Volunteer Safety & Assignment Policy

• Be at least 18 years old.
• Complete all required volunteer onboarding.
• Sign the current Community Support Volunteer Agreement & Waiver before receiving assignments.
• Provide accurate information regarding any limitations that may affect the types of assignments they can safely accept.

Before a new requester receives an in-person Community Support volunteer, Community Support will conduct a brief safety consultation with the requester or their authorized representative. The consultation may occur by video call or, when video is inaccessible or impractical, by phone.

• The requested task and expected length of the visit.
• The service address.
• Who is expected to be present.
• Whether pets will be present.
• Allergens or environmental conditions relevant to volunteer safety.
• Physical demands involved in the request.
• Any known hazards at the location.
• Any other information reasonably necessary to determine whether the assignment can be performed safely.

Completing a consultation does not guarantee that Community Support will approve or fulfill a request.

• Every request is evaluated individually.
• Community Support may approve, modify, postpone, refer elsewhere, or decline a request when the assignment falls outside Community Support’s scope or presents safety concerns.
• Volunteers will only be asked to perform the approved tasks communicated to them before the assignment.

Accepting Community Support assignments is always voluntary. A volunteer may decline an assignment for any reason, including:

• Safety concerns.
• Allergies.
• Physical limitations.
• Distance.
• Schedule.
• Transportation.
• Personal comfort.
• The nature of the requested task.

Declining an assignment will not negatively affect a volunteer’s standing with Community Support.

• Before accepting an assignment, volunteers will receive the information reasonably necessary to make an informed decision, including the nature of the task and any disclosed conditions relevant to their safety.
• Community Support will avoid sharing unnecessary private information about the requester.

• Community Support volunteers should check in when arriving for an assignment and check out after leaving.
• If a volunteer does not check out within a reasonable period after the expected completion time, Community Support may attempt to contact the volunteer to confirm their safety.

A volunteer may end an assignment immediately if:

• The environment feels unsafe.
• The requested task is substantially different from what was approved.
• Additional tasks are requested that the volunteer did not agree to perform.
• An undisclosed person, animal, hazard, or circumstance creates a safety concern.
• The volunteer is threatened, harassed, intimidated, or subjected to inappropriate behavior.
• The task becomes physically unsafe.
• The volunteer otherwise believes leaving is necessary for their safety.

Volunteers do not need permission from the requester or Community Support before removing themselves from an unsafe situation. When safely able to do so, the volunteer should notify Community Support after leaving.

Community Support provides community-based, non-medical assistance.

• Volunteers should not perform medical care or procedures, unsafe lifting, construction or repair work, or any activity beyond the specific Community Support assignment they accepted.
• A requester cannot privately expand the assignment after the volunteer arrives.

• If there is an immediate threat to someone’s safety, the volunteer should prioritize leaving the location and contacting emergency services when appropriate.
• Community Support should be notified after the volunteer is safe.

• Safety incidents should be documented by Community Support.
• Community Support may suspend further assignments to a requester or location while an incident is reviewed and may permanently decline future service when necessary to protect volunteers.