Policy for Safe Face to Face Fundraising following Covid 19 safety measures

(following IOF guidelines)

Fundraising in public: principles and key considerations

Fundraising must be carried out responsibly and as Government restrictions are eased, the health, safety and wellbeing of the public, fundraisers and volunteers must come first. Fundraising would only restart when we are satisfied that this can be done safely, in-line with Government advice and where the risks associated with the activities can be properly managed.

Keep up good sanitation practices. Cleaning practices and hand hygiene are important in reducing the risk of transmission. All fundraisers will wash their hands as often as practically possible and use hand sanitiser frequently. We will reinforce hand hygiene and provide hand sanitiser for fundraisers to use whenever they come into contact with an object or have to touch something which others may have touched. Sanitiser will be used before and after touching any such object. We will restrict the use of shared equipment wherever possible, and if it must be shared, make sure it is frequently cleaned.   

Keep to social distancing guidance. We will  fundraise in accordance with Government guidance on social distancing and in-line with any rules from the Governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and any further conditions from local authorities. Currently, the appropriate social distance in England is at least two metres or one metre with additional risk mitigation (where two metres is not viable). In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the appropriate social distance is two metres.

We are aware that this could change over time and we will keep up-to-date with any changes and respond appropriately. If there are certain locations, where social distancing cannot be maintained, we will not fundraise in those locations. We are aware that the public might expect to maintain these practices after restrictions lift. We will implement social distancing measures in the following ways:

·         Keep a minimum distance     We will maintain the appropriate social distance from members of the public and we will consider having markings or materials that clearly set out the appropriate distance that people should be. Messages on clothing or signage about social distancing will also be considered.

The behaviour of the public may be difficult to predict, and in the event that a member of the public is not maintaining social distancing, then it is the responsibility of the fundraiser to act quickly and ensure a proper distance is maintained. Due to the risk of transmission, fundraisers would never shout to attract attention or during the course of a conversation, even if they are in a loud public setting. We will also refrain from playing loud music.  If the setting becomes too loud so that fundraisers are unable to have a conversation at normal speaking volume than they should not initiate or continue a conversation.

Give way to the public. Fundraisers will never cause any physical obstruction to the public (see standard 8.1.2 in the code). When our fundraisers are moving between positions, they will always maintain social distancing, and give way to members of the public to let them pass them at a safe distance. If any setting does not enable the fundraiser to give way to the public and maintain social distancing throughout, then fundraising would not take place in that setting.

·         Maintain a static position. In normal circumstances, the code allows fundraisers to approach the public, for example by taking steps alongside them (see standards 8.4.19 and 8.4.28 in the code). However, this is likely to cause anxiety at the current time, so we would maintain a static position in general and giving clear warning if we are going to move closer to a member of the public, while always maintaining a two metre distance. 

·         Review methods for exchanging items. Any activity which involves an exchange of items or close contact, such as printed materials or a ‘thank we’ (for example, a badge for adopting an animal), would only be done in a way that is safe. Where items are offered in exchange for support, we would only do this where it can be collected from an appropriate distance and with hygiene measures in place (for example, through the availability of hand sanitiser). Preference would be given to providing any item at a later date, by post, or electronically. 

Our behaviour is respectful. We will expect that at this time some members of the public may be more anxious than usual about interacting with others. We will check that an individual is happy to talk with the fundraiser and will be respectful about personal space while maintaining two metre distance. We will be mindful of how our interaction can affect others in a public space, so we will be aware of others around and the space we are in. We will be particularly mindful that an increased number of individuals may be experiencing financial hardship or grief, so we will be responsive to any signs that they are in distress or do not want to continue a conversation. We can find more information on behaviours and general fundraising principles in our ethical fundraising policy.

Training fundraisers on new approaches before restarting fundraising. We will train all of our fundraisers on the new ways of working, with appropriate training materials and resources produced to guide fundraisers on what they should be doing. Any training will be delivered virtually, in order to meet Government guidelines. We will ensure that fundraisers feel confident and reassured before going back out to fundraise with the public.

Permissions remain valid. We will ensure that all fundraising complies with the permissions given by each individual company that we work with.

Limit the number of fundraisers. The number of fundraisers working in one area or site would be limited, for example:

·         For payroll giving fundraising, the number of fundraisers will be set by the terms of the relevant agreement with the company. 

We will allocate people to the same fundraising team wherever possible, to limit social interaction. Fundraisers will avoid using public transport, and aim to walk, cycle, or drive instead. If using public transport is necessary, wearing a face covering is mandatory.  We will keep a record of our fundraisers shift patterns, fundraising locations and sign-ups and assist NHS Test and Trace with requests for that data if needed

How we process donations. To adhere to social distancing guidance and good sanitation practices, we will review how we handle sign ups. All solutions will meet the standards on processing donations in section 4 of the code. 

How we collect donor information. Only ask donors to fill out information in a way that can be done safely and so we can maintain social distancing. For example, using a tablet that is on a stand which enables us to maintain social distancing rather than physically handing the tablet to an individual and ensure that we clean it before and after each use. Alternative options and use of technology may be explored to collect donor information as long as they enable us to always meet those guidelines.

ID badges and mandatory information. We must make sure we continue to meet the requirements in the code related to wearing an ID badge (see section 8 of the code). Due to social distancing measures, information on the ID badge may be difficult for the public to read, so we will ensure the public can see or access this information in other ways. Other mandatory information that we require an individual to read before donating would be made accessible and in-line with social distancing measures.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Face Coverings.  

We must wear a face covering at all times on public transport or when attending a hospital as a visitor. Face coverings will also need to be worn in the workplace and we will ensure that our fundraisers wear one.