A blog for the people who manage, coordinate, and supervise volunteers. Chock-full of useful information to help you create amazing volunteer programs.
Widespread reliance on police checks in the non-profit sector has created an environment of risk aversion and increased barriers to volunteer engagement. Between long processing times, varying costs, a challenging request process and personal
obstacles for many potential volunteers, organizations are missing out on passionate people who want to make an impact.
Between 2023 and 2024, there was a 60% increase in the number of vulnerable sector check (VSC) requests for volunteers in Toronto alone (24,583 requests compared with 16,053 requests in the previous year), indicating a greater dependence on this contentious screening approach for volunteers.
How Did We Get to an Over-Reliance on Police Checks?
Police checks – also known as criminal background checks, criminal or police record checks, clearance letters, and more – have been a consistent
tool to aid in volunteer screening for decades (alternate source). But increasingly, they have become a final step in the screening process, solidified through the National Education Campaign on Screening Volunteers and Employees in a Position of Trust in 1996, and further
galvanized by the 2012 Screening Handbook. Because of these efforts, there has been a continual increase in demand
for police checks and specifically the VSC, the most invasive form of police check, which has become a “catch-all” to address risk in volunteer engagement.
In fact, of the roughly 75,000 VSC requests made overall for staff and volunteers through the Toronto Police Services in 2024, nearly a third were for volunteer roles.
Wasting Time and Money for Volunteers and Non-Profits
While less invasive checks, known in Ontario as Criminal Record Checks and Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Checks, became free for volunteers in 2022, the fees for VSCs vary across the province. Last year, Toronto Police Services alone received VSC requests valued at more than $656,000, or $26.71 per check. That’s money leaving the pockets of potential volunteers and organizations across the city just trying to make an impact.
Volunteer and organizational time is also being wasted through this process. Despite recommendations for all police check requests to move through the online application process for “fastest service” (Toronto Police Service FAQ), it can take 7 to 8 weeks for a single check to be processed (processing timelines on Toronto Police Service website),
delaying a volunteer’s ability to start supporting an organization.
While this is the outlook in Toronto, the Ontario Nonprofit Network also
notes that “volunteers and nonprofits experience uneven and unfair fees and processing timelines for police record checks across Ontario.”
Costs, processing delays, and difficulty even requesting police checks create major
roadblocks in the volunteer engagement process. People eager to volunteer must wait weeks to receive and share their completed police check, which can lead to applicant demotivation, higher rates of attrition during screening and applicants
looking for alternative roles with lower barriers and faster screening.
By reducing reliance on police checks, organizations can also reduce volunteer placement delays and minimize the $656,000 in fees paid by volunteers or organizations every year in Toronto to complete the checks.
Police Checks Perpetuate Inequitable Access to Volunteer Experiences
The process for requesting a check has its own challenges in addition to the cost. The online approach requires digital
and English language fluency to complete, and performs a credit check for applicants. This means that only credit cards matching the names of applicants will work for payment. All of these add up to further barriers for potential volunteers,
and limitations for organizations trying to engage.
People who want to volunteer may also face barriers based on the intersections of their identities and the carceral/justice system:
Newcomers, with little time in Canada, will only have records from the day they arrived in the country, making police checks irrelevant. Also, the credit check in the online request platform simply won’t work for some newly-arrived
newcomers, with no credit history.
Black, Indigenous, Middle Eastern and Asian Torontonians are already subject to over-policing (BBC). Completing a police check request could re-traumatize
or turn away potential volunteers whose interactions with police are harmful.
People with non-criminal police contact for a range of potential reasons may feel uncomfortable or uncertain about the role of the police check inscreening.
Organizations often rely on police checks out of fear of liability and damage to public perception. Some funders and accreditors require this level of screening to receive support. At the same time, it’s important to challenge the
assumption that police checks immediately equal safety. For example, a police check won’t tell you who is “bully”, or if someone has committed a crime but hasn’t been caught.
