support CLCs and develop their use of volunteers.
This strategic objective is supported by the sector, with three quarters of
respondents to the Volunteer Management Survey believing that the Federation
should assist CLCs with their volunteer programs.
In the course of interviews and through surveys various issues have been identified
that Federation can assist with. The issues consistently identified are:
• supporting CLCs to meet sector recruitment needs
• convening the Volunteer Managers Networking Forum
• providing a centralised recruitment tool for use by CLCs and volunteers.2
Interview with Helen Constas and Saskia Weerheim, (Peninsula Community Legal Centre,
16 January 2012).
2
Federation of Community Legal Centres, Strategic Plan 2011–14. This plan identifies the following
eight strategic priorities to:
•develop the community legal centre staff and volunteer workforce
•drive excellence in community legal centres
•diversify and increase community legal centre funding and resources
•improve community legal centre cohesion and collaboration
•develop and consolidate community legal centre reputation and profile
•achieve positive systemic change through law reform and policy work
•improve access to the legal assistance sector
•build the Federation’s capacity to achieve its purpose
1
54
Sector recruitment needs
Being a volunteer was critical to my career in the law. I volunteered at the
Tenant’s Union and at Northcote Community Legal Service and when I moved
to Sydney I volunteered at the Marrackville Legal Service. Through this I
experienced work that was fulfilling and frustrating at the same time. This
definitely pushed me into my career in CLCs.
—Brendan Sydes, CEO, Environment Defender’s Office3
The experience of lawyers and students as volunteers in CLCs is the first impression
many receive. This experience is important as there is a marked correlation between
volunteering at a CLC and going on to work in one. Over three quarters of lawyers
now employed by CLCs have previously been a volunteer in one.4
Volunteers in CLCs are influenced by their experience. In 2008, 20 per cent of law
students responding to a survey conducted by the LIV said they would like to
undertake a traineeship at a CLC.5
Respondents to this survey also recorded significant negative impressions based
on their volunteering experiences. These included:
• “Centres have few legal resources available e.g., references material.”6
• “The training is inadequate and I would like to start somewhere where I can
be taught good skills.”7
• “Generally poor management.”8
More favourably, over 50 per cent of respondents to the CLC Volunteer survey
said that as a result of volunteering they either definitely wanted to or were more
interested in working in the community legal sector.9
Interview with Brendan Sydes and Mandy Johnson (Environment Defenders Office, 2001).
Michael McKiterick, Community Legal Centre Legal Practitioner Survey, (2011).
5
Law Institute of Victoria, ‘Attracting graduate lawyers to the community legal sector: LIV Survey
Results and Discussion Paper’ (Paper, Law Institute of Victoria, 2009).
6
Ibid 21–22.
7
Ibid 23.
8
Ibid.
9
Interview with Brendan Sydes and Mandy Johnson (Environment Defenders Office, 2011).
3
4
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
55
7.01 Influence of volunteering on desire to work in community legal sector
40%
30%
20%
10%
y
m
d r
ce to
en sec
flu
in LC
ot e C
s n th
r
ha in
he
g g
o
n
Ot
rin ki nt t
ee or
a
nt w t w ctor
lu of
no se
Vo ew
vi y do CLC
r
l
n to
te e
ni th ed i sec
t C
efi in
I d ork res CL
e
t
w
e
n
s i th
in tor
n
les g i
ed ec
st s
m in
re LC
I a rk
e
o
t
C
w
in e
e h
k
or n t
or
m i
w
g
o
m in
tt
I a rk
o
an or
w
w ct
ly se
te
ni LC
efi e C
I d th
in
The responses above, and those from the LIV survey, demonstrate a clear need to
create positive experiences for volunteers. Centres and the Federation should
develop strategies to implement strong volunteer programs to positively and
consciously infect the minds of volunteers with the work undertaken by the sector.
56
Volunteer Managers Networking Forum
In a move welcomed by the sector, the Federation convened the Volunteer
Managers Networking Forum, which first met in September 2011. This was
established as a forum in which centre staff that manage volunteers can network,
share ideas, and discuss strategies for improving volunteer engagement.
The forum has identified a range of areas where the Federation can better assist
CLCs with their volunteer programs. In addition to what is discussed in this chapter,
these are:
• the continuance of the forum, which will now meet every six months
• sharing of resources between forum members, such as volunteer manuals
and procedures, including guidelines for risk management. Following the
first forum meeting, this resource database started on the intranet of
www.communitylaw.org.au
• developing centralised volunteer training
Centralised recruitment tool
The current centralised recruitment tool available to the sector is the website
clcvolunteers.net.au. A joint project between NACLC (National Association of
Community Legal Centres) and NPBRC (National Pro Bono Resource Centre),
this site was devised to make it easier to find information about how to volunteer
at a CLC.
The site is maintained by the NPBRC. Centres can forward their details and
volunteer requirements to the NPBRC who apply any changes. The NPBRC also
sends out twice yearly reminders to CLCs to provide updates of their information.10
In the 2010/11 financial year, 19,428 unique visitors went to clcvolunteers.net.au.
This was an increase of 26.6 per cent on the 2009/10 financial year. In this same
period 60 per cent of the 227 organisations listed on the site requested updates
to their profile.11
While these figures are favourable, respondents to the CLC Volunteer Survey and
the Volunteer Management Survey, interviewees for this report and participants
at the forum, indicated that the manner in which this site is used and promoted
should be examined.
Seventy-eight percent of respondents to the Volunteer Management survey said
that they did not use www.clcvolunteers.net.au for recruitment. These respondents
found the site “frustrating” and requiring “high administration.”
