Many volunteer roles are currently restricted to volunteers aged 18 and over. In some cases, this is necessary due to the nature of the role. However, there is great benefit in engaging young volunteers as part of your organisation’s work, and volunteering can play a wonderful role in a young person’s development.
There are many different ways to engage with a group of staff or volunteers in an organisation – one of which is messaging via apps such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. These are free to download and it is simple to share messages, links, images and videos, so is an ideal way to communicate with your volunteers...
Bite-size offers volunteers an opportunity to undertake short and specific activities that are quick to start and complete. There is often no commitment to repeat the activity and it can often takes place from home or online.
Volunteers often bring creativity and innovation to organisations, but their contributions can also raise important questions about copyright. Understanding and addressing these issues proactively can protect both the organisation and its volunteers while fostering a positive and productive working relationship.
The Health Check for Volunteer-Involving Organisations considers whether you have a volunteer recruitment process in place. This includes the extent to which you provide prospective volunteers with relevant information about the organisation, role, and the recruitment process, as well as whether your application and interview processes are fair and welcoming.
A Volunteer Agreement makes it clear what the volunteer can expect from the organisation and what, in turn, the organisation expects from the volunteer. Where possible, the Volunteer Agreement should be specific to the individual volunteer role. It usually sits alongside a volunteer role description and volunteer policy.
A Code of Conduct (CoC) is an internal document that should be embedded in, and reflective of, the organisation's mission, values and aims. It is a document that outlines the organisation's expectations regarding volunteers’ behaviour and motivation whilst they act as representatives of the organisation.
One of the most valuable resources to help your volunteers operate effectively is the Volunteer
Handbook. Either printed or digital, a Volunteer Handbook is an essential guide that clearly states your
organisation’s mission and how volunteers can help the organisation achieve its goals.
All VCSE organisations should have in place relevant policies and procedures to ensure they meet the legal and good practice requirements for involving volunteers. Your polices are a reflection of the thought and commitment your organisation makes to value and welcome volunteers.
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is an official agency that runs checks for any criminal convictions or cautions a person may have. It is a legal requirement for VCSE coordinators to run a DBS check for any volunteer who will be supporting children and/or vulnerable adults. It is a crucial element of the duty of care a charity has to run robust safeguarding processes.
Many volunteering roles have a natural lifecycle and volunteers leave for a variety of reasons. In most cases volunteers do not leave for negative reasons – they may be moving out of the area, gaining paid employment or merely have new priorities in their life.
The Health Check for Volunteer-Involving Organisations considers whether you have the policies and procedures in place to support your volunteers. This includes the extent to which you have an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy in place which takes account of your volunteers.
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