Volunteer to employee for organisations

Volunteer to employee: structuring your volunteer programme to support volunteers to gain work-related skills and experience

Recruitment of volunteers and staff can be challenging but getting it right can make a big difference to the impact of your organisation. 

This is a two-part course for anyone who is managing organisations, services, projects, and/or volunteers and anyone who is interested in thinking about how structuring a programme that will be attractive to volunteers who want to gain employment-based skills.  It is based on the good practice in the Investing in Volunteers standard, but with a specific focus around volunteering to employment.

It can be delivered as a single day course, but is perhaps best as two half day sessions that build on each other, with an opportunity to develop a personalised action plan and try out activities between sessions.


This course incorporates leadership and management research plus evidence about psychology and the physiology of trauma with personal and practical experience.  It is aimed at anyone who manages or supervises people (including volunteer managers) whether that’s line management or through projects, or anyone who wants to move into management.  Participants will:
  • Identify what being a psychologically and trauma-informed organisation involves including looking at what culture is and how to set and achieve an appropriate culture.
  • Consider what factors need to be included in a psychologically and trauma-informed organisation policy and procedure (with model document provided).
  • Consider the roles of different people within the organisation in designing and implementing trauma-informed practice.
  • Examine some key areas in psychologically and trauma-informed practice, including human resources and workforce development, service design and work planning
  • Identify how equity, diversity and inclusion intersects with experience of trauma and how to implement trauma-informed EDI processes
  • Consider collaborative working and decision-making at different levels in the organisation and how to incorporate trauma-informed perspectives
  • Identify how to monitor and evaluate whether psychologically and trauma-informed practices are having an impact
Participants will come away with an action plan and some tools to use in the workplace, and some next steps to implement trauma-informed practice into their organisations.

Please be aware that the nature of discussion about trauma can lead to realisations about participants own experiences and can bring up strong feelings.  Participants will be encouraged to take breaks if they need it.  The trainer will be available during part of lunch and after the session to signpost participants to various resources.  It is also important that there is provision for participants to talk to their own managers or other workplace provision as needed.

Course facilitator: Becky Nixon.  Becky has personal and professional experience of trauma, is undertaking an Master's in psychology, and has worked with organisations that are developing trauma-informed practice since 2014.  

In-house cost: £875 for one day + trainer’s expenses

If you are interested in attending an open version of this course or individual consultancy around any of the areas mentioned, please email becky@ideastoimpact.co.uk or use the contact form below.
Share by: