 |
|
Social Policy Research 124 - July 1997 In January 1996, CSV (Community Service Volunteers) launched pilot schemes in Cardiff, Southwark and Sunderland for a national 'Citizens' Service' scheme. Each pilot was to recruit annually 150 young people aged 18-25 for up to a year, to provide placements which would be of community benefit, to supervise the placements and to support the volunteers as necessary. The study evaluated the first 15 months of the schemes (January 1996 - March 1997) and found:
Background There is a broad policy consensus about getting young people volunteering. The Liberal Democrat Party has a long-standing manifesto commitment to establishing a Citizens' Service scheme. In October 1994, the Social Justice Commission Report, commissioned by the late John Smith, then leader of the Labour Party, called for a nation-wide voluntary scheme, in which volunteers would undertake work in areas of socially useful activity. Earlier this year, the then Conservative Government launched a network of volunteer youth facilitators and a "Young People Make a Difference" report as part of its Make a Difference volunteering initiative. CSV (Community Service Volunteers) set up pilot projects to demonstrate how such a Citizens' Service scheme might work. It set up pilot projects offering young people the chance to participate in community service in their own locality. Charitable funding of £78,000 per annum for three years for each of three pilots was provided by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the NatWest Group Charitable Trust. The pilot projects in Cardiff, the London Borough of Southwark and Sunderland were chosen to give a geographical sweep, to contrast the types of volunteer who would be involved and to work where relations with local authorities were good. The aim of the pilots was to provide evidence of what does and does not work in terms of setting up a voluntary Citizens' Service scheme. Their specific objectives were: to recruit 150 volunteers a year per scheme; to provide placements within the statutory sectors (such as education and the NHS) as well as with voluntary agencies; and to prove of benefit both to the community and to the volunteer. The pilots had also to demonstrate that there was no exploitation of volunteers and that agencies were not using volunteers for tasks that would otherwise be done by paid workers ('job substitution'). This evaluation was designed to identify successful approaches that might be adopted more widely; to make suggestions for improvements in project management and monitoring; to identify potential obstacles and barriers to success, together with mitigating or corrective actions; and to draw conclusions on the relative cost-effectiveness of different programme components. The ultimate objectives were to assist formulation of policy in the future, and to inform practitioners on the best ways of handling Citizens' Service schemes. The effectiveness of the pilot schemes The pilot schemes are successful in finding places for volunteers. The number of places available is well above the number of volunteers recruited. There are currently over 400 available placements in schools, hospitals, social services and environmental settings. About one-third of volunteers work in the education sector, 26 per cent in community care and health services, 18 per cent in projects concerned with the environment, while 8 per cent work in the area of community safety. Seventeen per cent of placements were group placements (where volunteers work as a team). Recent trends in recruitment are encouraging. For example, in Cardiff and Sunderland, the level of activity and the monthly number of placements started were much higher in the first months of 1997 than in 1996. It seems likely that the pilot schemes will each succeed in recruiting more than 300 volunteers before the end of 1998. However, the number of volunteers recruited so far is lower than planned and it is likely that the target of 450 new volunteers per scheme by the end of 1998 will not be achieved. The volunteers The schemes have recruited a wide range of young people. The population of volunteers recruited does not yet represent a cross-section of the 18-25 population of the local communities; there are still imbalances, for example, women outnumber men by a substantial margin in Cardiff and Southwark. The large majority of volunteers were unemployed (but not necessarily claiming benefits) before starting a placement with Citizens' Service. This is not surprising because of the nature of the scheme (ie a full-time volunteering scheme). When asked about their motivation for volunteering, more than 45 per cent of volunteers give reasons which are related to finding a job. Table 1 shows what happens to the volunteers. There is a high turnover during the first weeks of volunteering: over 40 per cent drop out prematurely, and, overall, only about one-third of starters stay for 16 weeks or more. Forty-five per cent of the volunteers who leave prematurely do so after more than three weeks of volunteering and about a quarter of starters will leave before the end of the second week. Twenty-four per cent leave prematurely because they find a part-time or full-time job.
