Who we are

What we do

Volunteers

Induction and training

Support and guidance

Information

Expenses Insurance

Health and Safety

Resolving problems

Volunteer ethos

Commitment and professionalism

Compliance with the Royal Charter and Rules, Regulations and policies

Confidentiality and data protection

Volunteer boundaries and conflicts of interest

Donations

Protecting SSAFA’s reputation

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Who we are

We are SSAFA, the UK’s oldest armed forces charity. We believe the whole forces family deserves lifelong support in return for its contribution to national security.

What we do

We provide practical, emotional and financial support to anyone who has ever served and their dependants through our networks of trained volunteers on military bases and in local communities throughout the UK and overseas.

Volunteers

SSAFA offers a range of volunteering opportunities within the serving and veteran communities; these include casework, branch, division and service committee management, book-keeping, fundraising, publicity, IT, training, mentoring service-leavers and prison in-reach. The recruitment process varies according to the role. Further information can be found in A Guide to SSAFA, available from local branch, division and service committee secretaries or from the Volunteer Support advisers (VSAs) at Central Office in London ([email protected] or 0800 032 5612).

Induction and training

Ahead of any formal training our volunteers complete a local induction that gives an overview of SSAFA and the work we do. The volunteer role chosen will determine the type of training to be undertaken and whether it is mandatory.

Volunteers who wish to work directly with clients as caseworkers or community volunteers or to become treasurers or other office holders will need to attend an appropriate course either regionally or at Central Office. However, all volunteers are encouraged to attend some training to assist them in their role. Caseworkers are required to attend refresher training every five years.

Support and guidance

As its name suggests, the Volunteer Support Department’s primary function is to enable volunteers to carry out their role effectively. All inquiries are handled by the VSAs, who assist with recruitment, ID card, Casework Management System (CMS) and SSAFAnet queries, and liaise with other Central Office departments to find answers to questions on any other subject.

Within Volunteer Support, the Welfare team ([email protected]) has access to subscription only information services and can provide expert guidance for difficult cases. Welfare advisers can also: help with issues such as housing, benefits, disability rights, debt and prisons; signpost to other service charities, statutory agencies and third-sector organisations; and make grants from ring-fenced funds held at Central Office.

Additionally, each region has a volunteer support manager (VSM) to provide advice, guidance and encouragement.

Information

A monthly newsletter is sent by email to volunteers and twice each year (summer and winter) a printed magazine, SSAFA News, is sent by post; caseworkers will also receive issues of SCOPE, which provides important updates. General information about SSAFA and the latest news can be found on our website (www.ssafa.org.uk); updates are also posted on social media such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. A range of resources including policies, welfare guides, promotional material and distance learning courses are available on SSAFAnet, our passcode protected website for volunteers.

Expenses

SSAFA volunteers are actively encouraged to claim expenses so they are not out of pocket and to ensure we have a complete record of our operating costs. All reasonable expenses incurred while undertaking activities on behalf of SSAFA will be reimbursed, either locally or by Central Office as appropriate. For further information see Claiming Expenses from Central Office and our Environmental Policy. The latter explains our policy regarding public transport and the use of private vehicles.

Insurance

All volunteers are covered by SSAFA’s public liability insurance policy while undertaking activities on our behalf.

Health and safety

The safety and wellbeing of our volunteers is paramount. SSAFA complies with health and safety legislation to ensure any significant risks are assessed and minimised. Volunteers are responsible for taking reasonable care of their own safety and that of others around them, and for reporting any accidents or incidents in accordance with our Health and Safety Reporting Procedure for Volunteers. For further information regarding SSAFA’s Health and Safety Policy contact  Head of Services - Estates and Facilities at Central Office ([email protected] or 020 7463 9289).

Resolving problems

SSAFA aims to resolve any complaints or difficulties as promptly and fairly as possible; our Policy for Complaints Involving Volunteers explains the process.

Volunteer ethos

Our volunteers are the lifeblood of SSAFA, without whom assistance could not be given to our clients. We pride ourselves on guiding volunteers with principles rather than rules wherever possible, over the years the volunteer ethos that has developed from this has served us well and includes:

• helping clients to help themselves;
• respecting the dignity of individuals;
• being non-judgemental; and
• looking for ways in which we can help rather than reasons why we can’t.

Commitment and professionalism

Punctuality, reliability and a professional approach are essential qualities for SSAFA volunteers. It is important that volunteers are realistic about the time they can offer, and we ask that they keep their branch, division, service committee or SSAFA manager informed of any changes to their availability. We value the the time put in by volunteers, however limited.

