Best practices for supporting volunteers with learning disabilities
The individuals we support are at the heart of everything we do.
Our Creator Volunteers are a group of volunteers with learning disabilities. A big part of their volunteering is ensuring the accessibility of Insight’s Volunteering Hub and its resources.
This resource, co-produced with our Creator Volunteers, is aimed at organisations who wish to support their volunteers with learning disabilities. From references and DBS checks, application and interview, and support on the job, we have you covered.
Who is Innovate Trust?
Innovate Trust is a charity based in South East Wales that supports adults with learning disabilities.
We began as a Student Volunteering project at Cardiff University in 1967, called CUSS.
We were the first charity in the UK to set up a supported living home.
We are proud of our history, and we continue to strive for new ways to support individuals and ensure they have freedom, choice, dignity, and control over their lives.
Everything we do focuses on new and innovative ways of supporting and valuing the decisions of the individuals we work with.
We work with individuals to live as independently as possible by offering a wide range of support services, activities, training, and volunteering opportunities.
Our Skills and Wellbeing Department have a number of projects with a specific focus on moving individuals closer to volunteering or paid employment.
Individuals supported by Innovate Trust, and those in the wider community, benefit from our projects.
About the Insight app's Volunteering Hub
Innovate Trust’s Volunteering Hub is a new online platform accessible to adults with learning disabilities through our Insight app.
Insight is Innovate Trust’s free community app for adults with learning disabilities across the UK.
Our Insight app provides over 80 live and in-person activities per week and a social space for people to share, make friends and be digitally included in an accessible and friendly environment.
We have created a new section called the Volunteering Hub on Insight.
The Volunteering Hub is a place where individuals can discover more about volunteering, what it means, why it is beneficial, and how to improve their volunteering skills.
Individuals can also search for local volunteering opportunities through the Volunteering Hub.
WCVA's Strategic Grant
The creation of the Volunteering Hub and its resources are funded by WCVA’s Volunteering Wales Strategic Grant Scheme. This funding stream aims to promote and improve volunteering in Wales.
There is a strong focus on co-production and evaluating volunteering to achieve this. The grant’s main objective is to unlock the strategic potential of volunteering over the longer term.
This is achieved through identifying the strategic need, exploring partnerships, supporting the upscaling of strategic infrastructure, and assessing equal opportunities.
These all help to remove barriers to volunteering.
2024’s Volunteering Wales Strategic grant builds on the work carried out in the initial pilot. Innovate Trust’s first round of funding was our Insight Investigators Project.
Our Insight Investigators project saw Insight members evaluating our Insight app and its features. After consulting with adults with learning disabilities, we were able to make the app even more accessible.
We also found that there was an interest for a dedicated online space where individuals could find out more about volunteering, connect with each other, and access suitable opportunities.
Our second round of funding was dedicated to creating the Volunteering Hub and its resources.
Coproducing resources
The individuals we support are at the heart of everything we do.
Throughout 2024, we worked closely with several groups of volunteers with learning disabilities. Their core aim was to create the Volunteering Hub and its resources.
They have told us what they think should be included and have helped us to gather the information in these resources. This makes for more accurate and inclusive resources which will benefit adults with learning disabilities the most.
We have found that individuals with learning disabilities want to be included in their community and, with the right support, can be a key part of their community.
These resources aim to remove barriers preventing them from volunteering in their community.
Who are these resources for?
The volunteers with learning disabilities who helped to create these resources wanted as many people as possible to see them!
It is particularly important to them that people who offer volunteering opportunities use them. This could be County Voluntary Councils, other volunteers, employee volunteering groups, as well as Volunteer Coordinators and their wider organisations. Everyone can benefit from these resources.
Increasing everyone’s confidence with supporting adults with learning disabilities will lead to increased opportunities for this group of people.
David is a volunteer with a learning disability and autism who is helping to create the Volunteering Hub. He also has a supported employment role at Innovate Trust.
I would feel happier and safer if organisations had more training on learning disabilities and autism.
If people know more about this, they can support me better.
It would be good if there was more awareness, and I could feel more included.
What is a learning disability?
Our definition:
A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty in everyday activities, for example, household tasks, socialising or managing money.
A learning disability affects someone for their whole life.
