Not a substitute, but a support:
The role of volunteers in adult social care
Executive summary
Volunteering holds significant value in adult social care (ASC), offering varied support, enhancing service provision, and enriching experiences for both service users and volunteers. However, efforts to scale volunteering - particularly through national schemes - have struggled to engage ASC effectively. Key challenges include poor integration with existing local schemes, a mismatch between short-term volunteer roles and the relational nature of ASC, safeguarding concerns, and limited infrastructure for volunteer coordination. Homecare settings face particular barriers due to perceived risks of lone working and regulatory ambiguity.
Research across diverse ASC settings shows that when volunteering is well-supported - with dedicated coordination, flexible roles, and clear guidance - it benefits all involved. Yet public and provider understanding of volunteering’s full potential remains limited.
Recommendations include raising awareness of diverse volunteering roles, investing in coordination, creating sector-specific guidance, improving evidence on cost-benefit, supporting local integration of national schemes, and framing volunteering as a complement - not a substitutefor the paid workforce.
Introduction
Adult social care (ASC) supports older people and adults with disabilities across diverse settings. But, ASC faces rising demand, limited funding, and significant unmet need.
Volunteering is seen as a way to extend support. Involvement ranges from befriending to practical help. Previous estimates say around 3 million people volunteer annually in health and social care¹. However, with so much formal and informal volunteering taking place, the full extent remains unknown.
Research Overview
Methodology
There is a tension in policies that promote volunteering in ASC when the paid workforce faces poor salaries and terms and conditions. Whilst large numbers of volunteers registered for national schemes at times of crisis, such as Covid-19, over time, volunteer interest and retention have dropped.
This brief evidences how to make volunteering in the ASC meaningful, safe, and sustainable in future policy and practice.
The recommendations draw on a mixed-methods research study conducted in three phases between 2022 and 2024 by researchers at King’s College London:
1. Scoping review
A systematic search of academic databases and grey literature was conducted to examine the scope, nature, and evidence base of volunteering in UK adult social care (ASC). Twenty-five relevant sources were analysed, and gaps in evidence were identified.
2. Evaluation of the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders (NHSCVR) scheme
Quantitative analysis of NHSCVR data (June 2023 – January 2024) included over 32,000 volunteer records. Qualitative interviews (n=39) were conducted with stakeholders involved in or aware of the scheme, as well as those with expertise in ASC or volunteering.
3. Qualitative research with diverse ASC providers, staff, volunteers, and service users
In-depth interviews and roundtables were conducted with 55 participants across care homes, day centres, and homecare services for older people and adults with disabilities. This included managers, frontline staff, volunteers, service users, and family members. Discussions explored what meaningful volunteering looks like in practice, and barriers to involvement in homecare.
What have we learnt about volunteering in ASC?
Volunteering plays a vital but often under-recognised role in adult social care. Yet far less is known about how, where, and with what impact volunteering occurs in social care compared to health services.
A comprehensive scoping review and qualitative research identified several consistent themes:
Diversity of volunteering in ASC
Volunteer involvement is hugely varied, and includes social and interest based activities as well as assisting paid staff with their work. Volunteers are motivated by altruism, personal interests or existing relationships. Care homes, day centres, and homecare services differ significantly in their delivery models, service user needs, and openness to involving volunteers. Volunteer involvement was far less common in homecare settings.
Positive impact of volunteering for ALL stakeholders involved
Volunteering delivers clear benefits in care homes and day centres. When well-coordinated, volunteers enhance service capacity, reduce staff pressure, and improve the well-being of service users through increased social engagement and enriched activities. Volunteers themselves gain rewarding experiences, stronger social networks, and, in some settings, new skills or confidence. Key enablers include role flexibility, clear expectations, and a dedicated volunteer coordinator.
“She’s always seemed like a friend to me. You know, not like someone who just pops in every now and again.” Service user
“They are alleviating jobs for us, which they are more than capable of doing and enjoy doing.”
“I’m still doing it after all these years, aren’t I, so I enjoy it and get something out of it. So, no, I’m happy, I arrive happy every time I come. Even though sometimes it’s a sad environment, as you would know, but yeah, I enjoy it so I’m satisfied.”
