Volunteer Policy

Al-Waris Foundation values volunteers and recognises the important contribution they can make to the charity's work.

The charity is committed to providing volunteer opportunities that are:

Volunteers are not employees merely because they volunteer for Al-Waris Foundation.

This policy is not intended to create a contract of employment or worker status.

This policy establishes Al-Waris Foundation's approach to:

This policy applies to people volunteering directly for Al-Waris Foundation.

Volunteer roles may include:

Different roles may require different levels of recruitment, training, checks and supervision.

The Board of Trustees retains overall responsibility for ensuring that appropriate volunteer-management arrangements exist.

Operational volunteer management may be delegated to:

Volunteers provide their time freely.

Unless a separate lawful arrangement exists, volunteers:

The charity may also end a volunteer arrangement where appropriate.

Volunteer documents should avoid unnecessarily creating contractual obligations.

Terms such as:

may be used to clarify arrangements.

They should not be drafted as employment contracts unless employment is genuinely intended.

Volunteer roles should be reasonably clear.

A role description may identify:

Low-risk informal volunteering may use a simpler process.

Volunteer recruitment should be fair, proportionate and appropriate to the role.

The charity may use:

See the Safer Recruitment Policy.

Volunteer recruitment and treatment should be consistent with the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.

The charity will not unlawfully discriminate when recruiting or managing volunteers.

Reasonable adjustments should be considered where appropriate.

Al-Waris Foundation may set reasonable eligibility requirements based on:

Requirements must be genuinely related to the role.

Volunteer age requirements should reflect the activity.

Some activities may be suitable for young volunteers where appropriate supervision exists.

Other roles may require a volunteer to be 18 or over because of:

Where volunteers under 18 participate, the charity should consider:

Young volunteers should not be placed in inappropriate or hazardous roles.

Identity checks may be required where appropriate to the role.

This may be particularly relevant where volunteers:

References may be requested for roles involving higher levels of:

References should be proportionate.

DBS checks will only be requested where the role is legally eligible and the check is proportionate.

The charity must not assume that every volunteer requires a DBS check.

A criminal record does not automatically make a person unsuitable unless:

Al-Waris Foundation is not required to accept every person who offers to volunteer.

A volunteer may be declined where the charity reasonably concludes that:

The charity should act fairly and proportionately.

Volunteers should disclose relevant conflicts of interest.

Examples include:

See the Conflict of Interest Policy.

Volunteers should receive an induction proportionate to their role.

This may include:

Volunteers should receive training or guidance appropriate to their duties.

Examples may include:

Not every volunteer needs training in every policy.

The level of supervision should reflect:

Higher-risk roles should receive closer oversight.

Where appropriate, a volunteer may have a named coordinator or project lead who can:

Volunteers should act within their authorised role.

They must not assume powers or responsibilities they have not been given.

Examples include:

A trustee may also undertake operational volunteer responsibilities where appropriate.

The person should understand when they are acting:

Trustee legal responsibilities continue regardless of operational role.

Volunteers are expected to behave in a manner consistent with:

Volunteers must treat:

with reasonable respect.

Bullying, harassment, intimidation and unlawful discrimination are not acceptable.

Volunteers must comply with applicable safeguarding policies.

They must report concerns where they believe:

may be at risk of harm.

Volunteers should not attempt to investigate serious safeguarding concerns independently.

Volunteers working with beneficiaries should maintain appropriate boundaries.

They should avoid:

Volunteers should follow the Gifts and Hospitality Policy when offered personal gifts by beneficiaries.

They should consider whether accepting a gift may:

Volunteers should not routinely provide significant personal financial assistance directly to beneficiaries outside authorised charity processes.

Where they believe further help is needed, they should raise it through the appropriate charity route.

Volunteers may encounter confidential information.

They must not disclose information without legitimate authority.

This may include:

See the Confidentiality Policy.

Volunteers handling personal information must comply with the Data Protection and UK GDPR Policy.

Volunteers should only access information genuinely required for their role.

Volunteers with digital access must:

See the Information Security and Cybersecurity Policy.