Email from Daniel Jacobs, National Pro Bono Resource Centre, to Michael McKiterick,
7 February 2012.
11
Email from Daniel Jacobs, National Pro Bono Resource Centre including AW Stats to
Michael McKiterick, 7 February 2012.
10
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
57
In a similar vein, 76 per cent of respondents to the CLC Volunteer survey were
not aware of the site. Of those who were aware of www.clcvolunteers.net.au,
only 26 per cent had used the site to obtain their current volunteering role.
These responses show that volunteers and CLCs in Victoria are not promoting
www.clcvolunteers.net.au for recruitment, nor are they engaging with it effectively.
Centres’ experience of using www.clcvolunteers.net.au also demonstrates that
online recruitment tools do not operate well when isolated from other recruitment
methods.
A model proposed is to change the current format to one where content for a central
site is updated and managed by individual centres. This model includes integrating
site content into a centre’s social media and online profile.
This model could be used by centres to link content through to external sites such
as volunteer matching agencies, practitioner bodies, law schools and law students
societies.12 Other benefits include integration of a centre’s volunteer needs in its
online profile and across other fora, and affording a centre the ability to maintain
currency of this information.
Other findings
Other proposals and challenges for the Federation that emerged through the course
of this report that could be given further consideration include:
• assisting centres with developing alumni networks among current and former
volunteers
• lobbying universities for funding based on evidence collected on benefits
of having law students participate in volunteer programs
• providing online and centralised training modules for volunteers about CLCs
and the sector
• developing an online portal for episodic and micro volunteering to assist CLCs
in rural, regional and remote locations
• developing a scheme to assist law students with volunteering and internship
opportunities for CLCs in rural, regional and remote locations—this program could
be modelled on www.lawgraduatesrrrclc.org and assist participants with grants
for travel and accommodation13
• provide more opportunities for non-legal volunteers, such as those undertaking
legal practice management courses, to participate as volunteers at CLCs
• examining the method of using volunteers to deliver legal services
Email from Daniel Jacobs, National Pro Bono Resource Centre, to Michael McKiterick,
7 February 2012.
13
This site offers opportunities in RRR Centres for law graduates seeking to undertake PLT placements.
12
58
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
59
Select resource list
Australian Government, National Volunteering Strategy (Department of Prime
Minister and Cabinet, Canberra, 2011).
Bessy Andriotis, ‘Pathways to Social Inclusion through Volunteering’ (Paper,
Volunteering Australia, Melbourne, 2011).
John Basten, Regina Graycar and David Neal, ‘Legal Centres in Australia’ (1985) 7(1)
Law & Policy 113–143.
CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, the International Association for
Volunteer Effort and United Nations Volunteers, Volunteering and Social Activism:
Pathway for participation in human development (United Nations, 2008).
E. Gil Clary and Mark Snyder, ‘The Motivations to Volunteer: Theoretical and
Practical Considerations’ (1999) 8(5) Current Directions in Psychological Science
156–159.
Debbie Haski-Leventhal and David Bargal, ‘The volunteer stages and transitions
model: Organizational socialization of volunteers’ (2008) 61(1) Human Relations
67–102.
Edelman, ‘Edelman goodpurpose Study 2010: Fourth annual global consumer
survey’ (Report, Edelman, 2010).
Government of Victoria, Victorian Volunteer Strategy 2009 (Department of Planning
and Community, Melbourne, 2009).
Marc Musick and John Wilson, Volunteers: a Social profile (Indiana University Press,
2008).
Mary Anne Noone, ‘The Activist Origins of Australian Community Legal Centres’
(2001) 19 Law in Context 128–139.
Mary Anne Noone and Stephen Tomsen ‘Service beyond self-interest? Australian
Lawyers, legal aid and professionalism’ (2001) 8(3) International Journal of the Legal
Profession 251–273.
Melanie Oppenheimer, Volunteering: Why we can’t survive without it (UNSW Press,
2008).
Nicole Rich, ‘Reclaiming Community Legal Centres: Maximising our potential so we
can help our clients realise theirs’ (Community Legal Centre Fellowship 2007–8,
Victoria Law Foundation, 2008).
Peninsula Community Legal Centre, Valuing Volunteers Training Kit (Peninsula
Community Legal Centre—Frankston, 2007).
Simon Rice, ‘The challenge of remaining “unfinished” in the campaign for justice’
(Paper presented at 2010 National CLCs Conference, Melbourne, 26 October 2010).
United Nations Volunteers, ‘State of the World’s Volunteerism Report 2011: Universal
Values for Global Well-being’ (Report, United Nations Volunteers, 2011).
Volunteer Canada, ‘Bridging the Gap: Enriching the volunteer experience to build a
better future for our communities’ (Report, Volunteer Canada, 2010).
60
Volunteering Australia Inc, National Standards for Involving Volunteers in Not-ForProfit Organisations (Volunteering Australia Inc, 2nd ed, 2001).
Volunteering Australia Inc,’The Principles of Volunteering: why have them?’ (Paper,
Volunteering Australia Inc, 2006).
Volunteering Australia Inc, ‘Insights from the National Survey of Volunteering Issues
2001’ (Report, Volunteering Australia Inc, 2011).
Volunteering Australia Inc, ‘Model Code of Practice for Organisations Involving
Volunteer Staff—Information Sheet’ (Information Sheet, Volunteering Australia Inc,
2005).
Volunteering Australia Inc, ‘Toolkit. Volunteering: What’s is all about?’ (Toolkit,
Volunteering Australia Inc, 2006).
