How to Balance Safer Recruitment with Accessible & Inclusive Volunteering

This is a question I get asked all the time. How to ensure we are being safe while open to volunteers with lived experience of trauma, the justice system or exclusion from traditional employment.

Volunteering can be life-changing, but only if people can actually get through the door. Many potential volunteers face invisible barriers: unclear expectations, complex forms, intimidating interviews, or safeguarding processes that feel more like exclusion than protection.

As organisations, we hold the power to either build those barriers higher or break them down. Safer recruitment is essential — we must keep children, young people and vulnerable adults safe — but safety and inclusion aren’t opposites. With thought and care, we can honour safeguarding guidance while welcoming a wide range of people into meaningful roles.

Here are five practical ways to keep recruitment safe and open to everyone.

1. Build a Safeguarding Culture That Protects — Not Punishes

A trauma-informed safeguarding approach helps people feel supported and safe, rather than judged or excluded.

• Frame safeguarding as support. Make it clear it’s about protection and care for everyone, volunteers included, not catching people out. You can do this in your training or in the safeguarding section of your website.
• Build trust by explaining why the safeguarding steps exist. You may have a higher level of checks for certain roles, explain why and maybe suggest roles with a less intimidating process.
• Train your team to respond with compassion and understanding. People may be adverse to certain aspects of your onboarding process because of previous experiences. Allow people to share that experience without judgement and show you are there to work with them not against them.

2. Write Clear, Strengths-Based Role Descriptions

Volunteers need to know what is expected of them to feel safe and confident. Trauma-informed role
descriptions reduce uncertainty and help people make informed choices.

Clarity and warmth in your volunteer role descriptions help people feel confident saying “yes.”

• Focus on strengths and benefits. Talk about skills to gain and impact to make — not deficits or strict requirements.
• Show flexibility. Offer short-term, one-off or ongoing options.
• Provide information in different formats. A short video or infographic can make roles feel more accessible.

3. Be Honest & Welcoming in Your Advertising

Being transparent in how we advertise roles helps volunteers decide if the opportunity is right for them,
and avoids disappointment or mistrust later on.

• Be upfront about time, support, and challenges. Surprises can put someone into a role they actually aren't suited for or able to fully commit to. This can lead to drop-out, burn out and ultimately harm the volunteer, and your organisation.
• Show your values and inclusion commitment. Explicitly welcome lived experience and diverse backgrounds.
• Use multiple formats. Visual ads, social media reels, and short text posts reach different people.

4. Make Applications & Interviews Human-Centred

Applications are often a first point of contact — they should be simple, values-based, and welcoming to
people with different experiences

• Keep applications short and simple. Consider expressions of interest over long forms. You can start simple and then gather more detailed information later as part of a "joining form" or a "build your volunteer profile" exercise.
• Don't judge an application by it's cover. If you are using an application form, sometimes short answers doesn't mean lack of interest or experience, it may be that they didn't have a lot of time that day, or struggle with accessing and filling out forms.
• Offer help with written sections. Not everyone is confident writing about themselves.
• Turn interviews into conversations. The term "interview" is scary in itself. Turn interviews into welcome chats, or induction conversation. Share what you are going to talk about in advance, avoid jargon, and explore motivation rather than “testing.”

5. Apply Checks & Vetting Fairly and Transparently

Checks and vetting are essential, but often where some of our prospective volunteers may face the
biggest barriers. Safeguarding doesn’t have to mean unnecessary gatekeeping.

• Only ask for what’s essential. DBS and ID checks should be role-specific, not automatic and explained. If they don't need to have a DBS we shouldn't be forcing one through.
• Accept alternative referees. There is a trend of only using professional references. This excludes retirees, full-time parents or carers, people who are unable to work. Not only is it discriminatory but is causing your organisation to miss out on brilliant volunteers. Try alternatives like mentors, support workers, other volunteer roles or community leaders. These can be just as valid.
• A flagged DBS doesn't need to be a barrier. A person with lived experience of the justice system might make the perfect volunteer for your programme, especially if you are working with beneficiaries with similar experiences. Ask for explanation and context, consider how long ago the offence was, and what they have done since and.......

6. There are Other Safeguards Available

if you can't remove barriers to those policies and procedures, consider building bridges to create alternative opportunities. Volunteering can be a great way for people to get back into the workplace and build those experiences and sources of references they were missing on their applications, so you'll be helping them too!

• Person specific risk assessments. Volunteer risk assessments are about protecting everyone, maybe you need to incorporate an additional step for those who haven't met your threshold. Additional supervision or check ins with them and their line manager and beneficiaries.
• Supported Volunteering: Buddy this new volunteer with a more experienced volunteer that they can shadow, that way they are always supervised and supported. This can also be introduced with tiered volunteering roles where all volunteers start here as they progress through your onboarding to eventually graduate to a fully trained volunteer.
• Volunteer probation: Similar to probation for a job role, have a 3-6 month probation period where you can build mutual trust and then make a more informed decision on their role in your organisation.

Final Thoughts

Safe recruitment isn’t about building walls; it’s about building bridges. We can protect vulnerable people while welcoming volunteers who bring diverse life experiences, talents and perspectives. By reviewing every step we can reduce barriers, foster trust, and create volunteering opportunities that are truly open to everyone.

If you would like to chat more about making your programme more inclusive or take part in some training on inclusive volunteering practices email me at maria@inclusivevolunteering.co.uk or check out our training page.