Individuals with a learning disability can take longer to learn things and may need support to develop new skills, understand complicated information and interact with other people.
A person with a learning disabilities definition:
With the right support, individuals with learning disabilities can and do contribute to society and should be included in the community.
Sunflower has a learning disability and volunteers with Innovate Trust on many of our projects.
I believe a learning disability is that a person needs more help.
People should treat them with respect, take time to get to know them and to give them a chance.
It is important that they also be given a chance to see what they are good at and what their strengths are. They have as much rights as you do.
They are no different to anyone else. We are all people.
What level of support does a volunteer with a learning disability need?
Ask them!
The volunteer is the best person to answer this question. They will be able to tell you or show you what support they need.
The level of support someone needs depends on the individual.
For example, one individual may need support with travelling to their volunteering opportunity, whereas another individual may be able to travel independently but may need support with understanding their tasks.
Support needs vary and can change over time too.
When you are asking a volunteer with a learning disability how they like to be supported it is good to do this in a few different ways.
We asked some of our volunteers with learning disabilities and here is what they had to say:
Taster sessions
You can ask them to attend a taster session so you can get to know each other and chat about what support they would like.
Our volunteers with learning disabilities commented that this was often the best way for them to get a feel for a new opportunity and to alleviate their worries about support.
Questions that would be good to ask are:
- ‘How can we help you get the most out of your volunteering?’
- ‘Do you have any support needs that you’d like us to know about?’
- ‘Do you need help with certain tasks?’
Support and health needs
You could create a form that collects information about a volunteer’s support and health needs.
With the volunteer’s consent, you could also request information from the people who support them, such as:
- another organisation
- a family member
- a social worker
Support networks
Your volunteers may be working with several professionals who all need to support them well.
To help with this, you can record information so you have something to look over and remind you of how that individual wants to be supported.
With their consent, it can be shared with new members of the team who may also be working with that individual.
It is also a good way of evidencing skill development, potentially highlighting how an individual’s support needs have reduced while volunteering with you.
Including support networks
Offer for the volunteer to come to their first meeting or sessions with support.
This will reassure them knowing they have that option.
Some volunteers only need support for the first few sessions while they settle in.
Ask them!
There are lots of different ways you can communicate with someone with a learning disability.
Asking the volunteer or their support network which way is best for the volunteer is a good place to start.
Other disabilities and additional needs
Some volunteers with learning disabilities may have other disabilities too.
Do not forget to ask the individual about other support needs too including mobility needs, personal care, autism, mental health conditions.
Appropriate personal care facilities
Personal care means supporting someone to look after their own personal hygiene and appearance.
Some adults with learning disabilities need support with this and should attend with a support worker if this is the case. Providing changing facilities with bins is ideal.
Words from volunteers with learning disabilities
Simone is a volunteer with a learning disability at Innovate Trust’s Secret Garden project. Simone likes to volunteer with Jane, her support worker.
I like working with Jane because she understands me and we work well together. Jane helps me when I get stuck. She keeps me focused on my jobs. Jane's good. Jane helps me to get to my volunteering and she helps me to volunteer
Louis is another volunteer with a learning disability at The Secret Garden. Louis does not have a support worker but likes to have a Project Officer’s support.
Pete, the Secret Garden Project Officer, is there during volunteering sessions to guide our volunteers.
I like to be told what to do and what jobs there are to do. I like to be shown how to do it correctly, so I do not make a mistake. Pete does a really good job, and he is always there to help.
Kyle is another volunteer with a learning disability at The Secret Garden.
Kyle prefers to volunteer more independently.
I like working on my own, doing things by myself. I know what tools to use, and I am happy to do this without help. No bossy people telling me what to do. Pete shows me what to do and then I get on with it by myself.
Understanding the network of a volunteer with a learning disability
Adults with learning disabilities usually have a team of people supporting them which can include the following:
Support Worker
Someone who is paid to support the person. They may support them with a variety of tasks such as cooking and cleaning, personal care, travelling, shopping, attending appointments and managing money.
Support workers support people who live in a shared house, on their own or with their family. This is the person who is most likely to be accompanying someone who is volunteering and needs more support.
Social Worker
Someone who is paid to ensure the individual’s needs are being met and that the individual is living the life they want to live.
