Recruiting volunteers

Benefits of volunteering

The council has a long established practice of working with volunteers across many of its services, both as individuals and also community groups. It is the council’s experience that this activity provides mutual benefit to volunteers and to the service.

Our volunteers have told us that:

• they learn new skills and gain confidence in their abilities
• volunteering has helped people gain employment or access to higher education opportunities
• they enjoy being part of a stimulating work and social atmosphere
• they gain a sense of purpose and satisfaction from achieving goals by being able to enhance services for the community or deliver something additional
• volunteering has helped people regain strength and confidence after a period of ill health

For Community Services, volunteers bring a different perspective as they are able to contribute new ideas and try out new ways to reach service users, supplementing the professionally delivered services.   

Volunteering is a commitment for the individual volunteer, the organisation and the staff who lead volunteering projects and so it is important that the responsibilities of all involved are defined clearly.

Our responsibilities to volunteers

We will endeavour to match skills to the service area.

An induction to the work of the service will be provided.

A clearly defined outline of the tasks we would like volunteers to undertake will be provided.

Effective supervisory structures will be put in place to support and develop volunteers and the activities they undertake.

Volunteers will have access to appropriate training and development to be able to carry out their activities

Volunteers, like professional staff, can expect to carry out their activities in safe, secure and healthy environments that are free from harassment, intimidation, bullying, violence and discrimination.

Volunteers will have access to a complaints/dissatisfaction procedure and will have a clear process for the resolution of any problems.

While volunteers should not normally receive or expect financial rewards for their activities, they should receive reasonable out-of-pocket expenses

We will comply with the Data Protection Act’s rules on the processing of volunteers personal data.

Our responsibilities to professional staff in relation to volunteers

The involvement of volunteers will complement and supplement the work of professional staff, and will not be used to displace staff or undercut their pay and conditions of service

Volunteers will not be used to undertake the work of professional staff during industrial disputes

Volunteers will not be used to cover the work of professional staff during sickness absence

Professional staff will not be expected to engage in volunteer activities within the service area as a form of unpaid overtime

Any proposed new volunteer roles will be introduced in consultation with trade union representatives.

Responsibilities of volunteers

We will expect that our volunteers will:

• complete an application to enable us to match skills to opportunities
• undergo a DBS check where the service requires
• attend an induction session and training
• work within the defined volunteer task profile
• recognise and contribute to the council’s aims and objectives
• be reliable and committed to the council
• show honesty and integrity
• raise any issues or problems immediately with the volunteer supervisor
• notify us of any medical conditions that may affect their ability to perform certain volunteer activities
• abide by the council’s health and safety, equal opportunities, code of conduct and confidentiality policies
• respect the supervisors and other volunteers and strive to develop effective working relationships
• provide reasonable notice of their intention to stop volunteering with us

Agreeing terms

When considering the use of volunteers to supplement or complement a council service, the following further points need to be considered and incorporated into the terms of the volunteering opportunity:

• establish a process to resolve any disputes between professional staff and volunteers
• during any contracting out process, bidders will be required to quantify any intended use of volunteers and the selection process will take account of the bidder’s position on whether they intend to utilise volunteers for roles currently delivered by paid staff
• in relation to the above, an Equality Impact Assessment will be conducted to ensure that the protected groups within society are not disadvantaged through the use of volunteers
• volunteers will be subject to DBS checks if they are to work with or alongside children or vulnerable adults
• termination of a volunteer opportunity and the notice period required

Volunteer agreement document

It is important that a Volunteer Agreement is drafted and signed by both parties, as this clarifies the commitments both the volunteer and the council can expect from each other. It is not intended to be a legally binding document but should be used as guidelines for both parties.

Below is an example which can be adapted for each service area: