Actions taken:
Promotion of the Solidarity Fund
The Italian Red Cross has implemented several measures to ensure the safety and well-being of its Volunteers. This includes documents, procedures, and national and international collaborations, particularly participation in the solidarity fund supporting Volunteers during the recent health emergency. Through the IFRC, the National Society has developed a Volunteer Safety Training and Insurance System. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Italian Red Cross worked with IFRC to create guidelines for securing insurance coverage, offering options through private insurance companies, or establishing a self-insurance mechanism.
Documents, Procedures, and Interventions to Support Volunteers’ Safety and Well-being
The Italian Red Cross is evolving its approach to Volunteer welfare, recognizing Volunteers as central to its mission and moving towards a comprehensive care model. This model addresses physical, emotional, and motivational needs, with shared guidance documents to standardize and enhance holistic care.
The “Volunteering Policy”
Approved in November 2022, this policy guides the definition and management of Volunteering, emerging from broad consultation and emphasizing a Volunteer-centric approach. It establishes principles positioning volunteering as complementary to public services, legally compliant, participatory, inclusive, educational, equitable, and contributing to societal values. This reaffirms the Italian Red Cross’ commitment to adapting its Volunteer management to contemporary realities while upholding core humanitarian principles.
Commitments to Volunteer Care
The Italian Red Cross has outlined several commitments to provide “global care” for its Volunteers, including:
– Monitoring and addressing Volunteers’ needs, motivations, engagement, and well-being through participatory processes.
– Ensuring complete safety and security through proper training, equipment, insurance coverage, and psychosocial support.
– Promoting diversity and inclusion by welcoming volunteers regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, disability, beliefs, etc.
– Fostering gender equality and equal opportunities within the organization.
– Investing in data management systems to properly collect, process, and secure volunteer information.
– Developing new, flexible models of volunteering to enable open, innovative participation.
– Strengthening networks to help achieve the humanitarian mandate.
– Prioritizing volunteer retention by valuing their time, addressing their needs, and providing support/mentorship throughout their involvement.
Volunteering Action Plan
This action plan, resulting from collaboration between local, regional, and national Technical Delegates of Volunteering, is currently under review for approval. It includes:
- Implementing tools to promote the culture of Volunteering, through new models and collaborations, including with other National Societies, such as “Project-based Volunteering.”
- Building an inclusive Italian Red Cross by improving the collection, systematization, and use of Volunteers’ data strategically.
- Identifying strategies for engaging, recognizing, and valuing Volunteers through inclusive communication that respects uniqueness and monitors association life progress.
Safety and Health of Volunteers
The Italian Red Cross adopted the “Guideline on the Protection of the Safety and Health of Volunteers” in 2017, revised in 2018 and 2023, aligning with Italian regulations. This guideline regulates standards, responsibilities, data management, preventive measures, and training activities related to volunteer safety and health. Volunteers have a right to periodic health assessments and specific diagnostic exams/vaccinations based on their activities, with data privacy protection. Safety roles like “safety officers” among volunteers oversee and implement regulations, with comprehensive training mandatory for all Volunteers on health/safety, risk scenarios, and equipment use.
Insurance System
The Italian Red Cross ensures and acts on the safety of Volunteers through its Insurance System, which includes:
– Insurance against accidents and illnesses related to volunteer activities.
– Liability insurance covering personal injury and property damage as a result of actions or services toward third parties.
Psychosocial Support
The Italian Red Cross has established a Psychosocial Support Service and a free Telephone Psychological Service, with mental health professionals offering support in traumatic and emergencies, addressing both citizens and Volunteers.
International Collaborations and Volunteering Development
Between 2021 and 2023, the Italian Red Cross supported the development of Volunteering in National Societies in countries including Benin, Bulgaria, Croatia, Ethiopia, Macedonia, Panama, Peru, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, and Russia. Webinars were organized to discuss Volunteer management and emerging needs. Collaborations with the Global Volunteering Alliance and the project “Volunteering Learning Program” involved over 80 National Societies.
Promotion and Implementation of the CASA+ Project for LGBTQI+ People
- Reference: Programmes and operations ensuring that people at risk of violence, discrimination, or exclusion are supported.
- Description: The project aims to support LGBTQI+ individuals by creating an inclusive environment and providing necessary assistance to those facing discrimination or exclusion.
Adoption and Dissemination of Inequality Indicators by the Social Unit
- Reference: Establish methods of disaggregating and analyzing humanitarian programs data, at a minimum by sex and age, and increasingly by disability, using the “Washington Group” set of questions.
- Description: This involves collecting project data on the People Portal, where user data is disaggregated by disability criteria according to the Washington Group’s standards.
Establishment of a Working Group to Adapt the Association’s Gender Policy to Italian Standards UNI-PDR 125:2022
- Reference: Develop and adapt necessary policies and mechanisms to ensure an enabling environment for diverse representation and composition of human resources among volunteers, governance, management, and staff.
- Description: A working group is tasked with updating the gender policy to meet Italian regulatory standards, with a completion target of 2024.
Development of Company Policy on Smartworking, Flexibility, and Work-Life Balance
- Reference: Develop and adapt necessary policies and mechanisms to ensure an enabling environment for diverse representation and composition of human resources among volunteers, governance, management, and staff.
- Description: The policy includes additional smart working days for employees with dependent children to support work-life balance.
Signed Agreement for the Gradual Inclusion of People with Disabilities
- Reference: Develop and adapt necessary policies and mechanisms to ensure an enabling environment for diverse representation and composition of human resources among volunteers, governance, management, and staff.
- Description: The agreement aligns with laws 68/29 and 68/22, focusing on the gradual inclusion of people with disabilities into the workforce.
Conducted Survey on the Prevalence of Violence, Including Gender-Based Violence, within the Association
- Reference: Develop and adapt necessary policies and mechanisms to ensure an enabling environment for diverse representation and composition of human resources among volunteers, governance, management, and staff.
- Description: The survey aims to guide future CRI policies on creating a safe and protected environment for all volunteers.
Approval of the Inclusive Volunteering Policy in 2022
- Reference: Develop and adapt necessary policies and mechanisms to ensure an enabling environment for diverse representation and composition of human resources among volunteers, governance, management, and staff.
- Description: The policy emphasizes the promotion of inclusive volunteering practices.
