VOLUNTEERS, VOLUNTEERING AND THE LAW – TRAINING COURSE
Volunteer law training, this lively and interactive one-day course provides a clear and practical understanding of the legal framework surrounding volunteering. It explores rights and responsibilities, the risks affecting volunteers, volunteer managers, and the organisations that engage them.
Volunteering continues to evolve across the charity, community, public, and private sectors. Many organisations rely heavily on volunteers, while others increasingly involve unpaid roles through employability programmes or corporate volunteering initiatives as part of wider social value commitments.
At the same time, welfare reform, changing government policy, and significant legal judgments continue to reshape the boundaries between volunteering, employment, and worker status. This has important implications for organisations in how they recruit, manage, and support volunteers safely and lawfully.
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?
This workshop is designed for anyone who works with volunteers or manages volunteering programmes within their organisation. It is also valuable for volunteers who want to better understand their rights and responsibilities.
Typical attendees include volunteer coordinators, HR professionals, team leaders, trustees, and managers across voluntary, public, and private sector organisations.
COURSE OUTCOMES, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
By the end of the training, participants will be able to:
- Understand the legal distinctions between employees, workers, and volunteers
- Identify when a volunteer relationship may inadvertently create employment or worker status
- Understand the implications of employment law, including National Minimum Wage requirements
- Recognise the tax implications of payments, expenses, and benefits provided to volunteers
- Understand the legal and practical considerations for specific volunteer groups, including:
- Charity trustees
- Asylum seekers
- Individuals in receipt of welfare benefits
- Identify and manage legal and operational risks affecting:
- Volunteers themselves
- Service users
- Members of the public and wider stakeholders
- Understand when risk assessments are required and how to carry them out effectively
- Gain confidence in applying safeguarding principles within volunteer settings
- Be able to apply legal and good practice standards to real organisational scenarios
COURSE CONTENT
The course covers the key legal and practical issues involved in managing volunteers, including:
- The difference between employees, workers, and volunteers – and where boundaries overlap
- Volunteer status and recent developments in case law
- Remuneration, expenses, and National Minimum Wage considerations
- Volunteer agreements and the importance of clear role definitions
- Recruitment, selection, and vetting processes (including DBS considerations where applicable)
- Equality, diversity, inclusion, and the Equality Act
- Safeguarding responsibilities and safe working practices
- Health and safety duties in relation to volunteers
- Insurance requirements and organisational liability
- Data protection and handling of volunteer information
- Welfare benefits and implications for volunteers receiving support
- Volunteer drivers and associated legal considerations
- Volunteers from outside the UK, including right to work and eligibility considerations
- Managing conduct, boundaries, complaints, and difficult situations
- Emerging issues in digital, hybrid, and corporate volunteering models
The workshop also explores current and emerging developments in volunteer status, including relevant case law, policy changes, and welfare-to-work reforms.
PRACTICAL WORKSHOP ELEMENT
A key feature of this course is an embedded best-practice audit of volunteer management processes. Participants are encouraged to bring relevant policies, procedures, or documents for review.
This enables a practical “health check” of current arrangements and helps participants identify gaps, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
By the end of the day, participants will leave with a clearer understanding of legal requirements, improved confidence in managing volunteers, and a tailored action plan for their organisation.
