Policy Statement

Spiritus is committed to developing, maintaining and resourcing Volunteer Services, recognising and valuing volunteers. Volunteers enhance service delivery: those in client/resident contact roles as part of the client or resident’s care team or program delivery, and those in non-client contact roles through their contribution to the operation of Spiritus Care Services.

Guiding Principles

Spiritus accepts the Universal Declaration on Volunteering and associated Definition and Principles of Volunteering, National Standards and Code of Practice for Organisations Involving Volunteers, and Rights of Volunteers as the basis for its utilisation of volunteers.

These principles include:

1. Volunteering benefits the organisation, the community and the volunteer.
 
2. Volunteer work is undertaken for no financial payment, in designated volunteer positions.

3. Volunteering is always a matter of choice and is not compulsorily undertaken to receive pensions or government allowances.

4. Volunteering is a legitimate way in which citizens can participate in the activities of their community.

5. Volunteers have the right to be treated with the same dignity and courtesy afforded to paid staff.

Spiritus Care Services utilise volunteers to enhance and extend the services they provide, in line with our mission statement. Volunteers make a meaningful contribution to the services provided by Spiritus while experiencing a valuable and enjoyable volunteer placement, and services are able to provide more care to their clients/residents.

All Spiritus policies apply to volunteers as they do to paid staff, except for those related to salaries/ wages/enterprise bargaining agreements, or where legislation or Volunteering Australia National Standards specify otherwise.