Call to boost public sector volunteering

Baroness Neuberger has called on the government to make greater use of volunteers in the public sector.

The Liberal Democrat peer and government's volunteering adviser used a report on Monday to say that helpers could make "an enormous contribution" to health and social care services.

She said that potential was being lost due to excess bureaucracy, with some Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks unneccessary.

The report, the first of a series on health and social care services, said that mandatory checks were "clearly unnecessary".

"Checks should only be undertaken where a volunteer might spend time alone with young people or vulnerable adults," it said.

"Managers need to show some common sense and stop, for example, requiring CRB checks for people working on hospital radio stations, one of many examples we received of where a CRB check was clearly unnecessary.

Calling for a "change of culture" in the public sector, it said people needed to have a better understanding of the role of volunteering.

Recommendations included employee volunteering schemes, the creation of in-house 'volunteer hubs' and for training and information to be made available to commissioners.

It also said government agencies should consider the social benefits of volunteering and called for a programme board to be set up to manage helpers.

"Volunteering can create a virtuous circle, improving levels of wellbeing for volunteers, professional colleagues and most importantly the people that use the services," said Baroness Neuberger.

"In health and social care I found some excellent examples of volunteers being involved in services, as well as significant potential to increase levels of volunteering in the sector."

Health secretary Alan Johnson welcomed the report, saying: "It is a powerful insight to volunteering in health and social care [and] provides a welcome boost to the profile of volunteering."