How to Move Forward and Modernize Volunteer Screening
It’s vital to assess the actual risks of a volunteer role and align these with the screening measures that are or can be most effective. In some cases,
a police check or a VSC is necessary. However, how can other approaches tell you what you need to know?
It’s important to start by identifying the level of decision-making, authority, power, and/or trust a volunteer may
hold and clarifying what safety really means for clients, volunteers, staff and community members. Be practical about your responsibility (and limitations!) in ensuring safety for everyone. Reducing screening barriers – and increasing
access to volunteering – starts with understanding and interrogating the role and necessity of police checks in your organization. Here are the first steps to consider modernizing your approach:
Review the current screening
practices, and learn where (and why) you’re losing volunteers along the way.
Explore what safety means in your organization, in conversation with staff, volunteers, clients and community members, and who you can keep safe.
Pilot alternative, less-invasive screening methods and assess how well they meet your need
Join other senior leaders in conversation about appropriate screening tools and minimizing over-reliance on police checks.
Consider these practical alternatives to police checks that can align with the volunteer’s role and the amount of safety you can reasonably provide:
Structured interviews that create opportunities for illustrating volunteer’s past experiences and possibilities.
Role shadowing that enables volunteers to learn about the role first-hand and provides an assessment of their ability to perform the role safely and effectively.
Appropriate, detailed and hands-on training that creates and clarifies expectations of the volunteer in their role.
Approaches to supervision that coach, guide and support volunteers throughout their role.
Police checks create barriers, causing your organization to miss out on incredible volunteers. It takes courage to change practices, but together our sector can increase access without over-reliance on police checks.
Posted By Sammy Feilchenfeld,
September 1, 2025
Updated: August 20, 2025
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
As of January 2026, there are new rules for posting jobs in Ontario. While volunteers are not part of the Employment Standards Act, these changes present considerations for how you recruit volunteers as well! Let’s explore these changes and how they’ll affect you and your organization.
Interview Follow-Ups
One of the amendments to the Employment Standards Act requires employers to follow up with applicants they interview within 45 days of the interview.
In this follow-up, they must inform applicants whether a hiring decision has been made.
For volunteer engagement, it’s always a good idea to follow up with everyone who applies, and especially those you interview! Many
people looking for volunteer roles never hear back after applying. It’s even more difficult when someone interviews for a role and doesn’t know if the role has been filled or if they should keep waiting.
Respecting the time that a potential volunteer spent to apply for
a role with your organization is a key aspect of Decent Volunteerism. Decent Volunteerism is about organizations building communities of connection, belonging and ongoing civic engagement, which starts with how you communicate with
volunteers and potential volunteers.
Volunteer candidates should know to expect that they will hear back about their application, and especially after an interview. Another reason? Someone who applies to
volunteer with your organization is invested in your cause. By not getting back to volunteer candidates, the less likely they will consider donating to your cause in the future.
Using AI
If an employer uses an artificial intelligence tool to review applicants and/or conduct screening, they must disclose the use of AI. The Regulation defines AI as follows: “ ‘artificial intelligence’ means a machine-based system that, for explicit or implicit objectives, infers from the input it receives in order to generate outputs such as predictions,
content, recommendations or decisions that can influence physical or virtual environments”.
It's an ethical practice to follow this guideline for volunteer roles as well.People
seeking volunteer opportunities will appreciate knowing if their application will be screened using AI. You can read more about using AI for screening – and potential pitfalls – from Benefits Canada.
Canadian Experience
For too long, job postings in Ontario sought
applicants with “Canadian experience”.
The changes to the Employment Standards Act now make it illegal to include “Canadian experience” as a requirement for any job. This echoes the long-standing policy of the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
Volunteer roles must never ask for candidates to have “Canadian experience” in order to volunteer. You may have a bona fide reason to ask for a specific
set of skills or experiences that can ensure volunteer success, but it is important to clearly define what you’re looking for and why.
