Older Citizens Advocacy York (OCAY) has been named an Investing in Volunteers (IiV) achiever for the 2nd time. The quality award shows that they value their volunteers and demonstrates a commitment to volunteering within the organisation.
OCAY is a small local charity providing a free and confidential advocacy service for older people in York. Their volunteer team work 1:1 with older people supporting them with things like applying for benefits, writing letter, changing energy suppliers and accessing services that they need.
Dan Brittan, Lead Advocate, said,
“We are delighted to accept this award. This award reflects the extensive support we give to our fantastic team of volunteers. We provide a wide range of support including induction training, 1 to 1 reviews and peer support sessions. The volunteers played a key role in Investing in Volunteers and led the self-assessment process. We are very grateful to our team of 40 volunteers and the amazing service they provide to the local community.”
OCAY was assessed against six quality areas and proved to excel in all aspects of working with its volunteers. Denise Hayward, Chair of UKVF (the Awarding Body) said
“UKVF is delighted to announce OCAY‘s successful achievement of this Award, they have demonstrated a real commitment to volunteering, proven that their volunteer management policies and procedures meet nationally recognised standards.”
Investing in Volunteers is unique in that it is the only standard that focuses on volunteers. It is based on the following six quality areas:
- Vision for Volunteering
- Planning for Volunteers
- Volunteer inclusion
- Recruiting and welcoming volunteers
- Supporting volunteers
- Valuing and developing volunteers
Find out more about OCAY at: www.oldercitizensadvocacyyork.org.uk/