Compliance with the Royal Charter and Rules, Regulations and policies

Compliance with SSAFA’s Royal Charter of Incorporation and Rules, Regulations and policies and procedures is essential. Documents are updated as and when necessary and the latest versions can always be found on SSAFAnet.

Some, such as our Information Management Policy, Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adults Policy, and Health & Safety Reporting Procedure for Volunteers, are designed to ensure we comply with legislation. Others, such as our Ethical Fundraising Policy, Environmental Policy and Social Media Guidelines, ensure we adhere to the Institute of Fundraising Code of Practice, meet the requirements of the Ministry of Defence and National Health Service for contractual purposes and protect SSAFA’s reputation.

Welfare guides are to enable volunteers to carry out their role, which is to provide quick and effective help to members of our armed forces family in need.

We try to keep all these documents as short as possible by including only what volunteers need to know. However, all of our policies, procedures and guides meet a requirement as set out above; volunteers should familiarise themselves with the contents and comply with their principles and procedures.

Confidentiality and data protection

SSAFA volunteers are often trusted with personal and sensitive information, so an understanding of the issues surrounding confidentiality and compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 are essential.

There are strict rules governing the processing, storage, management, retention and destruction of personal and sensitive data. Security breaches can result in charities being fined up to £500,000; volunteers therefore have a crucial role to play in ensuring SSAFA complies with the law. Our Information Management Policy explains the procedures that must be followed; also available is a shorter Data Protection & Retention Guide. Data protection training is provided and online refresher courses are undertaken once a year.

As a general rule we should never betray a client's trust by passing on any personal or sensitive information without prior consent. Only in rare circumstances may confidentiality be breached, and even then only after all attempts to persuade the client to disclose the information voluntarily have failed. Unless it is an emergency, advice should first be sought from the Welfare team. Such circumstances include the following.

• where there is a risk of serious harm to the individual, for example, if specific details of an intended or attempted suicide are known and the client refuses to seek help;
• to protect others from harm, for example, any information about the abuse of a child or vulnerable adult should be disclosed to the appropriate agencies (for further information see our Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy);
• to prevent a serious criminal act, especially where others may be endangered.

Volunteers will be asked to confirm that they have read and understood our Information Management Policy before attending a training course; a Data Protection and Retention Guide for caseworkers and a one-page ‘DOs and DON’Ts’ diagram is also available. Further information about confidentiality and data protection can be found in our Casework Handbook.

Conflicts of interest and volunteer boundaries

Volunteers and/or their family members and friends must not benefit from a product or service provided to a SSAFA client. In addition, volunteers must not:

• use SSAFA’s name to start up companies and/or put on events (including fundraising events) without prior permission from Central Office;
• support or become a member of any organisation that has an ethos incompatible with our own.

Volunteers should never become over-involved with a client, or take on a case where:

• there has been a bereavement in the client’s family and the volunteer has been recently bereaved;
• the client is a family member or friend;
• the volunteer is professionally involved with the client outside the scope of their role with SSAFA.

Sometimes, volunteers will find themselves in circumstances where it is not appropriate to give advice, in which case they should always signpost to other SSAFA services or organisations that can help. Under no circumstances should a volunteer attempt to provide:

• advice that is regulated, such as legal (including acting as executor of a will or holding power of attorney), financial, or debt advice;
• counselling;
• mental health diagnoses or medical advice;
• advice that only a qualified social worker can give, for example, on child protection issues;
• immigration advice;
• appeals advice;
• an advocacy service.

Donations

A client who wishes to show their appreciation or support for the work of SSAFA by making a donation may decide to do so via a volunteer, in which case it should be recorded by the branch or service committee treasurer and a receipt given to the client. Under no circumstances should a volunteer treat a donation as a personal gift.

Protecting SSAFA’s reputation

SSAFA is a non-political organisation that enjoys an excellent working relationship with a number of government departments and other agencies. This is essential for us to be able to continue helping current and former members of the armed forces in the UK and overseas. Volunteers must not engage in any political activities on behalf of SSAFA. This includes communicating opinions to the armed forces, Ministry of Defence, other government ministries and public bodies on policy matters in SSAFA’s name without prior authorisation from the Controller.

