There can be different types of volunteers in a forum, depending on your structure. If you’re a charity or CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation), it is likely that your trustees will be working as volunteers. If you are a CIC (Community Interest Company) your directors may work as volunteers or may be paid depending on your articles of association. Unincorporated associations could run entirely on volunteers. Some forums will have a mix of employed staff, self-employed workers and volunteers.
Whether people are paid or unpaid, it’s important that they receive support and respect for their contribution.
Volunteer – Definition from Gov.uk: ‘A person engaged in an activity which involves spending time, unpaid (except for travel and other approved out-of-pocket expenses), doing something which aims to benefit some third party other than, or in addition to, a close relative.’
Supporting volunteers
Often, someone within a forum takes on the role of volunteer/parent rep co-ordinator. This person is responsible for recruiting, training, and supporting volunteers who work for the forum, unpaid, except for travel and other approved out of pocket expenses. The volunteer co-ordinator usually spends time getting to know parents, building trust through informal activities, and learning what interests people so they can match them to suitable roles. The volunteer co-ordinator helps volunteers to progress into different roles in the forum over time such as running events and consultations, joining focus groups on specific topics, representing parents on strategic groups, or becoming a steering group member.
The volunteer co-ordinator also spends time mentoring volunteers until they’re confident in roles, giving both the volunteer and forum time to decide if the role is the right fit.
Volunteers do not have a contract of employment so they do not have the same rights as an employee or worker. You can find out more information on the government website page Volunteer opportunities, rights and expenses.
Good practice when working with volunteers
When a forum uses volunteers, it is good practice to:
- Make sure each volunteer understands their role and receives the right training and support, including regular supervision.
- Provide a volunteer agreement, and clear information about what to do if they have a concern or complaint.
- Explain what expenses can be reimbursed and how to claim them.
- Provide information whether the forum’s insurance covers them.
Forums can access a volunteer management template through Community Matters.
Volunteers give their time free of charge to help support the forum, but it is good practice to reimburse any out-of-pocket expenses. These might include costs directly related to their voluntary role or expenses that enable them to carry out the role.
Forums should also take a look at the page Paying people in the forum to ensure they understand how to handle any payments appropriately.
Video: Good practice in volunteer management
- NCVO: Paying volunteer expenses
- NCVO: Step by Step guid to involving volunteers
- Volunteer now: How to develop a volunteer agreement
- SCOPE: Example volunteer agreement
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Looking for something else? You can find a full list of pages on our Parent carer forum handbook contents page.
Find out more about volunteers
Paying people in the forum
Find out more about who can and can’t be paid in the forum
Paying people in the forum
Policies and procedures
Paying Volunteers expenses
Find out more
Community Matters
Find out about support to forums especially around policies and procedures.
Find out more
Contact adviser
Find out more about your named Contact adviser
Contact Parent Carer Participation Advisers
CIC wellbeing assistance program
Find out more about the support from CIC wellbeing assistance program
Find out more
Support for forums
Find out about support available to forums
Support for families