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Answer:

Many organisations do not reply to people who apply for jobs but it's always a good idea to let people know if they have not got an interview. At interview it’s best practice to treat all candidates the same, and a good way to do that is to decide on a list of questions (based on what you asked for in the person specification). You can then ask each candidate the same questions so you can compare the effectiveness of candidates’ answers to questions. If you are making notes in the interview you should keep them neutral as candidates can request to see them. They should be kept for a period defined in your data protection policy. Always ask if a candidate needs any adjustments to the interview to enable them to take part.

  • Interviews should be warm and welcoming. One way to help candidates feel at ease is to provide the questions 24 hours beforehand
  • Make sure you allow enough time for each interview, and for any tests or presentations you might ask candidates to complete. Build in some time for candidates to ask questions of the panel, and for the panel to discuss their decision.
  • NCVO gives some guidance on shortlisting and interviewing here: Shortlisting and interviewing for the role / NCVO.
Answer:

Starting work is a critical time, so it’s important to get things right. Spend some time thinking about what you want that person to do, what their objectives are, who they need to know, and what equipment they need.

Set up an induction. This means planning the first couple of weeks. Take the new starter through their contract, health & safety (fire exits, evacuation procedure, first aiders and first aid box), who their line manager is, IT arrangements, who to go to if they have questions and an introduction to colleagues. Starting a new job can be one of the most stressful life experiences, so do everything you can to make someone feel welcome especially in those first few weeks. A nice idea is to take them out for lunch with colleagues. Ask about any disabilities and reasonable adjustments they need. ACAS has a template to review that: Reasonable adjustments review template | Acas.

Answer:

There is detailed guidance on paying employees here: Payroll - GOV.UK. Paying employees should be done by someone suitably qualified who understands employment law.

You should always research providers and seek quotations to make sure you get a service that is suitable for your needs.

Answer:
The probationary period is a period of time (often six months) which acts as a trial period and should be specified in a contract. It is good practice to end the probationary period with a review meeting looking at what’s gone well, what could have gone better and what that person’s objectives are for the coming year. Any issues around a new employee’s capability, performance or conduct should be raised before the end of the probationary period (not for the first time at the review meeting), and this probationary period can be extended in writing if necessary.
Answer:

Every person who works for you needs a clear understanding of what they are supposed to be doing. This helps your organisation to achieve its goals, supports the person to do their best and ultimately creates happier teams. Everyone should have clear, short and long term objectives, and these should reflect some of the organisation’s objectives. If you have organisational values these should be included as well.

Book in regular 1-1 supervisions with your employee. Use a template so you remember to ask them the right questions. Record what is said in writing. This gives greater clarity on what has been agreed and avoids disputes.

Support your employees to perform well. CIPD has tools and guidance on performance management: Performance Management Factsheets / CIPD.

Answer:

You should make sure that your employees have the skills to do their jobs and to continue learning and thriving. CIPD offers a number of resources to identify and develop talented people: Talent management Factsheets / CIPD. It’s also really important that your line managers know how they can best support the employees they are managing:

Answer:

Voluntary and community groups can be great places to work, with their positive values and contribution to making a difference in society. They can also be stressful and difficult if the organisation is working with few resources and with communities experiencing trauma. Looking after your team is vital.

Think about how you will support your team. You could consider building the cost of reflective practice sessions or counselling into funding applications. Give employees chances to meet with others through team meetings and social events. Recognise the different needs of your team and make sure that everyone is included. That might include days off for Eid or other religious holidays, social events that everyone can take part in, and designated places to pray.

Practical ideas to embed wellbeing into your team

  • Being clear with people that you do not expect them to work outside their hours (and modelling this behaviour yourself).
  • Consider holding online meetings for 50 minutes (rather than an hour), as that’s likely to give people a break between meetings (make sure you start on time though.)
  • Consider holding a standing meeting or encouraging people to move around and change positions during the meeting.
  • Embed a short wellbeing exercise (a ‘mindful minute’) in some meetings.
  • Saying thank you. You may think you already do, but acknowledging when someone does a good job is a very powerful way to make them feel good. However, saying ‘thank you for your hard work’ could be improved by making it more specific, e.g. ‘I really appreciate how you put in the extra effort to get that newsletter out on time’, or ‘thank you for taking the minutes – I liked the way they were simple and direct’. It’s also a good idea to give these acknowledgements as near to the time as possible.
  • If you can afford it consider signing up to an Employee Assistance Programme, to offer support around a variety of issues including stress and anxiety.

Other wellbeing resources

Answer:

The notice period that an employee must give should be set out in their contract. When someone resigns you should ask for their resignation in writing. Please confirm with them the last day of their employment and whether there is any outstanding annual leave for them to take before that date.

Set a date for an exit interview and ask the employee for their feedback. The idea is to enable them to leave positively and for you to learn if there is anything you could improve.

Redundancy

Sometimes redundancy is necessary. There are rules about how to do this fairly and ACAS sets these out here: Redundancy | ACAS.

Managing volunteers

Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets has many excellent resources for managing volunteers: Managing Volunteers - Resources - Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets. They also offer training, a bulletin and 1-1 support free to any voluntary and community group in Tower Hamlets.

Answer:
  • If someone says they are stressed at work, take it seriously. You could carry out a stress risk assessment.
  • If someone says they have too much to do, take it seriously. Their line manager should work with them to understand the work they have to do and help them to prioritise it. Please ask your staff if there are any adjustments that they need.
  • If someone is struggling with their mental health Mind offers a wellness action plan which gives structured questions to help you discuss mental health with your employee. Anyone can use it.
  • To identify potential risks that could affect an employee’s physical and mental health you could consider an occupational health assessment. This might be used when someone returns to work after a significant illness.
  • Provide resources to support your employees, for example for urgent mental health support: Urgent and other support – Thrive LDN.
  • ACAS offers an early reconciliation service: ACAS Dispute Resolution.
  • Sometimes if things you wrong you may need support. Tower Hamlets CVS can provide the names of some HR advisors who can give the expert advice you need.
Answer:

In order to measure the impact that your work has you will need to collect information at the beginning and end of a project to measure progress. One way to do this is to design your own feedback form which asks questions from your service users. You should let them know how you are going to use the findings. If it contains any personal data you will also have to explain how you are going to store the data securely. Survey Monkey and Microsoft Forms can help you to create easy online forms. There are many existing tools that you can use to capture information such as:

  • Strengths and difficulties questionnaires. These are behavioural screening questionnaires for children aged 3 to 16 which can be used at the beginning and the end of a project to measure progress. All versions can be found on the Youth in Mind website.
  • Warwick-Edinburgh scale. This widely-used scale can be used to evaluate projects which aim to improve mental wellbeing. It is free to registered charities and Community Interest Companies and can be used at the beginning and end of a project to measure progress.
  • The Outcomes Star. This is a family of evidence-based measurement tools using a person-centered approach, tailored to specific sectors such as mental health, homelessness, community, education or adult care. You can see a full list on their website. Everyone using the Outcomes Star must have a licence and have completed their core training, so it can be expensive to use in small projects.

Try to set aside enough time to analyse the data you collect. You will need systems in place to respond to the findings if you find anything challenging. If the data shows that you aren’t making the difference you hoped, think about what steps you can take to make changes to the project.

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