Keeping Volunteers Safe: Restarting your Volunteer Programme

5.3. Your Legal Responsibilities

The course takes a considered and careful approach, asking you to think carefully about the legality of the role of volunteers in your context and to reflect on how and indeed if they should return or should your volunteer programme scale-up. First of all, it is up to volunteers, it is their choice, but if they do choose to come back, it is then up to the leadership team in your group or organisation to make the final decisions.

SCVO offer free advice to member groups or organisations with an annual income of less than £500,000. Members can complete the online enquiry form, and they will be contacted directly within five working days and provide up to two hours of free legal advice on the query.

Alternatively, our colleagues at NCVO have made their member-only resources free to everyone because of the current COVID-19 situation. The volunteers and the law page of their website offer advice and guidance on several topics, including volunteering and health and safety, which includes information regarding health and safety legislation.

Law at work are experts in employment law and have some FAQ and a range of COVID-19 resources you can refer to for guidance and advice. Please be aware that not all of these resources are free and that you may be required to register with Law at Work or make a one-off payment to access these resources.