Thinking about volunteering?

Transcription

1 Thinking about volunteering? Summary If you re thinking about volunteering, there will probably be some questions you will want to ask. This Information Sheet covers some frequently asked questions, but if you have others don t be afraid to ask the organisation you re considering volunteering with. After all, you need to make sure that the role is right for you, and that it suits your particular circumstances. This Information Sheet covers: How do I know which opportunity is right for me? What will happen when I contact an organisation about volunteering for them? What should I expect as a volunteer? Will volunteering cost me anything? How much time do I need to volunteer for? Can I leave if I don t like it? I m working full-time. Will I still be able to volunteer? Will I get training? Do I need qualifications? Can I get a qualification? Can I volunteer together with my family or friends? Will I need any official approval to volunteer? How do I know which opportunity is right for me? Before you start looking for volunteer opportunities, think about what cause or issue you would like to volunteer for. For example are you passionate about the environment or do you want to help children or the elderly? Also think about what you would like to get out of the experience. Do you want to meet people, learn new skills, support a particular cause, get some experience for your CV or just do something new? You may also have some practical considerations - maybe you can only volunteer at certain times, need a building that is accessible, or prefer to volunteer near where you live. Lots of different organisations involve volunteers, ranging from small community groups, to hospitals and national charities. Whatever your needs

2 are, feel free to discuss them with the organisation you d like to volunteer with. Any good organisation will not mind answering your questions before you start. See Volunteering England s Information Sheet Finding volunteering opportunities 1 for more details. What will happen when I contact an organisation about volunteering for them? Organisations working with volunteers will all have slightly different ways of taking on volunteers. Some organisations will have recruitment information on their website and others will ask you to fill out an application form or go for an informal interview. This is not like applying for a job. The organisation will just want to find out whether you have the basic skills they need and whether they can offer you the kind of opportunity that you want. Volunteering opportunities can be short-term or long-term, part-time or fulltime. The application process for a one-day volunteering opportunity, for example to weed a garden, will be very different to an on-going more formal role, for example being a scout leader. If the role has some responsibility, for example handling money, or if you will be working with vulnerable people or with dangerous equipment, you may be asked to go to an interview. This will give you and the organisation a chance to assess each other and ask questions. The questions an organisation will probably want to ask you will depend on the type of volunteering that you are interested in. However they may ask any of the following: Why you are interested in volunteering What sort of volunteering activities you are interested in What skills you would bring to the volunteering role If there are new skills you would like to learn through your volunteering How much time you have to offer, and when you are available You can also ask them anything that you feel unsure about. You may want to check some or all of the following: Reimbursement of expenses (travel, lunch, childcare expenses etc) Opportunities for training or gaining qualifications What tasks are within the volunteer role 1 Page 2 of 8

3 What support or supervision will be available (someone to talk to regularly about how you are getting on) How volunteering may affect any claims for state benefits Who you ll be working with An informal chat or interview can also give you an opportunity to look at where you will be volunteering and meet some of the other staff and volunteers. In addition to completing a registration or application form you may also be asked to provide references. What should I expect as a volunteer? For most part-time on-going volunteering roles within an organisation you should expect the following: An induction where you are told about the organisation and its policies. This would generally cover health and safety, what to do if you have a problem and an introduction to other staff and volunteers. You should be told who your supervisor or leader is and how to contact them. It is important that you have a named person who you can go to with any problems or queries. Adequate training to be able to carry out your role. The exact nature of the training you receive will depend on the role, but you will probably need at least basic training for the tasks that you will be doing. You should receive ongoing support and supervision, to make sure you are happy in the role and know where to go if any problems should arise. If you are volunteering for just a few hours to help at an event or something similar, you should still expect to be informed about the task and its purpose, health and safety, the organisation, and leadership / supervision etc. You should also expect to be treated equally, regardless of your gender, race, age, faith/religion, disability or sexual orientation. Organisations involving volunteers should have an Equal Opportunities Policy and be willing to accommodate volunteers from all walks of life. Will volunteering cost me anything? Volunteering England believes that everybody should be able to volunteer and that volunteers should not be left out of pocket whilst giving their time for free. Many organisations reimburse volunteers expenses, so if the organisation you re thinking of volunteering with doesn t, it may be worth asking them why. It may be that they don t have the resources to be able to reimburse Page 3 of 8

