3. Don’t get bogged down! Start easy
Before deciding what type of group you want to be imagine your future and what you
aspire your group to be. However, don’t sink in the process! Many groups change
their structure as they evolve
There are many types of legal structure that move from informal to very formal
structures. Fact sheets listed on the website detailed in the final slide will help you
understand which structure is right for you to start with.
What is are ‘Not for Profit Organisations’:
A few examples
TYPES OF GROUP STRUCTURE
Charitable Organisations
Unincorporated Associations
Charitable Trusts
Community Interest Organisations
Charitable Companies
Social Enterprises
Community Interest Companies
Cooperatives
Community Benefit Society
4. Being Safe and Legal = compliance
There are numerous pieces of legislation that apply to community groups which you
need to be aware of when starting a community group. From requiring consent to
take pictures, from having a music licence when playing music, from complying with
food safety laws when preparing cooked food. There is what often feels like a ‘sea’ of
bureaucracy to swim through!
However there are many handbooks, website, factsheets that will help you navigate
your way through compliance requirements to ensure you are established safely and
legally
Safely for you, your volunteers and your participants
If you find yourself drowning in the paperwork, step back, ask advice from your
community networks, your local CVS, us or visit a local Shed, Community Group or
charity local to you that has established recently!
Most importantly just get on and do it!
COMPLIANCE IN THE COMMUNITY
5. Health and Safety
When you run a community group, you have a legal duty to look after your own health and
safety, and that of people around you, such as volunteers, participants and general public.
It is about working together as a group to make sure you have done everything you can to
prevent avoidable accidents and protect people from harm.
There is formal legislation that sets out health and safety requirements in law is the Health
and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
This governs legal health and safety requirements for any organisation including your
community group that uses any paid workers, volunteers or controls any premises. It
contains specific requirements aimed at protecting people who are doing paid work or
volunteering.
Your group will be subject to the requirements of the Act, and failing to meet them could
be a criminal offence. The Health and Safety Executive also “strongly recommend” that
organisations make sure their volunteers are protected in the same ways as any employee.
www.hse.gov.uk
COMPLIANCE IN THE COMMUNITY
6. Health and Safety
When running community groups its important we provide, “as far as is reasonably
practicable”:
• safe equipment; For example you run a coffee morning. You may check the spout for
the hot water to check it doesn’t
• safe substances; For example CoSHH safe storage of toxic substances
• necessary information, instruction, supervision and training;Fo example ensuring
volunteers using gardening equipment are shown the manual and trained to use
• a safe workplace (inclusive of volunteer workspace); For example if you are delivering
a street party and there is a hole in the road, barrier it off to ensure no one trips or falls
over it
• a safe environment for volunteers, participants and the general public;
It is really important we assess the risks of our community activity and note those within a
written document. The HSE website have many template risk assessments that are very
useful as templates. www.hse.gov.uk
COMPLIANCE IN THE COMMUNITY
7. Safeguarding
What does safeguarding mean?
As community groups it is our duty to ensure that children or young people, and
vulnerable adults or adults at risk of harm, should never experience abuse of any
kind.
Safeguarding helps us
Protect children and young people and vulnerable adults or adults at risk of harm
who engage with our community activities.
Provide employees and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide the
approach to safeguarding
Disclosing and reporting abuse
Your role as a community group working with children or vulnerable adults is to be
alert to signs or patterns of abuse and raise any suspicions. The easiest way to do this
is with your local Adult safeguarding board OR your Children's and Young People
Safeguarding Board
COMPLIANCE IN THE COMMUNITY
8. Criminal Record Checks
This is the process government has established for providing information to
employers and organisations about whether an individual is suitable for particular
types of work. The check type depends on whether you live in England or Wales,
Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) / Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Access
NI (northern Ireland)
You must provide checks on employee or volunteer roles that deliver to either
children or vulnerable adults/adults at risk. There are certain conditions on activities
so its really important you visit the relevant website to understand whether your
volunteer roles require criminal records checks:
www.gov.uk/dbs
www.justice-ni.gov.uk
www.mygov.scot/pvg-scheme
COMPLIANCE IN THE COMMUNITY
9. Data Protection and Confidential Information
When we delivery our activities we want to be sure everyone's personal data stays
confidential. An example of personal , names, addresses telephone numbers and email
addresses
It is very important to minimise the risk of inappropriate use or disclosure of personal
information.
