QFES Volunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

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olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

Developed by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Emergency Management, Volunteerism and Community Resilience, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

The purpose of this Discussion Paper is to open the subject matter for broader engagement and to facilitate debate. Discussions within this discussion paper do not commit Queensland Fire and Emergency Services to future action, but rather enable broader consultation and dialogue to occur to help inform possible actions or future directions.

© The State of Queensland (Queensland Fire and Emergency Services) May 2017.

The Queensland Government, acting through Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, supports and encourages the dissemination and exchange of publicly funded information and endorses the use of the Australian Governments Open Access and Licensing Framework (AusGOAL). All Queensland Fire and Emergency Services’ material in this document – except Queensland Fire and Emergency Services’ logos, any material protected by a trademark, and unless otherwise noted – is licensed under a https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services has undertaken reasonable enquiries to identify material owned by third parties and secure permission for its reproduction. Permission may need to be obtained from third parties to re-use their material. Images in this publication have been provided by members of Queensland Fire and Emergency Services’ paid and volunteer workforce.

Written requests relating to the copyright in this document should be addressed to:

Intellectual Property Coordinator For Queensland Fire and Emergency Services C/- QPS Legal Unit, Legal Division Queensland Police Service GPO Box 1440, Brisbane Q 4001 PH: 07 3364 3958 EM: QFES.IPCopyright@qfes.qld.gov.au

Disclaimer

To the extent possible under applicable law, the material in this document is supplied as-is and as-available, and makes no representations or warranties of any kind whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise. This includes, without limitation, warranties of title, merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, absence of latent or other defects, accuracy, or the presence or absence of errors, whether or not known or discoverable. Where disclaimers of warranties are not allowed in full or in part, this disclaimer may not apply. To the extent possible under applicable law, neither the Queensland Government or Queensland Fire and Emergency Services will be liable to you on any legal ground (including, without limitation, negligence) or otherwise for any direct, special, indirect, incidental, consequential, punitive, exemplary, or other losses, costs, expenses, or damages arising out of the use of the material in this document. Where a limitation of liability is not allowed in full or in part, this limitation may not apply.

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olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

From the Commissioner Katarina Carroll APM Commissioner, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

Across the state and around the globe, change is occurring exponentially; we all live in a dynamic environment which itself has highlighted a distinct and critical need for the emergency management sector to plan ahead.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) is a department currently in a period of change; change to establish our department as One QFES and change that will ensure we are well positioned to meet the needs and expectations of the community and government of Queensland both now and in the future. In saying this, we also acknowledge the impacts this ever-changing environment we live and work in has on our community, and in particular, the area of volunteering. QFES has a volunteer workforce of more than 42,000 dedicated people around Queensland who are ready to support their communities if and when they are needed the most. Our volunteers are a key component in the department’s ability to create community resilience and to continue to help keep the people of Queensland safe. It is therefore critical we not only understand and address contemporary challenges currently facing volunteerism and volunteers in emergency services today, but work in partnership with our stakeholders and the sector to look toward the future to pre-emptively address these challenges together for our shared tomorrow. Being part of a community is about more than just our geographical location–it is about shared respect; being aware and connected; building relationships and participation; and valuing what we all have to give to each other and to contribute to those around us. I encourage you to be part of the discussion around the QFES Volunteerism Strategy and hope you use this unique opportunity to provide us with your invaluable insights, opinions and ideas.

Community is about the strength in what we all bring to the table; not the single chairs around the table itself.

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From the Deputy Commissioner Deputy Commissioner Mike Wassing Chief Officer Rural Fire Service Chief Officer State Emergency Service Emergency Management, Volunteerism and Community Resilience

“It takes a community to build resilience.”

The challenge facing many emergency services organisations is how to continue to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from the increasing demands caused by natural and man-made disasters and events.

