How to understand, scale and maximise the effectiveness of volunteer responses to COVID-19.

Lead Research Organisation: University of Sheffield
Department Name: Management School

Abstract

COVID-19 has led to unprecedented measures being taken 'to keep people safe'. Restrictions on social movement have caused problems with access to basic human needs such as food, money and healthcare, especially for those 2.5 million people 'self-isolating'. Economic shutdown has also intensified existing social issues of food poverty, homelessness and unemployment. Although an army of volunteers is ready to respond, working through local authorities (LAs) and voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations, volunteers still require vetting, training, infrastructural support and coordination. This support comes at a time when resources to do this are stretched to breaking point. Nevertheless we are seeing significant responses from LAs and the VCS but little opportunity to share and learn. One way of supporting the wide scale intervention is to facilitate quick and systematic learning about good practices. The research team draws on its significant experience of volunteering and of working in partnership with LAs and VCS organisations through the Enabling Social Action Programme, which we run for the department of Digital Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). This project will enable the nationwide sharing of innovations and good practices between LAs and VCS organisations managing volunteer responses to the crises.
 
Description Initial findings from the research have shown that the majority of volunteer mobilisation during the early phases of the pandemic were co-ordinated through collaborative, cross-sectoral local-level community response frameworks. In most cases, there was a surplus of volunteers and many were not utilised as organisations relied on existing volunteers, known contacts and redeployed staff.

Where these responses were most effective they were built on pre-existing collaborative frameworks enabling local authorities and their partners to utilise detailed existing knowledge of the range of voluntary sector support in their region and to act quickly through strong relationships of trust.

As the pandemic developed these collaborative ways of working have become further embedded suggesting a potentally more long-term transition towards place based cross sectoral community engagement. The research has identified the key factors that enabled these models to function and the underlying mechanisms that were key to effective collaboration. These are being utilised as a 'next steps' framework to help local authorities to consider how they might build upon experiences during the pandemic into recovery and beyond.
Exploitation Route Significant learning can be taken forward for building cross sectoral collaborations to aid recovery post-pandemic. In particular the next steps framework and collaborative models can provide a valuable opportunity to apply learning into new localised collaborative working.

As we have moved into post pandemic recovery there has been evidence of a gradual erosion of some of the innovative working practices developed during Covid and a slow reversal back to established ways of working. The research team are looking at which aspects have proved most resilient and why some locations are seeking to remove aspects of their response frameworks. With the emergence of the cost of living crisis many of the key aspects of covid response frameworks have been revitalised to respond to these challenges.

The research has also compiled a detailed analysis of informal volunteering/mutual aid which has been positively received by partners and will be core to a webinar in April.
Sectors Communities and Social Services/Policy,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice
URL https://doit.life/esa/article/md/139132
 
Description Findings have been feeding into ongoing policy developments within DCMS. We have produced internal reports for three local authorities and are currently working with them on a 'next steps' framework which will enable them to coproduce a new community engagement framework based upon lessons of 'what worked well and why' and how these lessons can be applied to a post covid recovery setting. Findings from the work with the Welsh government communities team have been utilised to shape policy and practice around collaborations between the VCS and local authorities in Wales.
First Year Of Impact 2021
Sector Communities and Social Services/Policy,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice
Impact Types Societal,Policy & public services
 
Description Impact on Place based policy
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
Impact Work has encouraged greater focus on integrated place based approaches to local policy making and encouraged dialogue around how national and local policy making can be better coordinated.
 
