Safeguarding for Volunteers

Every Volunteer Wants to Help. Make Sure They Know How.

Your volunteers joined your organisation because they care about people.

They didn't volunteer to become safeguarding experts.

Yet every day, volunteers work alongside children, young people, older adults and vulnerable people who may be experiencing abuse, neglect, exploitation, poor mental health, domestic abuse, self-neglect or significant life difficulties.

Often, volunteers are the first people to notice that something isn't quite right.

The question is...
Would they know what to do next?

The Professional Safety Series – Safeguarding for Volunteers has been created specifically for charities, community groups, churches, food banks, sports clubs and voluntary organisations that want their volunteers to feel confident, prepared and supported when safeguarding concerns arise.

Unlike many online safeguarding courses that focus heavily on legislation and policy, this practical guide helps volunteers recognise concerns, respond appropriately and understand their role without becoming overwhelmed.

Through engaging real-life stories, practical scenarios, downloadable toolkit resources and simple step-by-step guidance, volunteers learn how to:

• Recognise vulnerability and early safeguarding concerns.
• Respond calmly when someone makes a disclosure.
• Understand professional boundaries.
• Know when and how to report concerns.
• Work safely with children and adults at risk.
• Maintain confidentiality appropriately.
• Protect themselves as well as the people they support.

Each chapter includes practical resources that volunteers can continue using long after the training has finished, including checklists, decision trees, quick reference cards, observation templates and reflective learning journals.

The course concludes with a knowledge check, professional judgement scenarios and a downloadable CPD Certificate of Completion.

Why Organisations Choose This

A well-trained volunteer workforce helps organisations to:

✓ Build a stronger safeguarding culture.

✓ Increase volunteer confidence and reduce uncertainty.

✓ Demonstrate a proactive commitment to safeguarding.

✓ Improve consistency when responding to concerns.

✓ Reduce the risk of safeguarding concerns being missed or handled inappropriately.

✓ Support trustees, managers and safeguarding leads in promoting good practice across the organisation.

Most importantly, it helps volunteers understand that safeguarding isn't about having all the answers.

It's about noticing, listening, recording and sharing concerns with the right people at the right time.

Suitable For

• Charities
• Community Groups
• Churches and Faith Organisations
• Food Banks
• Befriending Services
• Youth Organisations
• Sports Clubs
• Community Transport Schemes
• Community Cafés
• Support Services
• Volunteer Centres
• Not-for-Profit Organisations

Whether your volunteers meet one person a week or hundreds every month, safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

Because safer organisations are built by ordinary people who know what to do when something doesn't feel right.

Professional Safety Series™ – Safeguarding for Volunteers

Practical. Memorable. Designed for real life.