The National Standards for Volunteer Involvement (National Standards) are a best practice framework to guide volunteer involvement. They are an essential resource for all organisations and groups that engage volunteers. The National Standards can be used flexibly, recognising that volunteering takes place in highly diverse settings and ways.
The National Standards for Volunteer Involvement have been refreshed to ensure they are contemporary and inclusive of the diversity of volunteering and volunteers. The development of the refreshed National Standards was informed by a sector wide consultation process conducted across each state and territory in 2023. The project was funded via the Australian Government’s Volunteer Management Activity.
All organisations and groups can implement the refreshed National Standards at any time. The refreshed National Standards have retained the core aims and principles underpinning the previous standards and the eight broad focus areas of the National Standards are the same.
Adoption of the National Standards has direct benefits to both volunteers and to organisations and groups:
- They help improve the volunteer experience and ensure that the wellbeing of volunteers is supported and their contributions are valued.
- They provide best practice guidance and benchmarks to help organisations attract, manage and retain volunteers and support effective risk and safety practices.
The state and territory Volunteering Peak Bodies are leading the implementation of the refreshed National Standards and will be offering training in the coming months.
The refreshed National Standards are being published on Thursday 22 February. The supporting resources will be published soon after.
The National Standards for Volunteer Involvement
The eight National Standards for Volunteer Involvement are a best practice framework to
support safe, effective and inclusive volunteering.
Standard 1: Volunteering is embedded in leadership, governance and culture
The governing body and organisation leaders promote volunteering and implement effective systems to support volunteer participation.
1.1 Responsibilities for engaging, leading and managing volunteer participation are defined and supported.
1.2 Governance and risk management arrangements facilitate safe and meaningful volunteer participation.
1.3 Policies and procedures applying to volunteers are developed with volunteers and communicated and implemented across the organisation.
1.4 Volunteer records are maintained, and volunteers and employees understand their obligations on information sharing, record keeping and privacy.
1.5 Processes are in place to manage relationships with partner agencies in collaborative volunteering activities. (This criterion only applies to organisations or groups working with other organisations in a collaborative activity involving volunteers and/or sharing responsibility for volunteers).
Standard 2: Volunteer participation is championed and modelled
Commitment to volunteer participation is set out through vision, planning and resourcing, and supports the organisation’s or group’s strategic direction.
2.1 The organisation publicly declares its commitment to volunteer participation.
2.2 A volunteering culture is championed and modelled at all levels of the organisation.
2.3 Volunteer participation is part of the organisation’s vision, purpose, goals and objectives and is developed through engagement with volunteers.
2.4 Volunteering programs are supported by adequately resourced volunteer managers or officers.
2.5 Resources (including time, funds, equipment and technology) are allocated for volunteer involvement.
Standard 3: Volunteer roles are meaningful and tailored
Volunteers are engaged in meaningful roles which contribute to the organisation’s or group’s purpose and meet volunteer interests and preferred style of participation.
3.1 Volunteer roles are designed and negotiated with volunteers, considering the needs and interests of volunteers.
3.2 Volunteer roles contribute to the organisation’s purpose, goals and objectives.
3.3 Volunteer roles are defined, documented and communicated.
3.4 Volunteer roles are reviewed regularly including through feedback and engagement with volunteers about their experience.
Standard 4: Recruitment is equitable and diversity is valued
Volunteer recruitment and selection strategies meet the needs of the organisation and volunteers; they facilitate and value diversity and promote equity and accessibility.
4.1 Organisations and groups engage volunteers using planned and innovative approaches to attract people with relevant interests, knowledge and skills.
4.2 Potential volunteers are provided with information about the organisation, how volunteers contribute to its purpose and vision, available opportunities and the selection process.
4.3 Volunteers are selected based on their interests, knowledge, skills and suitability for the role, and consistent with anti-discrimination law.
4.4 Diversity, inclusivity and accessibility principles are built into recruitment activities, reflecting and promoting awareness of, and respect for, diversity and inclusion and the inherent value this brings to the organisation.
4.5 Screening processes maintain the safety and security of service recipients, employees, volunteers, and the organisation, in line with legal requirements and regulations.
Standard 5: Volunteers are supported and developed
Volunteers understand their roles and gain the knowledge, skills and feedback needed to participate safely and effectively.
5.1 Volunteers are provided with relevant induction and training.
5.2 Volunteers’ knowledge and skills are reviewed to identify support and development needs.
5.3 Volunteers are engaged with throughout their time with an organisation or group and provided with supervision and support that enables them to participate fully.
