How the Good Neighbours Team work protect everyone
Keeping People Safe
As part of the Good Neighbours team our volunteers will be coming into contact with beneficiaries that can be considered Vulnerable Adults. Due to this we have safeguarding procedures in place to ensure our volunteer’s and our beneficiary’s safety and wellbeing are maintained.
When someone signs up to be a volunteer with Good Neighbours we will arrange a call with them to explain the role, and conduct a small interview with them. This is to establish their motivation in becoming a volunteer with us, and to find out a little bit about them. These are very informal and nothing to worry about, just think of them as a getting to know you call!
If after the interview they decide that they wish to continue with their volunteering role we will then ask for two character references. These can be from anyone that has known them for more than 2 years, but isn’t directly related to them. So this could be a family friend, work colleague, neighbour etc.
Our Good Neighbours volunteers may have to be DBS checked depending on their activity. Our designated Volunteer Coordinators (Helen, Madi or Caroline) will talk them through the role they will be performing and perform a short risk assessment of the tasks involved.
Our volunteers have access to training to support them in their role as a volunteer (which can be accessed online via a computer, tablet or mobile phone); in addition, they will have access to training offered by partner organisations as well (such as Warrington council). All training is accessed free of charge. We have dedicated safeguarding training that needs to be accessed before commencing any interactions with Beneficiaries and this is all online as well.
We ensure that we keep in touch with our volunteers and beneficiaries throughout their time with us to ensure they are happy with the current arrangement and to give them space to air any concerns or worries if they have any. Our volunteers will receive regular one to ones within the period of time that they are matched with a beneficiary so that they can touch base with us and we can ensure that everything is running smoothly and the match remains compatible.
As we provide shopping services for our beneficiaries we have put in place a cashless system to ensure that no money exchanges hands between beneficiaries and volunteers. With the use of vHelp our volunteers are able to submit the receipt from the shopping they have completed into their vHelp account, this then comes through to the office where we check the receipt, and then authorise the transfer of money from beneficiaries to volunteers digitally. This ensures that all our beneficiaries details are kept secure, no money is exchanged in person, and our beneficiaries are only charged for the exact amount that the shopping cost.
Information Links and Resources
Support Good Neighbours can offer Good Neighbours Volunteer Roles | Warrington Voluntary Action (warringtonva.org.uk)
DBS information and application: Good Neighbours DBS Guide | Warrington Voluntary Action (warringtonva.org.uk)
Safeguarding Training: Good Neighbour Volunteer Training | Warrington Voluntary Action (warringtonva.org.uk)
Volunteer Handbook: Good Neighbour Volunteer Handbook | Warrington Voluntary Action (warringtonva.org.uk)
Collecting Medication Protocols: Good Neighbours - Collecting And Delivering Medication | Warrington Voluntary Action (warringtonva.org.uk)
Safeguarding Policies and Procedures