Aged care registered providers (providers) and Volunteer Managers must support volunteers to undertake their role safely and confidently. Volunteers must understand their role and uphold older people’s rights, safety, dignity and wellbeing.
Aged care volunteers can provide meaningful benefits to older people.
Setting up a volunteer program and recruiting volunteers
Setting up a volunteer program and recruiting volunteers requires planning. Before recruiting volunteers, providers should decide:
- what volunteer roles are needed
- how those roles support older people
- what skills, checks, training and supervision each role will require.
Clear role descriptions help volunteers understand:
- what they can and cannot do
- who supervises them
- where to go for help.
Volunteer roles should support safe, quality care. They must not replace paid workers or be used to address workforce shortages.
Use the Engaging volunteers in aged care guidance handbook for providers to help plan, design and recruit for volunteer roles.
Provider responsibilities
Providers must meet overarching responsibilities when managing volunteers. These responsibilities apply once volunteers are engaged to deliver, or help deliver, funded aged care services.
Under the Aged Care Act 2024, volunteers are defined as aged care workers when they deliver, or help deliver, funded aged care services for a registered provider. Worker expectations apply while they are volunteering.
Providers must help volunteers understand the Aged Care Code of Conduct, the Statement of Rights, the Aged Care Quality Standards and local policies that apply to their role.
When managing volunteers, providers must:
- make sure each volunteer works within an agreed role, with clear tasks, boundaries, supervision and support
- manage volunteers in ways that support older people’s rights, needs and preferences
- complete screening and suitability checks, where required
- provide induction, training and ongoing support that match the volunteer’s role and setting
- make sure volunteers are covered by appropriate insurance
- tell volunteers how to raise concerns, report incidents and ask for help
- keep records of training
- recognise volunteers for their contribution.
Use the Engaging volunteers in aged care - Guidance handbook for aged care providers to help put these responsibilities into practice.
Training responsibilities
Providers must give volunteers induction, training and support that matches their role, setting and responsibilities.
Read more about training for aged care volunteers.
Volunteer management resources
Use these resources to manage, train and support aged care volunteers:
- Supporting Older People: Volunteer Learning Guide
- Volunteers in aged care | Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission
- Volunteers in aged care optional training and resource kit
- Managing volunteers in aged care - Guidance handbook for Volunteer Managers
- Engaging volunteers in aged care - Guidance handbook for aged care providers
- Aged care volunteering and the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme booklet.
Sharing volunteer stories
We welcome stories from registered providers and Volunteer Managers about effective or new ways to support aged care volunteers.
Your story can help other providers:
- learn what works
- share practical ideas
- celebrate the contribution volunteers make to older people’s lives.
Read volunteer stories to see examples of aged care volunteering in practice.
Find information and forms to share your stories and innovative volunteer practices.