Other Important Changes
While these aren’t applicable to volunteer engagement, it’s good to be aware of a few additional changes to job postings. These changes move in the right direction toward Decent Work practices (learn more about Decent Work on Ontario Nonprofit Network’s website) to uplift workers in the non-profit sector:
Employers in Ontario must include a compensation range on all job postings, unless compensation is above $200,000/year. The range can’t be larger than $50,000.
Job postings must acknowledge if the posting is for an existing vacancy.
Employers are required to keep a copy of every job posting and application form for three (3) years after the posting is taken down.
These are all tools designed to make it easier for people to find employment that aligns with their interests, skills and expectations. All the listed changes are required of employers with 25 or more employees, but it’s good practice to follow these requirements for smaller organizations as well.
While volunteers support organizations in an unpaid capacity, they are not “interns.” An unpaid internship is not a volunteer engagement.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Labour, an intern is someone who receives training from an employer in a skill that is used by other employees. The intern doesn’t replace volunteers or employees, but instead benefits from their internship by learning skills. An intern is also legally considered an employee.
The key takeaway is that internships benefit the intern themselves and NOT the organization. Volunteering benefits the organization and its clients/community members. While the volunteer themselves may benefit as well, it's not the sole focus of their involvement.
As an additional note, people involved in a student placement, practicum, or unpaid work experience program through a college, university or secondary school are NOT interns. While they may be learning skills, they're completing a separate requirement or expectation of their program.
If you're wondering whether a role should be called an “unpaid internship,” consider these questions:
Does the internship benefit the intern more than the organization?
Is the organization equipped to provide a solid learning experience for the intern to gain specific skills?
Is the intern supporting existing staff and volunteers instead of replacing a paid position?
If you answered no to any or all of these questions, then the role is not an internship. If you want someone to share their time in a way that is meaningful to them, engage a volunteer in a role with reasonable expectations. Don't ask volunteers to work full-time hours in an unpaid role and call it an internship.
Confused about volunteer waivers? You’re not alone. With volunteer safety and risk management always on our minds, understanding these documents is crucial. While we’re not lawyers, or here to give legal advice, we do have some helpful insights to demystify waivers and unpack when or how they might benefit your programming.
Waiver 101
A waiver is a legally binding document that can be required to participate in certain activities. When a volunteer signs a waiver, they are agreeing to “waive” certain rights, typically around claims for injury or damages.
Waivers can vary. Most often, someone is waiving the right to sue an organization or claim compensation if something goes wrong during their involvement. For example, if a volunteer is involved in a highly physical role, the waiver might indicate that if a volunteer gets injured during their role, it is not the organization’s responsibility. This is called a “release of liability” and/or “waiver of claims”.
Along these lines, waivers may also include the following:
Indemnity: The organization is protected from losses or costs associated with something happening to the volunteer.
Assumption of Risk: The volunteer understands the hazards and potential risks of their role.
Medical Treatment: Consent to receive treatment from an organization (such as first aid) and waiving claims if there are any issues with this treatment.
Confidentiality: Volunteers agree to keep information they use or come across in their role private and confidential.
Insurance: A confirmation that volunteers are not covered by insurance from the organization.
Photo or Media Release: The volunteer agrees that photos or videos of them volunteering can be used by the organization.
That’s a Lot for One Document!
Not every waiver will contain all of these elements. For example, confidentiality might have its own separate agreement, or your organization might include a code of conduct within the waiver. The important thing is that waivers are legally binding, so they should be reviewed by legal counsel to ensure they meet your needs and comply with the law.
While waivers vary, many are similar because legal teams, insurance providers, and risk management protocols need to address all potential risks. However, not all waivers require every element mentioned above.
Waiver Storage
If your organization uses waivers, you’ll likely collect a lot of paperwork—especially for events or large volunteer groups. Consider how you’ll store waivers, who will have access to them, and how long they’ll be kept. A volunteer management system or tracking tool might help, but it's important to understand the legal requirements for storing these documents. Waivers may not need to be kept forever, but make sure you have a clear process in place.
