Volunteer Recruitment and Selection Policy

Volunteer Recruitment & Selection Policy

Subject to meeting mandatory requirements, all volunteers are welcome.  We particularly welcome volunteers from ethnic minority communities.

This policy details our procedures and will be applied, as appropriate, to help each volunteer find the role he/she would most enjoy, and which will enable him/her to contribute most to our work. 

That may range from a substantial time commitment and a requirement for professional qualifications and in-depth experience, to simply a willingness to join in and help out. 

Promotion

Ways in which people can be made aware include promotion:

• Via websites, such as funders, local community groups and foundations.
• Social media – either groups relevant to our activity, or local town/village/community groups.
• Posters in village/town, churches or mosques, doctors’ surgeries and shops.
• Through networks of those who come into contact with potential beneficiaries, such as relevant statutory services and charities.

For some groups, we may provide information a different way, such as an additional language, or to make these accessible to people who have disabilities.

Recruitment

All potential volunteers will be interviewed.  We follow safer recruitment practices in that we:

• Inform candidates of our commitment to safeguarding those in our care.
• Plan our recruitment timeline to ensure we have enough time to vet each candidate.
• Explain that volunteers have to undergo strict vetting procedures before appointment.
• Carry out pre-employment checks, including DBS checks, qualification checks, reference checks and identity checks.
• Ensure volunteers are appropriately trained for their duties.

If working in a professional capacity, you must have up-to-date relevant training and undertake refresher training every 2 years.

• We encourage all volunteers working with vulnerable people to undertake training to Level 1 or 2.
• Everyone working with vulnerable adults or children will be supervised.

Induction

• Checks and administration, including policies and procedures.
  • Induction into our safeguarding procedures and relevant DBS checks and any safeguarding training required.
• Relevant identity and right to work checks.

• Welcome and induction into our work, by a team member.
• Welcome and induction and/or on-the-job training for their role, by a team member from that area, including health & safety at work, such as fire procedures.
• Ongoing support and mentoring, and refresher training, as required.

Selection

Mandatory Requirements

• A commitment to our work.
• A desire to help and be kind to others.
• An interest in Technology
• An interest in books and digital literacy
• Sufficient time/flexibility to be able to carry out his/her role.
• Where a role specifically requires professional qualifications, experience or accreditation, or other requirement, such as a licence to practice.

Those overseeing activities must undertake any necessary training in order to do so.  This may include:

• First Aid. Must hold Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) and, ideally, First Aid At Work qualification and undertake refresher training as necessary.
• H&SW. A minimum of IOSH Working Safely or NEBOSH Safety Simplified and, ideally, IOSH Managing Safely, or similar qualification.
• Food Handling & Preparation. If volunteering on an ongoing basis or handling high risk food, we may require you to undergo training.
  • Food handlers – the equivalent to level 2 in food safety and hygiene
  • Supervisors and managers – at least level 3 in supervising food safety and hygiene.

We will provide or provide access to any relevant training and refresher training.  

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Knowledge of, or experience of working in a charity, or role relating to your volunteering role.
• Relevant professional qualifications or experience.  
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong interpersonal and people management skills.
• Good verbal communicator, able to get on well with people and to ask questions positively.

Exceptions

We welcome anyone who wishes to volunteer to help us but there are some circumstances where this may not be possible.  For example:

• You must have the right to work in the UK and for some visitors to the UK (on visas), asylum seekers and refugees this may not always be the case, or.
• The role you would like may require experience or professional skills you don’t have, and for some roles, there may be specific legal requirements that we must meet.

We should stress that there are only a few occasions when this might apply, and we will always do our best to find a way to welcome you into our charity.  

Version Control – Approval and Review

Regulatory Guidance

Charity Commission: How to manage your charity’s volunteers.

Fundraising Regulator: Volunteers.

Health & Safety Executive: Volunteering – how to manage the risks.

Gov.UK – DBS checks: guidance for employers.

Adapted from Charity Excellence