Community Group Compliance Made Simple
Manage governance, safeguarding, and funding requirements with simple digital tools designed for community organisations.
The Challenge
Community groups are volunteer-run organisations facing the same compliance demands as larger charities - safeguarding, governance, health and safety - but with no paid staff, limited expertise, and committee members who change frequently. Paper records disappear when committee members leave, funding applications fail because groups cannot demonstrate proper governance, and activities are cancelled because nobody can find the risk assessments or DBS records. Problems surface when a funder asks for governance evidence, a venue demands insurance and safety documentation, or a safeguarding concern reveals inadequate volunteer vetting.
How Assistant Manager Solves Community Groups Compliance
Each module is designed to address the specific challenges community groups businesses face every day.
Digital Checklist
Community groups need checklist systems that survive volunteer turnover - templates and completed records that remain accessible and usable regardless of who is currently on the committee
The Problems
Why This Matters for Community Groups
- Hall hirers, venues, and insurers require risk assessments and safety checks before events, but volunteers create new assessments each time because nobody knows where previous ones are stored
Events are cancelled or delayed because paperwork isn't ready, venues refuse bookings, and volunteers waste time duplicating work that's already been done
- Annual requirements like AGMs, accounts preparation, and policy reviews are managed through informal reminders that fail when the person who 'always sorts that out' leaves the committee
Constitutional requirements are missed, the group becomes non-compliant with its own rules, and funders find governance gaps when assessing applications
- Safeguarding checks before activities with children or vulnerable adults rely on verbal assurance rather than documented procedures that everyone follows
Activities proceed without proper DBS verification, parents lose confidence in the group's safeguarding, and incidents reveal inadequate procedures
The Solution
How Digital Checklist Helps
Simple digital checklists for event preparation, annual governance requirements, and safeguarding procedures with templates that persist when committee members change
Every event has consistent safety documentation, annual requirements are never missed regardless of committee changes, and safeguarding procedures are clear and documented
Use Cases:
- • Event risk assessment preparation with reusable templates
- • Venue booking documentation requirements checklist
- • Annual AGM preparation and governance review
- • Activity safety check procedures
- • New committee member handover checklist
- • Safeguarding verification before activities with children
Feature Screenshot
Digital Checklist
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Hall hirers, venues, and insurers require risk assessments and safety checks before events, but volunteers create new assessments each time because nobody knows where previous ones are stored
Real Scenario
"Your village hall booking for the summer fete is rejected because you can't provide a risk assessment. Three committee members remember doing one last year, but nobody can find it."
Example 2: Annual requirements like AGMs, accounts preparation, and policy reviews are managed through informal reminders that fail when the person who 'always sorts that out' leaves the committee
Real Scenario
"A lottery funder asks when your last AGM was held. You realise you didn't have one last year because the previous secretary organised it and nobody took over when she left."
Example 3: Safeguarding checks before activities with children or vulnerable adults rely on verbal assurance rather than documented procedures that everyone follows
Real Scenario
"A parent asks which volunteers at your youth club have DBS checks. Nobody knows for certain because 'we trust everyone here' - but you've never actually verified anyone's DBS status."
Staff Training
Community groups need training systems simple enough for volunteers to use but robust enough to demonstrate compliance to funders, venues, and parents - with records that survive committee turnover
The Problems
Why This Matters for Community Groups
- Volunteers running activities with children complete safeguarding training but certificates are stored in personal emails or filing cabinets that nobody else can access
When funders or venues ask for training evidence, you cannot prove volunteers are trained, activities may be stopped, and grant applications are rejected
- Committee members take on treasurer, secretary, or safeguarding roles without any training, relying on 'working it out' or advice from whoever held the role before
Accounts are incorrectly prepared, constitutional procedures are not followed, and safeguarding responsibilities are not properly understood or discharged
- First aid training for event volunteers is arranged informally with no central record of who is qualified, when certificates expire, or whether coverage is adequate
Events proceed without adequate first aid coverage, volunteers with expired certificates are relied upon, and incidents reveal inadequate provision
The Solution
How Staff Training Helps
Simple training tracking for volunteer safeguarding, committee role training, and first aid certification with expiry alerts and easy certificate upload
Every volunteer credential is tracked centrally, committee members receive role-appropriate training, and first aid coverage is always verified before events
Use Cases:
- • Volunteer safeguarding training certificate tracking
- • Committee role induction and training records
- • First aid certificate tracking with expiry alerts
- • Food hygiene training for volunteers at community events
- • DBS awareness training for those working with children
- • Health and safety basics for event organisers
Feature Screenshot
Staff Training
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Volunteers running activities with children complete safeguarding training but certificates are stored in personal emails or filing cabinets that nobody else can access
Real Scenario
"Your youth club venue asks for evidence that all volunteers have completed safeguarding training. Three volunteers say they did it, but only one can find their certificate."
