If your organisation is fortunate enough to attract motivated and enthusiastic volunteers you should count your blessings and take them at face value, getting them straight to work before they change their mind or find a better offer. Yes? NO!

Ok, so we all love volunteers in the NFP world and sometimes they can be hard to attract, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be properly screened as you would any paid employee.  And in many cases background checks are in fact compulsory.

At the end of the day our priority should always be to protect the safety of those we seek to serve, support and assist.  It is often the most vulnerable sectors of society who access the services of the NFP sector, therefore the importance of background checking all workers, regardless of their employment status is of the highest priority.

It is not just people who need protection. If your volunteer will be involved in any financial activities or money handling, or drives your vehicles, it makes good sense that you’ll need to check their suitability beyond an interview and reference check.  You need to be sure that the assets of your organisation are also in good hands.

Background checks are standard practice, and provide peace of mind for all concerned, clients, employers, other volunteers and paid workers, therefore there is no need for any organisation to feel unease in asking a volunteer to undertake them.  They are in fact expected and add credibility and instil confidence in individuals and your organisation.

So what are the checks and how do you apply?

There are two standard checks depending on the duties of the volunteer, a Police check and a Working with Children Check (WWC). Any person who works with children in particular must undertake a mandatory WWC if the organisation has any contact with minors under the age of 18.

The regulatory body and application for each of the background checks vary depending on the state or territory of residence, and the processes are quite simple and can often be completed online in a few short minutes, and in NSW for example, followed up with a visit to a branch of the Roads and Maritime Services to provide identification.  Once the checks have been completed the applicant will be provided with the approval details via email which can be forwarded to the organisation the volunteer is applying to work with. A helpful list of requirements for the WWC and links to the application forms for each state can be found at CareforKids. Background checks for volunteers are often free of charge for volunteers but you will need to check for your individual location.

Volunteers are invaluable and in many cases essential to the NFP sector and its ability to carry out the goals and mission of the organisation, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be screened and thoroughly checked for their suitability like any other employee.