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Embedding in Practice

You’ve delivered successful outcomes on your projects, but what do you do with the evidence? The next logical step is to learn from this and find out whether youth volunteering and engagement can become an embedded and accepted part of the organisational culture and daily routine.

Embedding in practice 

In order to achieve maximum value ………… schemes need to be sustained indefinitely and embedded in the culture of the local authority. Positive outcomes become cumulative when programmes are continued in the long-term. (Doers and Shapers, DMU, 2009)

Ownership needs to be corporate and should not reside in one service or department alone. (Doers and Shapers, DMU, 2009)

In embedded youth engagement and volunteering schemes, momentum builds over time but there are real dangers in quick win superficial involvement initiatives which can prove counter-productive. (Doers and Shapers, DMU, 2009)

“People need to know what we’ve done – we need more publicity” (young volunteer quoted in Doers and Shapers, DMU, 2009)

Key features of embedding

Embedding your organisational approach

  • Sharing and celebrating good news stories about the outcomes of your approach internally and externally.
  • Presenting evidence to internal and external stakeholders to gain their ongoing support.
  • Feedback implications of learning into wider policy development processes.
  • Sharing good practice, including training and briefings to facilitate corporate integration
  • If youth volunteering approach has been piloted, plan how it will be rolled out and further developed.
  • Mainstreaming engagement and volunteering activities into everyday business.

Find out about embedding your organisational approach – the ‘what’ and ‘why' >>

Embedding opportunities for young people

  • Facilitating young people to share their experiences to embed volunteering as a positive experience for young people.
  • To share and celebrate good news stories from volunteering activities both internally and externally, including through formal reporting, in a particular locality, target group or community of interest.
  • Decide whether the activity will continue or how it can develop.

Find out more about embedding opportunities for young people – the ‘what’ and ‘why' >>

Get to the heart of the story

What each project experienced in terms of embedding their approach to volunteering - Embedding in action – learning from the projects >>

Hear what those involved really thought about embedding in action:

Find out more about what people say about making it happen >>

The authorities involved in the programme have shared some resources that helped them in embedding their approach to volunteering:

Embedding your organisational approach:

Embedding opportunities for young people