Engaging Volunteers
The Uniting Church is committed to living God’s love and acting for the common good to build a just and compassionate community. As we live out this mission following the example of Christ, we recognise the vital contribution of our volunteers.
Our volunteers serve in a wide variety of Synod entities and services as they partner with us to be God’s ‘hands and feet’. Our volunteers enhance our ability to meet the needs of the people and communities we serve.
The following policies and procedures have been developed to assist Synod entities to manage and care for their volunteers well.
For Congregations
Congregations should adopt the following policy, procedures and support materials;
Congregation Volunteer Policy and Procedures
For quick access to the supporting materials in the document;
- Volunteer Register Template
- Volunteer Manual (this can be modified with congregation-specific information)
- Volunteer Payments – Guide for Treasurers
- Volunteer Code of Conduct - Sample
- Sample Volunteer Application form (optional). This form was developed by a congregation and can be shared with others who wish to use Volunteer Application Forms. These are no longer required, but are good practice especially for leadership and other 'high-trust' roles.
All other Synod entities should adopt and adapt the Synod Volunteer Policy. Entities may wish to adopt the Volunteer Manual as a resource for induction of volunteers, or use the sample Code of Conduct.
Be sure to also check out our Risk Bite about managing volunteers, which can be found here.
Who to include as a volunteer
Who to include as a volunteer isn't always clear. This video gives some guidance.
What if a volunteer is injured?
The first thing is to provide first aid and assist the person. For more information about first aid and incident management, see the Health and Safety Toolkit.
Volunteers of the church are covered by personal accident insurance while performing their duties on behalf of the church. This insurance covers the out-of-pocket expenses, not covered by Medicare or Private Health insurance, that the volunteer incurs to treat the injury. It provides a level of cover so volunteers aren’t out-of-pocket in the event they have an accident while volunteering on behalf of the church. In the event that a volunteer suffers an injury, such as tripping over, they should advise the congregation, and provide details of any out-of-pocket expenses once the injury has been treated.
The only other thing is for the congregation to notify the Synod Insurance Team of the date, name of the person affected, and a summary of what happened. See the Making a claim page and the Incident Report Form.