This, coupled with the challenges to traditional models of volunteerism, highlight the need for emergency services volunteer organisations to develop clear yet agile strategies to ensure ongoing support for our broader communities is there. In recognition of the critical and invaluable role our volunteers hold in emergency service delivery, the focus of this discussion paper – and broader vi- sion of the longer-term strategy – is to ensure volunteerism is deeply embedded into Queensland Fire and Emergency Services’ (QFES) culture and ethos. From recruitment and retention initiatives to training and volunteering opportunities, the framework for the QFES Volunteerism Strategy will help shape our department and allow it to better meet the challenges of the future, and in turn, the needs of the community. This discussion paper will explore your perceptions, ideas and vision on how we can: • empower and support local communities to develop and implement local solutions, with a focus on preparedness, mitigation and planning • support the development of a QFES Capability Framework to ensure effective, efficient and robust strategies are implemented for QFES to continue to provide support to Queensland communities • provide a proactive blueprint for ongoing recruitment and retention that understands the emerging trends in volunteering • develop a framework for inclusion from local to state level – by celebrating diversity while remaining focused on the common shared mission • reduce complexity to provide better and transparent governance, regulation and risk management for our volunteers through easier access to systems, tools and processes • enhance volunteer training, opportunities and management • enable robust organisational planning • strengthen community capability and our shared accountability for emergency and disaster management, to ensure continued and sustainable service delivery.

When a community’s volunteerism culture is strong, the better positioned that community will be to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from extreme events.

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olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

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Contents

Forewords

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Commissioner Katarina Carroll

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Deputy Commissioner Mike Wassing

Introduction

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Our department

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Changing world 8 Challenges facing traditional volunteerism 9

National barriers to ongoing and long-term volunteerism

10 11 12

What this environment means for QFES

What we are doing

Our vision: QFES Volunteerism 2025

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Investing in our people: developing personal capability

14 16 18 20

Proficient support services Building healthy communities Exceptional service delivery

Benefit realisation

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Our roadmap to resilience

Next steps: stakeholder engagement

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olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

Introduction

This discussion paper for the QFES Volunteerism Strategy will further the conversation as to what strategic directions and priorities QFES should adopt to implement a contemporary volunteer model that is sustainable and represents public value. It explores the challenges we currently face as well as opportunities for QFES volunteerism and presents a framework to address these, proposing four detailed key strategic areas for discussion and review. Through meaningful dialogue, this discussion paper will engage QFES and its broader partners and key stakeholders to develop a robust and future-thinking QFES Volunteerism Strategy to address the challenges facing emergency volunteer service delivery both now and into the future. The key strategic areas proposed in this discussion paper aim to: 1. Actively foster and support the growth of healthier communities in Queensland. 2. Develop our peoples’ capability and improve opportunities. 3. Enhance and strengthen partnerships, better collaboration and understanding of shared responsibilities to better prepare and respond to our community’s divergent risk profiles. 4. Enrich the support provided to QFES volunteers to enable a more strategic and effective use of their time and deliver a more rewarding experience for them. 5. Build a sustainable model for attracting, recruiting and retaining volunteers which is applicable to local community needs and risk. 6. Embed volunteerism within the culture and ethos of QFES. 7. Foster a culture of professionalism and expertise for our people through information sharing and exploring opportunities for improvement to be leaders in our field through Better Practice Models and Centres of Excellence.

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olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

Our department

With a workforce of more than 48,000 paid and volunteer personnel, QFES supports the community to protect people, property and the environment through the delivery of emergency services, awareness programs, response capability and capacity (preparedness), and incident response and recovery to build a safer Queensland. Operationally, QFES is comprised of approximately 2200 firefighters, 2000 auxiliary personnel, 6000 State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers, 36,000 Rural Fire Service volunteers (RFS), a volunteer Research and Scientific Branch network and Technical Rescue Unit volunteers, all of whom are supported in their frontline endeavours by our corporate staff. This makes QFES one of the largest volunteering organisations in Queensland – a title we are very proud of. QFES also has strong connections and partnerships with other emergency service providers and, through a number of service agreements, supports a range of other emergency response volunteer organisations and agencies. These include Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ), the Royal Life Saving Society Queensland (RLSSQ), the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association (AVCGA), the Volunteer Marine Rescue Association Queensland (VMRAQ) and the Police Citizens Youth Clubs Queensland (PCYC) Emergency Services Cadets.

