Policies and procedures

Why you need policies and procedures

There are a number of things you will need to consider and decisions that you will need to make when managing your organisation.  These will make up your policies, both written down and unwritten.   

Your procedures are they ways in which specific policies are put into practice.

Some policies will be required by law, some will be in response to the aims of the organisation and some will be to ensure best practice in your dealings with people. 

Your constitution

Your organisation's constitution or governing document (see Legal Structures/Choosing and Preparing a Governing Document) is an important policy document.  It outlines your aims and objectives and has rules on how decisions are made and by whom.

Other types of policies and procedures that are needed

Service provision - what are your services and how will they be provided, when and by whom, and how will standards will be monitored? 

Users - who are your potential users, how they will be reached, how will they participate in the organisation, how they can make comments and complaints?

Insurance - How do you mitigate against risks and ensure that users, employees and the public are protected against eventualities?

Health and Safety

• Health and safety information from PEACe, LVSC's Personnel, Employment Advice and Conciliation Service.  This includes guidance on developing a policy for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) free leaflets for employers about complying with the law, including details of the regulations and risk assessment requirements.
• Business Link for London health & safety information including writing a policy.

Equal Opportunities

• Equal opportunities information from PEACe including information on setting up and implementing an equal opportunities policy. 
• The Disability Rights Commission provides information, advice and guidance relating to issues of disability discrimination.
• The Commission for Racial Equality provides information, advice and guidance relating to issues of racial discrimination.
• The Equal Opportunities Commission provides information relating to issues of sex discrimination and equal pay.

Financial

• Managing Finances for further information.

Recruitment

• Recruitment and retention information from PEACe.

Working hours & leave

• Working hours and time off information from PEACe.

Sickness absence

• Sickness absence information from PEACe.

Parental entitlements

• Work and parents information from PEACe.

Training & Development

• Recruitment and retention information from PEACe.

Disciplinary & Grievance

• Disciplinary and grievance information from PEACe.

Redundancy

• Redundancy information from PEACe.

Volunteers

• Managing volunteers for further information.

Whistleblowing

• A whistleblowing guide and model policy from PEACe.

In addition you may want to clarify rules on issues such as smoking, use of telephones, emails and the internet. 

You can find full details of some of the most important types of personnel policies and procedures required at Employment law and HR advice PEACe, along with a model contract of employment. 

The documents are presented for guidance and we would recommend that you seek further advice from your local CVS or umbrella group before using them.  Alternatively phone PEACe, the Personnel, Employment Advice and Conciliation Service on 020 7700 8147, Wednesday or Friday or email .

Further information:

• The Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) phone 08457 47 47 47 (text phone 08456 06 16 00) providing up-to-date information, advice and training on employment relations.
• The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)  provides information on employment relations.
• Business Link for London provides practical advice for businesses in London.
• Ask NCVO  provides an online best practice resource for the voluntary sector.
• Vol Resource website provides links to useful information on everything to do with running a voluntary organisation

Books:

• 'The Voluntary Sector Legal Handbook' by Sandy Adirondack & James Sinclair Taylor, published by the Directory of Social Change and available via Sandy Adirondack's website .  The handbook is a detailed guide to the law as it affects voluntary organisations and includes a section on Employees, Workers, Volunteers and Other Staff.
• 'Just About Managing' by Sandy Adirondack, published by LVSC and available via Publications.   It includes chapters on Managing People, Managing the Recruitment Process and Managing Workers' Performance.
• 'Voluntary but not Amateur' by Ruth Hayes & Jacki Reason, published by LVSC and available via Publications.  It includes chapters on Responsibilities in Recruitment and Responsibilities during Employment. 
• 'The Good Employment Guide for the Voluntary Sector' by Wendy Blake Ranken, published by NCVO and available via NCVO's website.  The guide takes you through the main stages of employing people covering areas such as finding the right person, paying them, contracts of employment, complying with the law, and equal opportunities good practice.

Training:

LVSC offers training that can help with developing some of the policies and procedures mentioned. This includes health and safety, recruitment and selection and equal opportunities. Check out our Learning Opportunities section for more information.

Can't find what you're looking for?

Please email us and we will try to answer your question as best as we can.

 

Page last reviewed: 10 October 2006