Recruiting Volunteers

Police forces wishing to engage communities through volunteering compete against well-respected organisations with many years of experience. Ensure you employ a consistent approach to recruitment, selection and placement.

The volunteer sector is a highly competitive marketplace. Forces need to identify roles and put in place systems which will attract and retain volunteers.

The recruitment, selection and placement processes should form part of the policy statement ensuring a consistent approach. Issues to be considered include:

Defining recruitment and marketing messages
Designing appropriate recruitment literature
Developing a police support volunteer application form that meets the needs of the force
Defining the criteria for accepting or rejecting police support volunteers, eg age restrictions, precluded occupations, previous convictions, nationality issues and refugee status, health matters, conflicts of interest, individuals claiming benefits, etc
Volunteer vetting procedures eg security checks, references
Developing an appropriate interview process to include questions relating to diversity
Matching volunteers to suitable placements.

National Occupational Standards

The links below will take you to relevant documents produced by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. These are part of their draft National Occupational Standards which are currently being developed.

Manage the recruitment and placement of volunteers
Advertise for volunteers
Recruit and place volunteers

Useful Documents

These documents are supplied as examples of good practice by participating forces and Volunteering England, we remain grateful to our colleagues in the Met and Thames Valley Police.

Recruitment Good Practice Guide

Equal Opportunities & Diversity

Example of Expression of interest form

Sample Application Form

Application insert (things to bear in mind)

Application insert (what we look for in a volunteer)

Sample Interview Questions

Example Interview record template

Sample Health Questionnaire

Example of Occupational Health Procedure

Example Volunteer recruitment poster (A3)

Example Volunteer recruitment poster (A4)