Like all employment situations, choosing the right person for volunteer positions is vital. Ensuring their skills and experience matches the role helps to ensure that everyones expectations are met.

Establishing clear recruitment processes and practices can be of great benefit to organisations for these purposes. Volunteer Canada's '10 Safe Steps' is an excellent tool for assisting in the selection process.

Police checks are sometimes included as part of the recruitment process. The South Australian Government meets the cost of police checks for volunteers who work with 'vulnerable groups' such as children, the aged and frail, or people with a disability.

Organisations:

1. Whose service delivery involves volunteers having personal contact with vulnerable groups (i.e. children, the elderly, people with a disability)
2. Whose services provide a charity or community service good
3. Who are Incorporated and are non-government
4. Who are not members, affiliated clubs or an association of a larger organisation

are eligible to apply for a special Volunteer Organisation Authorisation Number (VOAN) which will entitle them to the free checks.

Further information

• Download a Free Police Checks for Volunteers fact sheet (PDF 315KB)developed by the Office for Volunteers
• View a South Australia Police presention (PDF 238KB) to the Volunteer Ministerial Advisory Group, providing an overview of the police checks system. (Please note that an icon in the top left hand corner within the presentation indicates that additional information is available by placing the cursor over the icon.)
• Visit the SA Police website