Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps she has taken to ensure the fair treatment of volunteers within the voluntary and charitable work sector.

Volunteering is critical to a vibrant and resilient civil society; it benefits volunteers and the organisations involving them and has transformational impacts on beneficiaries and their communities.

This Government is committed to enabling people to take part in all forms of social action, including volunteering. We know the profound benefit that volunteering has on the individual, on communities and on society.

Volunteers do not have a contract of employment as a volunteer, so do not have the same rights as an employee or worker, and are not placed under the same obligations. However, they will usually be given a volunteer agreement that explains:

• the level of supervision and support they will get

• what training they will get

• whether they are covered under the organisation’s employer or public liability insurance

• health and safety issues

• any expenses the organisation will cover.

The volunteer agreement is not a contract, but it is a good way of setting out what volunteers can expect from the organisation they are volunteering for. You can find information about this at https://www.gov.uk/volunteering/pay-and-expenses. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) also has information on volunteers’ legal status and guidance on solving volunteer problems.

If a volunteer believes they are treated unfairly, there is recourse available to them through a variety of means. Volunteers for charities are able to raise concerns to the Charity Commission. The Health and Safety Executive, Disclosure and Barring Service, and the Information Commissioner's Office are also useful points of contact.