Here you’ll learn what we mean by ‘volunteer’ and the different roles and responsibilities a volunteer may take on as part of playgroup.
Volunteers with Playgroup Tasmania are community members who choose to support activities like running community playgroups.
There are two kinds of roles for people who want to help run a playgroup.
1. Formal volunteers
These volunteers are individuals who take on formal leadership or support roles at a playgroup. They are people from the community who are not connected to a child at the playgroup and do not have responsibility for a child in the group.
2. Parent participants (informal volunteers)
This is the name we give to family members or caregivers who participate with a child in playgroup.
Parent/Caregiver participants may take on leadership or support roles at a playgroup but because they are also in playgroup, they are not considered to be formal Playgroup Tasmania volunteers.
There is difference in the expectations for and responsibilities of these 2 roles.
Playgroup Tasmania expects a formal volunteer to take on regular and ongoing responsibilities for either leading or assisting with the playgroup sessions. This role requires a pre-volunteering screening process (in line with Playgroup Tasmania’s Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy), agreement to the volunteer role description, a formal induction and some training which is provided by Playgroup Tasmania.
As informal volunteers, they are not required to undergo formal volunteering screening process described above. They are, however, required to complete child safety and wellbeing training and abide by Playgroup Tasmania’s Child Safety and Wellbeing Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures. While Playgroup Tasmania encourages everyone at playgroup to lend a hand, there is no formal obligation for parent participants to help out at playgroup sessions.