Like everyone who uses or collects data, we have to follow strict rules to comply with the
Data Protection Act 1998.
The key principles are to make sure you dispose of confidential information safely and all
personal information is kept securely, and to treat other people's personal information in
the same way you would want yours handled.
Maintain confidentiality, not disclosing information about beneficiaries/participants to
those outside your group, or those who do not need to know.
Be wary of potential risks. For example, don’t leave a names and address book out in a
community venue.
COMPLIANCE IN THE COMMUNITY
10. Equality and Diversity
It is important to think about equality and diversity in our community work because some
individuals, groups and communities are more likely to face discrimination, harassment and
exclusion in society.
Community groups can ignore or discriminate against particular disadvantaged groups
unintentionally, without realising this is what is happening.
Thinking about what you can do about this will help you create an environment which is as
safe and inclusive as possible for anyone who would like to join and participate in your group
We should promote the positive benefits of our community groups for everyone, regardless
of their race or culture, age, ability, sexual orientation, gender or status.
Discrimination is unlawful when it takes place with one of the following groups (the
‘protected characteristics’):
Age, Disability, Gender & re-assignment, Marriage and Civil partnership, Pregnancy and
Maternity, Race (including ethnic origin, colour, nationality and national origin) Religion of
belief (including philosophical belief), Sex, Sexual orientation.
COMPLIANCE IN THE COMMUNITY
11. Activity specific
There are so many more activity specific compliance areas. Please ensure you review
what additional compliance levels exist for your groups activities.
Things to consider:
• Food health and hygiene
• Employment law
• Event specific compliance
• Permission and consent
• High Risk
‘ie sheds’ and ‘cold cooked food preparation’
COMPLIANCE IN THE COMMUNITY
12. Insurance
It is essential when delivering a community group that you get Public Liability
Insurance
Public Liability Insurance
When you organise an activity or event for your community group you have ‘public
liability’. This means that your group, and you as volunteers running this groups,
could be responsible if any of the following things happen to a member of the public
at your event:
• injury
• damage to their property
• loss of their property
The term ‘public’ applies to employee, volunteers, members, participants and anyone
else attending your events and activities.
If any of the above happen to someone at one of your events/activities, and they
think it was caused by the negligence of your group (or a member or volunteer of
your group) they could make a claim against your group, asking you to pay an amount
of money to them. Insurance protects you!
COMPLIANCE IN THE COMMUNITY
14. “ Voluntary Service cannot be classified or put away in
the right shaped box and tied down with a lid! It resists red
tape and has a ethos entirely of its own”
Lady Reading, founder of Royal Voluntary Service
15. TYPES OF ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO
Margaret Mead
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens
can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”
Margaret Mead – Anthropologist
16. 1. Find friends – other volunteer
organisers willing to help establish and
run the group
2. Create your group
3. Sort bank accounts
4. Sort insurance
5. Sort the paperwork
6. Marketing
7. Delivery!
ESTABLISHING YOUR GROUP
20. - Help along the way with telephone, e-mail or 121 guidance and support,
including a workbook which takes you through every step to starting
your group
- The opportunity to sit within RVS as a ‘branch’ volunteer led group
- Provision of free access to the Run a Club website
- Paperwork for your group to be safe and legal
- Seed funding up to £250
- Provision of a community fundraising guide
- Help with promoting your club in your community
WHAT HELP WILL RVS GIVE YOU
21. Wales Voluntary Action - www.wcva.org.uk
Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action - www.nicva.org
Voluntary Action Scotland - www.vascotland.org
National Association for Voluntary and Community Action - www.navca.org.uk
• The above 4 have a lot of information on governance, training, policy and
procedure development but some also have links to help you find your local
Council for voluntary Service ie Leeds Voluntary Action
Royal Voluntary Service if a part of your community group supports over 50
volunteers or participants and is in Britain.
Community Foundations for local grant income - www.ukcommunityfoundations.org
Others very helpful website with templates and factsheets
RunAClub www.runaclub.com or Resource centre www.resourcecentre.org.uk
OTHER CHARITIES WHO CAN HELP
Notas del editor
Show video
Work through slide. Explain that this is a short summary of the areas which RVS will guide people through. It may be that people will find likeminded others at this meeting to help establish and run a group.