Self-advocacy
Organisations like People First help adults with learning disabilities to understand their rights and to make their own decisions.
Someone who is paid to ensure the individual’s needs are being met and that the individual is living the life they want to live.
Family
An individual may receive support from their family, often unpaid. This could include cooking and cleaning, personal care, travelling, shopping, attending appointments and managing money.
A range of support
It is important to remember not all individuals will receive all types of support. Some individuals will receive more support than others with some receiving no support at all.
Some individuals will need support from one of these people whilst volunteering, whereas others will not. It depends on the person.
Some people may need support for their first few sessions and then this support can be reduced.
Good communication with support networks and the individual will ensure you get their level of support right.
A large number of adults with learning disabilities, autism or mental health conditions do not receive any support and this is ok too.
There is not necessarily something wrong if a volunteer with a learning disability does not have a support network. They can still volunteer without any support.
How to support a volunteer with a learning disability with references
We asked several groups of volunteers with learning disabilities on how best to support them.
Here is what they had to say:
I do not know what a reference is, can you explain?
If this happens you could spend some time explaining what references are.
Reading through an Easy Read guide or watching a video together may be helpful. Easy Read resources and videos can be found on Innovate Trust’s Insight app’s Volunteering Hub.
I worry about what someone will say about me in a reference.
You can offer to show them a copy of the completed reference.
Our volunteers with learning disabilities said this would alleviate their worries.
Who should I ask to give me a reference?
We found that our volunteers with learning disabilities liked having a list of people who they are likely to encounter who can give a reference.
You could suggest a social worker, support worker, or another volunteer coordinator. Explain to the volunteer why a friend or family member giving a reference is not always appropriate,
Our volunteers with learning disabilities told us they may not automatically understand this.
Similarly, our volunteers suggested you may need to explain that although a doctor is a professional, they cannot give a reference.
A referee needs to be someone they know well in a professional setting, like the examples listed above.
Why do you need a reference?
When we asked our volunteers why they thought an organisation would want a reference about them, they were not too sure.
Explaining why you need one is helpful. You could say it is to check you are the right person for the role.
Is a reference a DBS? Is a reference a CV?
Many of the volunteers we asked often confused between a reference, DBS check, and a CV.
We found that explaining what the 3 types of documents are, and how they are different was helpful.
A reference is something someone else writes about you.
A DBS is a check the government does
A CV is something you write about yourself.
Watching videos and looking at Easy Reads can help explain the differences.
Having some example copies to hand was also suggested by our volunteers as a helpful way of explaining them.
An organisation has asked for a reference but I do not know what to do next.
We are all told to be careful with sharing information and it is the same for volunteers with learning disabilities.
Many reported feeling anxious about passing on contact information so references could be completed.
We reassured them that as long as you ask, it is ok to share the contact details of someone who you would like to provide a reference for you.
Other volunteers with learning disabilities were unsure how to start the conversation with the person they would like to ask for a reference.
Supporting them to reach out to that person is sometimes needed, this might be because the person lacks confidence to do this alone or they do not have the necessary digital skills to send an email.
Phone calls are often easier for volunteers with learning disabilities but make sure you ask the person which way is best for them, giving them a choice is important.
How to support a volunteer with a learning disability with a DBS check
We asked several groups of volunteers with learning disabilities about support with a DBS check.
Here are their thoughts on how they would want to be supported:
Explain
Our volunteers thought you might need to explain what a DBS check is.
You could say something like:
‘A DBS check is a Disclosure and Barring Service check.
A DBS check looks at whether you have a criminal record.
You will need a DBS check for some volunteering roles.
A DBS check is a way to check that it is safe for you to do your volunteering role.’
Alternatively, you could read through an Easy Read document or watch a video together to help explain it.
We asked several groups of volunteers with learning disabilities about support with a DBS check, resulting in a co-produced Easy Read guide available on our Volunteering Hub.
Support with a DBS form
Some of our volunteers with learning disabilities said they would like support with filling in the form.
Some individuals need support to read and write whereas others can do this independently.
Individuals can sign documents themselves unless you are told otherwise.
Volunteers with learning disabilities thought it would be good to be supported throughout the process in some cases.
The volunteer may need reminding when to do different things and what documents they need and may need time to find these documents too.
