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Letters - Telegraph

Regulation-hit volunteers

Sir – I do not think that the Government has any idea of the impact its recent legislation will have on volunteer groups.

There seems to be a desire to take control of everything from the centre. With the formation of another quango called the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), which starts operation in October, it is my belief that many volunteers will give up in favour of a quiet life free from bureaucratic control.

As chairman of a small village community care group that has been going for more than 30 years, almost unaided by outside agencies, I have so far resisted all efforts by central control to introduce a list of golden rules more appropriate to a major corporation such as BP.

Now I find that any attempt to obtain modest (£300 per year) funding will require that I institute the following:

1. A volunteer policy.

2. Volunteer recruitment procedures.

3. An equal opportunities policy.

4. A Criminal Records Bureau policy.

5. A grievance procedure.

6. A disciplinary procedure.

7. Procedures for confidentiality and data protection.

8. Health and safety procedures.

9. A child-protection policy.

10. A client assessment/complaints procedure.

11. An adult protection policy

12. An adult protection procedure.

13. A lone workers policy.

14. Registration of all new volunteers with the ISA, and existing volunteers progressively over a five-year period.

All these matters are covered in a manual half an inch thick.

I have no desire to let down the many elderly people whom we assist but, as a pensioner myself, I cannot contemplate running a very small operation under such bureaucratic disciplines and fear that there will be no one rushing to take my place.

Those in government fail to appreciate that it is increasingly difficult to recruit volunteers. The encouragement of a society that is so risk-averse and where no one is trusted will gradually drain down the voluntary sector on which many elderly and infirm rely.

Roger Howard, Meonstoke, Hampshire

Baron von Lotsov

What he needs is a one-stop Internet bullshiit generator. You put the names and details into the program and it generates all the necessary bullshiit and feeds it to the council. He then collects the cash and they leave him alone. Any inspectors arrive and he has more documentry bullsiit to hand them, at least 1/2 " thick.

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"A government big enough to supply you with everything you need, is a government big enough to take away everything that you have..."