Where to go for bullying in a voluntary organisation?

flossy_splodge

Can anyone suggest a point of contact for someone who is being badly bullied and victiised in a registered charity? They are a volunteer as is everyone else.
Thanks.:o

ahai1

As far as I know there is no specific law so take the normal route.

flossy_splodge

Can you tell me exactly what you see as the 'normal' route?
Thanks.

ahai1

The organisation should have procedures in place for things like this. It is a good idea to contact the manager who is responible for this. I know that we have standard procedures in place for a lot of things like behaviour. It may also be neccessary to seek the advice of a third party like the CAB.

Savvy_Sue

If it was a member of staff, there would be a statutory requirement for them to have been given details of the organisation's disciplinary and grievance procedures, and if informal discussion had not resolved it then raising a grievance would be the way to go.

For a volunteer there is AFAIK no statutory requirement, BUT 'best practice' says that there should be a policy and procedure in place outlining how anyone - volunteer or service user - can raise a complaint or concern. What that procedure would look like would vary from place to place, but I would expect it to go something like

1. discuss (if possible) with person against whom complaint is being made)

2. if not resolved, approach their line manager / more senior person in the organisation

3. if not resolved, approach the (local) Trustees (sometimes a named person or role)

4. if not resolved, Trustees to call on ... for advice / mediation / resolution

That "..." would stand for the local Voluntary Services Council, Head Office for a large charity, any organisation reasonably having oversight - ie impossible to define closely here.

So you need to know the structure of the organisation a little bit. You don't have to answer these questions, but I would be asking:

Is there one person who has responsibility for recruiting, training and supporting / supervising volunteers?

Is that person another volunteer or a paid member of staff?

Is that person doing the bullying?

Do many people feel bullied?

Who does the 'bully' report to?

Also, if it's just one or two people feeling bullied, I would be checking that it wasn't a change in the way the organisation worked: we have had some serious clashes with volunteers when we have realised that we need to change the way we work, and I am sure some have felt we were 'on their case' or 'nagging' them to comply with new procedures or 'telling them off' for doing something wrong.

But we have also had to discuss with staff members the best way of asking a volunteer to change the way they work so that it does not come across as a constant 'telling off'. This is especially true if a new-ish and fairly young member of staff has to ask an older and very experienced volunteer to remember that we don't do things that way any more ...

Glynis

I'd support what savvy sue says. I used to work in an all volunteer environment and had to leave because of the stress of being bullied by an incoming secretary who thought that he could start handing out projects without asking who was already working on them! I tried talking to him, he wouldn't listen, I tried going to the chairman, but the organisation had no-one else who was prepared to do the secretaries job if he resigned, the situation did not get resolved so I left.

flossy_splodge

Thanks for the replies.
Has got a lot worse with a character assasination going on and all because the senior manager is feeling threatened. Can't go into too much detail at present but volunteers of small charities seem to have damm all protection.:eek:
No wonder wehave a bullying culture in so many places when there is no effective comeback.
Thanks to all for the feedback.:o

The_Economist

Not sure if it will help, but have a look here http://www.andreaadamstrust.org/

tsstss7

Have you tried going to your local volunteer bureau? They may be able to help advise you if nothing else.

ohreally

There are various potential remedies available under both the protection from harassment act and various health and safety regulations. Under the health and safety at work act and the management of health and safety at work regs the employer has a duty, so far as is reasonably practicable, to ensure the health and safety of employees at work, among other things the employer may have to carry out a risk assessment in terms of stress and introduce support/ control mechanisms to prevent stress caused by bullying. The HSE (in your case the local environmental department at the council) can investigate and if necessary issue an improvement notice ensuring the law is complied with. In terms of the harassment act, which included the workplace, it would be a criminal matter for the police to investigate.