Volunteer Policy and Volunteer Agreement

A volunteer policy, a non-contractual volunteer agreement and a role description template – written to value volunteers without accidentally creating employment.

Editable Word document
11
10pages
Guidance notes included
aml consultancy solutions

Charities

Volunteer Policy and Volunteer Agreement

About this document

What it’s for

Three linked documents: a volunteer policy approved by the trustees, a volunteer agreement that sets out mutual expectations in a way that is binding in honour only, and a role description template. They are carefully worded to avoid giving volunteers employment or worker status.

When to use it

  • When recruiting and welcoming new volunteers
  • To replace volunteer agreements that read like employment contracts
  • When reviewing how volunteers are supported, insured and reimbursed

What’s inside

The document is laid out in the sections below. Each one comes with a plain-English guidance note explaining what it does and what to change.

  1. Our commitment to volunteers
  2. Scope and definitions
  3. Roles and responsibilities
  4. Why we involve volunteers
  5. Equality and inclusion
  6. Recruitment and selection
  7. Young volunteers
  8. Induction and training
  9. Support and supervision
  10. Expenses
  11. Volunteers receiving benefits
  12. Health, safety and insurance
  13. Data protection and confidentiality
  14. Resolving problems
  15. Ending volunteering
  16. Recognition
  17. Monitoring and review

Also included

  • What you can expect from us
  • What we hope for from you
  • Checks for this role
  • Your expenses

How to complete it

  • Fill in the policy and approve it at a trustee meeting
  • Complete a role description for each volunteer role (Part 3)
  • Go through the agreement with each new volunteer and give them a copy
  • Keep the language as it is – words like “must”, “contract”, “disciplinary” and “notice” can create legal obligations

Key points to check

  • Only ever reimburse actual out-of-pocket expenses – flat-rate payments or perks can turn a volunteer into a worker
  • DBS rules for roles with children changed on 1 September 2026 – see the Safeguarding Policy

Our templates are professionally structured starting points for UK businesses, not legal advice. For anything complex, unusual or high-value, have your final version checked by a solicitor.

Included in the pack

Charities

£20

for every document in this category

Editable Microsoft Word files

Guidance notes in every document

Written for UK businesses

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