The Association of Volunteer Managers (AVM) has concerns about the Home Office’s Earned Settlement consultation, which proposes using volunteering as a way to measure the contribution of those seeking settlement.
Volunteering plays a vital role in strengthening communities — and it must always be a free, positive choice. The proposal risks undermining that principle and placing pressure on Volunteer Managers and their organisations.
The consultation asks organisations to comment on how straightforward it would be for applicants to evidence their volunteering. We are concerned this proposal could introduce substantial and unsustainable administrative pressures on Volunteer Managers across the sector, including:
- Tracking, verifying, and reporting volunteer contribution, which goes beyond current practice.
- Managing expectations and disputes, especially where individuals’ settlement outcomes might depend on recorded participation.
- Absorbing heightened scrutiny, paperwork, and compliance responsibilities that volunteer involving organisations are not resourced to carry out.
- Redirecting staff time and organisational capacity away from community benefit, and into monitoring requirements.
Volunteer Managers are already facing rising demands, higher costs and limited resources. This proposal would potentially further add to this burden.
AVM wanted to highlight this consultation to our members, to get involved. You can find out further information about the consultation and respond to it on the Government’s website.
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) have also issued a response on their website, and included some useful resources to help you write a response.
