Expert Led Safety Advice for Voluntary Organisations

This guidance document provides volunteers, voluntary sector staff and managers with evidence-informed, practical safety techniques drawn from specialist organisations, Scotland-specific bodies and national authorities.

It supports safe, confident decision-making across public-facing roles, outreach, events, lone working, digital engagement and situations involving hostility or escalation - the environments where volunteers and staff most often need calm, proportionate and psychologically informed responses.

Each topic includes two types of support: short Top Tips that offer quick, easy-to-use prompts, and a more detailed Core Set that provides fuller guidance, structured tools and practical resources drawn from Scotland-specific and UK-wide organisations. 

Safety guidance is organised into five core skills that volunteers and staff rely on in unpredictable or higher-risk environments: 

1. Situational Awareness – noticing early behavioural cues, changes in the environment, and emerging hostility. 
2. Personal Safety in Public Spaces – staying safe while lone working, travelling, or supporting people in open or unfamiliar environments. 
3. De-escalation Techniques – reducing emotional intensity, preventing escalation and maintaining psychological safety. 
4. Online Safety / Digital Security – protecting personal information, recognising scams, and responding safely to digital hostility. 
5. Managing Confrontation / Hostile Behaviour – recognising hostility early, maintaining boundaries, and following safe response pathways. 

This creates a robust, clear foundation for volunteer and staff safety across Scotland’s third sector to support calm, regulated and informed responses in both everyday interactions and higher risk situations.

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