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olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

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Changing world

One QFES: Many partners. Many services. Many capabilities.

The evolution and establishment of One QFES in 2016 presented a unique opportunity accompanied by a significant challenge — the need to evolve and undertake change to become a department not only ready for the future, but one firmly focused on meeting our legislative expectations as well as changing community needs and expectations. The embedding of emergency management in all of our services, across the four phases of prevention, preparedness, response and recovery, is key to our process of change as it underpins all of the work QFES does. The department acknowledges our leadership role in striving to safeguard people, property and the environment from disaster impacts and to empower and support local communities to manage disaster risks, respond to events and to be more resilient. We acknowledge our volunteer workforce is a crucial component in our ability to do this and that our volunteers play an integral role in working with our many partners and the community to help keep the people of Queensland safe. As identified earlier, QFES faces the challenge of how to continue to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from the increasing demands caused by natural and man-made disasters and events coupled with the challenges traditional models of volunteerism present us. Together, these have highlighted a critical need to develop more flexible strategies to support the broader community and to ensure we have the systems in place to attract, retain and support our volunteers both now and in the future.

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olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

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Challenges facing traditional volunteerism

Emergency service volunteers are a key component in the provision of emergency services and building community capability and resilience in Queensland. However, challenges to traditional models of volunteerism, encompassed in societal and environmental changes, will significantly impact ongoing and future emergency service delivery. The prevalence of severe weather and fire events is predicted to rise in Queensland. This is due to the effects of climate change as well as increased risks posed from man-made activities including changes to land management and use through to the potential threat of terrorism. Add to this the changing trends in traditional models of volunteerism, which include an ageing population, people becoming increasingly time-poor, competing priorities, digital disruptions, less attraction to long-term commitments to volunteerism and economic conditions that cause people to move away from their communities for work, means risks to providing an ongoing and sustainable emergency volunteer service are increased. These challenges are also accompanied by the time and effort to maintain skills and competencies of volunteers as well as barriers to training and opportunities for volunteers. Historically, the SES and RFS developed on a community’s notion of self-reliance and responding to local community needs which has led to a disconnect between capability and community risk. Factoring how emergency service organisations can sustainably support the community’s growing needs within their resource model is often exacerbated by the increased expectation of response, support and ongoing service delivery from the broader community. These issues, accompanied by challenges to traditional volunteerism, have highlighted the need for organisations to explore and invest in more flexible models of volunteerism if they are to rise to meet further challenges.

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olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

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National barriers to ongoing and long-term volunteerism

In 2011, the Australian Government identified a number of barriers, including “complexity in regulation and risk management requirements,” 1 encompassed with misaligned policy, management, training and development opportunities were impacting dramatically on ongoing and long-term volunteerism. Volunteers also identified as being increasingly disconnected from their initial moti- vations to volunteer – to help and support their community – as excessive red-tape, convoluted systems and processes impeded more on their role and time to perform it. In addition, limitations to opportunities for development, inappropriate or poor direction, limited use of skills or opportunities to actively volunteer further impeded peoples’ willingness or motivation to continue to volunteer. 2 The above national identified barriers to volunteerism were also reflected in some of the key sentiments expressed in the 2016 QFES Volunteer Survey where training, leadership development, engagement and support were identified as key areas for improvement.

1. Plibersek, T. in Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (2011). National Volunteering Strategy. Canberra, ACT (p.1). 2. Ibid.

