Ongoing Volunteer

Volunteers are the backbone of Girl Guiding. Thanks to the many volunteers in Girl Guiding in Australia, girls and young women can experience all that Girl Guiding offers. With the introduction of the Girl Guides Australia Child Safe Child Friendly Framework, screening and recruitment requirements for Volunteers has changed. A distinction has been made between Volunteers that help regularly and those that help not so frequently. Volunteers are now either a Casual Volunteer or an Ongoing Volunteer.

Ongoing Volunteers are those who volunteer with Girl Guiding in Australia on five or more occasions in any 12-month period at a Girl Guide activity where Youth Members are present, for any overnight stay, or who, due to the nature of the assistance to be provided, are likely to encounter Youth Members without being able to be supervised by an Adult Member of Girl Guides in accordance with the Supervision Ratio requirements.

Ongoing Volunteers include Adult Members, Unit Helpers, and Trefoil Guild members who are required to pay annual membership fees.

Any non-members who attend Girl Guide activities regularly, e.g., parents who help at Unit meetings, or those who support specialist programs or activities on an ongoing basis are also considered an Ongoing Volunteer but are not required to pay annual membership fees. All Ongoing Volunteers must complete the Girl Guides Queensland online application form, and are required to undergo formal screening, recruitment, and induction.

Whenever the term Volunteer is referenced on its own (i.e., without including Casual or Ongoing) it is always referring to Ongoing Volunteers.

Interviewing applicants for ongoing volunteer roles including adult membership
All potential Ongoing Volunteers including Adult Members must be interviewed for their potential position or role. It is important that any applicant accepts that Girl Guiding in Australia puts a high priority on child safety and wellbeing.

The interview process must be in line with the Girl Guides Australia interview screening process included in the Guidance Note – Adults in Guiding Screening Interview. The questions included on the Girl Guides Australia forms, New Volunteer First Steps Form and the New Volunteer Child Safe Screening Interview Form, are designed to assess the candidate’s suitability to work with children and young people.

Reference checks for ongoing volunteers including adult membership
Prior to becoming an Adult Member or Ongoing Volunteer, all applicants must undergo reference checking.

This may be carried out centrally by Girl Guides Queensland, however, if not, it is the responsibility of the person overseeing the recruitment to undertake these checks using the New Volunteer Record of Referee Interviews Form as a guide.

Before anyone can be approved as an Adult Member or Ongoing Volunteer, Girl Guides Queensland must obtain a positive and supportive reference from two independent adults with a history of working with, or supervising, the applicant in a volunteer or non-volunteer role.

The Guidance Note – Adults in Guiding Reference Check will provide additional information.

All applicants for membership or engagement as an Ongoing Volunteer must be Blue Card compliant and will be required to obtain a National Police Check issued within the previous six months.

Once the applicant has successfully undergone the above process, they may be formally offered an ongoing volunteering role.

If there is reluctance to engage an Ongoing Volunteer for any reason, with or without evidence this must be discussed with the relevant Region Manager or State Commissioner.

Recruiting safe and appropriate Volunteers (Casual or Ongoing) and Adult Members MUST be prioritised over a person’s availability, enthusiasm, or personal connections.

See HERE for further information on the recruitment and screening of volunteers