Volunteers adding their notes on the database is a vital part of our safeguarding process. The expectation is that volunteers put notes on the database within 24 hours of the support taking place. It is therefore important that volunteers are confident and adept at using the database and that note taking is promoted at every opportunity. If an issue with a volunteer’s note making comes up, it should be dealt with in a timely and helpful way.
Volunteers are given the following support regarding their database use:
- A database section in Module 2 of the Core Volunteer Training. This covers the basics of accessing the database, how to write a note, and updating their preferences.
- Access to the Zendesk Database Help from their volunteer page.
- If a volunteer has a problem with their password, they can manually request this on their login page, or the CVM can manually trigger it on the volunteer’s profile under ‘Login’.
- The IT Team will help volunteers directly when necessary, but only after the CVM has attempted to provide the first line of support.
Some volunteers can sometimes be more anxious and will need more support than normal, and some volunteers may have no internet access. In these situations, the CVM and FSM will liaise with the volunteer to make sure notes are put on the database for the volunteer.
If a volunteer is not adding notes when supporting a family this needs to be flagged by the FSM and the CVM should then contact the volunteer and ask if there are issues for them and help directly. If this continues to be an issue, it must be discussed with the relevant Line Manager and every support offered to the volunteer to help them start making notes. If this continues to be a problem, the volunteer may need to be asked to pause their volunteering as this is a crucial safeguarding tool.