Managing volunteers

Virtual or online volunteering describes a volunteer who completes tasks off-site from the organisation being assisted by the internet. This could be uisng a computer, a smartphone or other internet connected device. Opportunities for virtual volunteering are available through organisations such as the United Nations.

Online volunteering - Our Community website

Organisations and the community can benefit significantly by involving people with a range of skills and abilities from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in volunteering.

It can be a challenge for organisations to attract people from diverse backgrounds, to participate in their volunteer programs. A range of programs, tools and resources are available, which support multicultural volunteering, including:

• free online cultural awareness training module  (896.2 KB PDF) - City of Charles Sturt
• South Australia's Diversity - Multicultural Affairs provides detailed information, including community profiles, about South Australia's multicultural population.

There are many mutual benefits for businesses and community organisations who take part in corporate volunteering. Corporate volunteering programs can help:

• businesses provide expertise to assist community organisations in short term assignments and service delivery
• community organisations access professional help in a range of skill areas including planning, marketing, finance.

Volunteering SA&NT provide a corporate volunteering consultancy service, which can assist your organisation to find business volunteers.

Recognition of volunteer effort is an important part of volunteer management. There are many ways that managers of volunteers, staff and other volunteers within the organisation can show that they appreciate and value the efforts of all members of the volunteer team. The Office for Volunteers provides details on government-led recognition initiatives which serve to ensure volunteer effort can be recognised appropriately.

Volunteers Day

The South Australian government values the significant contribution made by volunteers across the state, and has proclaimed a special day in their honour.

Volunteers Day is celebrated every year on the King's birthday public holiday, with a free event to thank South Australia's dedicated volunteers.

Find out more about the event on the Department of Human Services website.

When grievances occur between volunteers and their organisations, most can be resolved internally, usually through an organisation's grievance procedure and disputes resolution policy or through:

• intervention by senior management
• mediation by an independent person where both parties have the opportunity to discuss the problem
• a more formal review that will include an investigation of the claims of both parties.

The first step is to look at your organisation's grievance procedure and disputes resolution policy or speak with your organisation's senior management, with the hope that your concerns can be resolved.

Support and advice

If you're unable to resolve this matter, there are a number of organisations that can assist you. These include:

• Fair Work Ombudsman – general advice – phone 13 13 94
• Office of the Commissioner for Equal Opportunity – discrimination and harassment – phone 7223 7070
• SafeWork SA – workplace health and safety – phone 1300 365 255
• Legal Services Commission – legal advice and assistance – phone 1300 366 424
• Sport SA – information, advice and assistance about sport disputes

Many organisations choose to conduct screening and police checks of their volunteers as part of their risk management policy and recruitment processes.

Police checks

A police check provides an Australia-wide summary of a person's criminal history. In South Australia, volunteers can apply for a National Police Certificate from South Australia Police.

Screening checks

A screening check from the Department of Human Services (DHS) Screening Unit provides an assessment of a person's criminal conviction history and their suitability for a particular position with the organisation. There is no such assessment with a police check, which is simply a record of a person's criminal conviction history. The Screening Unit offers a range of free screening check services for organisations whose volunteers work with vulnerable groups, such as children, older people or people with disability.

There are specific requirements under the Child Safety (Prohibited Persons) Act 2019 , the Aged Care Act 1997 and the Disability Inclusion Act 2018 for screening volunteers working with vulnerable members of the community.

The South Australian government provides free police checks for organisations whose volunteers work with vulnerable people. To qualify, an organisation must apply for a Volunteer Organisation Authorisation Number (VOAN) from South Australia Police. If an organisation is not eligible for a VOAN, the volunteer may be entitled to a reduced fee. You can find out more about police checks by visiting the South Australia Police website.

Alternatively, the DHS Screening Unit offers a range of screening checks, which are free for South Australian volunteers.

Police checks and screening checks can only be obtained with the informed consent of the individual concerned.

Related information

On this site

• Legal considerations for the volunteer community

Other websites

• Managing volunteers - Volunteering SA&NT
• Volunteering resources - Volunteering Australia