Denbighshire Voluntary Council

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In Associatioin With

Quality Standards for organisations working with young people

All young volunteers must be safe

Organisations/groups involved in providing volunteering opportunities for young people must:

• Comply with Health and Safety laws on all projects and premises where young people are engaged in voluntary activity;
• Have adequate insurance cover for all volunteers and the paid staff supporting them in providing services of benefit to the community;
• Implement the requirements of the 1997 Police Act for criminal record checks for prospective volunteers working with vulnerable client groups and for placement organisations involving volunteers less than 18 years.

All young people must be treated fairly

Partners involved in providing volunteering opportunities must:

• Provide worthwhile voluntary activities which enable young people to contribute to their community
• Ensure that young volunteers are not used to substitute for paid jobs or to devalue the contributions of existing volunteers
• Allow young people to test out the voluntary activity, or a variety of activities, before making a sustained commitment as a volunteer
• Match the needs and aspirations of young people with voluntary activity in line with good equal opportunities procedures, including taking action to attract and recruit young people from groups who do not traditionally volunteer
• Have a positive commitment to equal opportunities, including a written equal opportunities statement, which demonstrates that they are complying with equal opportunities legislation. This should include action to address barriers and to challenge poor equal opportunities or practice
• Ensure that young volunteers have the opportunity for learning and personal development
• Provide an adequate period of induction
• Provide support and supervision for young people while they carry out the voluntary activity
• Ensure appropriate support for young people in the process of review (including peer review) and reflection on their activity and learning
• Enable young people to receive formal accreditation for their learning if they wish to do so
• Offer a written reference, which sets out in more detail the activity and learning the young person has achieved while volunteering if he or she wants it.

Tel: 01824 702441 Email: gaynor@dvsc.co.uk