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Nolan commends codes of practice for voluntary sector

1 April 1997

Voluntary bodies should adopt codes of practice, stressing openness and clarity, according to a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Lord Nolan, Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, speaking at the launch, called on the growing voluntary sector to recognise the need for greater accountability and effectiveness.

Endorsements for the establishment of codes of practice came from Chief Charity Commissioner, Richard Fries, together with Sir Jeremy Beecham, chair of the Local Government Association, and Lady Winifred Tumim, chair of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.

The report comes from a Working Party convened by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation following the Commission on the Future of the Voluntary Sector, chaired by Professor Nick Deakin, which reported last year.

The Working Party was chaired by Lynne Berry, Executive Director at the Charity Commission and the report was written by Julian Ashby, Managing Director of HACAS (who also edited The Governance of Housing Associations).

The report specifies more than 60 questions that voluntary organisations can usefully ask themselves when drawing up a code of practice. The areas cover effectiveness, accountability, standards, equal opportunities, and governance.

Although the Working Party considered it unlikely that a single code of practice could do justice to the wide range of voluntary organisations, the report includes an illustrative code designed for bodies delivering service that are publicly funded. The Code specifies commitments for the organisations to:

  • State its purpose clearly and keep it relevant to current conditions;
  • Be explicit about the needs it intends to meet and how these will be achieved;
  • Manage and target resources effectively;
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of its work, tackling poor performance and dealing fairly and promptly with complaints;
  • Draw up plans for fulfilling their responsibilities in consultation with those to whom they are accountable;
  • Work to clear standards;
  • Be open about any arrangements for involving service users;
  • Operate a systematic and open process for appointing the governing body;
  • Set out the role and responsibilities of the governing body;
  • Have clear arrangements for involving, training, supporting and managing any volunteers;
  • Ensure that policies and practices do not discriminate unfairly;
  • Recruit staff openly, pay them fairly and be a good employer.

"We see this publication as a starting point for further action," said Winifred Tumim. "The NCVO intends to establish a new small task force to develop and evaluate a whole range of approaches on quality, accountability and effectiveness."

Lord Nolan said: "Openness and clarity are the key themes that run through Towards Voluntary Sector Codes of Practice. Whether applied to purposes, roles, conduct or standards, they are the qualities that underpin both accountability and effectiveness."