| Question |
Answer |
| If I apply to be a volunteer, how
long will the process take? |
The time varies from person to person,
however, we try and have new volunteers interviewed, placed and trained
within one month of application. |
| Am I guaranteed a volunteer job if
I apply? |
No. Our Recruitment team will assess your
application against criteria such as your interests, motivations,
preferred area(s) of volunteer involvement and our existing vacancies.
You will be accepted only if we can find a suitable match. |
| What happens if my application is
unsuccessful? |
We may place you on a waiting list for
the next available vacancy in your chosen area, or we may refer you
to other agencies who can help you in pursuing volunteer opportunities |
| How many hours would I need to commit
each week if I was accepted as a volunteer? |
The hours required in each area varies
slightly, but as a general rule most volunteers are rostered on for
a minimum of one shift per week. A shift is typically between 2 and
4 hours duration. |
| Can I volunteer for more than one
day / shift each week? |
Yes you can, although we prefer to start
new volunteers on one day/shift first and then gradually expand their
involvement. |
| Can I volunteer in more than one area
each week? |
Yes you can, although we prefer to start
new volunteers in one area first and then gradually expand their involvement. |
| What's the maximum time I can contribute
as a volunteer each week? |
We have a policy that volunteers should
not be working more than 3 days (or part days) per week. |
| Can I be guaranteed the number of
hours I need to meet Centrelink volunteering requirements? |
No. Some Centrelink customers need to
find 32 hours of volunteer work per fortnight and we can't guarantee
that we will be able to find that amount of available voluntary work. |
| Do I need to attend the training day
and other basic training requirements? |
Yes. While we recognise that many volunteers
have studied a number of the topics we present at training, it is
important (and a legal requirement) that you learn these things in
our organisational context. |
| Do I need to wear a uniform? |
We have a variety of uniforms used throughout
the Association and we are currently developing a new 'corporate'
uniform to fit in with the hospital's new image. At this time uniforms
are not compulsory. The Association has clothing with its logo embroidered
onto it available to volunteers at cost price. |
| Do I need to pay for a Police Record
Check? |
No. We have a memorandum of understanding
with the SA Police that enables us to have these done for free. |
| Will having a Police Record damage
my chances of being accepted? |
Having a police record will only effect
your application if we assess that the nature of the charge may pose
a risk to our clients or to our operations. |
| Will I be covered for insurance purposes? |
Yes. Our volunteers are covered by the
SA state government self insurance scheme for volunteers. |
| Are there any age restrictions for
volunteering? |
No. We have volunteers from all age groups.
Our volunteers are selected on their merit and the positions we have
available. |
| What about virtual volunteering? |
We are always on the look out for volunteer
projects that can be completed on-line. If this is of particular interest
to you, please mention it to our interviewers. |
| What if I don't want to commit to
a long term assignment? |
We are aware that many people are choosing
to undertake only short term volunteer assignments, and while many
of our jobs do need a longer term commitment, we also have assignments
that can be undertaken as a one off project or as shorter term roles. |
| Do you accept student placements? |
We are quite receptive to having students
undertake community service and work experience placements with us.
As with our volunteers, available places are dependant upon our vacancies. |
| Do you pay out-of-pocket expenses? |
It depends on the number of hours / days
you are working and also the areas you are volunteering in. Please
check with our recruitment staff for further details. |
| I noticed your volunteers are also
Association members. Does this mean I'd need to pay a fee? |
No. There is no cost associated with joining
our organisation. |
| Can I get a reference from you if
I volunteer? |
Yes. But you'll need to have worked with
us for a minimum of three months first. |
| Is there a chance that I might gain
paid work in the hospital if I volunteer there first? |
It's certainly possible but not probably,
as SA govt guidelines dictate that all govt jobs need to be advertised
within government circles before ever getting into the papers. This
usually prohibits volunteers from applying. |