Volunteers are SSAFA’s ambassadors and are expected to maintain impartiality while acting on our behalf to avoid personal views being misinterpreted as those of SSAFA. They should refrain from:

• inappropriate behaviour that may reflect badly on us or lead to adverse attention, i.e.

personal activities that may be unlawful and result in a conviction or caution, or

behaviour that may compromise our public image;

• making inflammatory or defamatory comments in any context, including through social media (for further information see Social Media Guidelines).
• undertaking activities on behalf of SSAFA while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Further unacceptable conduct includes:

• theft, fraud (including falsifying expenses) or failure to account for funds held in the name of SSAFA;
• abusive and/or threatening language or behaviour;
• willful or negligent disruption of the work of volunteers or employees;
• uncooperative attitude, rudeness and/or failure to carry out reasonable instructions;
• poor performance and/or unreliability.

Unacceptable conduct may be investigated locally or as directed by Chairman of Council; every effort will be made to resolve such breaches informally in accordance with our Policy for Complaints Involving Volunteers.

Any concerns should be raised at the earliest opportunity with the branch/division/service committee secretary or Head of Specialist Services/Head of Volunteer Network Support at Central Office.

SSAFA Policy

SSAFA welcomes volunteers from all walks of life. We actively encourage diversity and inclusion, not just because it’s the law but because it’s the right thing to do. Our aim is to promote equality to ensure everyone is treated fairly and assessed in relation to their individual skills and abilities. This includes: recruitment and selection; development and training; health and safety; conduct; and complaints procedures.

All volunteers have a role to play in promoting equality when carrying out activities in SSAFA’s name, and for ensuring wherever possible that others do the same.

SSAFA cannot condone unlawful discrimination of any kind. Any volunteer who believes they have been the subject of unlawful discrimination is encouraged to raise the matter through our Policy for Complaints Involving Volunteers.

While trustees are legally responsible for ensuring the charity complies with the Equality Act 2010, they have delegated the day-to-day responsibility for the effective operation of this policy to Director People & Organisational Development. Any queries relating to this policy should be raised with Director Volunteer Operations.

Equality Act 2010

The following characteristics are protected by the Equality Act 2010:

• age;
• disability;
• gender reassignment;
• marriage or civil partnership;
• pregnancy or maternity;
• race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin);
• religion, religious belief or similar philosophical belief;
• sex;
• sexual orientation, i.e. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning, these days normally shortened to ‘LGBTQ’.

Note: the word ‘queer’ has been reclaimed by members of the LGBTQ community as some prefer it to being pigeonholed; however, its use remains contentious and it is not a word that should ever be used by SSAFA volunteers or employees to describe another person.

There are four classifications of unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

1. Direct discrimination

Direct discrimination means treating someone less favourably than others because of one of the protected characteristics set out above. This includes less favourable treatment for a person wrongly perceived to have a protected characteristic or because they associate with someone or people with a protected characteristic.

Direct discrimination, whatever the reason, is against the law. It is not possible to justify direct discrimination in any way with the exception of age. Age-related direct discrimination may be justified in specific circumstances if it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

2. Indirect discrimination

Indirect discrimination means putting someone at a disadvantage by applying a policy or practice that appears to affect everyone in the same way, but in fact has an adverse effect on people with one of the protected characteristics set out above. If a person with that characteristic can show the policy or practice puts or would put them at a disadvantage compared to others, the policy or practice is unlawful indirect discrimination unless it can be shown that it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

3. Harassment

Harassment related to one of the protected characteristics set out above is against the law if it consists of unwanted conduct that violates someone’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, offensive, degrading or humiliating environment. Unwanted conduct of a sexual nature is classified as unlawful harassment.

4. Victimisation

Unlawful victimisation is unfavourable treatment of someone who has taken action to assert their legal rights under discrimination law or has assisted someone else to do so. A false complaint of victimisation will not be protected unless it is made in good faith.

People with disabilities

People classified as disabled have additional rights. It is against the law to subject them to unfavourable treatment because of something arising from a disability unless it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim. The term ‘disabled’ applies to a range of physical or mental conditions that have a significant and long-term adverse effect on someone’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Legal protection also applies to people who have been diagnosed with a progressive illness, for example, HIV or cancer.

Where any policy, practice or physical features of a working environment put someone classified as disabled at a substantial disadvantage compared with people who are not disabled, SSAFA is required to make reasonable adjustments to the policy, practice or physical feature to prevent that disadvantage. This includes a requirement to provide certain reasonable auxiliary aids.

SSAFA adopts a ‘social model’ view of disability whereby barriers that restrict disabled people in the working environment are to be overcome by SSAFA so far as is practicable rather than requiring the disabled person to adapt. Any volunteer who is disabled, or becomes disabled, is strongly encouraged to tell SSAFA about their condition to enable us to provide support and to discuss any reasonable adjustments that might help.