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TRANSCRIPT
Revised 2018 edition
Contents
Page Number
Welcome 1
Volunteering with DAPL 2-4
Volunteer Roles and Responsibilities 5-6
About DAPL 7
History 8-11
Organisational Structure 12-13
Volunteer Information 14-15
Policies and Procedures 15
Health and Safety 16-18
Children and Vulnerable Adults 19
Information Management 20
Supervision and Support 20
Training and Development 21
Email and Social Networking 21
Contact Details 21
1
Welcome…To an organisation making a real difference tomany lives throughout Fife.
Founded in 1994 by volunteers in Levenmouth,DAPL now serves the entire region working withchildren, adults and families.
Every year our organisation receives over onethousand referrals for support. Whilst we havea staff team here, it is fair to say ourservice would not be the same without peoplevolunteering to support the work we do.
We are grateful for the commitment you havemade to come and volunteer with us and we aresure that you will find that the time you sharewith us will be both rewarding and fulfilling.
This handbook contains all the generalinformation you’ll need to know aboutvolunteering with DAPL. As well as outliningwhat you need to know when starting out for us,we also hope it will provide a useful referencefor you as you progress.
Welcome and thank you
Steve Walker
Chairperson
DAPL
2
Volunteering with DAPL
What is a volunteer?
The term volunteer means slightly differentthings to different people. At DAPL we mean anyperson who freely chooses to carry out a taskor role that we have specifically agreed forthem to do, which contributes to the aims &objectives of DAPL and for which they do notreceive any financial or material reward.
What do volunteers do?
DAPL welcomes and values the contribution madeto the service by volunteers and students onplacement. DAPL has historically offeredopportunities to student counsellors who arerequired to gain Counselling Practiceexperience. More recently we at DAPL have beenextending opportunities to volunteers in othercapacities and/or areas of work. A fulltraining and support package is available forall our volunteers.
What volunteering opportunities are available?
Student Placements
Counselling students - DAPL offers
opportunities to student counsellors requiringto fulfil the practice elements of theircourse. This opportunity is open to thoseundertaking a recognised counselling course ata minimum of Diploma level.
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Volunteer Counsellor
This opportunity is open to QualifiedCounsellors only; the minimum requirement is aDiploma in Counselling/Psychotherapy.
DAPL will offer 1.5 hrs of CounsellingSupervision with one of its’ experiencedsupervisors in line with BACP; also offeringyou support towards accreditation ifdesired, and/or an opportunity to consolidateand develop your practice.
Volunteer Recovery Worker
For volunteers who aren’t counsellors, thereare options to become a Recovery Worker
volunteer where you would help with supportingworkers facilitate groups etc.
Why volunteer with us?
Volunteering has many benefits for both you asa volunteer and for us as an organisation. It’san excellent way to use existing skills pluslearn new ones. It’s a brilliant opportunity tomeet new and like-minded friends. Further thereis satisfaction in the knowledge that you arehelping to improve the lives of people in yourcommunity.
For placements, they can be assured that theyare coming to an organisation which has aproven track record of supporting students fromuniversities and colleges throughout Scotland.
4
What if I am in receipt of state benefits suchas Job Seekers Allowance or Employment SupportAllowance?
You should still be able to volunteer, howeverit may be a condition of your benefit that youinform the Job Centre first so you should speakto your advisor.
5
Your responsibilities to DAPL
Each role will entail different tasks, offerdifferent benefits and carry differentresponsibilities. These are outlined in therelevant role descriptions which are producedfor every volunteer role. Your line managersupervisor will go through these with you whenyou start. However, we expect you all asvolunteers to:
o Inform DAPL if you do not feel confidentyou have received the guidelines andinformation necessary to carry out yourrole.
o Make sure you are aware of relevant DAPLpolicies and guidelines that are relevantto your role.
o Meet the general commitments necessary tocarry out your role.
o Be mindful of your status as a DAPLvolunteer in your community.
o Ensure that no illegal or criminal misuseof DAPL assets takes place.
o Respect confidentiality of information ofwhich you may become aware whilstvolunteering for DAPL.
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Our responsibilities to you
DAPL also has responsibilities to you, many ofwhich are covered in more detail later in thishandbook or will be discussed with you when youstart.
