Careful planning is the key to building a good foundation for involving volunteers.

Consider the following

• Is everyone in the organisation aware of plans to involve volunteers?
• How will different people be affected – staff, trustees, service users, other volunteers?
• Do we have the human resources to adequately support volunteers?
• Are the people who will support volunteers suitably skilled and trained?
• Have we budgeted the costs of involving volunteers such as payment of out of pocket expenses, training, staff costs for supervision, admin costs for CRB checks if required?
•  Are we able to provide roles for are rewarding for volunteers and meet the needs of the organisation?
• Do we have the necessary space and resources (such as a spare desk or computer)?
• Volunteers bring fresh ideas, enthusiasm and experience – are we ready for this?
• Have we considered any risks associated with involving volunteers? (this includes risks to the volunteers and to the organisation)
• Is our insurance cover adequate?
• What policies and procedures do we already have that should be reviewed in the light of involving volunteers?
• Do we need any new policies and/or procedures such as a Volunteer Policy?

When is it not appropriate to involve volunteers?

• When answers to the questions above have raised issues for the organisation that cannot be resolved
• To replace a paid member of staff
• When volunteers will be delivering a service that is usually paid for and the recipients could clearly pay
• When the work is intended to make a profit