What happens if I need to step back for a short-time?
There may be occasions when a volunteer needs to step back from volunteering for an extended, but hopefully limited period of time because of a particularly busy time in their life, an illness, a new job, etc. When this happens, you should:
- Talk to and inform your volunteer partner(s) and team leaders.
- Contact the volunteer manager to inform them. You may also want to discuss if any adjustments can be made to help.
- Stay in touch, and contact the volunteer manager again when you know when you can return to volunteering.
Children in Hospital Ireland will:
- Hold your volunteer paperwork for up to 1 year after you step back from volunteering. During this time, re-joining the volunteer team is as simple as getting in touch and organising partners and availability.
- Keep you on the volunteer newsletter list so you can stay informed and in touch with CIH.
- Check back in with you near the anticipated time you had expected to return to volunteering, and again at 1 year if you have not yet returned to volunteering.
I am ready to complete my time as a volunteer
CIH is so grateful for all the time volunteers to commit to supporting play for children in hospital. However, we know life is full of many opportunities and changes and there may come a time when you would like to step back completely.
When you have decided to resign from your role as a volunteer, please take the following steps:
1) Inform your Team Leader and/or the Volunteer Manager or Coordinator in writing or by phone and include the following:
- Date of your final shift, please give us as much notice as you can
- What prompted your decision, and if we there may be any changes we can help with
- If you want to continue to receive a supporters newsletter
2) CIH will respond via email confirming your resignation and will ask for you to complete a short exit survey.
3) CIH will remove you from your WhatsApp group following your last day volunteering for data protection.
4) A volunteer can remain a member by continuing their annual membership fee. This is a wonderful way to stay connected and show your support. Please let CIH know if you want to stay on as a member.
5) For child protection and safeguarding, CIH holds all volunteer paperwork for 1 year after they stop volunteering. After 1 year, we will be in touch again to inform you that we have deleted your personal data for your GDPR protection.
We hope our volunteers will stay in touch, and are always welcome to join us again in the future!
The role is not what I expected
The CIH volunteer manager and coordinator welcome feedback, questions and concerns at any time. If you feel the role is not what you expected, the timings are not working as you planned, or you have ideas to share get in touch as soon as you can. Often there are adjustments or suggestions that we may be able to offer. And if it is still not the role for you, we can help with that too.
GDPR – Keeping your data safe, protected and for only a limited time
CIH will only use your data for the purpose of facilitating you as a volunteer, or if you so choose to continue our relationship with you as a member or supporter of CIH in the future. We hold all volunteer paperwork for 1 year after the volunteer completes their time as a volunteer for child safeguarding. After that time period all personal details are removed from our database for your protection.
Click here for CIH Privacy Statement