Clare Wynne, ‘Volunteering is Catching: A study into young people’s volunteering in
Victoria 2011’ (Report, Youth Affairs Council of Victoria Inc, Melbourne, 2011).
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
61
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62
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of Community Practice 138–158.
Debbie Haski-Leventhall, ‘Altruism and Volunteerism: The perceptions of altruism
in four disciplines and their impact on the study of volunteerism’ (2009) 39(3)
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Chulhee Kanga et al, ‘What gives? Cross-national differences in students’ giving
behavior’ (2011) 48 The Social Science Journal 283–294.
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Funding Program: Final Report’ (Report, Legal Aid Commission of NSW, 2006).
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Threat’ in Tony Eardley and Bruce Bradbury (eds), Referees Proceedings of the
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Rose Melville, ‘Competitive tendering and NSW community legal centre volunteers:
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Victoria Law Foundation, 2008).
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(Paper presented at 2010 National CLCs Conference, Melbourne, 26 October 2010).
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28(5) Alternative Law Journal 238–252.
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better future for our communities’ (Report, Volunteer Canada, 2010).
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Volunteering Australia Inc, 2006).
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2001’ (Report, Volunteering Australia Inc, 2011).
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Volunteer Staff—Information Sheet’ (Information Sheet, Volunteering Australia Inc,
2005).
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Volunteering Australia Inc, 2006).
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Victoria 2011’ (Report, Youth Affairs Council of Victoria Inc, Melbourne, 2011).
64
Annual Reports
Advocacy and Rights Centre Annual Report 2010–11.
Albury Wodonga Community Legal Service Annual Report 2008–09.
Barwon Community Legal Service Annual Report 2011.
Community Connections Annual Report 2010.
Darebin Community Legal Centre Annual Report 2010–11.
Eastern Community Legal Centre Annual Report 2011.
Fitzroy Legal Service annual Report 2010–11.
Flemington Kensington Annual Report 2010–11.
Footscray Community Legal Centre Annual Report.
National Association of Community Legal Centres Annual Report, 2007–08.
National Association of Community Legal Centres Annual Report, 2009–10.
North Melbourne Legal Service Inc. Annual Report 2010–11.
Public Interest Law Clearing House 2010–11.
Springvale Monash Legal Service 2009–10.
St Kilda Legal Service Co-op Ltd Annual Report 2010–11.
FareShare Annual Report 2011.
World Vision Annual Report 2011.
Oxfam Annual Report 2011.
Secondbite Annual Report 2009.
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
65
Appendix A:
Volunteer Survey results
Question 1
Question 5
If no, how did you find out about volunteering at a CLC?
(please tick as many as apply)
What type of volunteering did you undertake at a
Community Legal Centre (CLC) in the past twelve
months?
Answer options
Answer Options
%
Count
Legal volunteer
56.8%
151
Student volunteer
37.2%
Student volunteer as a part of a
clinical placement course
requirement
%
Count
Someone talked to me about
being a volunteer
18.5%
36
99
Heard about volunteering at the
place I study
28.2%
55
9.4%
25
Heard about volunteering at the
place I work
9.7%
19
Administrative / Community
volunteer
7.1%
19
Someone asked me to be a
volunteer
6.2%
12
Committee of Management
4.5%
12
I saw a volunteer role promoted
10.3%
20
Other
2.3%
6
I applied to the CLC I wanted to
volunteer at
35.9%
70
My friends were volunteering at
a CLC
20.0%
39
I read some information about
volunteering
4.6%
9
I needed to do it as part of my
studies
7.2%
14
I heard about it through social
media
1.5%
3
Other
7.7%
15
Question 2
How often do you volunteer at a CLC?
Answer options
%
Count
Once per week
40.2%
107
Once per fortnight
22.2%
59
Once per month
22.9%
61
Once every three months
1.9%
5
Less than once every three
months
3.8%
10
Other
9.0%
24
Question 3
Are you aware of clcvolunteers.net.au?
Answer Options
%
Count
Question 6
What is the average duration of your commitment at
each volunteering session?
Answer Options
%
Count
Less than 1 hour
0.0%
0
Yes
24.1%
64
1–2 hours
17.3%
44
No
75.9%
202
2–3 hours
31.4%
80
3–4 hours
12.5%
32
Half day
6.3%
16
One day
32.5%
83
Question 4
If yes, is this how you found out about your current
volunteering role?
Answer Options
%
Count
Yes
27.4%
17
No
72.6%
45
66
Question 7
How many years in total have you volunteered at a
CLC?
Question 11
What 5 things do you value most about your
volunteering experience?
Answer Options
Answer Options
%
Count
%
Count
1
38.8%
99
Experience of new things
39.0%
97
2
17.6%
45
Sense of purpose it gives me
69.5%
173
3–4
20.8%
53
Enjoyment
31.3%
78
5–7
11.0%
28
Using the skills I already have
39.4%
98
8–10
3.1%
8
Developing new skills
62.2%
155
10–15
3.9%
10
41.0%
102
15+
4.7%
12
Opportunity for professional
development
Opportunity for career
development
30.9%
77
Social connection
24.1%
60
Difference I make to a CLC
43.4%
108
Difference I make to the
community
72.3%
180
Support provided to volunteers
14.5%
36
Involvement in a cause I’m
passionate about
50.2%
125
2.4%
6
Question 8
Do you mainly volunteer at a CLC in a:
Answer Options
%
Count
Inner metro area
64.3%
164
Suburban area
25.1%
64
Rural/Regional area
10.6%
27
Question 9
Is the CLC you volunteer at a:
Answer Options
Other
%
Count
Specialist CLC
36.9%
94
Generalist CLC
63.1%
161
Answer Options
Question 10
What are the top 3 reasons why you volunteer at a
CLC?
