Thank you for taking the time to apply to volunteer for us. We just need a few details from you and we’ll be in touch very soon. The application form should take you no more than 10 minutes to fill out.
Contact rules: under GDPR we need your explicit permission to contact you. This will usually be by email if you have one or to your address. Please indicate yes or no where asked.
As you may be helping people who are considered vulnerable, we need to obtain two written references from people who have known you for at least 2 years, recently. Relatives or partners cannot be given. (If this presents a problem for you, let us know)
Information on our data base is strictly confidential and we do not pass on any information data about you to outside organisations and/or individuals without your knowledge or consent where applicable.
Opening Doors London is committed to protecting your information. Under GDPR it is a requirement to let you know what information we hold, where the information is kept and what we do with it, including your rights around the information we hold. Please read our Privacy Policy and relevant Information Schedule on the Privacy Policy page.
All volunteers that carry out roles where they have access to adults at risk are required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring check into their backgrounds, in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exemptions) (Amendment) Order 1986. Past criminal proceedings are seldom an obstacle to taking up volunteering. This occurs only where the offence/s is/are deemed relevant. But honest disclosure is essential: failure to disclose any past convictions, cautions, etc, would disqualify you from volunteering. As an LGBTQ+ led Charity supporting LGBTQ+ people we are aware that DBS applications can be traumatic for people who are transitioning or have transitioned. There is a procedure in place which is available to trans and non-binary people who have legally changed their names, which protects them from having to disclose their previous names and assigned genders to the organisation to which they are applying, either for work or as a volunteer. This system known as the sensitive applications system. Please see below the form for more details. Honestly disclosed previous offences are rarely an obstacle to volunteering.
The sensitive applications team: If you are asked to complete a DBS check and have a previous identity that you do not wish to be disclosed to your employer and/or on your DBS certificate, you should call or email the dedicated sensitive applications team before submitting your application. The team is experienced in dealing with sensitive cases and will advise you of the process and what you need to do. How to contact the sensitive applications team: To contact the sensitive applications team, please telephone 0151 676 1452 or email [email protected]. Please note, that the telephone number also has an out-of-hours answering machine where you can leave your details, and a member of the team will call you back. If you are happy to have your previous identity disclosed on your certificate, you do not need to contact the sensitive applications team and can simply submit this information under the ‘any other names’ section of your application. Please note, an applicant using the confidential checking service, will still complete the same application form as any other applicant.
If you have any concerns or questions about completing this part of the application form, please speak to the ODL Volunteer Manager at [email protected]
Monitoring the diversity of our applicants and staff is an essential part of ODL’s commitment to Equalities and Diversity. Please complete this form and return it with your application form. It is entirely confidential and will not be made available to those involved in shortlisting or the selection process, or for any purpose other than monitoring and statistical reporting. This information will be used solely by the HR Department for monitoring purposes and will be treated as confidential. Thank you for your Co-operation
NB. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 defines a disability as: “a physical or mental impairment which has substantial and long-term (lasting more than 12 months) adverse effect on your day to day living.”