4 expenses, in which case it will be for you to decide whether you still want to go ahead with the placement. Under rules laid down by HM Revenue and Customs, organisations are allowed to reimburse you for anything reasonable you have had to pay for to volunteer. This can include travel, meals purchased while volunteering, special clothing and care of your dependants. Many organisations will have an expenses budget, so you will need to check how much they can reimburse and what their policy is. For instance, many will set a limit on how much they can reimburse for lunch, or may ask you to travel in the cheapest way that you can. It is worth checking with the organisation how they reimburse expenses. If you receive state benefits, you can be given your expenses in advance, providing that you then submit receipts and return any unspent money. Volunteering England s Information Sheet Volunteering and state benefits 2 explains the rules on giving expenses in advance in more detail. How much time do I need to volunteer for? This is really up to you. Although the less time you have the harder it can be to find something that s fulfilling for you. You can volunteer at any time of the week, in person, over the phone or via the internet. While much volunteering takes place in office hours, you can volunteer in the evening or at weekends too, again depending on what you want to do. Online volunteering (also known as virtual volunteering ) is becoming more popular as it offers a greater degree of flexibility, as does telephone befriending. Also, trustee and management committee positions can be quite flexible in terms of their time commitments. Some organisations will ask for a minimum time commitment from you, for example if you want to be a volunteer befriender you may be asked to undertake the role for at least 6 months. This will be to make sure both you and the person you re befriending get the most of the experience. Also, if you receive training to fulfil the role it is more likely that you will be asked to commit to volunteer for a specific amount of time. This is because the organisation will want to make sure their beneficiaries benefit from the investment they make in training volunteers. 2 Page 4 of 8

5 The Do-it online database 3 of volunteering opportunities allows you to select exactly what times you will be available for. Can I leave if I don t like it? Yes, of course. You are under no formal obligation to keep volunteering for an organisation if you don t want to. However it is always worth talking to someone at the organisation about this first. You can then discuss with them why you feel unhappy and what you feel would improve your time as a volunteer in the organisation. If you feel that something is seriously wrong or someone is treating you badly you should consider making a complaint to the organisation. Further information can be found in Volunteering England s Information Sheet If things go wrong. I m working full-time. Will I still be able to volunteer? Yes, there are many opportunities to volunteer in the daytime, evenings, nights and weekends. Many organisations can cater for different time commitments, whether you want to volunteer once a month or once a week. Some examples include: campaigning, the Samaritans and other helplines, working with homeless people, befriending, environmental and sports activities. It is important to check with any organisation you are interested in volunteering for what time commitment they have in mind, as you will need to agree to a time that suits you both. Some employers encourage their employees to volunteer in the local community in work time. Ask your employer if they have an Employer Supported Volunteering scheme and see how you can get involved. Further information on Employer Supported Volunteering can be found on Volunteering England s website 4 Will I get training? Some organisations offer substantial training and support, but others don t and expect you to learn on the job or contribute your existing skills. You will need to ask the organisation that you are intending to volunteer with Page 5 of 8

6 It also depends on the type of tasks that you will be doing. For instance, if you re spending one day clearing overgrowth from paths, you can expect about 15 minutes training where you are told what to do, how to use the tools and what health and safety precautions to take. But if you volunteer to give welfare benefits advice you should get much more training. You might get 10 two-hour training sessions or more spread over several weeks before you see a client, plus ongoing training to keep you up-to-date. Do I need qualifications? Obviously this depends on the role, but usually you don t. Some very skilled volunteering tasks may require qualifications, but some organisations may offer you training to enable you to fulfil the role. Can I get a qualification or accreditation? Some organisations may offer volunteers qualifications such as an NVQ, but it is uncommon. However you may well learn a lot and gain valuable experience, skills and a reference. If you do need a formal qualification, it may be best to contact your local Volunteer Centre as they may know of other local organisations that offer qualifications. Also, you may be able to keep a record or portfolio that would help you get a qualification or entry to a college course. Please read Volunteering England s Information Sheet Accreditation of volunteering 5 for more details. Can I volunteer together with my family or friends? Yes, you can but you may not have such a large choice as if you were completely flexible. Some organisations specifically offer opportunities to volunteer as a family or group of friends. Examples include practical conservation and fundraising. If there s a particular organisation you d like to volunteer with, ask them if this is something they offer. Will I need any official approval to volunteer? In some instances people from overseas may need to check whether they are entitled to volunteer whilst in the UK with the UK Border Agency. Further information can be found in Volunteering England s Information Sheet Accepting volunteers from outside the UK Page 6 of 8

7 Some people also worry that they won t be able to volunteer if they have a criminal record. Firstly, under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 only organisations that work with children or vulnerable adults are entitled to ask about any spent convictions that you may have. This means that only certain volunteering roles (usually those that involve volunteering with children or vulnerable adults ) require a Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure check. But having a criminal record isn t necessarily a bar to volunteering. Organisations that do require potential volunteers to have CRB Disclosure checks must have a written policy on how they recruit ex-offenders, so do ask for a copy of this and don t be afraid to ask questions if you have any doubts. Page 7 of 8

8 Last reviewed: May 2011 Disclaimer We make every effort to ensure that our Information Sheets are correct at the time of publication. They are intended as a brief summary of relevant issues to help you plan or develop your work with volunteers. Legal advice should be sought where appropriate. Volunteering England is unable to accept liability for any loss or damage or inconvenience arising as a consequence of the use of this information. The inclusion of other organisations in the Information Sheets does not imply any endorsement of independent bodies; all sources of further information are listed solely for signposting purposes. Copyright Please note that this Information Sheet is subject to copyright, which is owned by Volunteering England. Further information on Volunteering England s copyright can be found at: For more information on managing volunteers, please visit The Good Practice Bank at A full list of Volunteering England s Information Sheets is available at: Page 8 of 8