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Frequently Asked Questions Click on any of the questions below to have more information. Thinking about volunteering  I want to volunteer but I'm not sure what I want to do?Many people are not quite sure about what they might do as a volunteer. Look at our How to volunteer page for more information on finding a role, or you can contact us to arrange a chat about your volunteering options. If you live outside Newcastle you may prefer to contact your local Volunteer Centre to talk about your volunteering options in your local area . I don't live in Newcastle - will you still help me find a volunteering role? Volunteer Centre Newcastle works with anyone interested in volunteering in Newcastle upon Tyne. As a large city Newcastle has a large number of organisations based within the City boundaries, many of whom are happy to recruit volunteers who live close to Newcastle as well as volunteers living in Newcastle. One issue can sometimes be travelling expenses. At Volunteer Centre Newcastle we encourage all organsisations and groups to cover out of pocket expenses such as bus fares, but it is not reasonable to expect anything other than local travel costs to be reimbursed. There is a network of Volunteer Centres throughout the North East of England all offering similar core services, and each responsible for the volunteering roles within that area - so if you live outside Newcastle and you would prefer to volunteer close to your home you should contact your local Volunteer Centre. I have work/study/caring commitments during the day. Will I still be able to volunteer? Yes, there are many opportunities to volunteer that will fit around your day time commitments. Don’t be put off volunteering because you cannot volunteer during the day. Many organisations would love to find volunteers that are able to volunteer evenings, nights and/or weekends. It is, however, important to check with any organisation you are interested in volunteering for, what time commitment they have in mind. You will need to work out how many hours you will volunteer for and for how long you wish to volunteer. If I apply for a voluntary role how soon will I be volunteering? Every organisation will have their own way of recruiting volunteers. This might vary depending on the skills and knowledge needed to carry out the role, whether the role involves working with children (under 18s) or vulnerable adults, and what sort of demand there is for the roles in question. Some roles attract many applicants, and organisations have to choose to be either very selective or to have long waiting lists. Other organisations may have a shortage of volunteers and will be looking to recruit very quickly. There is no guarantee that you can volunteer in exactly the role you choose. You have to demonstrate that you have the attributes required to carry out, or train for, the role in question. The recruitment process can take some time and will involve one or more of the following: Application forms - these are normally much shorter than application forms for paid jobs. Volunteer co-ordinators are often looking for the potential for you to do a certain role; they are not usually expecting you to be immediately start volunteering without any training or instruction. Reference requests - quite often an organisation will ask for two references from people who know you quite well and have known you for some time (over a year). These do not have to be current or former employers, but they should not be immediate family members or anyone who lives with you. Informal interview - most volunteer co-ordinators will want to talk to you to find out why you want to volunteer for them and that you have the skills and personality to fit in the role. Trial period - many organisations will encourage you to try out the volunteering role to see if you like it and you can do the role they have asked you to. CRB check or police check: The Criminal Record Bureau undertake checks on potential volunteers who have roles working with anyone aged under 18 or any vulnerable adults. The organisation you are volunteering for will ask you for information to confirm your identity and the CRB will then send a report to both you and the organisation you want to volunteer for highlighting any convictions you may have or any reasons the police feel might be relevant to you volunteering with under 18s or vulnerable adults. How long it takes for a volunteer to start in their role depends on each organisation's process, and is something you should ask the volunteer coordinator directly. The role I am looking at requires CRB clearance ( a police check) - how do I get one? If the organisation that you want to volunteer for requires you to complete a CRB check the organisation will arrange this for you. You will need to provide various forms of identification to prove who you are and where you live. You will also have to be able to list all the addresses you have lived at for the last five years. I already have a CRB from a previous role or job. Do I need another one?Probably. Some organisations will accept a recently obtained CRB and if you have a CRB it is always worth mentioning when you got your check through. Many organisations have policies and procedures which require EVERYONE volunteering for particular roles to apply for a CRB check via their organisation. It may also be a requirement for indemnity insurance - that means an insurer has taken reasonable steps to ensure their volunteers have the ability and training to carry out a role with vulnerable groups of people. I have a criminal record / police caution. Will this affect my ability to volunteer? It is the experience of Volunteer Centre Newcastle that many people with a criminal record or police caution are looking to move on with their lives and see volunteering as a way of putting their mistakes behind them. All of the volunteer involving organisations that we work with have equal opportunities policies and these should apply to ex-offenders as much as to any other group of people. However many organisations have a duty of care and responsibility to any people their organisation supports, and if the voluntary role they offer involves working with young people or vulnerable adults they have a legal responsibility to carry out a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check or police check. If you have a criminal record, or if you have been cautioned, or even if the police have concerns about your past behaviour, this will be made known to both you and the organisation you want to volunteer for. If you want to volunteer for a role which involves a CRB check then we recommend that you discuss your offending past with the organisation before you complete the CRB form. There will be some instances when a volunteer co-ordinator will say that because of your offending past you are not suitable for a particular role, but they should be looking at the type of offence, the type of punishment you received, how long ago it happened, and what you