In summary:
o We will provide a friendly welcome, and athorough induction to the organisation andyour role within it
o We will endeavour to show our appreciationand to recognise the contribution ofvolunteers wherever appropriate.
o We will provide proper supervision andsupport to you and will seek your feedbackand views about your volunteeringexperience.
o We will make good use of your skills,knowledge and abilities to further our aimsand objectives.
o We will provide volunteers with a clearrole description, instruction and anyrelevant additional training in all taskswe ask you to undertake
o We will properly plan and budget forinvolving volunteers.
o We will handle volunteer data properly andin accordance with the law.
o We undertake to look after your health &safety in relation to your role and willinsure you in the event of an accident thatis not your fault.
o We will ensure everyone has equalopportunity to be involved. We will helpyou to deal with any problems that arise.
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About DAPL…Who we are……Drugs, Alcohol and PsychotherapiesLimited (DAPL) offers one to one counselling,support, information and advice to individualsand families who are affected by substance useor other addictive behaviours. The service isfree and confidential and offered byexperienced workers.
The organisation was formed in 1994 andoriginally served the area of Levenmouth,however is now available throughout the entireKingdom of Fife.
Who we help…We support adults, young people andfamilies.
How we are funded…We are funded primarily byFife Council and Fife Alcohol and DrugsPartnership. In addition we receive moneydirectly from schools through the Pupil EquityFund.
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HistoryFrom humble beginnings in a small room in Buckhavento an organisation now covering the whole of Fife,DAPL’s growth is a testament to the hard work of allthose involved with the service since its beginning.
1994
The project was established in response to thegrowing drugs and alcohol problem in the Levenmouthcommunity, and was initially based in Wellesley Road,Buckhaven.
1997
The organisation moved to 2 Parkdale Avenue in Leven,next to the town’s King George V public park.Residents initially voiced concerns over theinitiative’s presence in their neighbourhood butwithin a short period of time DAPL had won the trustof those neighbours and was an accepted and valuedpart of the community.
2000
By 2000 DAPL was offering various counsellingapproaches including psychotherapy and gestalt.Additionally DAPL was one of only four agencies inScotland to have a dedicated youth counsellor.
2001
In November it was announced that the organisationhad been awarded funds to expand its young people’sservice.
As the organisation increased in size due to theneeds of the community, it was clear that more spacewas required, especially as DAPL wanted to train asubstantial number of volunteers to help with thevaluable work being done with clients.
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2002
The organisation produced an innovative informationpack to raise awareness of solvent abuse. Theinformation pack was one of the first of its kind tobe produced in Scotland and was an example of theground breaking work being done by the service.
2003
DAPL was successful in expanding to take over theempty premises next door, which had been in a stateof disrepair since being used by the caretaker of theformer Parkdale Home. This increased capacity helpedthe organisation cope with the rapid increase inreferrals that were coming its way.
2003 also saw a major expansion for DAPL intoKirkcaldy and Glenrothes. Up until then, anyinquiries DAPL received from central Fife had to bedealt with on an emergency basis which was far fromideal.
Due to the rise in referrals reflected by theorganisation’s presence in these new areas, it was anecessity for DAPL to find a permanent base of itsown where clients could be seen, and therefore DAPLwas quick to find suitable premises at 13Wemyssfield, within a short walking distance ofKirkcaldy town centre.
In the years since then the service has continued togrow from strength to strength with both the youngperson service and adult service expanding andproviding an improved service to an ever increasingnumber of clients.
2007
By 2007 DAPL was seeing clients in North East Fifeand that year also saw the start of the streetreferral scheme which was a new joint initiativebetween the organisation and Fife Constabulary.
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2009
The organisation became a company limited byguarantee and changed its name from Drug and AlcoholProject Levenmouth to Drug and Alcohol ProjectLimited. This reflected the change in legal statusand also that DAPL was now very much a Fifeorganisation.
That year DAPL was the first organisation in Fife andonly the fourth in the whole of Scotland to have itscounselling service accredited by the BritishAssociation for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).This achievement was further clear recognition of thequality of service being provided by DAPL.
2010
The street referral scheme was expanded intoGlenrothes, having previously only been in operationin Levenmouth and North East Fife.
Further in 2010 DAPL rolled out its adult alcoholcounselling service across the whole of the kingdomof Fife.
2012
On 26th January 2012 the Fife Health and Social CarePartnership approved the recommendation of the FifeAlcohol and Drugs Partnership (ADP) for DAPL toprovide adult counselling throughout Fife for threeyears, following a grant funding application process.
In 2012 DAPL was awarded funding by the Tudor Trustfor a period of two years to develop its volunteerand placement programme.
2013
DAPL opened a new premise at 2 Acorn Court in theKingdom Centre to enhance the service that theorganisation provides to the community of Glenrothes.
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2014
DAPL celebrates its 20th anniversary by having itscounselling service re-accredited by the BritishAssociation for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
2015
DAPL welcomed on board its first ever patron withrenowned film and television actor Clive Russellpledging his support for the organisation.