Anxious feelings
Volunteers with learning disabilities reported feeling anxious about these checks.
Offer reassurance and explain why you need these checks as well as the type of information the checks look for.
Affordability
Some of our volunteers with learning disabilities said they may not be able to pay for a DBS.
The good news is most DBS checks for volunteering are free.
Explain the fees, if there are any, to the individual so they have time to think about whether to go ahead and how they will pay.
How to communicate with a volunteer with a learning disability
Our volunteers are all unique and like to communicate in different ways.
Some suggestions on ways that can be particularly helpful for volunteers are:
Makaton
Makaton is a type of sign language which is often used by adults with learning disabilities to communicate.
Makaton uses signs alongside spoken language and sometimes pictures. It can be used as a main method of communication or to support speech.
Pictures
Pictures can be used to explain a whole range of concepts.
Using pictures on instructions, role descriptions or enrolment forms can provide an alternative explanation of the points you are aiming to get across.
They are also beneficial for volunteers who have difficulty reading.
Easy Read
Easy Read is a version of a document that is easier for someone with a learning disability to understand.
To achieve this, simple words in short sentences are used alongside pictures to help explain the words.
For more information see: How to produce an Easy Read document.
Talking
Verbally explaining instructions can be beneficial for volunteers with learning disabilities.
You can ask them questions to check their understanding. Do not be afraid to try explaining things in a few different ways to help get your point across.
Ask the volunteer
A mixture of communication and resources is often good.
The best thing you can do is to ask the volunteer or their support network which way is best for the volunteer.
Positive language
It is also important to use positive language. This helps your volunteer to feel more positive about themselves.
For example, asking ‘would you like support with that?‘ is better than ‘you are doing that wrong, do you need help?‘.
Volunteering should be about improving confidence and being included in the community.
Asking the volunteer if they would like support is not a good or a bad thing. Sometimes it is needed to ensure the volunteer can contribute fully.
How to produce an Easy Read document
An Easy Read is a version of a document that is easier for someone with a learning disability to understand.
To achieve this, simple words in short sentences are used alongside pictures to help explain the words.
Easy Read role description
An Easy Read role description for your volunteering opportunity can be very helpful for a volunteer with a learning disability.
We ask for organisations to include an Easy Read when they are uploading a volunteering opportunity they want to promote on our Volunteering Hub.
Tips on making a good Easy Read
Images
- Images should be easy to understand. For example, a light bulb does not represent thinking, it is too abstract. But someone with a thoughtful facial expression and body language does.
- Images should be to the left of the writing.
- Each key point should have an image.
Styling text
- Important words are in bold.
- Do not write in all capitals.
- Do not use italics or underlined text.
- Text should be in black with a white background. There should be no images or patterns behind the text.
- Make sure there is plenty of space around the text. You may need to increase the line spacing.
Font and sizing
- Font size should be a minimum of size 16.
- Fonts should be clear. Good examples are Quicksand and Tenorite.
Sentence structure
- Sentences should contain 2-10 words with a maximum of 15 words.
- Paragraphs should be 1-3 lines with a maximum of 5 lines.
Numbers
- Numbers should be written in digits, not words.
For example:
1
22not
one
twenty-two
Language
- Do not to shorten words. ‘You are’ is better than ‘you’re’ and ‘do not’ is better than ‘don’t’.
- There should not be more than 4 words in the listing that you think people may find hard to understand. Examples we have come across are ‘conservation’, ‘empowering’, and ‘cooperation’.
Document design
- Give the document a title page.
- Include your organisation’s logo and contact details at the end of the document.
Example Easy Read role description
How to make volunteering fun
Everyone likes to have fun and to do tasks they enjoy.
Some people find motivation and concentration hard when volunteering.
We have found that making volunteering roles fun helps to boost concentration and motivation.
It also makes their volunteering more memorable, increasing their quality of life and the likelihood of retaining them as a volunteer.
All of our volunteers with learning disabilities fed back that they liked having fun when volunteering!
Ways to make volunteering fun
Give your volunteers a challenge
Ensure tasks are challenging but also rewarding.
For example, building bird boxes with someone there to offer support was challenging for a group of conservation volunteers with learning disabilities.
However, they felt a huge sense of achievement once they had finished building them and had put them up.
