Protect the volunteer, protect the resident
- If you and the resident don’t know each other, make sure there is someone the resident knows who can vouch for you.
- Ask the resident to give you a shopping list in advance over the phone, online or by text message, and check whether they will accept substitutions, what their maximum budget is, and whether they have any allergies or dietary requirements.
- Wherever possible, do the shopping first, save the receipts, and then ask for payment afterwards. It is sensible to keep the total value of the shopping modest. If someone has no way to organise payment (see below) or is in hardship please escalate through the helpline to see what the options are.
- Do not accept a debit card, credit card or bank details, or PIN number.
- The volunteer should provide a receipt for the payment (to avoid passing paper backwards and forwards, you could take a photo).
- Keep a record of who you have shopped for, the amounts each time and whether or not you have been paid back.
- You should not profit from providing the help.
Options for arranging payment
It’s simplest and safest all round if the resident can pay for the goods themselves over the telephone using their bank card. If this isn’t possible, you can consider the following.
- Volunteer shopping cards. These are now offered by some major supermarkets (certainly Asda and Tesco), and can be ordered and topped online, then given to the volunteer to use in the shop. It will be particularly important to ensure that a receipt is provided and passed on to ensure that the resident knows how much is left on the card.
- Gift tokens. Some shops offer gift tokens that can be purchased over the phone and sent/delivered to the resident, who then gives them to the volunteer.
- Cheques/cash. These are most likely to be used as a way of reimbursing a volunteer as shops no longer accept cheques and are encouraging shoppers to use ‘contactless’ to reduce the risk of infection. Volunteers should be mindful of the risk of infection and avoid handling/use gloves.
Avoiding fraud
Coronavirus frauds have been reported. For guidance on avoiding/reporting fraud, see
www.nationaltradingstandards.uk/work-areas/scams-team/ or www.actionfraud.police.uk
Updated 05.04.20