Assessment by volunteers and project supervisors Project supervisors and volunteers expressed a high to very high degree of satisfaction with the Citizens' Service scheme. Supervisors believe that time spent on induction and supervision of volunteers is a "good investment". The lowest average satisfaction score is for the reliability of volunteers. Volunteers also expressed a high degree of satisfaction: overall, more than 90 per cent of respondents are satisfied or very satisfied with the placement. However, there was a demand for more support in the early weeks of their placement. The study found that the volunteers seek recognition (through certificates, press coverage, endorsement) rather than financial reward. They also want the scheme to take into account their personal circumstances, for example by allowing flexibility for part-time as well as full-time volunteering. Economic analysis The economic analysis covered: the activities carried out by Citizens' Service staff; the staffing requirements; the financial accounts (cost breakdown per head); the cost to organisations of involving volunteers. The value of volunteers' work and a number of economic indicators such as cost per volunteer, and the return per pound invested were also calculated. The analysis of the financial accounts showed significant differences between schemes in terms of expenses as well as in terms of structure of expenses, which reflect differences in recruitment strategy and management structures. The analysis of staffing requirements indicates that it will be difficult to run a Citizens' Service scheme with 150 people starting each year with less than 1.5 years' worth of Citizens' Service staff effort. The projects where volunteers work considered a financial contribution of £10 to £15 per week to cover volunteers' meal and travel expenses as acceptable. No supervisor considered that the time spent on induction and supervision was too time-consuming when set against other tasks and duties. The total cost per volunteer is well above the target range of £600 to £900. The cost per volunteer was, at the end of March 1997, lowest in Southwark (£994). This is primarily due to a higher level of recruitment and lower management and running costs. In Cardiff the cost per volunteer was £1,567 (but dropping quickly) and in Sunderland it was £1,242. Assuming the value of the work done by volunteers to be £10 per hour in Southwark and £7 per hour in Cardiff and Sunderland, the return per pound invested is, on aggregate, 1.5. Under a less favourable assumption, say, £5 per hour, it is 0.9. If target numbers are reached, at £5 per hour the return per pound invested would become 2.8. As the schemes build up, the parameters driving the value and cost of volunteering, such as number of starts, average length of stay and administrative costs, should improve. In addition, the lessons drawn from the pilots and the best practice established will make new schemes more effective and will reduce unit costs. Conclusion One of the main challenges of Citizens' Service is to demonstrate that it is possible to increase cost-effectiveness while maintaining standards and while respecting core principles, such as a no-rejection policy, support for volunteers after placement and accommodation of personal circumstances. The model tested by the pilot schemes could be replicated in large numbers across the country, in particular if the support of the education and health sectors is further engaged. The evaluation found no evidence of exploitation of volunteers and on the small scale at which the pilot schemes are working, job substitution is not an issue; however, on a larger scale it is potentially more difficult and mechanisms must be in place to guard against it. Although a more detailed analysis is needed, this evaluation suggests that a national Citizens' Service scheme is likely to cost between £600 and £900 per volunteer, and probably more during the first year of a new scheme. Thus a national scheme placing 50,000 volunteers per year would need an annual budget of £30-40 million, plus additional funding to support the national infrastructure and initiatives, which could be 10 per cent (ie £3-4 million). Learning points for a successful scheme The evaluation suggests the following points:
About the study The study was carried out by Price Waterhouse. The study employed a variety of analytical and evaluation methods including: monthly collection of monitoring information on volunteers and projects; longitudinal analysis of all volunteers; face-to-face interviews and focus groups with volunteers; case studies and on-site visits. The researchers also carried out a postal survey of volunteers and project supervisors, held focus groups with volunteers and conducted face-to-face interviews. In total 165 volunteers and 62 project supervisors were contacted to complete an assessment form. Respondents were given the opportunity to keep some of their answers and comments confidential. A total of 115 answers, 45 assessments by project supervisors and 70 assessments from volunteers were received. Further information The full report, Citizens' Service Pilot Schemes: An evaluation by Luc Moens for Price Waterhouse, is published by YPS for the Foundation. (Price £9.95 plus £1.50 p&p, ISBN 1 899987 54 1). This title is now out of print. |