Answer Options
%
Count
Experience new things
26.5%
66
Using the skills I already have
32.1%
80
Developing new skills
54.6%
136
Opportunity for professional
development
43.0%
107
Opportunity for career
development
30.5%
76
Social Connection
13.7%
34
2.4%
6
Difference I make to the
Community
66.3%
165
Involvement in a cause I’m
passionate about
49.0%
122
To fulfil a requirement of a
subject /course requirement
3.6%
9
Other
3.6%
9
Friends were volunteering
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
Question 12
Which of the following circumstances affect how or
when you volunteer?
(Please tick as many as apply.)
%
Count
Family commitments
41.0%
102
Work commitments
80.7%
201
Study commitments
48.2%
120
Cost
10.4%
26
Cultural issues
1.2%
3
Communication issues
1.2%
3
Health issues
4.0%
10
Disability—long term / permanent
0.8%
2
Accessibility of CLC
19.3%
48
Waiting list of volunteers at CLC
of choice
18.5%
46
3.6%
9
Other
67
Question 13
In a few words, what could CLCs do to make it easier
for you to volunteer?
Selected answers
“Their websites are not up to date [as to] whether they
require volunteers.”
“At some CLCs that I have volunteered at I
(understandably) have felt like a bit of a burden. I have
also been asked to spend hours and hours doing the
most menial tasks in poor conditions (on 40 degree
days with no AC) and have got no thanks.”
“The wait list to volunteer is very long.”
“Flexible hours, the option of a fortnightly
commitment.”
“It would help if CLC’s tried to reduce the length of time
students have to be on lists before they are contacted.
A quick turn over will ensure that CLCs get the benefit
of a variety of skill sets while at the same time giving as
many students as possible the chance to experience
the CLC environment.”
“More promotion and/or online roster of availability.”
“Allow shorter periods to volunteer, such as a half day
rather than requiring a full day commitment.”
“Simpler IT systems. More paid managers/staff to assist
volunteers during sessions.”
“Keep me updated about what is happening in the
centre so I’m across all issues when I next turn up to
volunteer, will also help me to feel included even when
I can’t make it. conduct annual training or refresher
sessions so can also meet other volunteers that
wouldn’t normally see.”
“(1) Better manage clients expectations about
timeframes for advice so as to prevent volunteers
having to work late and travel home very late in the
evenings and (2) greater flexibility/understanding
around volunteers work and family commitments.”
“Providing/subsidising public transport fee to travel
to the CLC.”
“Take the time to give something back to the student
volunteer through education and discussion of the
applicable laws and general legal discussion outside
consultation with client.”
“Make it easier to swap/cancel shifts. At the moment,
volunteers must email the whole mailing list of other
volunteers, and sometimes no one replies in time. It
would be good to just be able to phone in and say you
are unavailable, then the volunteer coordinator
organises the swapping. More efficient.”
“More in-depth training.”
“Allow more work to be done remotely (e.g., where it is
not client interview based).”
“Make me feel more valued by giving me ongoing work
and also increasing expectations of me. I would be
more engaged and less hesitant to skip sessions if I
knew a client was relying on me or that a piece of work
was due.”
“Increase opportunities and decrease training process.”
“I’m a specialist lawyer, so I would like more training in
some key areas often seen at our CLC: motor vehicle
accidents, family law, fines and driving offences.”
Question 14
Which of the following areas of training have you
received for your volunteer role at a CLC? (please tick
as many as apply)
Answer Options
%
Count
Induction/orientation
82.1%
197
Induction manual
61.7%
148
Topic-specific training
37.9%
91
Policies and procedures
61.7%
148
Risk management and indemnity
35.4%
85
Confidentiality
56.7%
136
IT Usage
34.6%
83
Conflicts of interest
52.9%
127
Volunteer agreement / Position
description
47.1%
113
Volunteer Mentor/buddy
21.7%
52
None
5.8%
14
Other
1.7%
4
“I am not sure because the issue for me is that CLCs
have such a long waiting list of volunteers that it is
almost impossible to volunteer if not for friends having
volunteered at a CLC before.”
Question 15
How would you describe the value of your training
experience?
“Law students are opportunity hungry! They will do
whatever it takes to get a placement. You could
sweeten the deal by offering references, allowing them
to go to court once or twice—and advertise with LSS
around the country.”
It gave me the necessary skills
and information for my volunteer
role
38.9%
91
It provided some relevant skills
and information for my volunteer
role
52.1%
122
It was not useful for my volunteer
role
9.0%
21
“Survey monkey and more pens.”
68
Answer Options
%
Count
Question 16
How have you been supervised in your volunteer role
at a CLC?
Answer Options
%
Count
Dedicated volunteer manager
50.0%
120
Responsible person at night
service / day service
50.0%
120
File review by responsible person
35.8%
86
Feedback to volunteer
19.6%
47
2.9%
7
Other
Question 17
What sort of tasks have you performed as a volunteer
at a CLC? (Tick as many as apply):
Answer Options
%
Count
“Training is very ad hoc in timing and usefulness. Good
resources and manuals are probably more useful.”
“A whole day of interactive training and ongoing
support provided.”
“While the training was good, the ongoing support has
been minimal at one of the CLCs I volunteer at. This
has limited my ability to learn new skills and make a
better contribution.”
“The environment at the CLC has been the most
important. The supportive approach means there is
constantly support and training.”
“Supervisors are very approachable, respectful and
passionate.”