Do I Need a Waiver?
Many organizations do not use waivers at all. Whether or not you need one depends on your organization’s risk assessment. Typically, this process is led by staff, legal advisors, the Board of Directors, or an insurance provider for the organization. Waivers are tools for protecting the organization from certain risks, but not all roles require them.
It’s important to ask: who is at risk and who is being protected. If the waiver only protects the organization, what protections are in place for the volunteers or the community? Consider whether there are other ways to manage risk that don’t involve waivers, such as training, clear expectations, or community-based safety protocols.
Remember, a waiver is not the only way to manage risk. Some roles may not involve significant physical risks, so you might use other risk management strategies instead like detailed training, clearer volunteer expectations, or a community-based approach where everyone supports each other. There are lots of ways to understand and address risk, and a waiver may create more barriers for potential volunteers while not meeting your specific needs.
Questions to Consider
Who is the waiver protecting, and is that protection essential for the continued work of volunteers? Consider what “protection” means to your organization, and who might be left out.
If an insurance company requires the use of waivers, can they articulate why these are needed for volunteers? It’s always a good idea to investigate any potential barriers to volunteer engagement. It could be worth pursuing a different insurance provider as an alternative.
What are other ways that your organization can address or manage risk? Volunteering can often be very “transactional” – but there can be lessons learned from the ways people support each other in communities.
Who determines when and where waivers are needed? Consider whether these individuals have awareness of the volunteer’s roles and responsibilities, and your volunteer engagement needs.
Can you enable a group to sign a single waiver for all their members in a group volunteer activity? Waivers should probably be signed individually, so in a group volunteer activity, a single contact (corporate liaison, team leader) must not sign the rights of others away.
What happens if someone refuses to sign part or all of the waiver? Think about protocols for volunteers who may agree to release their liability, but won’t agree to medical treatment (as an example). A process may be needed to enable this volunteer to still help out. This could include a waiver where volunteers sign each part they are agreeing to.
When waivers are required, how can they be made clear and easy to understand for every volunteer? Lots of waivers are long and detailed, and while certain language is required, it may be too complex for volunteers to understand. If you are asking someone to sign a waiver, you should also be able to explain it clearly.
What’s Next
If you’re unsure whether your organization needs waivers or whether your current waivers are appropriate, take the time to investigate. Consult with legal professionals to ensure your practices are aligned with your organization’s needs. And remember, while waivers can be helpful, it’s always worth exploring alternatives that may remove potential barriers for volunteers.
Posted By Volunteer Toronto Administration,
July 26, 2024
Estimated reading time: 15 minutes
Your connections with your co-workers change on a daily basis. One day they’re unraveling under the stress of not meeting goals, the next they’re pulling back together to save the department. Complimenting others is a way to show empathy, an integral component of the Continuum of Civic Engagement.
But even if you don’t see eye to eye with the person in the next cubicle, you still need them in your corner to get the job done. And that’s where the art and science of giving compliments to coworkers comes into play.
Imagine trying to carry that high-stakes project across the finish line with an unmotivated team. Or meeting a client's razor-thin deadlines with no help. To thrive in the workplace, you'll need a team that wants to work with you, not just alongside you.
Now we know what you’re thinking, “I have to find nice things to say about coworkers? That won’t be easy!” But compliments for a coworker aren’t about noticing someone's new hairstyle or stylish outfit. It's about communicating the value of their effort. That’s the real secret of how to compliment a coworker. Remember that time someone took a second out of their busy schedule, just to acknowledge how creative your latest idea was? Of course, you do. Because that compliment made you feel empowered.
Why do compliments have this effect? Because when you point out the value of someone's effort, you fire up the reward sequence in their brains. Our brains are always on the lookout for either positive or negative feedback. It's a survival mechanism humans are hardwired with to know if something is safe or dangerous. And strategically complimenting a coworker quenches the brain's thirst for that positive feedback.
