1.
INVOLVING VOLUNTEERS
DURING THE PANDEMIC
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
5 MAY 2020
SHAUN DELANEY

2.
VOLUNTEERING DURING THE PANDEMIC
We will:
1. understand how volunteers can make a
difference during the pandemic
2. get top tips on involving and supporting
volunteers during the pandemic
3. understand what practical support and
guidance is available
BY THE END OF THE WEBINAR

3.
But first:…
Tell us about you!

4.
Involving
volunteer
s
1. Getting
involved
2. Supporting
volunteers
3.
Safeguarding
4. Regulation
5.
Practicalities
6. Questions

5.
1. Getting involved
A. Emergency volunteering
B. Spontaneous volunteering
C. Are volunteers on lockdown?
D. Staying safe when
volunteering
E. Training for volunteers
2. Supporting volunteers
A. Volunteer IDs
B. Our front line
C. Access to schools
D. Access to coronavirus testing
3. Safeguarding
A. Safeguarding responsibilities
B. Minimising risk
C. DBS checks
D. Regulated activity
E. Non-regulated activity
4. Regulation
A. Data protection
B. Insurance
C. Furlough
5. Practicalities
A. Shopping / making payments
B. Volunteers’ Week 2020
VOLUNTEERING DURING THE PANDEMIC
SECTION BREAKDOWN
ncvo.org.uk/coronavirus

6.
INVOLVING VOLUNTEERS
DURING THE PANDEMIC
1. GETTING INVOLVED

7.
1. GETTING INVOLVED
A. Three types of emergency volunteering
B. Spontaneous volunteering
C. Are volunteers on lockdown?
D. Staying safe when volunteering
E. Training for volunteers
IN THIS SECTION

8.
Spontaneo
us
Existing
Specialist

9.
Five lessons from the
past on spontaneous
volunteering
1. GETTING INVOLVED
SPONTANEOUS VOLUNTEERING
Five lessons from the past
on spontaneous
volunteering

10.
1. GETTING INVOLVED
•Shopping Medical supplies Deliveries
Checking in Running errands Paying bills
COMMON THINGS PEOPLE DO

11.
People may leave their
home:
• if they’re providing
help to vulnerable
people
• if their volunteering
cannot be done from
home, whether related
to the coronavirus
response or not
1. GETTING INVOLVED
ARE VOLUNTEERS ON LOCKDOWN?
Are volunteers on
lockdown

12.
1. GETTING INVOLVED
1. Only volunteer if you feel well enough
2. Keep washing your hands often for 20 seconds
3. Stay at least two metres from others
4. Stay outside of people’s homes
5. Let family and friends know what you’re doing
6. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from statutory services
7. Don’t take on too much – it's often better not to offer
at all than to let someone down
STAYING SAFE WHEN SUPPORTING OTHERS

13.
1. GETTING INVOLVED
TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS
Support Cambridgeshire British Red Cross

14.
Scenarios

15.
INVOLVING VOLUNTEERS
DURING THE PANDEMIC
2. SUPPORTING VOLUNTEERS

16.
2. SUPPORTING VOLUNTEERS
A. Volunteer IDs
B. Our front line
C. Access to schools
D. Access to coronavirus testing
IN THIS SECTION

17.
2. SUPPORTING VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers may be stopped and asked by the police
why they are out and about
How organisations are approaching this:
• ID cards with volunteer’s name, their organisation
and organisation’s contact details
• Official letter from the organisation
• Email or WhatsApp/text message from the charity
on the volunteer’s phone
• Branded t-shirts, bibs and car stickers
VOLUNTEER ID

18.
2. SUPPORTING VOLUNTEERS
OUR FRONT LINE
https://www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/ourfrontl
ine/

19.
• People in key worker
roles are allowed to send
their children to school.
• Some sections of the key
worker guidance refer to
volunteers specifically,
including health and
social care volunteers.
• However the key worker
definition applies to
people in both paid and
unpaid roles.
2. SUPPORTING VOLUNTEERS
ARE VOLUNTEERS KEY WORKERS?
Volunteers in key worker
roles

20.
2. SUPPORTING VOLUNTEERS
• 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
CORONAVIRUS: GETTING TESTED

21.
• You can apply for a test
directly if you are in one
of the groups above.
• You can select a regional
test site drive-through
appointment or home
test kit.
• Home test kit availability
will initially be limited
but more will become
available.
self-referral.test-for-
coronavirus.service.gov.uk/
2. SUPPORTING VOLUNTEERS
CORONAVIRUS: GETTING TESTED

22.
Scenarios

23.
INVOLVING VOLUNTEERS
DURING THE PANDEMIC
3. SAFEGUARDING

24.
3. SAFEGUARDING
A. Safeguarding responsibilities
B. Minimising risk
C. DBS checks
D. Regulated activity
E. Non-regulated activity
IN THIS SECTION