“The competency of the night manager. She was really
good, particularly at risk management when I was
giving advice on an area I do not directly work on
during my employment, she made sure I had asked the
right questions or refer the client elsewhere if
appropriate.”
Legal advice/information
67.9%
163
Ongoing casework
33.8%
81
Paralegal tasks
47.9%
115
Drafting legal documents
45.8%
110
Drafting correspondence
53.3%
128
Question 20
Which of the following forms of recognition is MOST
important to you feeling valued as a volunteer? (Please
tick one only)
File administration
47.9%
115
Answer Options
%
General administration
44.2%
106
Public award
1.7%
4
Reception
36.3%
87
Public acknowledgement by
organisation
0.4%
1
3.3%
8
Certificate/gift
1.7%
4
Special gathering / celebration
3.4%
8
Personal thank you
13.0%
31
Feedback about contribution
23.9%
57
Being accepted as valuable team
member
37.8%
90
None of the above—no need
16.8%
40
1.3%
3
Other
Question 18
How satisfied are you with the training and support
you have received in your volunteer role?
Answer Options
%
Count
Not very satisfied
9.2%
22
Satisfied
47.1%
113
Very satisfied
33.3%
80
Neither satisfied nor unsatisfied
10.4%
25
Question 19
In a few words, describe what has contributed to your
level of satisfaction with the training and support you
have received as a volunteer?
Selected answers
“Would be better to receive training on common topics
raised in CLCs.”
“Great learning environment with solicitors generally
being patient / giving work / teaching. Exposure to a
wide range of legal areas (family law / criminal /
contract / tort). Having a place where I learn practical
legal skills / client interaction.”
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
Other
Count
Question 21
In the past 12 months, how often has the CLC where
you volunteer given you the form of recognition most
important to you? (please tick one only)
Answer Options
%
Count
Approximately once a week
22.3%
53
Approximately once per month
25.2%
60
Once every six months
12.2%
29
Once per year
15.5%
37
Never
12.6%
30
Other
12.2%
29
69
Question 22
What are the 3 most important things for you to
continue volunteering at a community legal centre in
future?
Question 24
How has volunteering influenced your view of working
in the community legal centre sector?
Answer Options
I definitely want to work in the
CLC sector
17.9%
42
%
Count
Answer Options
%
Count
Location
38.3%
90
The values and principles of the
CLC
32.3%
76
I am more interested in working
in the CLC sector
37.4%
88
Feeling of connection to CLC
34.5%
81
8.1%
19
Availability of volunteer work that
matches my interests and/or skills
37.4%
88
I am less interested in working in
the CLC sector
3.8%
9
Time commitment required
42.1%
99
I definitely do not want to work in
the CLC sector
Total length of commitment
required
8.5%
20
29.4%
69
Flexible volunteering—
volunteering at times and ways
that suit me
44.3%
104
3.4%
8
Availability of training to be able
to perform the role
13.2%
31
Reducing the level of training/
expertise required
0.0%
0
What I get out of the role, e.g.,
skills, experience, social
connection
34.0%
80
Knowing my contribution makes
a difference
42.6%
100
Not sure
0.9%
2
Other
2.1%
5
Volunteering has not influenced
my view of working in the CLC
sector
Other
Question 25
In a few words, how has your volunteering
experience influenced your view of working in the
community legal sector?
Selected answers
“It’s incredibly important as it’s the low socioeconomic/immigrant/refugee communities that
require assistance in dealing with the law. It has also
made me realise that we still need more resources/
facilities to deal with the massive load of work
present. As well as being able to help everyone rather
than a select few to be able to cope with case load.”
“I believe its very important to the community and
the legal profession. All lawyers should contribute.”
Question 23
How would you prefer to volunteer at a CLC in the
future?
“Highlighted the very limited resources—both human
and material—available to CLCs. Also, repeat
clientele can lead to a sense of futility.”
Answer Options
“I am now of the view that working in the community
legal sector would be a very rewarding place to work
without the pressures of the corporate world.”
%
Count
Regularly volunteering for the
same CLC
77.9%
183
Volunteering in different shortterm activities
33.6%
79
Volunteering through new forms
of technology, including social
media and Skype
13.6%
32
Mentoring others
25.5%
60
Providing training
14.5%
34
Governance
15.7%
37
Not sure
4.3%
10
Am planning to cease
volunteering
1.7%
4
Other
2.6%
6
70
“It really makes me appreciate the commitment of
those who undertake paid work in the CLC sector for
generally significantly less pay than other sectors.
Their dedication is to be applauded (but I still want to
keep my paid role elsewhere!)”
“It was great to meet people from different parts of
the legal community (barristers, family and criminal
lawyers) as I mainly work with commercial lawyers.”
“I have always felt that solicitors have an obligation to
give back to the community. Now working in the
private sector, I realise now more than ever how
important it is to have a community legal sector to
bridge the gap between financial resources and
quality legal advise and access to justice.”
“I thought it was a mess at first, but now I’m getting
used to operating in it, knowing the ropes and seeing
improvements I would actually like to stay working
there.”