5.4 People with responsibility for volunteers have sufficient time and resources to engage with and provide appropriate and required support.
5.5 Changes to the role of a volunteer are fair and consistent and achieved through engaging with the volunteer.
Standard 6: Volunteer safety and wellbeing is protected
The health, safety and wellbeing of volunteers is protected and volunteers understand their rights and responsibilities.
6.1 Effective working relationships with employees, and between volunteers, are facilitated.
6.2 Organisations and groups meet their legal and ethical obligations to protect volunteers from harm.
6.3 Processes are in place to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of volunteers in their capacity as volunteers, including relevant insurances.
6.4 Volunteers understand and have access to complaints procedures.
6.5 Complaints, concerns and safety incidents are analysed to identify causes and inform continuous improvement.
Standard 7: Volunteers are recognised
Volunteer contribution, value and impact are understood, appreciated and acknowledged.
7.1 How volunteers add value to the organisation, service recipients and the community is clearly understood.
7.2 Volunteer effort is measured and acknowledged in the organisation’s reporting and used to demonstrate impact.
7.3 The organisation regularly engages with volunteers about the impact of their contribution.
7.4 Volunteer acknowledgement is appropriate to the volunteer and respectful of cultural values and perspectives.
Standard 8: Policies and practices are continuously improved
Effective volunteer involvement results from a system of best practice, regular review and continuous improvement.
8.1 Policies and procedures are designed and implemented to effectively guide all aspects of volunteer involvement.
8.2 Volunteer involvement is regularly reviewed in line with the organisation’s evaluation and quality management frameworks.
8.3 The organisation’s performance with volunteer involvement is monitored and reported to the governing body, employees, volunteers, and other stakeholders.
8.4 Opportunities are available for volunteers to provide feedback on their experience and relevant areas of the organisation’s work.
Using the National Standards
Using the National Standards
The National Standards allow organisations and groups to make use of simple, practical criteria across a broad range of volunteering scenarios in a way that is scalable to activity and resourcing. These standards are designed for organisations aspiring to best practice and can be applied at a high-level to guide and inform any organisation or group considering volunteer engagement.
Each standard is accompanied by specific criteria and examples of evidence that indicate a standard has been met or how it could be met. The criteria reflect the core components of the National Standards, and the evidence acts as a guide as to whether the organisation or group is implementing that standard in practice.
Organisations and groups can use the National Standards in several ways:
- As a general guide to improving practice.
- As guidelines or a checklist to help identify opportunities for making improvements.
- As a framework to assist in planning and establishing a new volunteering program.
- As an audit tool that provides a snapshot of organisational performance.
- As a baseline from which progress in making improvements can be monitored and measured.
The standards are intended to be flexible enough to apply to organisations and groups of different sizes, with varying levels of resources, in both urban and rural settings, led by employees or by volunteers. For example, volunteer-led organisations or groups of volunteers coming together to organise their own activities may find the National Standards useful for guiding their work, to consult when establishing a volunteering program, or for working towards a more formal organisational structure if desired. However, the criteria and suggested evidence underpinning each standard is for educational purposes and may not be applicable to all types of organisations.
Guidance on implementation of the National Standards
Contact details for the state and territory Volunteering Peak Bodies
VolunteeringACT
volunteeringact.org.au
02 6251 4060
info@volunteeringact.org.au
The Centre for Volunteering (NSW)
volunteering.com.au
02 9261 3600
info@volunteering.com.au
Volunteering Queensland
volunteeringqld.org.au
07 3002 7600
reception@volunteeringqld.org.au
Volunteering SA&NT
vsant.org.au
08 8221 7177
reception@vsant.org.au
Volunteering Tasmania
volunteeringtas.org.au
03 6231 5550
team@volunteeringtas.org.au
Volunteering Victoria
volunteeringvictoria.org.au
03 9052 4524
info@volunteeringvictoria.org.au
Volunteering WA
volunteeringwa.org.au
08 9482 4333
info@volunteeringwa.org.au
Download the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement documents:
National Standards for Volunteer Involvement
The refreshed National Standards for Volunteer Involvement includes a description of each National Standard accompanied by specific criteria and examples of evidence that indicate a standard has been met or could be met.
Supporting resources coming soon
The 2023 refresh of the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement was funded by the
Australian Government Department of Social Services under the Volunteer Management
Activity. Intellectual Property for the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement
belongs to Volunteering Australia.