Volunteering guidelines

Volunteering can benefit both the University and the employee. University benefits include:

• Improved reputation
• Improved recruitment and retention
• Enhanced team working
• Increased employee morale and work performance
• Training and development opportunities for colleagues that supplement those available within the University
• An exchange of ideas and knowledge transfer. 

Employees can benefit through: 

• Opportunities for training and development
• An enhanced CV
• Improved motivation and morale
• Increased awareness of, and engagement with, community issues

The University is equally willing to consider applications from individual employees and from groups or teams of staff who wish to undertake a joint volunteering activity. Where the volunteering activity is undertaken as a team building event staff will not be expected to match a day’s volunteering with a day’s leave of their own.

The following list provides examples of the types of activity that can be undertaken but is not intended to be exhaustive:

• Team projects, e.g. painting a community centre
• School liaison: reading, mentoring pupils
• Prison/hospital/remand centre/immigration centre visiting
• Community support, e.g. youth clubs, conservation work, etc.
• Providing unpaid consultancy using professional skills
• Editing/publishing a community newspapers/newsletter

For other volunteering ideas visit:

• Oxford city Council Volunteering page
• Do IT webpage

When applying for, or authorising, a particular volunteering activity employees and managers should take the following considerations into account:

• Any volunteering activity must not bring the University into disrepute
• There is no conflict of interest with the University or its activities
• The activity is appropriate for the employee(s) concerned
• The activity is non-party political
• The environment will be a safe one for the employee(s) (see guidance on risk assessment in the staff volunteering policy)
• The opportunity for improved team/inter-departmental cohesion and team development
• The potential for improved communication and understanding within and between groups of staff from different Faculties/Directorates, campuses and levels of seniority
• If an enhanced DBS check is necessary it is the responsibility of the individual(s) and/or the volunteering organisation to ensure it takes place.

Colleagues who undertake volunteering activities under the auspices of this policy are ambassadors for the University and as such have a responsibility to:

• Recognise that they represent the University and act accordingly
• Give the University and the host organisation appropriate and reasonable notice if they wish to cancel a volunteering activity
• Declare to the University and the voluntary organisation if there is any conflict of interest
• Be committed to the volunteering activity they undertake
• Be reliable and arrive on time
• Let the organisation know if they are going to be late for a volunteering activity
• Do what is requested (within reason)
• Offer a good quality of service to the volunteering organisation
• Act within any guidelines or policies laid down by the volunteering organisation
• Make every effort to attend any training required to enable them to undertake a particular activity
• Treat as confidential any sensitive/personal information obtained through volunteering work
• Only provide advice when volunteering on a management committee or in professional advisory capacity, recognising that the final decision and use of any advice offered will lie with the host organisation.

• A safe environment
• Receive appropriate induction from the organisation they are working for
• Be covered by appropriate insurance
• Have what is expected of them clearly explained
• Know who they are working with and who is ‘in charge’ of their role, and to receive support and supervision from that person
• Confidentiality
• Be treated with respect
• Have problems or difficulties listened to and have action taken
• Say ‘no’ if they feel they have been asked to do something that isn’t part of their role or that they feel is unacceptable or inappropriate for other reasons.