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olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

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What this environment means for QFES

From a Queensland perspective, these risks are exacerbated by a number of external societal and environmental changes. With an estimated resident population of 4.8 million people, Queensland is experiencing growth at a rate of 1.4 percent with overseas migration accounting for 31 per cent 3 of this. A majority of Queensland’s population is concentrated in coastal regions, and the South East corner of Queensland has traditionally “outpaced growth in all other regions.” 4 However, more recently the gap between rural Queensland and South East Queensland migration has started to narrow. 5 While some rural areas are beginning to experience a decline, other peri-urban areas are experiencing rapid population growth. These changes present a number of challenges to local brigades and groups in terms of maintaining service delivery, as well as pre-empting service needs and capabilities. These risks are further compounded by increased severe weather patterns and climatic changes that will have a dramatic impact on future storm and fire season severity and length. These also have the potential to cause significant risk to ongoing emergency service delivery. There has also been a shift in volunteerism trends identifying changes to social and economic conditions that have generally led to people becoming increasingly time-poor. This has affected their availability and willingness to commit to traditional models of volunteering. Instead, there is a preference to support smaller project- based volunteering or roles that can adapt to their lifestyle needs. For QFES this has been most noticeable in attracting and retaining the next generation of volunteers for the department.

3. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2016). Population growth, Queensland, June quarter 2016. Released 15 December 2016. http://www.qgso.qld.gov.au/products/reports/pop-growth-qld/pop-growth-qld-201606.pdf Website viewed 14.03.2017 4. Queensland Government Statistician’s Office (QGSO), Queensland Treasury, Population growth highlights and trends, Queensland, 2016 edition. http://www.qgso.qld.gov.au/products/reports/pop-growth-highlights-trends-qld/pop-growth- highlights-trends-qld-2016-edn.pdf Website viewed 14.03.2017 5. Ibid.

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olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

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What we are doing

To be better informed of current volunteer experiences and satisfaction levels, and to identify potential barriers to volunteerism within QFES, the department commissioned TNS to undertake the 2016 QFES Volunteer Survey. This was undertaken to follow-up and build on results from the 2014 survey. A total of 5205 volunteers participated in the 2016 survey from across QFES. While the survey highlighted that overall satisfaction of respondents with the volunteer experience is very positive, it did identify key areas for improvement. These were: • for QFES to provide more relevant and timely communication to volunteers • to increase the effectiveness of trainers • to improve leadership skills across all levels of the department • to increase training in appropriate workplace behaviour • to provide support in relation to bullying • for volunteers to receive a level of focus from the department on a day-to-day basis as well as during times of crisis. As a department, QFES has examined the challenges we are facing regarding sustainability and also listened to the opinions and experience of our volunteer workforce. This, coupled with increased engagement, collaboration and shared understanding will enable us to develop a forward-thinking strategy to build the capabilities for our department and community to face the challenges of tomorrow.

OUR FUTURE DIRECTION

OURFUTUREDIRECTION

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olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

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Our vision: QFES Volunteerism 2025

The following pages of this discussion paper provide a vision of a prospective future state for QFES in regards to volunteering — one where the commitment and recognition of all emergency service volunteers, and their invaluable

contribution to QFES and their broader communities, is central to the volunteerism program and integrated in all aspects of service support and delivery. These topics are our starting point for discussion:

Investing in our people: developing personal capability

Proficient support services

Building healthy communities

Exceptional service delivery

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olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

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Investing in our people: developing personal capability

QFES has developed and implemented flexible and contemporary volunteerism models to ensure ongoing attraction and sustainability. These are evidenced by: • Volunteerism being deeply embedded in QFES’ culture and ethos. • Our people feel valued, respected, empowered and integral to our service. • Enhanced recruitment and retention initiatives offering volunteer opportunities across multiple life-stages. • A suite of flexible training and developmental opportunities accessible across a variety of platforms. • Online volunteering opportunities being an integral part of emergency service delivery. • QFES having a comprehensive awards and recognition program. • Enhanced youth engagement programs being established and accessible. • Volunteerism being more reflective of the communities it supports through promoting the benefits of diversity and inclusion and strengthening community citizenship.

Consider how we could achieve these future state goals. Some points for discussion are: • What should a flexible volunteerism model look like? • What would a flexible volunteerism model mean for you? • What improvements can QFES make to our training to better support our people? • What do you believe would make volunteerism more inclusive?