We had lots of good feedback after this session!
Set the level
Ensure tasks are not too difficult.
For example, if you left a volunteer with a learning disability alone with no support to build a bird box, they may find it too difficult.
They would leave their session feeling frustrated and could be put off attending again.
It is about tailoring tasks to the individual, ensuring they are challenging but not too much so.
Give praise
Telling the individual when they have done something well and thanking them for their time.
Knowing your help is appreciated is always good to hear, it is the same for volunteers.
Consider planning a volunteer party or celebration event with certificates.
Encourage socialising
Put time aside for a tea break.
Making friends and getting some social interaction is important for everyone including those with learning disabilities.
Breaks can also help with concentration.
Ask for feedback
Coproduction can help to make volunteering fun.
Asking the individuals what they would like their volunteering project to be like ensures their ideas are listened to and they are likely to choose something they find fun.
Vary tasks
A wide variety of tasks and trying something new is more fun for everyone.
Have fun!
Learning new things and meeting new people is fun.
David is a volunteer with a learning disability and autism who is helping to create the Volunteering Hub.
He also has a supported employment role at Innovate Trust.
Volunteering is fun when you get to know new people. You can have a bit of banter. When my volunteering is fun I come back and do more. Socialising with volunteers is important, especially so you can get to know them better. At Innovate we do this weekly with the Peer-led volunteers.
How to make volunteering meaningful
Individuals who find volunteering meaningful are more easily retained.
It is important you make your volunteering as meaningful as possible but also to support individuals to understand why it is meaningful.
Encourage understanding
Individuals with learning disabilities sometimes need support to fully understand the meaning behind the task they are doing.
When co-creating content for the Volunteering Hub, we reminded our volunteers at the beginning of each session that we were working on a new website about volunteering for adults with learning disabilities.
This helped them to understand the reason why they were doing these tasks.
Reminding them of the purpose of the sessions highlighted the importance of the task and helped them to feel valued and listened to.
When individuals are taking part in conservation volunteering, for example, we explain the reason why we are getting rid of Himalayan balsam, an invasive species of plant.
Otherwise, they may think they are removing plants when they wanted to look after the plants in the park.
This would lead them feeling unhappy and confused.
Improving skills
Focusing on improving skills can be helpful for adults with learning disabilities and it can help to make their volunteering more meaningful.
Ask them what goals they would like to work on, then give them the opportunity to work on that goal and finally reward them as they improve. This could be working as a team.
Teamwork
A volunteer with a learning disability may always work on their own but would like to work as a team and to get better at this.
You could then pair them up with someone and let them know that they worked well together after the session.
You could work on this over a number of sessions, gradually building them up to working together in a larger group.
Awareness
For Peer-led team volunteer, David, any volunteering within the community is helping to spread awareness of disabilities as they are represented when volunteering.
Volunteering is meaningful, especially when you are raising awareness of different disabilities. I volunteer for the National Autistic Society where I spread awareness of autism. It is important to me so more people know how to include people with autism and other disabilities.
Peter is a volunteer with a learning disability who is helping to create the Volunteering Hub. He also volunteers at Innovate Trust’s Secret Garden in St Fagans.
Peter explained how coproduction leads to more meaningful and inclusive volunteering.
We get to choose how we want to create the garden. It’s important for, not just myself, but other people in the group to have a decision on what they want to put into the garden.
Accessible training for volunteers with learning disabilities
It is important to make your training accessible for volunteers with learning disabilities.
Offering choice
Offering the volunteer a choice in the way their training is delivered is a good start.
Some volunteers with learning disabilities may prefer face to face training with a scribe and extended time.
Face to face, online, or written training may appeal to some individuals and not others.
Quiet spaces
Phil, a volunteer with a learning disability who volunteers with the British Heart Foundation, told us that he liked it when their training was arranged in a quiet space where there was someone around to offer support.
A volunteer with a learning disability may prefer somewhere with fewer distractions.
Allowing them to focus on their training and no other tasks is helpful for someone who finds concentration difficult.
Outsourcing or reformatting training
Outsourcing training to a provider who can offer a more tailored version to adults with learning disabilities is a fantastic option.
Alternatively, why not have a go at reformatting the training yourself.
