1.
HOW TO INVOLVE AND
SAFEGUARD VOLUNTEERS
DURING CORONAVIRUS
14 MAY 2020
JARINA CHOUDHURY

2.
'If I am scuppered I'm
leaving you £1,000 to
do some of the things
we talked about.'

3.
VOLUNTEERING, SAFEGUARDING AND
WELLBEING
We will have explored:
• good practice in safeguarding and volunteering
• well-being tips on how to manage volunteers
• shared examples of how volunteers are
supporting communities
BY THE END OF THE WEBINAR

4.
Safeguarding
1. Safeguarding
responsibilities
2. Minimising risk
3. DBS checks
4. Regulated activity
5. Non-regulated activity
6. Common volunteer
roles
Wellbeing
1. What does wellbeing mean?
2. Tips for volunteer wellbeing
3. Coronavirus testing
4. Personal protective
equipment
5. Supporting volunteers
6. Training for volunteers
7. Resources and blogs
WHAT WE WILL COVER

5.
Let’s find out about you…

6.
SAFEGUARDING DURING
CORONAVIRUS

7.
SAFEGUARDING
1. Safeguarding responsibilities
2. Minimising risk
3. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
checks
4. Regulated activity
5. Non-regulated activity
6. Common volunteer roles
IN THIS SECTION

8.
1. SAFEGUARDING
• Everyone should have a basic understanding of
safeguarding and who to report to if there are any
concerns.
• If you are supporting or organising volunteers, you
should understand:
• the risks of your volunteer roles or activities
• how you will manage those risks
• how to handle safeguarding concerns if a volunteer
tells you a vulnerable person is being harmed or is
at risk of harm.
SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

9.
2. SAFEGUARDING
1. Follow the latest government guidance to stop the
spread of the virus
2. Verify volunteers’ identity
3. Consider if a DBS check is possible or helpful
4. Ask people to volunteer in pairs
5. Be clear on limitations of roles and monitor them
6. Have clear processes for handling money
7. Don’t collect or store unnecessary personal details
8. Know how to recognise and report harm
MINIMISING RISK

10.
3. SAFEGUARDING
Enhanced DBS
check + barred
list check
Enhanced DBS
check
Standard DBS
check
Basic DBS
check
DBS – WHAT CHECKS ARE AVAILABLE?

11.
4. COMMON COVID VOLUNTEER ROLES
Shopping Medical supplies Deliveries
Checking in Running errands Paying bills

12.
Do these volunteer roles
require a DBS check?

13.
DBS restrictions to
volunteer are only
mandatory for
regulated activity
An activity is regulated
when:
a) the purpose of a role
b) is to carry out certain
activity
c) with a certain
person/group
Common roles:
• Some activity (like
shopping) is regulated for
certain groups
• Self-isolating or shielding
does not place someone in
these groups
• Even if that person
becomes ill, the purpose of
the role doesn’t change so
it isn’t regulated
5. SAFEGUARDING
REGULATED ACTIVITY

14.
For non-regulated activity, DBS
checks are not mandatory
‘Enhanced’ checks are only
available for certain roles
Many roles (eg befrienders) are
not eligible for these checks
You may able to access basic DBS
checks however:
• Is it useful?
• Is it worth the cost?
3. SAFEGUARDING
NON-REGULATED ACTIVITY
Safeguarding for informal
volunteer-led groups

15.
Which of these are
regulated activities?

16.
WELLBEING

17.
What does wellbeing mean
to you?

18.
1. Check in with volunteers regularly
2. Handwashing often, for at least 20 seconds
3. Stay at least two metres apart from others
4. Stay outside of people’s homes
5. Tell volunteers to let their family and friends know
what they’re doing
6. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from statutory services
7. Don’t take on too much – it’s better not to offer help at
all than to let someone down
2. TIPS FOR VOLUNTEER WELLBEING

19.
3. CORONAVIRUS TESTING
• Coronavirus testing is now available to:
• all essential workers including NHS and social care
workers with symptoms (essential workers)
• anyone over 65 with symptoms
• anyone with symptoms whose work cannot be
done from home
• anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus and lives
with any of those identified above
• Worker definition applies to both paid and unpaid roles
• Test most effective within three days of symptoms
developing
• self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/

20.
4. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
(PPE)
• Volunteers carrying out basic roles don’t need
PPE
• If you are volunteering in health and social
care roles where you may be exposed, follow
the advice of the your organisation
• HSE Coronavirus guidance
• Gov.uk make a cloth face covering

21.
5. SUPPORTING VOLUNTEERS
OUR FRONT LINE
https://www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/ourfrontli
ne/

22.
6. TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS (1)
Culturally Appropriate Hygiene Promotion
for Covid-19
19 May 2020 (18:00-20:00) Register here
Covid-19 Myth Busting
15 May 2020 (14:00-16:00) Register here
19 May 2020 (18:00-20:00) Register here
Managing Stress
15 May 2020 (10:00-12:00) Register here
20 May 2020 (18:00-20:00) Register here
FREE COVID TRAINING FROM RED-R

23.
6. TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS (2)
Support Cambridgeshire British Red Cross

24.
QUESTIONS

25.
1. How volunteers can make a difference
2. Redirecting volunteers if you cannot
take on any more
3. How volunteers are affected by the
lockdown
4. Volunteers in key worker roles
5. Furlough and volunteering
6. Insurance and volunteering
7. Volunteer expenses
8. Paying for goods or services
9. Safeguarding for volunteer managers
10. Safeguarding for informal volunteer-
led groups
11. DBS checks and volunteers
12. Data protection
13. Recognising and reporting scams
AND FINALLY…
WHAT'S AVAILABLE NOW

26.
1. Volunteers responding to coronavirus
(20 Mar)
2. Are volunteers on lockdown: (25 Mar)
3. Covid-19 mutual aid and community
support: How volunteers are getting
involved (2 Apr)
4. NHS Volunteer Responders: The
largest peacetime mobilisation of
volunteers (6 Apr)
5. Volunteering and furloughing: What
do we know? (8 Apr)
6. Five lessons from the past on
spontaneous volunteering (9 April)
AND FINALLY…
BLOGS

27.
STAY UP TO DATE
volunteering@ncvo.org.uk
@NCVOVolunteers
020 7520 2466
ncvo.org.uk/coronavirus
ncvo.org.uk/email-updates