Volunteer Management: Volunteers and the Law

Managing volunteers confidently means understanding the legal landscape around volunteering. While volunteers do not have the same legal status as employees, organisations still have important legal responsibilities. This practical session explores the key legal principles that affect volunteer involvement and shows how good practice can reduce risk while creating a positive, fair volunteering experience.

What the session covers:

• What volunteering legally is (and isn’t), including how volunteering is defined and why “expectation not obligation” matters

• Understanding the legal status of volunteers and why they are not covered by employment law

• How organisations can unintentionally create a contract—and how to avoid it

• Appropriate use of language in volunteer roles, agreements, and policies to prevent legal risk

• Expenses, rewards, and recognition—what is permitted and what could be seen as payment

• Volunteer agreements, policies, and good practice approaches that protect both volunteers and organisations

• Safeguarding responsibilities, DBS checks, and how to decide whether a volunteer role is eligible

• Data protection, confidentiality, and GDPR responsibilities when working with volunteers

• Health and safety duties of care, risk assessment, and insurance requirements

• Who can volunteer, including young people, older volunteers, refugees, asylum seekers, and people receiving benefits

Who is it for?

Ideal for anyone involved in recruiting, coordinating, managing, or supporting volunteers, including volunteer coordinators, managers, trustees, team leaders, and staff new to volunteer‑involving roles.

Particularly useful for organisations reviewing their volunteer policies or wanting to ensure they are operating safely and legally.

Why attend?

Understanding the law around volunteering helps organisations avoid costly mistakes while treating volunteers fairly and respectfully. Clear policies and good practice strengthen trust, improve retention, and protect everyone involved.

For directions on how to find us and parking information, please follow this link: Visiting MVDA: Directions & Parking.

For more information about this training please contact us on: Tel: 01642 249300 Email: [email protected]

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Middlesbrough Voluntary Development Agency