Jewish Care has become the first Jewish charity in England to be awarded the UK quality standard for good practice in volunteer management, organisation heads announced this week.

The Investing in Volunteers (IiV) accreditation is the national standard for all organisations involving volunteers and is a means to assess an organisation or charity’s quality of volunteer management and involvement.

Achieving the standard shows volunteers and potential volunteers “how much they are valued and gives them confidence in [an organisation’s] ability to provide an outstanding volunteer experience”, according to the body.

In the report accompanying the standard, the chair of United Kingdom Volunteering Forum (UKVF) – the body awarding the achievement – said Jewish Care demonstrated “a real commitment to volunteering, proving that their volunteer management policies and procedures meet nationally recognised standards,” ensuring an “excellent experience for volunteers”.

Citing Jewish Care’s 2024 annual volunteer survey showing 93 per cent of volunteers are satisfied with their experience of volunteering for the charity, the report highlighted that volunteers “feel that their views, suggestions and comments are welcomed and listened to”.

Among the commendations outlined in the report was Jewish Care’s “exemplary” volunteers’ handbook, “really good” use of volunteers’ skills and talents and opportunities for further training via face-to-face, e-learning and online programmes.

Jewish Care was also commended for assisting volunteers who need extra support while volunteering, and for providing specialist equipment and accommodations to enable people to volunteer.

Achieving the award involved a process that included one-to-one and group interviews with 29 staff and 75 volunteers, as well as written evidence to support the volunteer process and management. Jewish Care was assessed against six quality areas: vision for volunteering, planning, inclusion, recruiting and welcoming, supporting, and valuing and developing.

Richard Stone, Jewish Care’s director of community services, said: “It’s important to us that our volunteers enjoy a first-class experience, and that they feel valued, appreciated and supported.

“We are extremely proud to be leading the way and to have been awarded the Investing in Volunteering standard. We have worked hard to achieve this because our volunteers are invaluable to us and the skills they offer are infinite. If we were to pay for all that they contribute, we estimate that it would equate to £9.5 million a year.”

Jewish Care provides volunteers with handbooks, outings, annual surveys and an awards ceremony.