Question 26
Gender
Answer Options
Question 30
Employment type
%
Count
Male
28.6%
67
Female
71.4%
167
Question 27
Age Group
Answer Options
%
Count
18–24
33.3%
78
25–29
25.6%
60
30–34
12.4%
29
35–39
9.4%
22
40–44
6.0%
14
45–49
3.4%
8
50–54
3.0%
7
55–59
2.6%
6
60+
4.3%
10
Question 28
Level of education attained
Answer Options
%
Count
Secondary school
15.0%
35
Undergraduate degree
53.6%
125
Postgraduate degree
18.9%
44
Masters or higher qualification
12.4%
29
Question 29
Employment Status
Count
Answer Options
Studying a law degree
%
Count
34.8%
79
3.5%
8
Legal graduate
11.9%
27
Private practice lawyer
19.8%
45
Government lawyer
8.4%
19
VLA lawyer
0.4%
1
CLC lawyer
2.2%
5
In-house counsel
1.8%
4
Law firm partner
1.3%
3
Barrister
1.3%
3
Queen’s/Senior Counsel
0.9%
2
Retired / career-break lawyer
2.2%
5
Non-legal professional/
qualification
2.2%
5
Legally qualified: non-practising
9.3%
21
Studying another degree/
qualification
Question 31
University
Answer Options
%
Deakin University
9.9%
Count
22
La Trobe University
10.8%
24
Monash University
33.8%
75
University of Melbourne
23.9%
53
Victoria University
3.2%
7
RMIT University
2.7%
6
Answer Options
%
Studying: not employed
9.9%
23
Interstate
9.5%
21
Studying: employed casual / part time
24.5%
57
Overseas
2.3%
5
Not applicable
4.1%
9
Studying: employed full time
5.2%
12
Not employed
6.9%
16
Employed: casual
1.7%
4
Employed: part time
6.9%
16
Employed: full time
45.1%
105
Question 32
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
Answer Options
%
Count
Yes
1.7%
4
No
98.3%
227
Question 33
Language other than English at home
Answer Options
No
Yes
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
%
100.0%
Count
186
48
71
Appendix B:
Volunteer Management Survey results
Question 1
Which of the following best describes your role in your
community legal centre (CLC)?
Question 4
Is your CLC:
Answer Options
Specialist
35.7%
10
Generalist
64.3%
18
Volunteer manager
%
Count
17.9%
5
CEO/ED
0.0%
0
Lawyer
17.9%
5
Volunteer coordinator
32.1%
9
7.1%
2
Administrator
10.7%
3
Other
14.3%
4
CLE/CD worker
Answer Options
%
Count
1–2
0.0%
0
2–3
3.6%
1
4–5
21.4%
6
5–7
7.1%
2
7–10
10.7%
3
11–15
21.4%
6
16–20
0.0%
0
20–30
17.9%
5
30+
17.9%
5
Count
Answer Options
Yes—paid position
Yes—volunteer position
No
%
Count
67.9%
19
3.6%
1
25.0%
7
3.6%
1
Question 6
If yes, does this person have other responsibilities in
addition to their role as volunteer coordinator?
Answer Options
%
Count
Yes
75.0%
15
No
25.0%
5
Question 7
If yes, what is the EFT of the Volunteer Coordinator
function?
Answer Options
%
0.1
0.0%
0
0.2
15.4%
2
0.3
0.0%
0
Count
0.4
15.4%
2
Question 3
Where is your CLC located?
%
%
Question 5
Does your CLC have a Volunteer Coordinator?
Not sure
Question 2
How many staff (EFT) does your CLC have?
Answer Options
Answer Options
Count
Inner Metro
60.7%
17
0.5
15.4%
2
Suburban
17.9%
5
0.6
7.7%
1
Rural/Regional
21.4%
6
0.7
7.7%
1
0.8
15.4%
2
0.9
0.0%
0
1.0
23.1%
3
72
Question 8
Excluding clinical placements, how does your CLC
mainly involve volunteers? (tick as many as apply)
Question 10
On average, what was the total number of hours
volunteered per week to your CLC in 2011?
Answer Options
Answer Options
%
Count
Ongoing roles performed regularly,
i.e., weekly, fortnightly, monthly
91.3%
21
Short-term project roles
56.5%
13
Specific events or activities that
occur once or infrequently
21.7%
5
Volunteering of professional skills
56.5%
Volunteering through technology,
including social media and Skype
0.0%
Volunteering from home
0.0%
Other
4.3%
%
Count
1–10
21.7%
5
11–20
8.7%
2
21–50
13.0%
3
51–75
8.7%
2
13
76–100
13.0%
3
0
101–150
13.0%
3
151–200
0.0%
0
0
200–300+
13.0%
3
1
Not sure
8.7%
2
Question 9
Excluding governance, what types of work do
volunteers undertake in your CLC? (tick as many as
apply)
Answer Options
%
Count
Question 11
Of your total volunteers, what percentage are legally
qualified?
Answer Options
%
Count
1–10
43.5%
10
Legal information at night service
56.5%
13
11–20
8.7%
2
Legal information at day service
56.5%
13
21–30
13.0%
3
Administrative/community
assistance at night service
30.4%
7
31–40
8.7%
2
41–50
4.3%
1
Administrative/community
assistance at day service
73.9%
17
51–60
4.3%
1
Ongoing legal casework
34.8%
8
61–70
0.0%
0
Policy and CLE
39.1%
9
71–80
4.3%
1
Legal research
65.2%
15
81–90
0.0%
0
Ongoing administrative
assistance
52.2%
12
91–100
13.0%
3
IT/web assistance
17.4%
4
Management and organisation of
specific events
17.4%
4
0.0%
0
Fundraising
Question 12
In the past 12 months did the number of volunteers
involved in your CLC:
Answer Options
Count
Increase
26.1%
6
Decrease
21.7%
5
Stay the same
43.5%
10
8.7%
2
Not sure
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
%
73
Question 13
At present does your CLC:
Answer Options
%
Count
Have more volunteers than
required
17.4%
4
Have a sufficient number of
volunteers
56.5%
13
Require more volunteers
26.1%
6
Question 14
What are the top 5 ways your CLC recruits volunteers?
