Have you ever wondered whether parents are covered by insurance when they’re volunteering at Parent Club events?
Insurance can be a bugbear for small volunteer organisations, who may not be able to afford the cost of public liability insurance. However, there’s reassuring news for Parent Clubs. We received the following advice from the Department of Education in March 2023:
Members of Parents Clubs are considered volunteers. Volunteers, including members of Parents Clubs, are entitled to workers compensation and Workcover as they are deemed to be employees of the department in that scenario. That is, they are treated like any other Government school employee who performs work or participates in activities for Government schools. The relevant legislation is Part 5.6 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006.
In addition, the department’s insurance arrangements cover any liability incurred in the conduct of, or through the activities performed by, Parents Clubs, including any fundraising activities (including school fetes) and other volunteer duties. Accordingly, Parents Clubs do not need to, and should not, obtain their own separate insurance.
This question is also addressed in the Education Department’s Policy and Advisory Library.
