Guidelines - Responsible Exchange and Volunteering 2018

Supporting successful applicants – develop a detailed document or represent on your website the following areas of support for successful applicants who you will be hosting / sending. a. Bookings – provide information support and contact for service providers to assist placements with their booking processes. b. Visas – provide information support and contact details for visa agencies, Department of Home Affairs and useful websites that placements can refer to when going through the visa application process. c. Insurances related to the participants - Insurance issues should be addressed as part of the operational plan. Each organisation should have clear information for participants detailing what insurance is mandatory and what is an optional supplement – and procedures for getting cover. d. Getting travel ready – while seminars (Click Seminars for more detail) are frequently used within the exchange sector and may cover many / all of the aspects below, it is important as a practitioner to ensure the points below are addressed. In partnerships where seminars are not used as preparation, it is important to develop specific communicative tools to convey these points. This can be as a “Guide for Participants” or as online links for participants to follow.

i. What to do’s & What to Expect – as part of the supporting documentation / website, it is advised to have a step by step support document of who does what when. While many topics are expanded on below, it is worthwhile providing suitable information on aspects such as accommodation, transport, managing begging, appropriate mechanisms for donations (which must not be handouts but managed through a specific system by the host organisation) as well as general information on the weather and any special considerations affecting the participant etc. ii. Health, safety and pre-departure processes to ensure smooth country entrance. Include detail on specific medical insurance requirements your organisation might have, for example, a minimum repatriation amount etc. iii. Establishing and facilitating communications with host organisation – engage with participants prior to arrival and build a relationship with them which starts before they depart their home country. As a sending organisation, it is important to introduce participants to the host organisation prior to departure. iv. Manage expectations through clear, accurate communication v. Language – some basic awareness around language in the host country is important. On arrival, more specific attention can be given to this (see below Welcome / Arrival Pack section)

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