So don't worry if someone at work remembers that time you dropped the ball. Their brain won’t be able to fight the positive feeling that comes from your thoughtful and well-timed compliment.
But the wrong coworker compliment, at the wrong time, can have the opposite effect. In this article of our Continuum of Civic Engagement series, we’ll help you navigate the rough waters of crafting the right compliments for your colleagues so you can breathe new life into those hardened office connections.
Timing Positive Things To Say About a Coworker
Before you start feverishly scouring google for generic search terms like “examples of compliments for coworkers,'' let us save you some time and remember this golden rule: you must find something unique and specific to merit a compliment in the first place.
You shouldn’t compliment someone in the office for meeting a deadline or give them a pat on the back for emailing a client.
If you hand out generic compliments like business cards at a tradeshow every time someone does their job, your words will lose impact. So if you want to master the art of crafting positive compliments for coworkers, start by not overusing them.
Be patient. Wait for them to go above and beyond before you start tossing positive feedback their way. It might happen when they stay after hours, diving deep into the analytics in hopes of pulling out a new sales-boosting idea. Or when they bury themselves in mounds of paperwork to turn profits around after a bad fiscal quarter.
These are moments when having something nice to say about a coworker will hit the hardest. Because you pressed the proverbial positive feedback button, at the right time.
How To Praise a Coworker With Your Body Language
Compliments aren’t just about what you say; they're also about what you do. When you inject positive body language into your work compliments, they tend to grab people’s attention quicker. And they’re not hard to incorporate. A well-earned high-five, a gentle smile stretching from ear to ear, or a quick pat on the back can help turn kind words for coworkers into an office homerun.
Why does this happen? The answer is simple.
Our brains digest words faster when we bring them to life with our actions. When we see emotion, we respond to emotion. So think of your body language as a way to drive your point just a little bit further.
And if you’re wondering how to give kudos to a coworker, don’t overlook the power of a casual thumbs up at the end of the day.
Offering Solutions To Power Up Your Workplace Compliments
It’s past 5 o’clock, and you're dashing out the door after another hard day of work. As you’re heading out, you see one of your coworkers. Still in their office with their eyes glued to their computer. You can tell they’re in for a long night.
It suddenly hits you, this could be it! It’s a compliment-worthy moment unfolding right before your eyes. You take a second, analyze the situation and after walking over you shoot out your most thoughtful compliment. You even back it up with a classy high-five just to drive your point home.
But after all that effort, you can still see the uninspired look on their face. Your compliment didn’t hit its mark.
This is where offering solutions can add real value.
When we’re in the trenches fighting through an issue, our minds are hell- bent on finding a solution. So if you want your compliments to stick, give people what they’re searching for. A potential solution to their problem.
Adding in a quick, “you might want to try this,” or “I was thinking about the problem you’re having” will grab people’s attention right away. Not only will it help your compliments gain traction, but your coworker will see you as slightly more important. Because you’ve presented a solution to the time-sinking problem dragging them down.
Summing Things Up
Getting along with your coworkers isn’t always easy. But being complimentary can go a long way in opening up communication in the office. And if you follow the steps we’ve outlined, you’ll be surprised by the amount of connections you build in a short period of time.
But compliments aren’t the only way to build bridges with your coworkers, or even your community. Our Continuum of Civic Engagement sheds light on the different ways you can empower your community through everyday civic acts of kindness. So if you’re looking for new ways to make an impact in someone's life, our Continuum initiative is the perfect place to start.
As Volunteer Toronto wraps up celebrations of our 50th anniversary in 2023, it’s important that we take a step back and assess where we've come from as a volunteer-engaging sector, to prepare for what comes next in our work. We had a chance to reflect on the past, present and future of volunteering with managers across North America this year, including in Midland, Ontario and Minnesota, USA. This two-blog series will explore insights from these conversations - let's dive in!