2016
In 2016 DAPL rebranded and the organisation changedits name to: “Drugs, Alcohol and PsychotherapiesLimited” to better describe the work of the service.Further following a consultation process with serviceusers and staff a new logo was selected.
Well known charity campaigner and businesswomanEleanor Bowman MBE joined Clive Russell as a patronof the organisation.
St Kenneth’s Primary School in Ballingry wassuccessful in a bid to the Scottish AttainmentChallenge Fund to ensure that its pupils benefitedfrom a full time DAPL counsellor all year round.
2017
DAPL was successful in its application to work aspart of Fife Council’s “Our Mind Matter” servicedelivering counselling (individual and group work) tohigh school pupils across Fife experiencingpsychological issues such as anxiety and stress.
12
Organisational StructureOrganisational Structure
DAPL is both a registered charity (no. SCO23317)governed by OSCR and a company limited by guarantee(no. 357883) governed by Companies House.
The Board of Directors
The Board of Directors has overall responsibility forgovernance of the organisation. The Board meets everysix weeks to set organisational policy and oversee thework of the organisation.
Our Board is made up of about half a dozen volunteerswho bring a range of skills, knowledge and experienceto the organisation. In legal terms, each member of theBoard is a charity trustee and also a company director.The Board elects a Chair who runs their meetings andtakes a lead role in representing the Board and widerorganisation.
Staff and Volunteer Team
Altogether there are just over twenty staff and over10 volunteers. Some staff are part-time or on fixed-term projects. This staff team, with your help, haveresponsibility for meeting the objectives of theservice.
The counselling staff work through two geographicalareas: West Fife (which includes: Kirkcaldy,Dunfermline, Cowdenbeath and Rosyth etc) and EastFife (which includes: Levenmouth, Glenrothes, StAndrews, Cupar etc).
Counselling staff are managed by Area Co-ordinators(East – Mr John Kennedy and West – Ms Susan Innes).
The Business Manager (Mr Liam Thomson) manages theadministration and business activities of theorganisation.
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All Co-ordinators are involved in the management ofvolunteers and placements.
All Co-ordinators report to Mr Martin Denholm who isresponsible for the operations of DAPL and, in turn,reports to the Board of Directors.
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Volunteering StructureMost volunteers are individuals who get involved in avariety of ways and sometimes in more than one role.In your role, you are part of the structure describedoverleaf and part of one of the teams described. Youshould know who your line manager or main contact is.
PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) Membership
Due to the nature of the work we do and the fact thatour service is used by vulnerable adults andchildren, all staff and volunteers are required tohave a satisfactory scheme record. If you alreadyhave PVG membership from another role, you will stillneed to have a Scheme Update done prior tocommencement of your voluntary work with us.
There is no cost for you as a volunteer for with aPVG scheme application or update.
Registration Form
We have kept paper work to the minimum. Allvolunteers, once they have gone through therecruitment process have made the commitment tovolunteer are asked to complete our volunteerregistration form. We keep this information on ourvolunteer database and only use it for purposesrelevant to your volunteering. In compliance withGDPR regulations we will inform you of all the datawe keep on you and will ask that you sign adeclaration to give approval.
Why do we ask what we ask?
Basic contact details: To keep you informed.
University/college course details: If you are aplacement student.
University/college course contact: Again – if you area placement student
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Emergency contact: In case you are involved in anaccident whilst volunteering.
Medical details: In case there is anything we mightneed to know that will affect you in your role. Allinformation is treated confidentially and access tothis information is restricted.
Expenses
Volunteers are entitled to receive travelreimbursement for commuting to their place ofvolunteering.
Volunteers who choose to claim for expensesshould complete a simple form which isavailable from administration. After completingyour form you should get it signed by your linemanager prior to submitting it toadministration for payment.
DAPL will pay 40p per mile, however we areunable to pay more than £10 per return journey.
Claim forms should be submitted on a monthlybasis. Expenses cannot be claimed where theclaim is three or more months in arrears.
All volunteers are given an email address whichthey should regularly check.
The email address will take the followingformat: [name][surname]@dapl.net
Internal DAPL website
For lots of useful information, see:http://www.dapl.net/placements-and-volunteers/
Password to access page: recovery123
16
Policies and Procedures
Introduction
Like all large organisations DAPL has a numberof policies and procedures to ensure we workeffectively, fairly and consistently.
Apart from those policies that relatespecifically to staff (such as pay, leave,pensions etc) all of our policies also apply tovolunteers depending upon what role theyundertake. In most cases you will be introducedto policies as they affect you. A few policiesare important and general enough to beintroduced here including those overleaf onhealth & safety and information management.
