The following precautionary guidance is intended to make you feel more safe and confident about using onHand. Whilst this should be useful to you, it cannot cover every scenario – so please be vigilant, avoiding situations and activities that cause you any concern.
Always follow the onHand guidelines. Do not arrange tasks outside of the onHand app otherwise you will not be covered by our Terms and Conditions.
You will need a non-judgemental approach, treating people with respect and dignity, no matter their background. You must not discriminate on any grounds, including sex, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability or family circumstances.
Arrange a time and day that suits both of you, between 8am and 8pm, and take account of your personal safety.
Give each other an idea of how long the task will take and try to adhere to this.
Some volunteers like to make sure a family member or trusted friend knows their whereabouts and who they will be meeting (the person's name – and if going to someone's own home – their address) and check in with them before and after a task.
You could agree that if you don’t check in as agreed or respond then your family member or trusted friend will call the place where you were due to meet or even go there to check on you. Think about asking your family member or trusted friend to call you 10 minutes into any meeting with a new person to check that you are OK and feel comfortable with them. Have a predetermined code word ready in case you want to summon help.
Familiarise yourself with the area in which you will be carrying out tasks including the best modes of transport.
Present yourself appropriately. Best practise is not to wear large earrings, ties and to wear sensible shoes.
Make sure that any cash is kept out of sight. Best practise is to take as little as possible with you on sessions.
Make sure your mobile is charged, has credit and is fully accessible.
Don't leave drinks or devices such as phones unattended.
If entering another person's own home, conduct your own risk assessment on the doorstep before you enter. Sense check: (i) are people you did not expect there; (ii) are there animals/pets you did not expect; (iii) before the door is opened, did several locks need to be unlocked; and (iv) are there any warning signs when the door is answered (for example a smell of alcohol or any aggressive or behaviour you sense is not normal)
As you enter, make a note of how the door opens and closes so that you can leave quickly, if necessary. If you feel at all uncomfortable or unsure, make an excuse and leave.
Do let the person you are visiting know you have to leave in X hours and are "meeting a friend".
Always trust and listen to your instincts. If something feels wrong then it probably is, don’t ignore your feelings. If you feel uneasy or alarm bells start ringing — act right away. If you are unsure about a situation, it’s OK to walk away.
If you need an excuse to leave or not go into the house, please do try something like "I just remembered I need make a quick call" and walk away whilst doing it.
If you need to reschedule a visit or will arrive at a different time, let the person you're helping know. You can do this by calling them through the onHand app.
Remember it's ALWAYS fine to check in with us.