Example 2: Committee members take on treasurer, secretary, or safeguarding roles without any training, relying on 'working it out' or advice from whoever held the role before
Real Scenario
"Your new treasurer submits accounts to the AGM in a format that doesn't comply with charity accounting rules. Nobody realised training was needed for a 'volunteer role'."
Example 3: First aid training for event volunteers is arranged informally with no central record of who is qualified, when certificates expire, or whether coverage is adequate
Real Scenario
"Someone is injured at your community event. Your designated first aider's certificate expired six months ago, and you discover you have no currently qualified volunteers on site."
Safe Supplier
Community groups book many of the same suppliers repeatedly but lose documentation between events - a simple system that stores verified credentials saves time and reduces risk
The Problems
Why This Matters for Community Groups
- Community groups hire entertainers, caterers, and activity providers for events without checking their insurance, qualifications, or safeguarding credentials
Incidents occur with uninsured or unqualified providers, leaving the community group liable and potentially invalidating the group's own insurance
- Activity providers working with children are engaged based on recommendations without DBS or safeguarding verification, creating safeguarding risk the group is responsible for
Someone with inappropriate background has access to children at your event, parents lose trust in the group, and serious safeguarding failures may occur
- Documentation from suppliers - insurance certificates, qualifications, risk assessments - is received via email or paper and immediately lost, requiring re-collection for every booking
Time is wasted repeatedly requesting the same documentation, events are delayed awaiting paperwork, and venue requirements cannot be quickly met
The Solution
How Safe Supplier Helps
Simple supplier records with insurance certificate storage, DBS verification tracking for those working with children, and expiry alerts for key documents
Every supplier's credentials are verified once and stored accessibly, DBS status is confirmed before child-focused activities, and venue requirements are met quickly
Use Cases:
- • Entertainer and activity provider insurance verification
- • Caterer food hygiene and insurance certificate storage
- • DBS verification for providers working with children
- • Venue and equipment hire documentation
- • Marquee, stage, and technical provider credentials
- • Annual supplier renewal and re-verification reminders
Feature Screenshot
Safe Supplier
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Community groups hire entertainers, caterers, and activity providers for events without checking their insurance, qualifications, or safeguarding credentials
Real Scenario
"A bouncy castle collapses at your summer fete. The provider had no insurance, and your insurer refuses to cover claims because you didn't verify their coverage as required by your policy."
Example 2: Activity providers working with children are engaged based on recommendations without DBS or safeguarding verification, creating safeguarding risk the group is responsible for
Real Scenario
"You hire an entertainer recommended by a committee member for your children's party. After the event, a parent discovers this person has safeguarding concerns - you never asked for their DBS."
Example 3: Documentation from suppliers - insurance certificates, qualifications, risk assessments - is received via email or paper and immediately lost, requiring re-collection for every booking
Real Scenario
"The hall requires evidence of your caterer's food hygiene rating. You know they provided it last year but cannot find it, so you have to ask them again - delaying confirmation of your event."
Action Tracker
Community groups suffer from volunteer turnover that breaks action continuity - tracking must be simple enough for volunteers but persistent enough to survive committee changes
The Problems
Why This Matters for Community Groups
- Committee meeting actions are recorded in minutes but never systematically followed up, with the same items reappearing meeting after meeting
Nothing gets done between meetings, frustrated volunteers stop attending, and the group stagnates because decisions don't lead to action
- Grant-funded project actions and reporting deadlines are not tracked, leading to missed milestones and incomplete reporting that damages future funding prospects
Funders receive late reports, project activities aren't completed as planned, and the group develops a reputation for poor grant management
- Handover between outgoing and incoming committee members fails to transfer ongoing actions, leaving tasks incomplete or duplicated
New committee members don't know what's in progress, work is lost when volunteers leave, and momentum disappears with every committee change
The Solution
How Action Tracker Helps
Simple action tracking linked to meeting minutes with owner assignment, deadline monitoring, and handover visibility for incoming committee members
Every meeting decision leads to tracked action, grant requirements are monitored to completion, and new committee members can see what's in progress from day one
Use Cases:
- • Committee meeting action tracking and follow-up
- • Grant project milestone and reporting deadline monitoring
- • Event planning task coordination between volunteers
- • Annual governance task scheduling (AGM, accounts, reviews)
- • Handover action visibility for new committee members
- • Volunteer recruitment and onboarding task tracking
Feature Screenshot
Action Tracker
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Committee meeting actions are recorded in minutes but never systematically followed up, with the same items reappearing meeting after meeting
Real Scenario
"For the third meeting in a row, the minutes include 'update website with new contact details'. Nobody knows who was supposed to do it, so it never happens."