Equal Opportunities
DAPL does not discriminate unfairly on thebasis of race, gender, sexual orientation, age,language, religion, physical, mental oremotional disability, financial, family orother personal disadvantage; or any otherfactor unrelated to a person’s ability to carryout their volunteer role.
This applies to the selection of volunteers,carrying out your role and to training &development opportunities. We will not acceptsuch discrimination by staff or volunteers. Wehave a full policy outlining our commitment toequal opportunities.
Representing DAPL
Formal representation with other organisations,the media or individuals can only take place ifauthorised by your line manager.
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This may require more senior approval and isgoverned by further procedures and guidelines.
Our Health & Safety Responsibilities
DAPL has both a legal and a moral obligation toprovide and maintain working conditions,equipment and procedures which are safe andwill not adversely affect the health of ourstaff and volunteers. We must also provide theinformation, training and supervision requiredto achieve this. In most cases there will berisks specific to your volunteering role whichwill be discussed with you individually as partof your induction.
For all tasks and roles a risk assessment willhave been undertaken by the organisation.
Finally, we consider what to do in the event ofan accident and what first aid provision isrequired.
Your Health & Safety Responsibilities
By law, everyone is responsible for lookingafter their own safety and that of theircolleagues at all times; including volunteers.You must read or listen to and follow anyhealth & safety guidance you are given and youmust ask for clarification of anything that youare unsure about.
You must provide us with details of any medicalconditions relevant to your role and provideemergency contact details as requested on thevolunteer registration form. You should alsolet us know if these details change.
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Finally, if you observe anything that you thinkmight be unsafe or you are involved in or seean accident or near miss you must report it tous.
Insurance
All volunteers are insured by DAPL for theirvolunteering so long as they are undertakingwork agreed by DAPL, have followed our policiesand procedures and any instructions or guidancewe have given.
Personal belongings are not insured.
Accident Reporting
All accidents and near misses, however minorthey might appear to be should be recorded andsubmitted to your line managers. In all officesan accident reporting book for you to use isprovided - often it is located with the firstaid kit. This also applies to any near misseswhere the potential for harm was recognisable.
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Safeguarding
Working with children, young people &vulnerable adults
DAPL works with children, young people andvulnerable adults on a regular basis. Sincethis is the case, all volunteers and staffworking for DAPL are required to have a PVGcheck undertaken.
We ask that you familiarise yourself with ourchild protection and protecting vulnerableadults polices.
Information Management
Confidentiality
As a DAPL volunteer you will come acrossinformation which is of a confidential nature.
We expect you to respect this confidentialityand to check with us if you are unsure aboutthe status of any information you are party to.
Data Protection
Data protection law applies to personal datawhether it is stored electronically or in aretrievable paper format.
In general you should always treat personaldata as confidential, to be used for specificpurposes only and to be stored securely whennot in use.
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Supervision and Support
Following your induction to the organisation,the amount of ongoing supervision and supportyou are offered will vary depending on yourrole.
Problem Solving
We aim to make all volunteering experiencespositive and enjoyable, but we recognise thatproblems may arise from time to time. You mightbe unhappy about your experience or a complaintmay be made about an individual.
Sometimes complaints are in relation tobreaches of policy or procedure.
We encourage due process in resolving problems.The first thing you should do is to talk toyour line manager. Most issues can be resolvedin this way.
If this proves unsuccessful or you feel thematter is more serious please contact humanresources (Business Manager). In certaincircumstances, issues can also be referred tothe Service Manager and in exceptionalcircumstances the Board of Directors whosedecision will be final.
If it is decided that a volunteer is at faultand the matter is irresolvable we may ask themto cease volunteering, but most issues areresolved before it comes to this.
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Training, Learning and Development
Before you commence your volunteering work youwill receive a comprehensive induction.
Every three months the organisation holds aSkillshare training day which all volunteersare invited to attend, along with staff.
Once you’ve started volunteering, if you feelyou need further training to fulfil your role,please speak with your line manager.
Email and Social Networking
You should regularly check your email addressfor organisation updates.
You can also find and follow us on thefollowing social networks:
Facebook and twitter
Finally…
We sincerely hope that you will enjoy your timeas a volunteer with DAPL, and we thank you forvolunteering your skills and time.
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Drugs, Alcohol and Psychotherapies LimitedDAPL)
1-2 Parkdale Avenue
Leven
Fife
KY8 5AQ
T: 01333 422277
F: 01333 422288
W: www.dapl.net