Safeguarding & responsibilities
A link between volunteers and organisations — nothing more
Match a Volunteer is a matching service built for short-term volunteering — a day, a weekend, an evening or a few weeks. We help volunteers find opportunities and organisations find helpers. We do not vet, check or supervise anyone, and we are not part of the volunteering arrangement itself.
Match a Volunteer is built for short-term volunteering — a single day, a weekend, an evening or a few weeks. Longer arrangements are possible, but they are agreed directly between the volunteer and the organisation.
Match a Volunteer simply links volunteers and organisations — we don't carry out DBS or background checks. It is the responsibility of the organisations to do all the necessary checks, vetting and safeguarding for their volunteers and events.
What we do
We connect people
Match a Volunteer brings volunteers and organisations together. Volunteers create profiles; organisations browse, search and filter to find the right match — most often for a single day, a weekend or a few weeks, and sometimes for something longer.
We keep contact details private
Enquiries and messages happen inside the app. Volunteers' email addresses and phone numbers are never shown to organisations.
We make responsibilities clear
Every enquiry, sign-up and page states plainly who is responsible for vetting and safety, so nobody is left guessing.
What we don't do
No DBS or background checks
Match a Volunteer does not carry out DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks, background checks or reference checks on volunteers.
No vetting or interviewing
We don't screen, interview or approve volunteers. Organisations make their own decisions about who is suitable for their roles.
No supervision of placements
We don't manage, supervise or attend volunteering arrangements. Once introductions are made, the arrangement is between the organisation and the volunteer.
Each organisation's responsibilities
When you register as an organisation and contact volunteers through Match a Volunteer, you accept full responsibility for the following.
- 1
Vet every volunteer yourself
Before accepting a volunteer, carry out the checks you need — this may include an interview, references, ID verification, and a DBS check where the role is eligible for one. Match a Volunteer profiles are self-written and are not evidence of suitability.
- 2
Safeguard children and adults at risk
If your activity involves children, young people or adults at risk, you are responsible for your own safeguarding policy, trained safeguarding lead, DBS checks at the right level, and following your statutory duties.
- 3
Give a proper induction and training
Explain the role, expectations, boundaries and any risks. Make sure volunteers know who to speak to if something concerns them.
- 4
Keep events safe
Complete your own risk assessments, hold any insurance you need (including volunteer and public liability cover), and follow health and safety law for your events and placements.
- 5
Supervise and support volunteers
Check in regularly, respond to concerns, and end placements that aren't working. The organisation remains responsible for the volunteer throughout the arrangement.
- 6
Follow the law and your own policies
Equality, data protection, employment and charity regulations all remain your responsibility. Match a Volunteer is a connection tool and does not replace any of them.
- 7
Be clear about how long you're asking for
Say up front whether you need a single day, a weekend, a few weeks or something longer, and don't extend a short-term arrangement without the volunteer's agreement.
A note for volunteers
Keep your profile accurate and honest — it's what organisations rely on. Most roles offered here are short-term, so be clear about the days or weeks you can give. When you accept a placement, ask the organisation about its checks, insurance and supervision, especially if the role involves children, vulnerable adults or anything you're unsure about. You are always free to decline a role.