Example 2: Grant-funded project actions and reporting deadlines are not tracked, leading to missed milestones and incomplete reporting that damages future funding prospects
Real Scenario
"Your lottery funder asks why the quarterly progress report is two months overdue. You didn't realise it was due because nobody tracked the reporting schedule."
Example 3: Handover between outgoing and incoming committee members fails to transfer ongoing actions, leaving tasks incomplete or duplicated
Real Scenario
"A new treasurer discovers three months of unbanked cash in a drawer. The previous treasurer was 'going to deposit it' but never handed over the task when they left."
Document Vault
Community groups need document storage that protects against the risk of volunteer turnover while making critical governance, safeguarding, and funding evidence accessible when needed
The Problems
Why This Matters for Community Groups
- The group's constitution, bank mandate, and insurance documents are stored in a box at the chairperson's house, inaccessible to other committee members and at risk of loss
Nobody can access critical documents when needed, governance decisions are made without checking constitutional requirements, and everything disappears if the document-holder leaves
- DBS certificates are photocopied and filed in various committee members' homes, with no central record of who has valid clearance or when checks expire
You cannot prove DBS compliance to venues or funders, expired checks go unnoticed, and safeguarding gaps exist without anyone realising
- Grant applications require evidence of governance, safeguarding, and financial management - but gathering this documentation takes days of searching through emails and files
Grant applications are submitted late or incomplete, opportunities are missed because the deadline expires while you're still gathering evidence, and funders question your organisational capability
The Solution
How Document Vault Helps
Secure cloud storage for governance documents, DBS records, insurance certificates, and grant documentation with role-based access for committee members
Critical documents are safely stored and accessible to authorised committee members, DBS compliance is visible at a glance, and funding applications can be completed quickly
Use Cases:
- • Constitution and governance document secure storage
- • DBS certificate repository with expiry tracking
- • Insurance policy storage with renewal alerts
- • Annual accounts and financial records archive
- • Grant application supporting documentation
- • Meeting minutes and decision record storage
- • Policy documents (safeguarding, health & safety, GDPR)
Feature Screenshot
Document Vault
Real-World Examples
Example 1: The group's constitution, bank mandate, and insurance documents are stored in a box at the chairperson's house, inaccessible to other committee members and at risk of loss
Real Scenario
"The bank needs to see your constitution to update signatories. The previous chairman has it somewhere, but he's now moved abroad and isn't responding to messages."
Example 2: DBS certificates are photocopied and filed in various committee members' homes, with no central record of who has valid clearance or when checks expire
Real Scenario
"A parent asks to see evidence of your youth group volunteers' DBS checks. You contact five committee members before finding someone who has the file, and it's two years out of date."
Example 3: Grant applications require evidence of governance, safeguarding, and financial management - but gathering this documentation takes days of searching through emails and files
Real Scenario
"A community foundation offers emergency funding with a two-week deadline. By the time you've gathered your constitution, accounts, safeguarding policy, and insurance certificate, the deadline has passed."
Incident Reports
Community groups run events sporadically with changing volunteers - incident recording needs to be simple enough to complete at the time but comprehensive enough to support insurance claims and demonstrate safety management to venues
The Problems
Why This Matters for Community Groups
- Incidents at community events are handled at the time but not documented, with no record of what happened, how it was managed, or what follow-up occurred
Insurance claims cannot be substantiated, lessons aren't learned from incidents, and venues or funders find inadequate safety management when they ask about your incident record
- Safeguarding concerns raised during activities are dealt with informally rather than recorded, preventing proper escalation and creating vulnerability if concerns recur
Patterns of concerning behaviour are missed, vulnerable people remain at risk, and if a serious incident occurs, there's no record of previous warning signs
- Near-misses and safety hazards spotted at events are mentioned verbally but never documented, so the same problems recur at future events
Preventable incidents occur because hazards identified previously were never addressed, and when an accident happens, you discover it was a known issue
The Solution
How Incident Reports Helps
Simple incident and concern recording with categorisation, follow-up tracking, and pattern identification across events and activities
Every incident is documented for insurance and learning purposes, safeguarding concerns are properly recorded, and near-misses lead to improvements that prevent future accidents
Use Cases:
- • Event incident and injury recording
- • Safeguarding concern documentation and escalation
- • Near-miss and hazard reporting for future event planning
- • Insurance claim supporting documentation
- • Venue incident reporting as required by hire agreements
- • Follow-up action tracking after incidents
Feature Screenshot
Incident Reports
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Incidents at community events are handled at the time but not documented, with no record of what happened, how it was managed, or what follow-up occurred
Real Scenario
"Someone makes an injury claim months after your event. You remember something happened but have no incident record, witness details, or evidence of how it was handled."
Example 2: Safeguarding concerns raised during activities are dealt with informally rather than recorded, preventing proper escalation and creating vulnerability if concerns recur
Real Scenario
"A parent mentions that a volunteer made their child uncomfortable. The activity leader 'had a word' but didn't record anything. Six months later, a more serious concern is raised about the same volunteer."
