Top Tips on using the Good Practice Bank

We have divided the Good Practice Bank into 'core themes' and 'specialist themes'. Core themes deal with general good practice on managing volunteers such as recruitment or health and safety. Specialist themes focus on more specific topics such as supported volunteering or sport volunteering.

• Read the full list of Core Themes
• Read the full list of Specialist Themes

How can I use the resources listed within the Good Practice Bank themes?

Each theme has its own index page, listing a number of resources which will help you in different ways:

• Each theme starts with a general introduction to the topic, (this may either be a short article or a more detailed Information Sheet).

• Each theme lists articles or Information Sheets to help users explore the subject from different angles.
• Some themes also include case studies.
• Some of these documents are compiled by Volunteering England Information Service staff and others are contributed by other organisations or writers. (We always indicate when documents are hosted on external websites.)

Generic sample documents

• The generic sample documents are provided as illustrations to show how you could develop a similar policy or document for your organisation.
• You are welcome to use the sample documents as a guide for creating your own, but please note that the sample documents are not designed to be directly copied or used as templates.

Template documents

• These include useful forms or checklists.
• You are welcome to adapt them for your own use.

Real life examples

• The Good Practice Bank contains example policies, example forms or leaflets and other materials which have been directly contributed by real organisations that work with volunteers.
• Source organisations have kindly given their permission for these documents to be shared with others as examples of good practice.
• All source organisations are credited unless they choose to remain anonymous.

A note on reading 'real life example' documents

• Please bear in mind that they have been created for a specific organisation in a specific context, so should be used as a guide rather than adopted wholesale.
• Whilst we recommend using these examples as tools to help you develop your own policies, if you do wish to reproduce any document in its entirety, you must contact the source organisation for permission.
• Volunteering England and the organisations that contribute documents can accept no responsibility for how they are used or adapted by others. They are presented as examples of good practice, but it is every volunteer-involving organisation's own responsibility to ensure volunteers are safe, and that policies and procedures meet current legal requirements.

• Each theme also contains links to other websites which provide relevant or substantial information on that topic.

• We have listed publications which you can obtain if you want to do further reading around the subject.
• Some are available for free (either on VE's or external websites) and others are priced publications.
  

How can I navigate between sections?

Each page contains some 'related links'. These are located in the right-hand column of the page. We have added these links to help you find other information which is relevant to the page you're reading.

If you want to look at a different theme, you can use the links in the left-hand column or use the drop-down box on the Good Practice Bank welcome page.