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Proficient support services

QFES’ volunteer personnel are appropriately resourced and supported according to local risk profiles and needs, and they also feel connected and supported. Our people are supported through the provision of the following components: • Viable monitoring programs that inform whole-of-brigade/group capability demands and risks. • Departmental, service-specific and regional resourcing initiatives. • Vehicles, equipment and facilities appropriately supporting local risk profiles. • Modern volunteer workforce management programs. • Volunteers have access to effective and integrated systems and services to better support their roles and functions. • Sustainable funding models to maintain and build volunteer capabilities. • Communication that is timely, relevant and easily accessible.

Again, the preferred future state is not limited to the above, but rather highlights some key areas our volunteers and staff have raised to explore or improve.

Some points for discussion are:

• How does technology support your group/brigade? • What support services are important to you? • How can we enhance our work with our partners to better facilitate digital change? • How could a greater sharing of knowledge or practices help develop local capability?

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Building healthy communities

QFES has strong working relationships across all areas of the community to enable a collaborative approach and responsibility in prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. This is achieved and maintained through: • Enhanced and strengthened partnerships in place across all levels. • Strengthened community resilience through effective collaboration at all levels. • Cohesive understanding of shared responsibilities for better preparation

and response to our community’s divergent risk profiles. • Trusted partnerships that enhance volunteerism capability across Queensland. • Flexible work practices that encourage corporate volunteering.

There are a number of ways our department can work with our broader partners and communities to not only build resilience but also provide opportunities to enhance and encourage community citizenship.

Some points for discussion are:

• What ways can we assist in building and strengthening community engagement, collaboration and understanding of our shared responsibilities? • Is there a different or better way to enable inclusivity from the broader community? • What are the barriers to corporate volunteerism? What would better support this? • Would greater recognition of organisations who support volunteerism benefit this?

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olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

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Exceptional service delivery

QFES delivers exceptional service utilising innovative and Better Practice initiatives through:

• A strong culture of professionalism and expertise being deeply embedded in QFES enabling valuable and timely information sharing. • Opportunities for improvement being explored and developed into Better Practice Models and Centres of Excellence which include programs suitable for volunteers. • QFES actively promoting and supporting the growth of healthier communities with increased inclusion and participation in community citizenship. • Local leadership building community resilience through emergency service volunteering. • Centres of Excellence promoting Better Practice Models, through contemporary research and sharing, and building upon local solutions • Emergency service volunteers being supported by contemporary legislation.

The professionalism and expertise all of our people bring to our department is incredible, with many innovative practices occurring across the state as a result.

To enable our department to learn from and build upon this knowledge, some points for discussion are: • How can we share local knowledge solutions? • What are some of the challenges we face in our traditional service delivery model? • How can we better prepare for future expectations and challenges? • How can knowledge sharing lead to greater sustainability of service?

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Benefit realisation: our roadmap to resilience

Enhancing community capability through local volunteerism

Education through conversation • Effective, community-led and culturally relevant education about risks allows for a cohesive, integrated and engaged community population that fosters ownership and a sense of shared responsibility. Risk-based decision-making • Integration of local people and local organisations in all planning, preparation, response and recovery phases of emergency management. Sustained local leadership • Enabling a more adaptive, flexible and inclusive model for volunteering by redefining volunteer roles to support new ways of engaging and supporting local leaders. Empowering community and volunteerism • Targeted strategies to empower and engage at the community level by actively involving volunteers in open dialogue and decision-making. Time to connect • Reconnecting with our communities through community-based and community-focused partnerships.

Next steps: stakeholder engagement

• Discussion Paper – open discussion to internal and external stakeholders

• Hold deliberate consultation and workshops across the state

• Have an online presence to enable information capture

• Develop strategy draft and circulate for feedback

• Identify key initiatives and prioritise for development

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Volunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

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olunteerism Strategy Discussion Paper : 2017

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