A Guide for the Development of Policies and Procedures

Procedures might include:

All volunteer candidates will fill out a one-page Volunteer Interest form.
A group of suitable volunteer candidates will be invited to attend a brief information session where questions will be answered, and the job and agency expectations will be explained. At this session, volunteers can register for the upcoming training and complete other necessary forms.
Background checks will be done and references contacted.
Upon completion of the training, the Volunteer Coordinator will schedule one-on-one meetings with all volunteer candidates to assess their suitability and for possible matching with a learner.

Sample Statement

To protect the client, agency and volunteer, it is the policy of this agency to conduct a detailed background check as a part of the screening process.This will involve conducting a police check and contacting at least two references.

Volunteers are allowed to serve in more than one position in this agency provided that the integrity of their work can be maintained, and there is no conflict of interest or breach of confidentiality regarding privileged information.

All volunteer tutors are subject to a probationary period of 60 days, after which time the Volunteer Coordinator will contact the tutor to determine whether the needs of the agency and the volunteer are being satisfactorily met.

All volunteers will receive written confirmation of their acceptance to a volunteer position.They will also receive copies of their agreement(s) with the agency, a job description, a volunteer handbook and copies of the relevant policies and procedures.

(Note on Screening. Since this is such a complex and farreaching issue, it is recommended that you consult The National Education Campaign on Screening Volunteers, which has definitive resources on the subject.The Screening Handbook,The Education Dossier and “Duty of Care” video can be ordered through Volunteer Canada at 613-241-4371 or 1-800-670-0401 or at www.volunteer.ca. More information on this topic will be made available in Phase Two of this project.)