Enrolment of volunteers
- The approach outlined in the section on the recruitment of staff can be followed and it is seen to be best practice in relation to the recruitment of staff and volunteers. However, you may feel that this is too formal given that in many cases you may ask people to become volunteers and already know them well.
- It is important that you have a system of enrolling volunteers as under the legislation all reasonable steps must be taken to ensure that unsuitable people are prevented from working with children.
- Unfortunately, not everyone has the best interests of children in mind and statistics reveal that in many cases children are abused by a person they know well.
- To safeguard yourself against allegations that you failed to take reasonable steps to protect the children who attend your group it is suggested that you follow the steps outlined in the Volunteers and Helper's Flowchart.
- It is important to plan ahead to identify the volunteers you may need in the future as the steps in the enrolment process will take some time to implement. It may be advantageous to have a pool of volunteers that you can call on as and when you need them or in an emergency and arrange to have them enrolled in your group now.
Volunteer and Helper's Flowchart
Volunteer / Helper Enrolment Form