Service Level Agreement

Thank you for expressing an interest in registering as a formal Community Partner with an aim to promote your volunteering opportunities to Students at Leeds Beckett University. This agreement constitutes a commitment to ensuring good practice in working with Leeds Beckett Students’ Union volunteers. 

What we expect from a volunteering role:

• Be based in the UK. Leeds Beckett Students’ Union do not promote any international volunteering roles.
• Opportunities which are advertised must be unpaid and not replicate a paid role in your organisation.
• Opportunities advertised must provide benefit to your organisation, service users, as well as to our students.
• Opportunities advertised must not be internships or unpaid placements. We would advise that opportunities do not exceed a commitment of more than 20 hours per week.
• Opportunities will have clear and jargon-free descriptions of a volunteer’s roles and responsibilities.
• Opportunities must clearly state your recruitment process e.g. telephone interview, length of training and references etc.

What you can expect from our Volunteering Service:

• We will provide a free and professional brokerage service.
• We will provide you with a virtual platform to create an account and manage volunteering roles and applications. We will direct any student who expresses an interest in volunteering with your organisation towards the listed volunteer opportunities on our website.
• We will provide students with relevant guidance on identifying and applying for suitable volunteer opportunities.
• We will ensure that every student will be made aware of our partner organisations opportunities and that every student will receive equal access to opportunities.
• We will ensure that no Community Partner will be promoted more favourably than another partner organisation.
• We will update information about your organisation on our database and directory and to keep your information secure and compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation.
• We maintain our dedication and commitment to Equal Opportunities.
• Where available every Community Partner will be given the opportunity to book space on University Campus throughout the year to promote their volunteering opportunities. Organisations will also be invited to key events and projects hosted by Leeds Beckett Students’ Union over the year.
• We will celebrate and recognise the achievements of volunteers through our reward and recognition schemes including volunteer certificates for the hours that they have volunteered.
• We will keep a record of any students who have expressed an interest in volunteering at your organisation through our service.
• We will contact you regularly throughout the year and keep you up to date with other news and events at Leeds Beckett Students’ Union.
• We will provide support in targeting specific student groups or academic Schools and departments where relevant and appropriate.

What the Volunteering Service Expects from you:

• As a Community Partner you will be required to submit your organisations Public Liability Insurance as well as your organisations Volunteering Policy. Your Volunteering Policy should refer to your organisation/ groups commitment to Health & Safety and Equal Opportunities.
• Provide volunteering opportunities which are appropriate for students, where levels of expectation are realistic and achievable alongside their studies and where voluntary activity will not replace the work of paid members of staff.
• Have a named person who is responsible for the on-going supervision and support of volunteers.
• Community partners must keep a record of which students from Leeds Beckett University volunteer with you and update us regularly regarding volunteer numbers and hours.
• You will actively manage your account on the Leeds Beckett Students’ Union website and upload relevant opportunities.
• It is your responsibility as an account holder on the Leeds Beckett Students’ Union website to reach out to students when they express an interest in your volunteering opportunity in a timely manner.
• Keep Leeds Beckett Students’ Union volunteering service notified of any changes in your organisation including contact details, application deadlines, changes in policy and procedures, and volunteer roles.
• Comply with GDPR and treat personal information about volunteers confidentially.
• You will be responsible for undertaking DBS checks or references on volunteers when required.
• That you treat our student volunteers with respect, support and equality of opportunity and accommodating any support needs they may have as far as is reasonably practicable.
• Your organisation will provide volunteers with an orientation/induction which will include an explanation of rules and expectations, including schedule, dress code and method of reporting any problems.
• Reimburse volunteers all reasonable out of pocket expenses in a timely fashion, upon receipt of the necessary documentation, where appropriate and able.
• Invoices to be paid in a timely manner in the rare occasions they occur (e.g. Fresher Fair stall costs).
• Volunteers at your organisation will be provided with an orientation/induction which will include an explanation of rules and expectations, including schedule, dress code and method of reporting any problems.

Any breach of the Service Level Agreement can be raised by either party with the understanding appropriate action will be taken to rectify the issue.