Following months of hard work from our Volunteering Team, and support from the wider Action Together team, we have once again been awarded Voluntary Centre Quality Accreditation by NAVCA.
Our VCQA award joins our Local Infrastructure Quality Accreditation (LIQA) and means we will continue to be recognised as the Volunteer Centre for Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside. Together, the independently assessed VCQA and LIQA showcase our quality and impact as a Local Infrastructure Organisation.
We exceed three of the five criteria (good practice development, developing volunteer opportunities, and voice of volunteering), and met the other two categories (strategic development of volunteering, and brokerage). Feedback focused on the way our organisational and EDI strategies are embedded in our volunteering work, our high quality training and development support, our flexibility and responsiveness to the needs of volunteers and organisations, partnership working and understanding communities’ needs, and ensuring volunteering is seen as an integral part of local systems and social infrastructure.
Support from Partners
As part of the assessment, NAVCA gathered feedback about Action Together from organisations and partners, which included:
A public sector partner said:
“They are very visible, you see them at every meeting and their networks are very busy and well attended.”
A volunteer-involving organisation said:
“Action Together is very well embedded in the community. They are part of the landscape and the voluntary sector.”
A CIC valued a range of support they have received:
“All the training opportunities, being able to recruit volunteers through the portal, mentoring from AT as a member of their steering group, ensuring we have the right policies in place and being able to explore unusual issues through Community Explorer meetings.”
A public sector interviewee lauded our approach to innovation:
“They have a willingness to get involved and a different mindset...They are quite action oriented. They try something to see what happens and say if it has or hasn’t worked well.”
- An organisation was complimentary about the “clean system” of our Volunteering portal and how AT is “really good at matching volunteers.”
A stakeholder emphasised our support to organisations:
“They are encouraging and create opportunities with organisations. They really have the voice of residents and community organisations, visibility, are very flexible, and have knowledge of what good volunteering looks like. They support organisations to create good volunteer opportunities and for volunteers to progress from volunteering into employment. They help to create first step opportunities as a pathway to volunteer opportunities that are a bit more structured.”
A local authority partner described the AT influence as:
“advocating for remuneration, recognition of lived experience as having intrinsic value, advocating for duty of care around volunteers and for volunteers with lived experience and volunteering not being exploitative or extractive...the difference between consultation and engagement and between consultation and co-design.”
Staff from across Action Together helped to complete VCQA, a great demonstration in itself of our strength in working as a team and sharing knowledge, learning and impact across our three boroughs. Thank you and well done to our team!
About VCQA
The Volunteer Centre Quality Accreditation (VCQA) is the quality mark for organisations who are proven in delivering the five local Volunteer Centre functions:
- Strategic development of volunteering
- Good practice and development
- Brokerage
- Developing volunteering opportunities
- Voice of volunteering
It provides assurance to members of the public seeking volunteering opportunities, volunteer involving organisations, partner, commissioner and funding organisations, that the holder provides a high quality and effective local service. Accreditation takes place via a peer assessment, and this recognition is valid for three years.
Our journey to accreditation
We know that volunteering is a vital aspect of building strong and compassionate communities in our three localities.
Volunteer Centres play a crucial role in connecting volunteers with groups, organisations and initiatives that need their support. Our Volunteering Strategy outlines our plans and promises for our Volunteering services.
For more information on our Volunteering services get in touch with us directly on 0161 339 2345 or visit https://www.actiontogether.org.uk/volunteer