Description Influence on DCMS policy tender
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
 
Description Innovation Fellowship Scheme
Amount £82,480 (GBP)
Funding ID IF23RBP\230015 
Organisation The British Academy 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 04/2023 
End 03/2024
 
Title Community response infrastructure models 
Description Utilising data from a cross section of covid community response frameworks created by local authorities and their VCS partners, the research has identified 3 distinct models of infrastructure response and accompanying factors shaping why different models were utilised 
Type Of Material Data analysis technique 
Year Produced 2020 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Models have been utilised by DCMS policy team within a tender for further research to examine and expand on these models 
URL https://doit.life/experiences/141257?containerId=190701
 
Description Collaboration with Doit.Life 
Organisation Do it Life Social Enterprise
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution Analysing Doit Life datasets on volunteer registrations and volunteering opportunities registered during the covid pandemic. Working in partnership to run webinar series related to the research project.
Collaborator Contribution Provide access to all datasets on volunteers. Provide web platform for distributing project findings and hosting capabilities for the webinar series.
Impact Series of 3 webinars already run with further planned for next 9 months. First phase findings and accompanying blogs hosted on the web platform. Relationship with Doit.Life has expanded to another collaborative project on adult social care, funded by NIHR
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with FareShare 
Organisation Fareshare
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution We have agreed to analyse FareShare databases to understand and map food delivery and utilisation of volunteers during the pandemic. We are also working with them to develop an analysis of the logistical and distribution impacts of the pandemic on their activities and to develop localised, detailed analysis of the role of volunteers in their food distribution chains.
Collaborator Contribution FareShare have provided access to all of their data collected from 2019-2021 regarding food distribution and volunteer activities. They have also provided direct access to their senior leadership team, volunteers, community organisations and local distribution units across the country.
Impact internal summary report of findings for Fareshare
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Greater Manchester Combined Authority 
Organisation Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution We are working with GMCA to understand the impact of the Living with Covid Strategy in shaping relationships between local authorities and the Voluntary and Community Sector
Collaborator Contribution Access to local authorities and VCS partners. Secondary and primary data, interviews and focus groups
Impact Outputs still forthcoming
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Islington Borough Council 
Organisation Islington Council
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution We are working with the council team to analyse the impact of their fairer together program on the design, co-ordination and implementation of the covid community response strategy.
Collaborator Contribution Providing access to key individuals and data sources. Providing links to volunteer organisations and mutual aid groups across the borough.
Impact No outputs generated at this stage
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration with Oldham Council 
Organisation Oldham Council
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Post Covid: We have continued to work with the council to help them implement an integrated support model to respond to the Cost of Living Crisis, utilising the learning from the pandemic research. We are involved with both supporting the implementation of the model, and with developing an evaluation and impact framework. During Covid: Analysing dashboard quantitative data on covid infections, community engagement activities, food distribution etc. Qualitative data gathering on role of mutual aid organisations, food distribution channels, role of volunteers and community door knocking engagements.
Collaborator Contribution £12000 awarded to the research team to support their engagement with the cost of living response. Access to regular cost of living group meetings and to all data connected to the program. Access to core dashboard data held by the council, access to local authority staff and their partners. Access to key primary and secondary data sources related to covid response.
Impact Internal council report on lessons from the covid pandemic response. External report on Oldham's response to the pandemic.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Coronavirus Recovery Grant Collaboration 
Organisation Government of Wales
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution The research team undertook a research evaluation of the impact of the coronavirus recovery grant for volunteering programme, to examine its impact in building on the cross-sectoral collaborations emerging across Wales during the pandemic
Collaborator Contribution Partners provided access to all the evaluation reports and funding applications as well as contact details to enable a series of focus groups to be undertaken.
Impact An internal report for the programme team has been developed and findings have been shared at an online workshop.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Interviews for national and regional news media 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Professor Cook appeared on Radio 5 Live's Drive program to talk about the research and the impact of volunteering during the pandemic.
Dr. Walkley appeared on Look North
Dr. Ballantyne was interviewed by Hallam FM
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Media piece for Local Government Chronicle 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Short article on initial findings of the research provided for the Local Government Chronicle
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc-briefing/dont-try-to-institutionalise-volunteers-23-10-2020/
 
Description Project Blogs 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact The project team have released a series of blogs to accompany key findings emerging from the research
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021
URL https://doit.life/esa/article/md/139132
 
Description Project Webinar Series 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact To accompany the release of key findings from the project, the research team host a webinar series via Doit.Life. So far three webinars have been held, with speakers from local authorities, the voluntary and community sector and policy. Each has attracted an audience of approximately 100 representatives from policy, local government and the voluntary sector.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021