Caring for your volunteers will require you to support them as you perform the relevant checks to ensure the care and safety of all your stakeholders and beneficiaries.
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 applies to voluntary organisations and charities and prevents people deemed unsuitable for working with children and vulnerable adults from entering work in those areas. Caring for your beneficiaries will mean carrying out the necessary precautionary measures when recruiting volunteers.
You should obtain disclosures for volunteers working with children or vulnerable persons if they are eligible. A risk assessment for volunteer roles will enable you to identify which roles require a DBS check.
You can also help your volunteers by communicating the various measures and procedures required in your volunteer policy and separate safeguarding policy.
Taking steps to support volunteers
- Take a holistic view of safeguarding across your organisation
- build protection into your recruitment, activities and services, including digital provisions and journeys.
- Make sure volunteers know who safeguarding leads are.
- Ensure volunteers have access to someone skilled and experienced with safeguarding when working.
- Train volunteers on child protection and adult safeguarding.
- Outline clear procedures on whistleblowing, bullying and harassment, complaints and raising concerns.
- Look for advice and keep up to date with regulatory changes.
- Comply with the DBS Code of Practice.
- If you work with other organisations, it will be vital to ensure partnerships share your commitment to safeguarding and work together to ensure your policies and procedures protect all parties.