Lessons Learned from the Past
1. Barriers to volunteering must be identified and mitigated.
Barriers to volunteering are common, particularly at organizations with well-established volunteer programs. They can include everything from lengthy screening processes (think application forms, interviews, tests, and/or police checks) to redundant and time-consuming training. While screening and training are necessary, the amount that you do should be proportional to the risk associated with the volunteer role in question. For example, you’ll need to do more screening and training of volunteers who work with hospice patients than you will for volunteers who pack food hampers.
2. Staff Buy-in is essential to a successful volunteer program.
Without staff buy-in, and, in particular, leadership buy-in, volunteer managers may not receive the support they need to foster robust volunteer programs at their organizations. It’s up to you, as a volunteer supervisor, to make the case for allocating more time and resources to volunteer engagement. First, identify who you need to advocate to, within the organization and externally. Then, establish your key goals and clarify how volunteers can help your organization achieve those goals. Set up an initial meeting, with a tangible outcome in mind, and articulate the value of volunteer work using data and testimonials. Following that first meeting, continue touching base to ensure you get the support you need.
3. Accountability and transparency are key to volunteer engagement.
It’s important to give your volunteers insight into how and why decisions about your volunteer program are made. Increased transparency means your volunteers are more likely to be onboard with any changes you institute and are more likely to experience a sense of belonging within your organization. The same goes for accountability. Your volunteers will appreciate it if you acknowledge mistakes you’ve made and involve them in steps to move forward. Just as important is celebrating your wins alongside your volunteers. Was their volunteer work instrumental in your organization achieving a programmatic goal? Let them know!
4. Volunteer recognition should be well-resourced and varied.
Volunteer recognition is incredibly important – volunteers who don’t feel appreciated are more likely to disengage from volunteer work, violate boundaries, or leave your organization. Hopefully, your volunteer group is diverse. If so, they’re likely to have a diversity of opinions on what constitutes meaningful recognition. Some may prefer to listen to a presentation about their impact, others may prefer an informal gathering, still others may simply want to be thanked in person for their efforts. If volunteers are central to the achievement of your organization’s mission, which they should be, then spending on volunteer recognition is a worthy investment.
5. Volunteer Burnout is real.
Volunteer work that is stressful or emotionally demanding can lead to burnout. Volunteers who are burned out may start showing up late or missing shifts. At its worst, they may become so disillusioned that they leave your organization altogether. Luckily, volunteer burnout is preventable with intentional, supportive approaches. Ensure that your volunteers are adequately trained and prepared for demanding work. Touch base with volunteers through regular check-ins so that you can determine whether and when they need breaks. Encourage your volunteers to take vacations. Set up projects to have an end date so that volunteers don’t feel that their work is never-ending. Avoid asking the same volunteers to take on new projects over and over. Employ these tactics and your volunteers will be with you for the long haul – and even if they’re not, they’ll leave with a positive impression of your organization!
These are just a few of the lessons shared by the volunteer managers that we chatted with at this year’s conferences. It’s always worth looking back and acknowledging our shortfalls and challenges, so that we can move forward with renewed focus. Do you have any lessons learned to share? Let us know in the comments!
Posted By Sammy Feilchenfeld,
September 28, 2023
Updated: March 4, 2024
On September 5, 2023, Toronto Police Service (TPS) launched a new system requesting police record checks. This platform now enables online requests for Vulnerable Sector Checks, along with Criminal Record Checks and Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Checks. Let’s explore the major changes to the process:
Accessing your Agency Account
If your agency is already registered with TPS for Vulnerable Sector checks, you received information about the change by email. Check your junk or spam email if you haven’t seen the details yet!
Once logged-in, you’ll retrieve your Program Number.
This is your Agency/Organization Code. The number will include a combination of numbers and letters. Use this code when asking a volunteer candidate to get a Vulnerable Sector Check. More on this below.
NOTE: Vulnerable Sector Checks are now $26.72. A new service charge has been added to the cost of all checks, but Criminal Record Checks and Criminal Record and Judicial
Matters Checks remain FREE for volunteers. Have you considered if a Criminal Record Check or Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check might meet your needs?Learn more about what you’ll find on each type of check fromthe Government of Ontario.