Innovate Trust have offered many tailored training opportunities over the years including First Aid, Food Hygiene and Manual Handling, all of which can be made accessible for adults with learning disabilities.
Mark, a volunteer with a learning disability who helped create the Volunteering Hub, said that he found Innovate Trust’s training sessions excellent and well planned.
He has enjoyed them all, particularly the First Aid as he learnt how to put someone in a recovery position and how to prevent death!
He also liked the Makaton sessions as he learnt a lot of signs which he tries to put into practice.
Natalie, a volunteer with a learning disability who helped create the Volunteering Hub, gave some insightful comments about Innovate Trust’s accessible training.
Natalie, a volunteer with a learning disability who helped create the Volunteering Hub, gave some insightful comments about Innovate Trust’s accessible training.
It is brilliant! I really enjoy it! I love doing courses, we have done mental health and being happy and confidence. It has been good to try new activities.
Dean is another volunteer with a learning disability who has helped to create the Volunteering Hub.
Accessible training has helped get me out of my comfort zone and that has been good.
Essential training
Think about which training needs to be essential and which can be optional.
You can then offer the optional training as a choice.
Some volunteers with learning disabilities may want to do more training whereas others may be put off by this.
Incorporating training into volunteering sessions is a good way of improving skills without it feeling like a mammoth task.
Short training sessions
Aaron, a volunteer with a learning disability across many of Innovate Trust’s projects, enjoyed the training he did as part of his woodwork volunteering with Down To Earth.
This training was a more vocational Agored woodland management qualification with lots of practical elements.
They spent about 20 minutes doing this each session over a period of 6 weeks which they much preferred to spending several hours doing it all at once.
Safeguarding adults with learning disabilities
Safeguarding is about protecting people from abuse.
It is also about making sure people enjoy good health, develop well and take a full and active role in their community.
Adults with learning disabilities can be vulnerable in many ways.
They are more at risk of abuse.
They also may not recognise they are being abused.
Suspected abuse
If you suspect abuse you must tell the local authority.
The local authority has a legal responsibility to make enquiries and to act on this straight away, as detailed in part 7 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.
To contact the local authority you should find out the contact details for the adults safeguarding team in your area.
Try looking on your council’s website.
If you believe the person is in immediate danger, phone 999.
Case Study: David
David thoroughly enjoys his volunteering at the Marie Curie charity shop.
He is passionate about spreading awareness of its cause and how he is supported there.
David was more than happy for us to write up a case study on him with the aim of inspiring others to better include those with learning disabilities in volunteering.
About Marie Curie
Marie Curie is a charity that provides hospice care.
They support anyone with an end-of-life illness as well as their families and those closest to them.
Marie Curie also shares research and campaign for better support for those at end of life.
The Marie Curie shops raise vital funds that go towards this clinical and emotional care and provide awareness of the charity’s mission.
Why Marie Curie?
David found out about Marie Curie when his mum was at the Marie Curie hospice in Penarth.Marie Curie looked after her.
David’s mum’s social worker thought it would be good for him to volunteer for Marie Curie.
They helped him to start volunteering there. Because of this, David finds his volunteering very meaningful.
He understands who he is raising money for when he volunteers in the charity shop.
Ensuring volunteering is meaningful and that the volunteer understands why it is meaningful is vital.
David’s volunteering with Marie Curie
At Marie Curie, David volunteers four days a week, usually volunteering for a few hours at a time.
Tailoring the length of sessions to suit the volunteer is very helpful.
Some prefer a couple of hours at a time whereas others prefer a longer session.
Offering several shorter sessions a week can help with concentration and ensure volunteers with learning disabilities can still contribute lots of time.
When David volunteers here he does a number of tasks including:
- Pricing CDs and DVDs and sorting them
- Steaming clothes to make sure they look their best
- Sweeping and mopping the floor
- Taking cash to the Post Office
- Sorting clothes out, they are sorted to be rags, passed to other shops or to be sold in this shop
- Making drinks for other volunteers and staff
- Working on the shop floor, standing behind the till and greeting customers.
Choice and autonomy
David chooses which tasks he does.
This gives him autonomy.
Everyone likes to have a choice of what tasks they do.
Many individuals with learning disabilities feel frustration at not having as much control over their lives so can find it empowering to have this freedom whilst volunteering.
