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Lone volunteering

What is lone volunteering?

Lone volunteering is when you meet a person, enter a new environment, or travel alone as part of your volunteering role.

See Group Handbook A5: Health, safety and wellbeing

Staying safe when volunteering alone

Your safety is our priority and we never want you to take any unnecessary risks when volunteering for us. Our lone volunteering policy and guidance will support you to stay safe when volunteering alone:

  1. Staying safe when volunteering alone: A guide for volunteers
  2. Lone volunteering checklist
  3. Lone working and volunteering policy and procedure

Discuss any concerns you have with your Coordinating Team before you engage in any lone volunteering activity.

If in doubt, follow your instincts and do not put yourself in a risky situation. If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, leave the situation as quickly as possible.

Meeting face to face

The first time you meet someone, wherever it takes place, it is sensible to ask another volunteer to go with you. If a professional has made a referral for support, you could ask them to be there.

  1. See Staying safe when volunteering alone: A guide for volunteers for our guidance on meeting people face to face
  2. Use our Lone volunteering checklist to stay safe

Making home visits

You may be asked to make a home visit for people that are isolated. If home visiting is the only possible way to visit or meet with someone, ensure that at least two people visit together. Even if the person being visited is not alone at home, a volunteer visiting them must be accompanied by at least one other person.

Our policy is that staff and volunteers must never make home visits alone.

  1. See Staying safe when volunteering alone: A guide for volunteers for our guidance on home visits
  2. Use our Lone volunteering checklist to stay safe

Need support?

Your Volunteer Support Officer is available to discuss your concerns about lone volunteering.

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Health and safety