This area covers how organisations recruit, supervise and manage volunteers, and how those volunteers are treated under employment and welfare rules in England. A solicitor in this field helps draft volunteer agreements, policies and procedures, and advises on safeguarding, equality, health and safety, and data protection relating to volunteers. They also handle recruitment checks, disciplinary matters, capacity and withdrawal of volunteering, and interactions with funders or regulators when safeguarding or anti-discrimination issues arise.
What a solicitor handles in these matters
The solicitor drafts and reviews volunteer policies, safeguarding procedures, data handling under the Data Protection Act and GDPR, and the terms of engagement. They advise on DBS/Disclosure checks, health and safety compliance, and the legal implications of dismissal or suspension, while coordinating with human resources, trustees or management committees and external regulators when needed.
