Policies & Procedures
Our policies and procedures are good road-maps to help and support you in your day-to-day activities as a volunteer. If you have any questions on any aspect of these, please contact Siobhan or your line manager.
Volunteer Handbook
The Volunteer Handbook is great to reference every now and then. You can download it here or a hard copy is also available to read, whilst enjoying a cuppa, in the Volunteer Room.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is a huge issue for all organisations these days and The Bishop’s Palace is no exception. All volunteers and staff undergo safeguarding training. This Safeguarding Policy backs up the training Please click here to view our Safeguarding Policy. In addition, as part of our safeguarding obligations, a Confidential Declaration form must be completed by all staff and volunteers at The Bishop’s Palace whose role is not eligible for a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. We will let you know if your role as a volunteer requires a DBS check.
Problem Solving
Sometimes things go wrong: a volunteer might have a complaint about another volunteer, a member of staff or the organisation itself; or a volunteer’s performance may have declined, or someone else has complained about a volunteer’s work, attitude or conduct. This is where a Problem-Solving Procedure is essential to ensure that volunteers are treated fairly and not discriminated against.
Timesheets
You may wonder why we ask volunteers to keep timesheets or sign in and out in the shop. The most important reason is that it tells us what an amazing amount of time you, as volunteers, give to us day in and day out for which we are truly grateful. Potential funders and donors also want to know what resources we receive and from whom, as the more hours our volunteers give the more effective donors see us – the information is a crucial element in our funding applications. Timesheets are available as an MS Word document or PDF. You only need to complete a timesheet if your line manager has asked you to, otherwise please sign in and out in the shop.
Health & Safety
Health & safety is not the most scintillating read over your morning coffee but is really important. This will have been covered as part of your induction training and this document serves as a useful reminder. The same information is also in the Volunteer Handbook. Here is the broader Health and Safety Policy for the Palace Trust.
Covid
Here is our latest risk assessment (updated Sept 2023) which is in line with government guidance.
This includes the following key issues to be aware of:
- Turn on air filters in cold weather when other ventilation measures will be less effective. We are ordering new air filters for the Visitor Office and Gatehouse.
- Keep surfaces clear so that cleaning can be carried out more effectively.
- While masks are not required, anyone who is more comfortable wearing one will be supported.
- Staff and volunteers are advised not to physically attend workplace and to stay at home and avoid close contact with other people for at least 5 full days if they:
- have symptoms of a respiratory infection; or
- have tested positive for Covid-19
GDPR
The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation came into force on May 25 2018. This regulation is designed to cover data protection and privacy for all individuals.
We have prepared a number of documents that relate to how The Bishop’s Palace collects, stores and processes your data as well as the rights you have in relation to that data. These documents can be found in a folder in the volunteer room or you can download them from the links below.
Everyone at The Bishop’s Palace is impacted by this legislation so please take some time to familiarise yourselves with the contents.
Any general questions you may have can be directed to the Data Protection Officer, Merryn Kidd. If your query relates to your volunteer data, please contact your line manager or Siobhan.