How am I keeping myself safe?

If in the course of volunteering you are in a situation where you find yourself feeling uncomfortable or unsafe, please do not hesitate to remove yourself from that situation and take a moment to assess the risks. Also please do not hesitate to contact one of the organisers or a friend to talk through what you should do.

As a volunteer you have no obligation to do any task or stay in any place where you feel unsafe, even if that means the person you had agreed to support does not receive the support they were expecting in that moment.

Below are some safety tips and some suggestions of what to do in different situations.

Safety Tips

• Always tell somewhere (friend or family member) where you are going
• Keep a charged phone when leaving the house
• Consider whether you feel comfortable doing the task before you go, throughout and after
• Think about who you would call in case of emergency

Suggestions for what to do in potential situations

You are in a medical emergency:

• Call ambulance 000

The person whose request you are fulfilling is in a medical emergency:

• Call ambulance 000
• Ask them if they have emergency contacts they can call/you can call for them
• Keep in contact with them by remaining near them/on the phone to them/calling them back

Someone discloses something beyond your capacity:

• Stress that you are not a professional and do not attempt to take on the role of one
• Give them the details for one or more of these support resources
• Ask them if they have emergency contacts they can call/you can call for them