Guidance on applying to be a volunteer
Volunteer role: Volunteer Canine carer
Location: Merseyside
- Complete the application form and submit to the advertised email address
- Applications will be reviewed and shortlisted, if suitable
- Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend a selection day and interview
- Successful applicants will be notified and a start date agreed
The volunteer role you are applying for
The name of the volunteer role and the location can be found above, on the role description or alternatively on the website, poster or flyer where you saw the role advertised.
Your personal details
This information will be used to contact you to take your application further and will also be used to add your details to our database if you are selected to volunteer with Dogs Trust. Your date of birth will only be used to confirm that you are over the age of 16, which is a minimum requirement for volunteering with Dogs Trust. We ask about your situation regarding driving in the event that your role requires this, don’t worry if you can’t answer Yes to this section if it isn’t relevant to the role that you are applying for.
Availability
Please provide your availability as accurately as you can at this stage as it will help us to identify where you might fit into our rota. The role description will describe the time commitment that we are looking for, so please use this as a guide when selecting AM or PM and the relevant days of the week.
Your health
Please let us know about any health conditions that you have, this information will be used in order for us to appropriately assess any risk to you in the role and in the event of an emergency whilst you are volunteering. Please bear in mind that volunteering at the centre can be quite physically demanding.
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
Please provide details of any convictions, confidentially, to the Volunteer Development Officer at Dogs Trust Head Office in London. Disclosures can be made via post to: Dogs Trust Merseyside, Whiston lane, Huyton, L36 6HP or email . Due to the nature of our work we are unable to accept individuals to volunteer with any spent or unspent convictions relating to children or animals.
Questions about other voluntary involvement
We are just interested, and we may use this information to seek your feedback on how volunteering works at Dogs Trust. If you have volunteered with us before, please tell us so we can refer to your previous records.
Your clothing size
For this role you will be issued with a Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre Volunteer uniform, which consists of a red polo shirt and fleece. These are available in the following sizes; Mens S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL and Ladies; S, M, L, XL, XXL. (samples will be available to try on at the selection event if needed).
Personal statement
This is one of the most important parts of our application form as it helps us to assess whether or not you are well suited for the role that you are applying for. Your responses help us to understand more about your motivation for volunteering with Dogs Trust as well as the skills, qualities, and experience that you are able to bring to the role at your chosen location. Please provide as much detail as you can, giving real life examples that are linked to the skills/experience we are looking for in the role. Feel free to use one additional sheet of A4 to supplement your responses to these questions.
Referees
As part of our volunteer selection process at Dogs Trust we request two references for all volunteers, to help us understand more about you and your capabilities so please provide contact information for two referees and where possible email addresses are preferred. Referees can include a previous employer, college/school tutor, previous volunteer manager, someone who holds a position of responsibility in the community or a long standing friend. We cannot accept family members or people you live with as referees.
Emergency Contact
As part of our health and safety procedures we record emergency contact information for all volunteers and this will be the person we contact if you are involved in an accident or emergency situation whilst volunteering with us or if we are unable to contact you after several attempts (for example if we are expecting you, to check you are ok).
Parent/guardian consent
Some of our volunteering roles are open to 16 and 17 year olds, and as such we require written permission from a parent or guardian to confirm that they understand the nature and requirements of the volunteer role and are happy to be contacted in the event of a problem.
Declaration
Please tick the statements and sign to confirm that you have read and understood them.
Guidance on applying to volunteer with Dogs Trust [updated August 2014] Page 1