Answer Options
%
Count
Question 16
In a few words describe your experience of using
clcvolunteers.net.au
Selected answers
“I’m not aware that such a site exists. And whether or
not the details of our CLC are on it, and how do we go
about amending the details.”
“Overall, very positive, however high administration
required.”
“We have used clcvolunteers.net.au in the past to
recruit volunteers, however as I am relatively new to
the role, and there was a backlog of volunteers on the
waiting list, I have not used it.”
Word of mouth
78.3%
18
Direct approach to individual
21.7%
5
Advertising on own website
65.2%
15
Advertising through own network
30.4%
7
Advertising through other
networks
17.4%
4
Advertising through local
community
8.7%
2
Direct approach to local legal
community
26.1%
6
Advertising through LIV Law
Bytes/Friday Facts
0.0%
0
Advertising through law students’
societies / law schools
30.4%
7
Clinical programs hosted by your
CLC
30.4%
7
Advertising through Federation of
CLCs website
17.4%
4
Question 17
When you recruit and appoint volunteers do you (tick
as many as apply):
0.0%
0
Undertake a screening process
65.2%
15
Conduct interviews
73.9%
17
65.2%
15
Advertising through volunteer
recruitment website
clcvolunteers.net.au
“Frustrating because I can’t just update it whenever I
want so I have to leave it as always recruiting which
isn’t true; when I have asked to change it, it doesn’t
seem to happen; students looking at it rarely then go to
our website to get the proper application forms which
wastes our time despite our attempt to make it clear
that you should; it seems to attract people who are just
desperate for volunteering on their CV rather than care
about our area of specialist law.”
“We find that we are approached mainly by local law
students wishing to gain experience in a CLC. We get
regular offers of help but we can’t use everyone. We
have never had to advertise.”
“We have our volunteer information listed on the site
but have only had 1–2 volunteers ever enquire through
this site.”
Answer Options
%
Count
13.0%
3
Partnership with private law firm /
government department/agency
8.7%
2
Request a minimum time
commitment
17.4%
4
Other
8.7%
2
Give preference to residents of
your catchment
Actively seek and appoint persons
who will fit values and principles
of your CLC
47.8%
11
8.7%
2
Question 15
Have you used clcvolunteers.net.au to recruit
volunteers?
Answer Options
%
Other
Count
Yes
21.7%
5
No
78.3%
18
74
Question 18
What tools do you use to manage volunteers in your
Community Legal Centre? (tick as many as apply)
Question 21
In a few words what tasks do your volunteers perform
the best?
Answer Options
Selected answers
Induction/orientation
%
Count
100.0%
23
Induction manual
78.3%
18
Topic-specific training
34.8%
8
Policies and procedures
69.6%
16
Risk management and indemnity
65.2%
15
Confidentiality
78.3%
18
IT usage
52.2%
12
Conflicts of interest
78.3%
18
Volunteer agreement / position
description
60.9%
14
“Dealing with night service clients as best as can and
referring out if necessary or referring to day service.”
Volunteer mentor/buddy
65.2%
15
8.7%
2
“Varies wildly by individual. Probably legal research—
seems to be in most students’ comfort zone.”
Other
Question 19
When you use volunteers how do you supervise them?
Answer Options
%
Count
Dedicated volunteer manager
65.2%
15
Responsible person at night
service / day service
52.2%
12
File review by responsible person
47.8%
11
Feedback to volunteer
60.9%
14
Other
13.0%
3
%
“Client intake.”
‘Specific research-oriented tasks.”
“Legal advice services and support.”
“Drafting documents, assisting lawyers or CLE workers
with project work research etc.”
“Assisting solicitors to manage client files, managing
clients at court, legal information updates and CLE
preparation and implementation.”
“Their flexibility and willingness to assist us on short
notice (evening clinic). Their eagerness and
enthusiasm to assist with any form of casework.”
Question 22
In a few words what tasks do your volunteers perform
the least well?
Selected answers
“Day volunteers sometimes do not obtain adequate
instructions from the clients.”
“Data entry into CLSIS—misspelling names is a
common occurrence.”
Question 20
What are the top five tasks your volunteers typically
undertake when they attend your CLC?
Answer Options
“Student volunteers are of great assistance to us in the
following areas: reception duties; answering phone
enquiries; initial client interviews; drafting
correspondence. Solicitor volunteers are of great
assistance in providing legal advice to clients.”
Count
“Attention to detail. they do not like data entry and
we have stopped volunteers entering data on our
database—several errors uncovered so problematic
for service. Need dedicated staff member to do this.”
Legal advice/information
82.6%
19
Ongoing casework
21.7%
5
Paralegal tasks
82.6%
19
Drafting documents
56.5%
13
Drafting correspondence
60.9%
14
File administration
65.2%
15
“File management.”
General administration
56.5%
13
Reception
47.8%
11
“We have never had a volunteer who doesn’t perform
well at what we ask of them.”
Other
13.0%
3
“Varies wildly by individual. Very rare to be good at
data entry though (e.g., CLSIS, bulletin mailing list)—
not enough understanding of the background and/or
care for accuracy.”
“Thorough completion of client information sheets.”
“(1) Understanding the structure of our organisation (it
can be quite complex) and placing calls appropriately;
and (2) having maturity and proactivity to keep the
front desk polished and professional and ensuring
visitors/clients are well looked after.”
“File notes.”
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
75
Question 23
In the past 12 months, what are the top 3 methods your
CLC has used to recognise or show appreciation
towards volunteers for their work?