The New Request Process
Volunteers can now request their Vulnerable Sector Check directly on the TPS website. Here are the steps they will need to follow to request a check online:
They will also need to create security questions and answers (for password retrieval) and agree to the user agreement (EULA) and consent to Forrest Green (TPS provider) and TPS themselves for searching their data.
Volunteers will get a temporary password on the next screen, which will also be emailed to them. Remind volunteers to save this password OR change the password when they login.
For Criminal Record Checks or Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Checks, it will ask for the Position name and Organization.
For Vulnerable Sector Checks, it will ask for the:
Position name,
Organization Code,
Vulnerable Clientele Duties, and
Which vulnerable sectors the volunteer will be working with.
After selecting “submit and continue”, the volunteer can proceed through the stages of the application, providing personal information, ID information (which is verified through Toronto Police Service’s provider) and payment (credit or VISA debit).
After submission, volunteers can track the progress of their police check through this portal.
It is the volunteer's responsibility to share the results of the police check with you. They can send you the PDF to view. You will need their date of birth in the format YYYYMMDD to unlock the PDF file.
We have created a version of these instructions for your volunteers. Find them here.
Other Options for Applying
You can still use a physical form for Vulnerable Sector Checks. This should be filled out with the volunteer and either mailed to or dropped off at Police Headquarters (40 College Street). The form has been updated and will require your Organization Code/Program Number and brief details about how the role works with vulnerable populations. This is to ensure that the request aligns with the requirements and rules around Vulnerable Sector Checks. If you haven’t received the new version of the form, please contact us. If you use the old form, or fill out any part of the form incorrectly, it will be returned to you with a letter stating that requests can only be made online. You can still use the NEW form by mail.
Volunteers can also now go directly to Police Headquarters (40 College Street) to request and pay for their police check (any level) in-person at the Information Access counter on the main floor. The counter is open Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays, from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. They will need your Organization Code/Program Number to request a Level 3 check in-person, along with the vulnerable duties and clientele. Prepare them with this information so they won't be turned away.
Changes for Youth Applicants (Under 18 Years)
There are specific rules around requesting checks for people under 18. TPS will now only process applications for any level of check if the under-18 volunteer is working with a government (of any level). More details are listed under “Youth Applications” here: https://www.tps.ca/services/police-record-checks/
Terms of Service Replace the Memorandum of Understanding
In the past, organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with TPS to be able to request Vulnerable Sector Checks. This has been replaced with a Terms of Service
you will agree to when logging into the organization portal.
The Terms of Service:
Clarify that the Vulnerable Sector Check will only be sent to the volunteer,
Confirm that the decision to recruit the volunteer upon receiving this information is up to the agency,
Remind organizations that completed checks they receive should be destroyed after or kept safe (Section 5.3), and
Affirm that organizations have already screened the volunteer candidate.
Section 6, regarding the roles and responsibilities of organizations requesting Vulnerable Sector Checks, should be read in detail. Human Rights Training (section 7) also remains a requirement. The online course on “Ontario Human Rights Code and Police Checks” fulfills this requirement.
Not a Registered TPS Agency?
Does your organization want to become a registered with TPS to be able to complete Vulnerable Sector Checks? Contact PRCPRegistration@tps.ca with a letter on your organization’s letterhead outlining your interest in joining the Police Reference Check Program (PRCP) including the agency’s name, mailing address and phone number, your email address, and a description of the organization and how it connects with the vulnerable sector.
More details will be added to this post as they become available.
One of the common questions Volunteer Toronto gets from volunteer managers is “How do I get my colleagues, senior leadership and others to buy-in to volunteer engagement?” A lot of volunteer managers are a team of one, leading or supporting a large and essential volunteer engagement approach. This means that others in the organization need to show support and sometimes supervise volunteers. While you might face some resistance to supporting volunteer engagement, it’s important to help other see the value of volunteers. Here are some helpful responses to the most common statements that staff and senior leadership might use when it comes to volunteer engagement.