Having a variety of tasks helps the volunteer to maintain interest and engage well.
Support needs
Volunteers with learning disabilities may also have mobility support needs.
David has trouble with his knees so he doesn’t sweep and mop the floor too often, only once a month.
This is another way of tailoring tasks to the volunteer and ensuring they are included but not put at risk of harm.
Often, you can find tasks and suitable areas for volunteers with mobility needs to do so do not completely exclude them from the opportunity because not all tasks or areas are accessible.
Inclusion
David says he finds the till hard but he can still stand next to the till to greet customers.
This is an excellent way of ensuring volunteers with learning disabilities are included in tasks.
They often like to be included in the main part of the volunteering which, in the case of charity shops, is using the till and being on the shop floor.
They should not be hidden at the back of the shop unless that is what they choose.
Appreciation
As a thank you for all his hard work, David received a certificate which was presented to him at an event at the hospice in Penarth.
This certificate was given to him as an award for volunteering for 5 years.
David remembers this event well and is very happy to have all this hard work acknowledged, all volunteers like to be appreciated.
I am very proud of this achievement. It is well earned.
Teamwork
David says everyone helps him when he volunteers here.
All the other volunteers and staff there support him, and he works as a team with them.
Not only is it important for volunteer coordinators and staff to be supportive of volunteers with learning disabilities but ensuring the other volunteers understand them and how to include them really helps the volunteer to be a part of the team.
Other volunteers without support needs should not be expected to provide one to one support for a volunteer though.
It is important to strike a balance between being supportive and ensuring other volunteers do not feel exploited.
For some volunteers, supporting another volunteer can add an exciting dimension to their volunteering which they enjoy.
Independence
Tasks can be done independently too, with David often completing tasks by himself.
It is important that volunteers with learning disabilities do some of their tasks independently where possible as this is another way of increasing their confidence.
Ensure the tasks are suitable and match their skills and interests, for David this is checking the CDs and DVDs are in good condition as he has a good eye for detail and is very thorough.
Getting the right balance between doing something they’re good at and learning something new helps volunteers with learning disabilities to feel motivated.
Socialising
David also enjoys the social side to his volunteering.
All the volunteers at the charity shop go to the Plough Inn twice a year for a drink and a chat. David really enjoys this.
Including all volunteers in activities outside of their regular volunteering is great, we all need opportunities to form friendships outside of volunteering.
Praise
David’s volunteering manager had some lovely things to say about him and working with adults with learning disabilities.
David is a great asset to the Whitchurch charity shop team, he has been volunteering for over five years. Working with and supporting volunteers with learning disabilities is rewarding for the whole team.
David does an excellent job of tagging and steaming the clothing, helping us to prepare the items in the sorting room before they go out onto the shop floor to be sold.
David also helps with cleaning and sorting donations, he likes checking all the DVDs and CDs to make sure they are not scratched and in good condition, he has a good eye for detail.
Volunteers with learning disabilities’ thoughts on the Volunteering Hub
Kurtis
Kurtis has a learning disability. He volunteers on several Innovate Trust projects.
Kurtis also works part-time as an Assistant Project Officer on Innovate Trust’s One Planet project.
I think the Volunteering Hub website will bring greater opportunities for people to gain confidence and inspire people with and without disabilities.
Chris
Chris is a volunteer with a learning disability who has helped to create the Volunteering Hub. He also volunteers in a local café.
I like to learn new jobs and see what new things I could do, meet new people. I like computers and emailing. I will use these skills on the website. I can contact people about volunteering and find out who runs them.
Andrea
Andrea is a volunteer with a learning disability who is helping to create the Volunteering Hub. She also volunteers in a charity shop and runs Innvoate Trust’s Knit and Natter group in the Vale of Glamorgan.
I think it is good to volunteer. It gets you out the house. It is a nice thing to do. It is nice to help a charity. It is nice to do different things, gain skills and independence and confidence. I’m volunteering in Barnardo’s with a lovely manager.
Mark
Mark is a volunteer with a learning disability who is helping to create the Volunteering Hub. He also volunteers with Vale People First.
I love volunteering. I’d like to volunteer in a kitchen. I would like to use the website to get more volunteering opportunities.