Question 25
In the past 12 months, has your CLC introduced
different/new ways to volunteer? (tick as many apply)
Answer Options
Changes to how much time
volunteers are expected to
commit
31.8%
7
More flexibility when people can
volunteer
27.3%
6
Volunteering through social
media / other technology (i.e.
Skype)
0.0%
0
Group/team volunteering
opportunities
4.5%
1
Volunteering for specific events or
activities that occur once or
infrequently
13.6%
3
None of the above
36.4%
8
Not sure
4.5%
1
9.1%
2
%
Count
Public award
17.4%
4
Public acknowledgment by CLC
21.7%
5
Certificate/gift of appreciation
47.8%
11
Special gathering or celebration
56.5%
13
Personal thank you
65.2%
15
Feedback about volunteer
contribution
43.5%
10
0.0%
0
Other
Question 24
What are the 3 things that would make it easier to
involve volunteers in your CLC?
Answer Options
%
Count
Answer Options
%
Count
Greater availability of suitable
volunteers
39.1%
9
Other
More effective strategies to
replace volunteers when they
leave
30.4%
7
Question 26
If your CLC has not introduced different/new ways to
offer volunteering, what is the main reason?
Central body for recruiting
volunteers
34.8%
8
Answer Options
New ways of promoting
volunteering in the community
17.4%
4
It does not fit the current service
model
Offering people different ways to
volunteer
56.5%
13
Greater use of technology such as
social media or Skype
21.7%
5
Improved support of volunteering
from the
organisation / management
26.1%
6
Increased availability of funding
for volunteering management and
recruitment
47.8%
11
Other
76
2
5.9%
1
Do not have the capacity to do
this
29.4%
5
Do not have funding to do this
11.8%
2
Do not see the need to do this
17.6%
3
Resistance from management
5.9%
1
Resistance from volunteers
0.0%
0
41.2%
7
5.9%
1
Not applicable
Other
2
Count
11.8%
Have not thought about it
8.7%
%
Question 27
If your CLC has introduced these approaches what has
made it possible?
Question 29
Do you think the Federation should assist CLCs with
their volunteer program?
Answer Options
Answer Options
%
Count
%
Count
Initiative and drive of staff
37.5%
6
Yes
73.9%
17
Consulting with staff
18.8%
3
No
26.1%
6
Management review
18.8%
3
Learning with/from other CLCs,
the Federation of CLCs or
volunteer-involving organisations
6.3%
1
Question 30
In a few words why did you answer the previous
question in this way?
Support resources or training from
the Federation of CLCs or other
volunteer-involving organisations
6.3%
1
Selected answers
Referral through peers and
networking
“Due to the varying sizes/structures/resources of
different CLCs, I think it will be difficult for the
Federation to provide a one-size-fits-all assistance.
There are, however, other ways that the Federation can
assist, such as: providing a standard Code of Conduct
template and/or other standard documents such as
confidentiality agreement etc.; providing first-aid
training to volunteer coordinators; IT training/support
in terms of dealing with volunteer applications.”
12.5%
2
6.3%
1
37.5%
6
6.3%
1
“Don’t have strong view either way—perhaps leave up
to CLC and CLC can seek assistance from Federation if
needed.”
Question 28
In a few words what difference has introducing these
approaches made?
“The graduate program was very impressive in that it
gave the graduate a good understanding of the sector.
Volunteers would benefit from a similar program
particularly with sharing knowledge about other CLCs.”
In kind or financial contribution
from funders, trusts, government
or corporate sector
Not applicable
Other
Selected answers
“Increased volunteer skill and ongoing support.”
“Ensures greater clarity of role (better for volunteer) and
less administrative burden (better for CLC).”
“Keeping interns for a longer period maximises their
contribution.”
“We have made changes because we have had to
review the way we operate. So some of these questions
above don’t apply. In a few months they may be better
reported on.”
“The Federation could help coordinate recruitment and
assist in cross referrals (i.e., if one CLC has too many
volunteer applicants.)”
“I don’t feel it’s necessary. Each CLC/organisation has
different approaches to volunteer management, and
there are plenty of resources for managers on (Victorian
and international) volunteer websites.”
“‘Should’ isn’t the right word—‘could’ would be better.
The volunteer coordinator meeting showed how useful
shared resources could be.”
“Funds were raised, non-legal volunteers could be
involved.”
“A generic manual for volunteers across all CLC
including relevant sections of RMG.”
“By improving the flexibility of when people can
volunteer and not pushing for a time commitment,
there is less pressure on the volunteer who will often
then volunteer for longer.”
“We are a team, working for the same goals in a sense.”
“Increased capacity of the legal practice.”
Victoria Law Foundation CLC Fellowship Report
“Providing central resources such as introductory
online training for volunteers about CLCs. Training for
volunteer managers.”
77
“Victoria Law Foundation recognised
a need in the community legal sector
for staff to reflect on their practice,
conduct research or improve or
renew their skills. The Foundation
provided the necessary funds via
their Community Legal Centre
Fellowship to address this need.
They then provided excellent
support to help me create a useful
resource manual for the sector.”
Rachna Muddagouni
2006/2007 CLC Fellow
Victoria Law Foundation helps Victorians
understand the law and their legal system.
We are a not-for-profit organisation funded by
the Legal Services Board Public Purpose Fund.
See our website at
www.victorialawfoundation.org.au
This publication may be photocopied
for educational purposes.
Victoria Law Foundation
Level 5, 43 Hardware Lane
Melbourne Vic 3000 Australia
T 03 9604 8100 F 03 9602 2449
[email protected]
Cover image: Michael McKiterick.
Disclaimer: While care has been taken to
ensure the accuracy of the material contained
in this publication, no responsibility
can be taken for any errors or omissions.