25.
3. 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

26.
3. SAFEGUARDING
1. Follow the up-to-date 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
SOME TOP TIPS ON MINIMISING RISK

27.
3. SAFEGUARDING
Enhanced DBS
check + check
of the barred list
Enhanced DBS
check
Standard DBS
check
Basic DBS
check
DBS – WHAT CHECKS ARE AVAILABLE

28.
DBS restrictions to
volunteer are only
mandatory for
regulated activity
An activity us 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
3. SAFEGUARDING
REGULATED ACTIVITY

29.
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

30.
Any role
• It is an offence to ask
for criminal records
information if you are
not eligible to see
Regulated activity
• It is an offence to
recruit a barred
volunteer into a
regulated role
• It is an offence to be
barred, and undertake
a regulated role
3. SAFEGUARDING
OFFENCES AND DBS CHECKS

31.
Scenarios

32.
INVOLVING VOLUNTEERS
DURING THE PANDEMIC
4. REGULATION

33.
4. REGULATION
A. Data protection
B. Insurance
C. Furlough
IN THIS SECTION

34.
ICO have been clear:
‘data protection rules will not
stop you from helping those in
need’
- Existing groups: continue to
update your data
protection policy and
documentation
- New groups: just think
about the basics and do
your best
4. REGULATION
DATA PROTECTION
Data protection

35.
4. REGULATION
1. Clarity: Be honest about what your organisation will do
or is doing with personal data.
2. Sharing: This is only acceptable for specific reasons.
Public safety is one of them.
3. Act lawfully: Handling personal data is only allowed in
certain situations (eg legitimate interest, consent,
someone is at risk).
4. Security: Use locked documents, devices and cabinets
5. Minimise: Only ask for the data you need.
6. Record: Keep records of your decisions on data.
DATA PROTECTION

36.
4. REGULATION
• Insurance for volunteers is not a requirement in UK
law, however it can be useful where there is a risk of
harm to volunteers or the public.
• Here are some things to consider when deciding about
insurance.
• ‘People who are volunteering to help their
communities during the coronavirus outbreak do not
need to contact their insurer to update their
documents or extend their cover’, the ABI have said.
VOLUNTEERS AND INSURANCE

37.
4. REGULATION
• The UK government has set up a job retention scheme
offering grants for furloughed employees
• HMRC has produced guidance on furloughing
and the job retention scheme
• Furloughing is an ‘all or nothing’ decision – while
on furlough, employees must not provide services
or make money for (or on behalf of) their
employer
• Furloughed staff can only volunteer elsewhere
• ‘your organisation can agree to find furloughed
employees new work or volunteering
opportunities whilst on furlough’
FURLOUGHING

38.
4. REGULATION
1. Wellbeing first: Be mindful that it’s not right for
everyone and look out for the wellbeing of volunteers
2. Keep it voluntary: Don’t involve volunteers to backfill
staff – (financial liability/negative impact)
3. Roles that are fit for furlough: How you will integrate
new/remember they will be recalled at some point
4. Give options, not obligations: Encourage and support
people to volunteer – don’t force them
5. Supporting people into volunteering: This can range
from setting up fast-track volunteering with a charity
partner to simply providing a reference
FURLOUGHING
Volunteering and
furloughing: What do we
know?

39.
Scenarios

40.
INVOLVING VOLUNTEERS
DURING THE PANDEMIC
5. PRACTICALITIES

41.
PRACTICALITIES
A. Shopping/making payments
B. Volunteers’ Week 2020
IN THIS SECTION

42.
Options for payment:
• Click and collect
• Supermarket voucher or
gift card
• Pre-paid cash card
• Pay over the phone
• Own debit card
• Cash
5. PRACTICALITIES
MAKING PAYMENTS
Paying for goods or
services

43.
5. PRACTICALITIES
• A volunteer should give receipts and return any change,
cards or vouchers.
• If the volunteer has used their own card, they should be
reimbursed by online payment, cheque or cash (it is
always up to the volunteer if they wish to give their
bank account/PayPal details)
• A self-isolating person should not share any
unnecessary details.
• Make any exchanges by leaving them on the doorstep
MAKING PAYMENTS

44.
1. All the usual resources
and ideas are available
2. Think how your
messaging will be
received
3. Physical distancing is
still important
4. Keep telling
volunteering stories
5. PRACTICALITIES
VOLUNTEERS’ WEEK 2020

45.
INVOLVING VOLUNTEERS
DURING THE PANDEMIC
6. QUESTIONS

46.
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

47.
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

48.
INVOLVING VOLUNTEERS
DURING THE PANDEMIC
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
volunteering@ncvo.org.uk
@NCVOVolunteers
020 7520 2466
ncvo.org.uk/coronavirus