“It’s more trouble than it’s worth” Volunteers bring great benefits to: - The organization by increasing the efforts, skills & perspectives contributing toward achieving your mission. - The community by changing the quality and types of services you provide. - The volunteers by providing valuable experience, skills and community. - The staff by providing opportunities to practice supervision and management skills along with additional resources available to their area of work.
“I don’t want someone else to do my job.” Volunteers shouldn’t be brought in to do the same work as paid program staff. They should support that work by adding value for clients & the organization. When appropriate, staff can help identify volunteer roles based on needs.
“I don’t know how to work with volunteers.” You may need to provide or find training for staff on some elements of volunteer management, but the added benefit is that this training will give staff a better understanding of the value of volunteer engagement.
“I don’t have the time.” Staff shouldn’t supervise volunteers unless it’s part of their job description. Senior leadership should also provide support to these staff to develop management skills and recognize their contribution.
“We don’t really need volunteers.” Remember your organization’s mission – if the strategic and work plans include volunteers to achieve your goals, then the benefits are clear and volunteers should be brought on board!
It may be difficult to get staff to buy-in to volunteer involvement – being prepared with answers to their comments can be a great start. If you really want to get a head start on getting staff ready for volunteers, check out Volunteer Toronto’s Custom Training. Our knowledgeable and dedicated trainers will come to your space to provide training on the topics you need.
In the lead-up to International Volunteer Managers Day on November 5th, we decided to help the novices in the field with a little advice from those who remember what it's like to be new at Volunteer Management.
Check out our final installment with advice from Abha Govil, Coordinator, Volunteer Services at Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities.
What advice would you give? Write your thoughts in the comments section below.
While it can feel counterintuitive to dismiss or fire a volunteer, it’s an important and formal part of the engagement process. When there’s a volunteer performance or conduct issue, you want to take steps to provide feedback, suggest solutions and continuously follow up. When an issue becomes insurmountable, dismissal is the only path forward. Here are a few important considerations when planning for dismissal:
Focus on Prevention Ensure volunteers have a clear understanding of their expectations and responsibilities. This should come alongside effective onboarding and training, including ongoing training to refresh volunteers on their duties and boundaries. While not every volunteer can be supervised regularly, you want to have processes in place to stay up to date on volunteer activities. This can help you prevent issues from worsening.
Understand the Cause If there is an issue, it’s important to understand the underlying cause. There may be a disconnect between the volunteer’s expectation of what they should be doing in the role, or maybe they don’t feel properly equipped to fulfill the duties. Also consider how a volunteer’s personal life may impact their ability to perform the role. Ask volunteers if they know what they did wrong and if there’s anything impeding their ability to succeed.
Document the Plan When you talk to a volunteer about an issue, make sure you focus on why the issue is a problem for the volunteer, client or organization. Also, be specific about changes you want to see. Then, write down that the conversation took place, and follow up with volunteers regularly. If they’re not able to make changes or improve, you have a clear path forward.
Consider the Alternatives In a lot of cases, a volunteer may leave on their own, but they need the encouragement to know this is alright. Offer time off so a volunteer can deal with any personal matters, and keep in mind that they may not come back. Look at different roles or formats that could be a better fit, or refer them to another organization or program if appropriate.
Follow the Dismissal Procedure You must have a dismissal policyBEFORE you dismiss the volunteer. This policy will clearly lay out the grounds for dismissal and the procedure for dismissal. For example, you may have a two-warning approach. Or you may determine that certain behaviour, conduct or performance leads to immediate dismissal. In any situation, follow this process exactly and document everything. This will include a formal letter to the volunteer informing them of dismissal.
While it can be hard, it is acceptable and appropriate to dismiss volunteers. It’s a real part of volunteer engagement and can’t be left as an afterthought!
What do you think? To get in on the discussion, join the next Subscriber Circle, where we will be discussing Volunteer Orientation.
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