At the beginning of the first lockdown in 2020, Volunteering Matters provided guidance on volunteering safely in line with restrictions.
Below these you can access the guides written for specific volunteering scenarios, which will still be helpful for many individuals and organisations wanting to volunteer or return to volunteering once restrictions are lifted.
We’d like to signpost you to NAVCA’s resources for volunteering in the four tiers:
Advice for those in England
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/enabling-safe-and-effective-volunteering-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Resources
From December 2021 as restrictions/response change please also check government guidelines.
Managing risk
Example Risk Assessment for reoccupying buildings – (UK Wide) – 23rd June 2020
Checklist for reoccupying buildings – (UK Wide) 23rd June 2020
A quick guide – run community volunteering safely for organisations – (England) – 1st April 2020
A quick guide – run community volunteering safely for organisations – (Scotland) – 1st April 2020
A quick guide – run community volunteering safely for organisations – (Wales) – 1st April 2020
Safeguarding
Sometimes you, or your volunteers may see something that concerns you. We’ve created a guide on what steps to take, and what signs to look out for. These signs don’t always mean that someone in a household is at risk or being harmed, but they are indicators of abuse so are important to be aware of what to look for, so they can be noted and sent them to a volunteer lead and your local safeguarding teams.
Volunteer Safely – Safeguarding Guide 9th April 2020
Staying safe when volunteering – 23 March 2020
Possible Indicators of Harm or Abuse – 1st April 2020
Safeguarding Community Policy (Suffolk) – 1st April 2020
background checks and dbs
Government Factsheet on DBS checks – 25 March 2020
We’ll keep adding resources here, and updating in line with the latest government and NHS advice.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to make sure you get the latest updates so you or your groups can volunteer safely.
Contact your local volunteer centre
If you are organising volunteering activity, we recommend you contact your local volunteer centre:
National Association for Voluntary and Community Action
Wales Council for Voluntary Action
more resources and guidance
Check out A quick guide to virtual fundraising – April 2020 created by our Income Generation team, which may help you during the pandemic.
There are also useful resources and guidance available for charities and voluntary organisations from
National Council of Voluntary Organisations
Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations
If you have any other questions not answered here, then just get in touch and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