have been doing in the meantime. The CRB check should be about assessing your suitability to volunteer with vulnerable adults and children, the coordinator and board of Trust and will discuss any issues they have with you. If you have concerns about any criminal record or police caution we can discuss these with you: however, we can not give a final answer as to whether a certain conviction or caution will stop a person volunteering. The final say always goes to the volunteer involving organisation. I am a young person. Why do some roles have age restrictions on them? Many of the roles we promote have a lower age limit. This is due to the nature of the roles and the experience and skills needed to carry out the roles. This is also influenced by the health and safety risk assessments which are carried out for each role as well as restrictions required for insurance purposes. The majority of roles are aimed at people aged 18 and over due to the reasons mentioned above. For young people aged 16-24 there is a network of organisations that specifically supports young people interested in volunteering. This network is called Vinvolved. The Vinvolved project that runs in Newcastle is called Changemakers. For young people aged 15 or under there are still opportunities to help out in the community but they are quite limited and we would ask you to ring us to discuss them. It is unlikely that any roles that require a CRB check will be open to anyone under the age of 18. No matter what age you are, the volunteer coordinators have a legal responsibility to safeguard you in your volunteering role. How long would I be expected to volunteer for? How many hours per week is a reasonable commitment? Most of the volunteering roles that our Centre promotes ask volunteers to give a small amount of time per week or per month, but on a regular basis. A typical example would be half to one volunteering day per week. If you are unable to commit to a regular time each week there are some roles and organisations that offer flexibility each week and other 'one off' opportunities where you simply turn up on the day. What if I want to take holidays / I have a caring commitment / if I'm not feeling well? Communication is vital between the volunteer coordinator and their volunteers. You will be expected where possible to let the volunteer coordinator know as soon as possible if you are unable to volunteer at any time, be it due to sickness or other responsibilities. If I volunteer will my benefits be affected? There are no restrictions on volunteering whilst on benefits as long as you follow the guidelines laid out in the document called 'Volunteering while receiving benefits' published by the Department for Work and Pensions. This document explains your responsibilities about volunteering whilst on benefits. It should also be available from your local Jobcentre Plus Office. I have applied for a volunteering role on 'Do It' and I haven't heard anything back. Why?Do It applications usually do not go straight to the organisation you applied for. They quite often go to your local volunteer centre. If you applied for a role that was posted onto Do It by Volunteer Centre Newcastle it is likely that we will respond to you by email with the contact details for the organisation(s) you applied for. Our emails then suggest you contact the organisational contact we have given you to pursue your volunteering application. I've been told that the role advertised on 'Do It' no longer exists. Why are you still advertising it?We rely on organisations to tell us when they want to advertise their volunteering roles, but also when they are no longer looking for volunteers. Many organisations operate a waiting list system for prospective volunteers if they have no current vacancies. If you do agree to go on a volunteer waiting list you be given an idea of how long it will be before you start volunteering. I have not got anyone who can provide a reference for me. How do I get round this?Most organisations require two references before you start volunteering. These references can be from anyone who has known you for some time who does not live with you and is not an immediate family member. References can be from former employers, health or social care workers, friends, or anyone who can vouch for who you are and for your character. Volunteer Centre Newcastle suggests that you always inform the people who you are using as references - this can prevent delayed applications. If you still feel you are unable to provide any references then you can choose roles that do not involve giving a reference. I want a volunteering placement for the course I am studying. Can you help me with this?Most volunteer involving organisations we work with do not offer short, full time volunteering placements. From their perspective it is not in their best interests to do this because the value they will receive from you as a volunteer will usually be outweighed by the time and cost required to train and supervise you. We are happy to give you contact details for organisations offering volunteering roles, but it is our experience that only a few organisations may be willing to take on a placement student as a volunteer. Already volunteering I am already volunteering with one organisation. Can I volunteer with another organisation as well?Yes you can. We would suggest you carefully consider all of your time commitments, not just your volunteering time commitments, before you agree to do other volunteering. We would also suggest you start off by volunteering for a limited amount of time, and ask for more hours if you want them when you have settled in. How long do I have to volunteer in order to get a reference? Most organisations will be happy to give you a reference after 3 to 6 months. This sometimes depends on how much volunteering you have done in that time. It is a question you can ask before you even start volunteering. I would like a paid job with the people I currently volunteer for. Is this realistic?There are people in paid jobs who have initially volunteered within the same organisation. There are no guarantees though, and factors that might influence this are the size and the finances of the organisation you are in. Volunteering is a good way of enhancing your employabillity, so if you are looking to move into a paid job it is a question of working out what sort of voluntary experience would be most relevant for the paid job of your dreams. I have a complaint about the way I am being treated as a volunteer. What do I do next? There is no easy answer to this question. Unlike paid employees, volunteers do not have many rights in law that protect them. If your organisation has paid members of staff we would suggest you raise your complaint informally to the paid person who supervises you as a volunteer. If your complaint is about the person who is supervising then you could raise the issue with their manager or the board of trustees. Ask to see the complaints policy which should outline how and who will deal with your complaint. |
