Carrying out due diligence

Be proportionate to the role 

The checks you carry out should reflect what the volunteer will actually be doing. Some roles carry more responsibility or risk than others, and your checks should be proportionate. Consider: 

• Will they have access to personal or sensitive data?
• Will the volunteer be working with children or adults at risk?
• Will they be using your IT systems or handling finances?
• Is the role public-facing or mainly behind the scenes?
• Are there any legal or regulatory requirements you need to meet?
• Are there any reputational risks involved in the role? 

And then decide what level of background checks you need to do, referring to any relevant policies or rules you already have in place. 

Being clear about this will also help you explain why you’re carrying out checks. 

Have an open conversation 

A straightforward conversation can often be a helpful step. You could come up with a set of questions for every volunteer so that the process feels fair and transparent. 

For example: 

• Is there anything from your past experience that you think might be relevant to this role?
• Is there anything you’d like to make us aware of that could affect your volunteering with us? 

These questions aren’t about catching people out - they give volunteers the chance to raise anything themselves and help you spot potential issues early, together.  

Check eligibility 

Some roles have specific eligibility requirements. For example, charity trustees must meet the Charity Commission’s eligibility rules. If you’re appointing a trustee, you should check the criteria and ask new trustees to confirm that they’re eligible. 

You can find more information on trustee eligibility here.

References and background checks 

For some roles, asking for one or two references can be a helpful way to gain reassurance, particularly where a volunteer will be taking on lots of responsibility or working closely with others. 

In certain situations, you could carry out a DBS check. DBS checks are commonly used where volunteers work with children or adults at risk, or in other regulated activities. They can be a useful part of your safeguarding approach, though it’s important to remember they aren’t a guarantee. 

More information about DBS checks is available here.

For roles where formal checks aren’t needed, you could do a small amount of online research to confirm that someone is who they say they are. For example, you could try LinkedIn, or carry out a general web search. 

If anything unexpected comes up through your checks, try not to make assumptions. If you feel able to, have an open conversation with the volunteer so you can understand the context and decide together what to do next. 

Keep it transparent and consistent 

Let volunteers know early on what checks you carry out and why. Being open helps build trust and reassures people that checks are a normal part of your process, not a reflection on them personally. Let volunteers know that you appreciate checks might feel uncomfortable, that they’re not about mistrust but ensuring everyone is safe – including them. 

Carrying out the same checks for similar roles, and keeping brief records of what you’ve done, can also help ensure fairness and consistency. 

Agree how to work together in advance 

Once you’ve carried out your checks and you’re ready to move forward, it’s useful to have a chat with your volunteer about how you’ll work together. Agree together how you’ll communicate, any important deadlines or timescales, and discuss important policies such as behaviour expectations, as part of your volunteer’s induction. You could consider if it’s appropriate to draw up a volunteer agreement that sets these parameters out. Being clear about this in advance can help a great deal if questions or challenges do come up in the future.