Volunteer Scotland logo

Tips and Templates

Helping you to involve volunteers effectively is at the heart of what we do!

Please note: We are currently reviewing and updating previously listed guidance documents and templates and will add these to the categories below when they are completed.

Category Search

How to Guides
Inclusion Top Tips

How to Guides

Creating a Positive Volunteer Induction

An induction is a way to introduce a new volunteer to your organisation. This helps them feel part of the team and helps you make sure they have all the information they need to have a great experience.
Download PDF

Creating a Volunteer Agreement

A volunteer agreement makes it clear what the volunteer can expect from the organisation and what, in turn, the organisation expects from the volunteer. It usually sits alongside a role description and volunteer policy.
Download PDF

Creating a Volunteer Role Description

A role description is basically a document that outlines what a volunteer will do, what they need to be to do the role and what the volunteer will get out of it.
Download PDF

Developing a Volunteer Policy

It is the main foundation that all the other building blocks for volunteering sit on. Your policy will outline clearly to all staff, volunteers and users of the service, why volunteers are involved.
Download PDF

Managing Challenging Volunteer Situations

If there’s not a procedure in place to manage problems when they come up then it’s easy for even small things to grow out of control. Having guidance on what is acceptable, that explains how you will respond to a challenging situation is important to protect everyone.
Download PDF

Measuring the Impact of Volunteering

Helping you understand what it means to measure impact, and information about how we can help you measure impact.
Download PDF

Promoting Positive Volunteer and Staff Relations

Often, volunteers will be involved alongside paid staff. Most of the time this works well and staff value the extra support volunteers bring. Ensuring staff support volunteers and make them feel welcome is important to ensuring volunteers have a positive experience.
Download PDF

Recognising and Valuing your Volunteers

Volunteers don’t start because they’re expecting a reward but it is important that your organisation or group celebrates and values what the volunteers have done.
Download PDF

Supporting your Volunteers

The terms ‘support’ and ‘supervision’ are often referred to as though they are the same. It is important for the staff working with volunteers to understand that they have separate meanings in order to value the purpose and benefit of both.
Download PDF

Inclusion Top Tips

Top Tips for inclusion of volunteers - The Common Areas

These Top Tips were produced by Volunteer Scotland and the National Inclusion in Volunteering Group.By reflecting on the following we would hope that these points would help you make your volunteering offer more inclusive.
Download PDF

Top Tips for inclusion, recruiting and supporting Disabled Volunteers

The following Top Tips have been created for you, by Glasgow Disability Alliance, to think about the important things which need to be considered to ensure a positive experience for all recruiting and supporting disabled volunteers.
Download PDF

Top Tips for inclusion of volunteers with Vision Impairment

These Top Tips for were produced by Volunteer Scotland and the National Inclusion in Volunteering Group. They have been developed as guidance when involving volunteers with vision impairment in your volunteering opportunities. By reflecting on the following we would hope that these points would help you make your volunteering offer more inclusive.
Download PDF

Top Tips for inclusion of volunteers with Mental Health and Wellbeing Issues

These Top Tips for were produced by Volunteer Scotland and the National Inclusion in Volunteering Group. They have been developed to support the mental health and wellbeing of those who volunteer with your group or organisation. By reflecting on the following we would hope that these points would help you make your volunteering offer more inclusive.
Download PDF

Top Tips for inclusion of volunteers with Hearing Loss or Deafness

These Top Tips for were produced by Volunteer Scotland and the National Inclusion in Volunteering Group. They have been developed to support volunteers with hearing loss or deafness. By reflecting on the following we would hope that these points would help you make your volunteering offer more inclusive.
Download PDF

Top Tips for inclusion of volunteers with Dyslexia

These Top Tips for were produced by Volunteer Scotland and the National Inclusion in Volunteering Group. They have been developed as guidance with the recruitment and supporting of volunteers with dyslexia. By reflecting on the following we would hope that these points would help you make your volunteering offer more inclusive.
Download PDF

Top Tips for inclusion of volunteers with a History of Problem Drug Use

These Top Tips for were produced by Volunteer Scotland and the National Inclusion in Volunteering Group. They have been developed as guidance with the recruiting and supporting of volunteers with a history of problem drug use. By reflecting on the following we would hope that these points would help you make your volunteering offer more inclusive.
Download PDF

Top Tips for inclusion of Refugees to volunteer for your group or organisation

These Top Tips for were produced by Volunteer Scotland and the National Inclusion in Volunteering Group. They have been developed as guidance when involving refugees in your volunteer opportunities. By reflecting on the following we would hope that these points would help you make your volunteering offer more inclusive.
Download PDF

Top Tips for inclusion of older volunteers

These Top Tips for were produced by Volunteer Scotland and the National Inclusion in Volunteering Group. They have been developed to help you to support older people to Volunteer. By reflecting on the following we would hope that these points would help you make your volunteering offer more inclusive.
Download PDF

Top Tips for inclusion of LGBT youth volunteers

These Top Tips for were produced by Volunteer Scotland and the National Inclusion in Volunteering Group. They have been developed as guidance with the recruiting and supporting LGBT Youth volunteers. By reflecting on the following we would hope that these points would help you make your volunteering offer more inclusive.
Download PDF

Top Tips for inclusion of disabled volunteers and carers

These Top Tips for were produced by Volunteer Scotland and the National Inclusion in Volunteering Group. They have been developed to support by building a bridge to reach their ambitions of personal development, learning, volunteering and work. By reflecting on the following we would hope that these points would help you make your volunteering offer more inclusive.
Download PDF

Top Tips for inclusion of Women from diverse backgrounds to volunteer in your group or organisation

These Top Tips for were produced by Volunteer Scotland and the National Inclusion in Volunteering Group. They have been developed to ensure that women who do not feel safe or confident in mixed spaces are not excluded from volunteering. By reflecting on the following we would hope that these points would help you make your volunteering offer more inclusive.
Download PDF

Subscribe to keep up to date!

Sign up to receive our newsletters and get all the latest news and updates right to your inbox.
Sign up here