QCOSS survey: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) people's access to services

QCOSS welcomes all community service organisations to take 5 minutes to respond to the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people's access to services survey.

The survey is not intended to cover the full range of areas that the multicultural policy might include. It is designed to gather specific feedback about access to services.

Results from this survey will feed into QCOSS' ongoing advocacy efforts and into their submission to the multicultural policy review. To complete the survey, go to www.surveymonkey.com/caldaccess. Please respond by 30 April.

You are also encouraged to provide input directly into the review. Go to www.multicultural.qld.gov.au. You can write a submission, join the online forum, or join a workshop that Multicultural Affairs Queensland is conducting across the state. The consultation closes on 31 May.

For more information contact Lisa Toh, QCOSS Multicultural Policy Officer, lisat@qcoss.org.au or call 3004 6901.

2009 National Survey of Volunteering Issues

The annual National Survey of Volunteering Issues conducted by Volunteering Australia provides an insight into the issues that affect volunteering in Australia. The 2009 survey attracted a record number of participants with more than 3,700 respondents taking part, ensuring a wide cross section of opinions was received from individual volunteers, volunteer involving organisations and companies with employee volunteer programs.

Key findings of the report:

• more than one third (36%) of volunteers reported they had not had any recognition for their good work in the last month of their volunteering.
• ‘Knowing that my contribution would make a difference’ is most important to volunteers in their decision to volunteer (selected by 80% of volunteer respondents).
• ‘Being accepted as a valuable team member’, ‘personal thank you’ and ‘feedback about my contribution’ are the most significant methods of recognition that volunteer respondents reported made them feel valued as a volunteer.
• 30% of organisations surveyed have not been able to access adequate information about the protection of volunteers under occupational health and safety legislation.
• 44% of volunteers reported that out of pocket expenses affect their ability or desire to volunteer, with fuel (84.6%) and telephone charges (65.4%) being the two most common cost problems.
• only 17% of volunteers reported that their organisation offered full reimbursement of their out of pocket expenses.

View the Report

Progress of National Standards Review

Volunteering Australia has now completed Phase 1 of the review of National Standards for Involving Volunteers in Not for Profit Organisations. We wish to thank the many volunteers, managers of volunteers, employees of not for profit organisations, government volunteer programs, corporate volunteer programs and researchers who took part in this Phase.

As part of the methodology of Phase 1, Volunteering Australia undertook an online survey; held face to face meetings with state volunteering centres; held forums with volunteer resource centres; sought feedback from organisations that had implemented the National Standards and welcomed submissions.

Overall the results found that:

1. Respondents called for a refinement of the National Standards rather than a major rewrite.

2. The National Standards are used in a variety of ways – from checklist, through to complete adoption. The term ‘implementation’ was found to be different, largely but not wholly due to the material and physical resource base of the organisation.

3. Accreditation of the National Standards was viewed very favourably. This will be explored fully in Phase 2. In the development of any accreditation model, consideration will be given to organisations that have previously adopted the National Standards so that they too can be accredited in accordance with ‘best practice’ principles of volunteer management.

Download the full report

Volunteering Australia is currently developing a timeline and costing for the second phase of this process and we will provide you with further updates as we progress.

For further information contact:

Sandra Wilson, Policy Officer
Email nationalstandards@volunteeringaustralia.org
Phone (03) 9868 5516

Towards Q2 Tomorrow's Queensland

Volunteering Queensland has welcomed the commitment by the Bligh government to boost the proportion of Queenslanders involved in their communities as volunteers by 50%.

The target was announced on 8 September 2008 by Premier Anna Bligh as part of the Towards Q2 Tomorrow’s Queensland statement.

View Towards Q2 Tomorrow's Queensland

View the Volunteering Queensland Media Release