Example 3: Near-misses and safety hazards spotted at events are mentioned verbally but never documented, so the same problems recur at future events
Real Scenario
"A child trips on the same loose paving stone that caused a near-miss at last year's fete. Several volunteers remember pointing it out, but nobody recorded it or ensured it was fixed."
Audit Trail
Community groups need audit trails simple enough for volunteers to maintain but robust enough to satisfy funders, independent examiners, and members questioning past decisions
The Problems
Why This Matters for Community Groups
- Financial decisions are made informally without documented approval, creating problems when accounts are examined or new committee members question past expenditure
Expenditure cannot be justified to members or funders, accusations of mismanagement arise when decisions aren't documented, and independent examiner queries go unanswered
- Changes to policies and procedures are made without version control, leaving uncertainty about what rules are current and what was in force at any point in time
Different committee members work from different policy versions, disputes arise about what was agreed, and investigations find no clear record of what procedures were in place
- Grant expenditure decisions are not documented, making it impossible to demonstrate that funding was used appropriately if audited
Funders find inadequate evidence of proper grant management, require repayment, and exclude the group from future funding
The Solution
How Audit Trail Helps
Simple audit trail capturing financial approvals, policy versions, and grant expenditure decisions with timestamps and attribution
Every significant decision is documented and attributable, policy history is preserved, and funders find proper expenditure approval records when they audit
Use Cases:
- • Financial decision approval documentation
- • Policy version control with change records
- • Grant expenditure approval trails
- • Committee decision records with attribution
- • Constitution amendment history
- • Membership decision documentation
Feature Screenshot
Audit Trail
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Financial decisions are made informally without documented approval, creating problems when accounts are examined or new committee members question past expenditure
Real Scenario
"A member questions a large payment in the accounts. Nobody can remember what it was for or who approved it because decisions were made verbally and not recorded."
Example 2: Changes to policies and procedures are made without version control, leaving uncertainty about what rules are current and what was in force at any point in time
Real Scenario
"A volunteer is accused of not following the safeguarding policy. They claim they followed the version they were given - but you've since updated it, and there's no record of when or what changed."
Example 3: Grant expenditure decisions are not documented, making it impossible to demonstrate that funding was used appropriately if audited
Real Scenario
"A funder audits your completed project and asks who approved each expenditure item. You can't show approval records because purchases were made informally."
HR Management
Community groups rely entirely on volunteers but often manage them through one person's knowledge - a shared system ensures the group can function regardless of which committee members are available
The Problems
Why This Matters for Community Groups
- Volunteer contact details, availability, and role assignments are known only to whoever coordinates them, creating single points of failure when that person is unavailable
Events are understaffed when the coordinator can't be reached, nobody knows who to contact about specific activities, and volunteer communication becomes impossible
- DBS check status for volunteers working with children or vulnerable adults is tracked informally or not at all, with no systematic record of who has been checked
Volunteers without valid DBS work with vulnerable groups, venues refuse to host activities because you can't prove compliance, and safeguarding failures may occur
- Skills and qualifications among volunteers are unknown beyond personal relationships, leading to mismatched role assignments and underutilisation of volunteer capabilities
Volunteers with useful skills aren't asked to contribute, roles are assigned to whoever's available rather than whoever's qualified, and volunteer satisfaction suffers
The Solution
How HR Management Helps
Simple volunteer database with contact details, DBS status tracking, skills and qualifications records, and role assignment management accessible to authorised committee members
Volunteer coordination survives individual unavailability, DBS compliance is visible and verifiable, and the right volunteers are matched to the right roles based on their skills
Use Cases:
- • Volunteer contact database with role assignments
- • DBS certificate tracking with renewal alerts
- • Volunteer skills and qualifications recording
- • Event volunteer scheduling and coordination
- • Emergency contact information for activities
- • Volunteer thank-you and recognition tracking
Feature Screenshot
HR Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Volunteer contact details, availability, and role assignments are known only to whoever coordinates them, creating single points of failure when that person is unavailable
Real Scenario
"The volunteer coordinator is ill on the morning of your event. Nobody else knows who was supposed to help, what roles they were assigned, or how to contact them."
Example 2: DBS check status for volunteers working with children or vulnerable adults is tracked informally or not at all, with no systematic record of who has been checked
Real Scenario
"Your youth club venue now requires proof that all volunteers have enhanced DBS. You discover you have no central record - only the person who 'organised the checks' knows who was actually verified."
Example 3: Skills and qualifications among volunteers are unknown beyond personal relationships, leading to mismatched role assignments and underutilisation of volunteer capabilities
Real Scenario
"You struggle to find someone to manage event first aid, not realising a newer volunteer is a trained paramedic - nobody recorded or checked volunteer skills."
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