FAQs for people receiving volunteer support

You can call the Support Team on 0808 196 3382^[2] and we will look into this for you.

Your GP or another health or care professional may have asked us to call you to offer support. Please call the Support Team on 0808 196 3382^[3] and we can look into this for you.

Our privacy statement^[4] is available on our website but if you would like a copy to be posted, please contact our Support Team on 0808 196 3382^[3] and we can arrange this for you.

Letters are sent to anyone who has been referred or has self-referred into the programme. They include details about the type of support you will receive and our Support Team contact number if you require any further information.

Our system will automatically search for a volunteer who speaks your preferred language, but unfortunately we can't guarantee a match. If there isn't a volunteer available to match your preferred language or in your area, the search will default back to English.

No, If you are signed up to Check In and Chat you will receive calls from different volunteers. If you would benefit from regular contact from the same volunteer you may be able to access our Check In and Chat Plus support. Please contact the Support Team on 0808 196 3382^[2] to discuss this.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible for the same volunteer to support you on a regular basis. Your requests for support are sent out to a group of volunteers who are in your local area.

Please do not ask volunteers to give you their phone number or contact details as they are not permitted to do so. The programme is set up to ensure we are safeguarding you and the person who is supporting you. If you need ongoing support please call our Support Team on 0808 196 3382^[2].

Volunteer Responders has stringent safeguarding and other support systems in place to protect both you and our volunteers. It is not permitted to continue to receive support outside the programme. If you still require assistance, we can help you find options in your local area, please call our Support Team on 0808 196 3382^[2] to discuss further.

Our Support Team will not be able to give you a time. However, a volunteer will contact you by telephone and if it is not convenient to talk you can arrange a time when they can call back. 

It is very important that you do not share your debit cards, credit cards or pin codes with your volunteer or give away any personal financial information. See full details on payment options^[5].

Unfortunately we are not able to support these tasks as these activities are not available through the Volunteer Responders programme.

You can try to contact your Local Authority and local food banks who may be able to source a food parcel for you.

Yes, all volunteers must be over 18 years old.

All volunteers receive a Getting You Started Guide appropriate to the activities they sign up to so they will have specific, clear and detailed guidance which will enable them to provide support safely.

Our volunteers are there to provide a preventative service to isolation and not a treatment or care delivery service for people with significant mental health conditions, people receiving treatment for suicidal thoughts or actions, people receiving support for drug and/or alcohol abuse and or have life-limiting health conditions, disabilities or cognitive impairment where a carer is responsible for their daily care needs.

We have carried out identity checks for all volunteers, including checking their passports or driving license etc. Check In and Chat Plus Volunteers must have an Enhanced DBS certificate.

The safeguarding of people receiving support and/or volunteers is paramount. Royal Voluntary Service have a safeguarding framework to support Volunteer Responders. This includes;

• A trained Safeguarding Team working 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week picking up concerns from volunteers and/or patients.
• A patient safety letter detailing what patients can expect from a volunteer and what to do if their volunteer experience falls below this expectation.
• No 1-2-1 volunteer to patient relationships. GoodSAM is a dynamic platform, matching available volunteers to tasks that are live.
• All volunteers have an identification page within the app which they must show the person receiving support.
• Safe guidelines around payment of shopping and prescriptions.
• A volunteer agreement which details expected behaviours of volunteers.
• A volunteer Problem Solving Team to help with low-level volunteer concerns or issues.
• A process for removal and/or banning of volunteers or people being supported from the service for inappropriate conduct or behaviour.

Safeguarding concerns can be raised by calling the Support Team 0808 196 3382^[6].

Yes, the volunteer will need to confirm the following information at the pharmacy so they can collect tests on your behalf:

1. The medical condition you have been identified as being at risk for COVID-19 (this is to confirm eligibility with the pharmacy)
2. Full name
3. Date of birth
4. Address

Our volunteers follow strict data protection guidance and will destroy this information in line with our policy once they have collected the tests for you. If you don’t want to share this information with a volunteer you will need to find another way to collect the tests.

The gov.uk ordering portal and 119 were established in response to the pandemic. As we learn to manage COVID-19 more in line with other respiratory illness, we need to move to routine NHS services that enable patients to access COVID-19 tests.

Community pharmacies are well placed in local communities to provide this service.

Any volunteer engaged in an active task under this scheme will be able to evidence this by showing you the Volunteer Responders app on their mobile phone, where you can see that they are actively carrying out an assigned task. 

We understand that you might want to give a small gift to say thank you, but we ask that you don’t do this. When our volunteers sign up we ask them to accept a Volunteer Agreement that states that they agree to: ‘Not accepting any gifts or money from people you are supporting’. 

Giving or receiving gifts can blur boundaries so you should also refuse if you are offered a gift and we ask that you let our Support Team know by calling 0808 196 3646^[3] so they can follow up with the volunteer. This is to ensure everyone is kept safe.

It’s important to us that you have a positive experience, if you are not enjoying your interactions with a volunteer, please let us know by calling our Support Team on 0808 196 3646^[3] and we can hopefully find another volunteer to support you.

We don’t currently have the ability to match volunteers in this way, you can contact the Support Team if you want to request a different volunteer on 0808 196 3646^[3].

No, Volunteers are aware that they need to pay for themselves and will then be able to claim back reasonable expenses.

No, you should have been made aware by the referrer that you will need to pay for your own activities and any expenses related to them e.g. bus fare, ingredients for baking, entry to any social groups or clubs, or subsistence when out and about.

The maximum time a volunteer can stay with you in your home is 2 hours, this increases up to 4 hours if you have requested support in the community. 

No, the volunteer is there to support/enable you to take part in activities. Volunteers are not there to replace the work of paid employees or care staff.

The volunteer is there to support you in things that you have requested via the referrer, if you don’t feel comfortable with any activities a volunteer is suggesting, politely decline and inform our Support Team on 0808 196 3646^[3] who will follow up with the volunteer.