Volunteering charter

This charter sets out our approach to the recruitment of volunteers and our commitment to both them and the professional staff within the service. This charter also sets out the expectations of the Council in terms of the role of volunteers to supplement and complement the delivery of council services, how they will be supported and the responsibilities of all parties.

This is a digital guide of the HR guidance: Volunteering charter (SharePoint).

Benefits of volunteering

We have 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.