Care worker
Volunteer
Volunteering
offers unique benefits for adults with learning disabilities
In day centres for adults with learning disabilities, where some service users were also volunteers, volunteering provided scope to develop work experience in a supportive environment, increased confidence and agency, and potentially enhanced care for other service users. These arrangements required additional oversight and time from staff, which were outweighed by the perceived benefits.
Data gaps
Most organisations collect inconsistent data on the demographics, contribution, and outcomes of volunteers. There is scant cost-benefit analysis of volunteering in ASC.
Barriers in homecare
Homecare providers are highly cautious of lone volunteering in private homes. Concerns related to trust, safeguarding, lack of guidance, CQC rating and a business model in which service users paid for companionship time.
Lessons from the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders (NHSCVR) scheme
From June 2023 to May 2025, the NHSCVR scheme sought to increase volunteer capacity in ASC via national recruitment and an online platform/app. Despite over 32,000 registered volunteers, uptake by ASC providers was limited.
Key issues
Late and minimal engagement with ASC.
A platform design focused on health rather than social care.
89 providers made 354 referrals, with the majority coming from local authorities rather than care services.
Volunteer roles had limited relevance for ASC; roles reflected a task-based, microvolunteering model rather than relational interactions.
App format and lack of volunteer organisational infrastructure meant safeguarding was more of a concern, e.g. volunteer lone working with limited training, unreliable confirmation and feedback processes, and service user vulnerabilities, with providers fearing increased burdens on paid staff.
The NHSCVR did not integrate well with the existing local volunteering infrastructure or address the operational realities of ASC.
The evaluation highlights the need for tailored design and genuine co-production with the ASC sector in future efforts.
Recommendations
Volunteering has clear, demonstrated value in many ASC settings, particularly where there is a culture and infrastructure to support it. This value was true for both volunteers and ASC providers, as well as those receiving care.
If appropriately co-created, funded, and supported, volunteering could make a meaningful contribution to an increasingly stretched social care sector.
But, how?
Raise awareness of the breadth of ways people can volunteer in ASC for mutual benefit
Volunteering in ASC takes many forms, from emotional support to peer-led activities. Raising awareness of this diversity can attract more volunteers, challenge assumptions, and highlight the mutual benefits for volunteers, service users, and providers.
Invest in volunteer coordination
Every ASC setting that meaningfully engaged volunteers had dedicated volunteer coordination. Funding support is needed to enable safe, sustainable, and impactful volunteer involvement in these settings.
Offer flexible, relationship-based volunteer roles
Volunteer tasks in ASC must reflect the relational and long-term nature of social care, rather than focusing solely on transactional tasks. Policy and programme design should prioritise flexibility and meaningful engagement over time-limited or one-off tasks.
Create sector-specific safeguarding and regulatory guidance
To overcome current hesitancy, particularly in homecare, clear national guidance is needed to define safe volunteer roles, responsibilities, and boundaries, including implications for CQC inspections. Service users need to be included in the decision.
Strengthen the evidence base on costs and benefits
Fund and incentivise research to measure the financial, operational, and social return on investment (SROI) of volunteering across different ASC settings.
Support local integration of national volunteer programmes
Any future national volunteer schemes should complement, not compete with existing local voluntary efforts. Adequate consultation, tailoring, and time to embed within the diverse ASC sector are crucial.
Promote volunteer involvement as a complement, not a substitute, for the ASC workforce
Volunteering should never be framed as a low-cost replacement for paid care roles. Messaging should stress the value-added nature of volunteer support to staff and service users.
For more information on the research and recommendations, contact: Dr Kalpa Kharicha: kalpa.kharicha@kcl.ac.uk
Full Report
Kharicha, K., Leverton, M., Owen, J., Norrie, C., Burch, T., & Hickman, B. (2025). Meaningful volunteer involvement in adult social care (ASC): Perspectives from diverse ASC providers, key informants, and evaluation of the NHS and Care Volunteer Responders scheme. London: NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce, The Policy Institute, King’s College London. https://doi. org/10.18742/pub01-224
This study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Programme (NIHR205957). The study was supported by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South London (NIHR ARC South London) at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
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