Where volunteers use personal devices for authorised charity activity, they should take reasonable steps to protect charity information.

This may include:

Volunteers must comply with the Social Media and Digital Communications Policy.

Volunteer status does not automatically authorise a person to:

Volunteers may use personal accounts in their own capacity.

They should not falsely represent personal views as official Al-Waris Foundation positions.

They must not disclose confidential or inappropriate beneficiary information.

Volunteers taking project media must comply with the Photography, Video and Beneficiary Consent Policy.

Access to beneficiaries through volunteering must not be used to create unauthorised personal content.

Volunteers undertaking fundraising should receive appropriate guidance concerning:

See the Fundraising Policy.

Street collectors must comply with:

Where a collection requires supervision, supervisors should understand:

Supervision arrangements should reflect the relevant collection licence or permission.

Volunteers handling cash must follow financial controls.

They must not:

Legitimate fundraising expenses should be claimed through the Expenses Policy.

Collection proceeds should not be reduced informally to reimburse volunteers.

Volunteers assisting at events should follow:

Volunteers assisting with food distributions should:

Aid should not be distributed according to a volunteer's personal preference where formal eligibility or allocation criteria apply.

Volunteer relationships must not improperly override beneficiary-selection rules.

Overseas volunteering requires enhanced planning.

The charity should consider:

See the Overseas Operations and Partner Due Diligence Policy.

Travelling overseas on behalf of Al-Waris Foundation does not provide unrestricted authority to:

Authority should be defined in advance.

Volunteers should not be required to travel into circumstances presenting unreasonable danger merely to:

Safety takes priority.

Reasonable authorised volunteer expenses may be reimbursed.

See the Expenses Policy.

Volunteer reimbursement should reflect genuine costs and should not normally become disguised payment for time.

Volunteers should not routinely receive payment for volunteering.

Where Al-Waris Foundation wishes to pay a person for services, the arrangement should be separately assessed to determine whether the person is:

The arrangement should not be inaccurately described as volunteering merely to avoid legal obligations.

Volunteers must not use their role to obtain inappropriate:

Al-Waris Foundation may issue identification to volunteers where appropriate.

Identification remains charity property where applicable and should not be:

The charity may provide or approve branded clothing for:

Wearing charity branding does not authorise activity beyond the person's assigned role.

Volunteers should follow the Health and Safety Policy.

Volunteers should report:

A volunteer should not be pressured to continue an activity where they reasonably believe it presents a serious immediate safety risk.

The activity lead should review the situation.

The charity should consider appropriate insurance for volunteer activities.

Insurance coverage varies according to:

Volunteers should not assume every personal item or circumstance is insured.

Volunteers driving for charity activity must:

The charity must not encourage unsafe driving to meet schedules.

Lone volunteering should be assessed according to risk.

Higher-risk activity may require:

Where a volunteer agrees to attend a specific activity, they should make reasonable efforts to:

The charity recognises that volunteering remains voluntary.

Repeated failure to attend or follow agreed arrangements may result in the charity:

This should be managed proportionately.

A volunteer is not normally required to provide the same sickness or absence documentation as an employee unless a particular role requires information for a legitimate reason.

Where possible, Al-Waris Foundation may offer flexible opportunities to enable participation by people with:

Operational needs may limit flexibility for particular activities.

The charity may retain volunteer information including:

See the Records Retention and Disposal Policy.

For certain activities, volunteers may be asked to provide an emergency contact.

This information should be:

The charity should only request health information where it has a legitimate reason relating to matters such as:

Health information must be handled carefully.

Volunteers should have a reasonable route to:

The charity should seek to resolve ordinary issues informally where appropriate.

Volunteers may raise complaints under the Complaints Policy where appropriate.

Employment grievance procedures do not automatically apply to volunteers.

Complaints concerning volunteers should be handled fairly and proportionately.

Depending on the matter, the charity may:

Where a safeguarding allegation concerns a volunteer:

Suspension or restriction during investigation does not itself establish wrongdoing.

