NCVO and Volunteering Matters are developing practical recommendations for the government about how a national volunteering passporting scheme would work.
Such a scheme was one of the recommendations in a report about levelling up communities, which was compiled by Conservative MP Danny Kruger last September.
The idea is that having a central system to record things like volunteering skills, experience and criminal record checks would make it easier for people to move between organisations.
Some regions already have schemes in place. For example, Community Action Suffolk runs a free short course made up of six sessions covering things like health and safety, which is designed to help those who complete it to find volunteering opportunities. However, criminal record checks still need to be organised separately.
NCVO and Volunteering Matters will present recommendations to Number 10 and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. They are currently seeking input from others.
On NCVO’s blog, Catherine Goodall, senior policy at NCVO, said: “An effective national passporting system could bring a range of opportunities and benefits. If managed well, it could help organisations to find, recruit and onboard volunteers more efficiently.
“A smoother process overall could also help to make sure volunteers can give their time quickly, which could help to maintain motivation and engagement.”
NCVO and Volunteering matters are seeking views about the challenges and opportunities by 5 March 2021.
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