Where suspected criminal conduct occurs during volunteering, the charity should consider appropriate:

Suspected fraud or misuse of charity resources should be handled under the Anti-Fraud, Bribery and Corruption Policy.

Volunteers may raise serious concerns under the Whistleblowing Policy.

Al-Waris Foundation will not tolerate inappropriate retaliation against a volunteer for raising a genuine concern.

Volunteer disputes should be managed appropriately.

Minor disagreements should not automatically become formal disciplinary matters.

Where necessary, the charity may:

Possible conduct concerns may include:

Where appropriate, concerns may be addressed through:

Formal processes should be proportionate to the seriousness of the issue.

A volunteer may temporarily be asked not to undertake certain duties where necessary to protect:

Suspension is a precautionary measure and does not automatically establish wrongdoing.

Al-Waris Foundation may end a volunteer arrangement where:

Because volunteering is not normally an employment relationship, either party may usually end the arrangement without a contractual notice period.

Where practical, reasonable notice is encouraged to support continuity.

When a volunteer leaves, the charity should consider:

Confidentiality obligations continue after the volunteer relationship ends where the information remains confidential.

Al-Waris Foundation may provide a factual volunteer reference where appropriate.

References should be:

The charity should not conceal serious safeguarding concerns through a misleadingly positive reference.

The charity may recognise volunteer contributions through:

Recognition should not inadvertently create an employment relationship or inappropriate private benefit.

Modest volunteer recognition gifts may be appropriate.

Material gifts should be considered under the Gifts and Hospitality Policy and financial controls.

Reimbursement of genuine expenses should not be withheld merely because a volunteer has received separate recognition.

Likewise, recognition should not be disguised as expense reimbursement.

Volunteer access to charity systems should be based on actual role requirements.

Volunteers do not automatically require access to:

Volunteers undertaking administrative roles may receive limited system access.

Permissions should reflect:

Volunteer access to financial systems should only be given where:

High-risk financial permissions should remain limited.

Volunteers supporting communications may receive CMS access appropriate to their role.

The charity may distinguish between:

Official social-media account access should be limited to authorised communications volunteers.

Access should be revoked when no longer required.

Volunteers may organise fundraising activities where authorised.

They should not:

Supporters independently raising money for Al-Waris Foundation may not always be formal volunteers.

Where the charity formally authorises or supervises their activity, appropriate fundraising controls should still apply.

Volunteers may suggest new projects or activities.

A volunteer proposal does not constitute charity approval.

Significant new activity must pass the appropriate:

assessment.

Volunteers representing Al-Waris Foundation externally should communicate accurately about:

They should not make commitments they are not authorised to make.

Volunteers receiving media enquiries should normally refer them to an authorised charity representative unless specifically authorised to respond.

Volunteers may have personal political views.

When acting for Al-Waris Foundation, they must not use charity activity to support:

Volunteers should respect the charity's purposes and values.

Beneficiaries should not normally be required to participate in religious activity as a condition of receiving ordinary charitable aid unless the relevant activity itself is lawfully structured for a specific charitable purpose.

Volunteers should treat people consistently with the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.

Unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation are unacceptable.

Reasonable adjustments may be considered to enable people with disabilities to volunteer.

The charity is not required to create a role that cannot be performed safely or practically, but should consider reasonable alternatives.

Significant incidents involving volunteers may require consideration under the Serious Incident Reporting Policy.

This may include serious:

Material decisions involving:

should be recorded proportionately.

Volunteer data should be retained according to the Records Retention and Disposal Policy.

Unsuccessful applications should not be retained indefinitely without justification.

Volunteers have applicable data-protection rights concerning their personal information.

Requests should be handled under the Data Protection and UK GDPR Policy.

A volunteer must not be subjected to inappropriate retaliation merely because they:

Knowingly making deliberately false allegations may result in appropriate action.

However, an allegation is not malicious merely because it cannot be substantiated.

Breaches of this policy may result in:

This policy should be read alongside:

This policy will be reviewed:

Version: 2.0 Status: Approved Approved by: Board of Trustees Approval date: 25/08/2026 Next scheduled review: 24/08/2027