GERMANY
Challenges in maintaining clear boundaries
Volunteer guardians often face challenges in safeguarding their
private lives and setting boundaries in their relationships with the
young people they support. The research revealed that volunteer
guardians may be overprotective with the young people they are
responsible for, who may become part of the guardian’s private and
family life. It is not uncommon for volunteers to provide support
and services that go beyond their duties and responsibilities as
guardians (e.g. presents or financial support) and become emotion-
ally involved. Such practices may result in situations where young
people are not ready to take responsibility for their daily life after
they reach the age of 18, and the guardianship ends. Moreover, such
attitudes lead to assumptions that volunteer guardians are more
supportive than other guardians and that they can – and should –
offer extra support to the children and young people in their care.
Such assumptions often strain relationships and undermine trust
between guardians and children.
LESSONS LEARNED
• Volunteer guardians need professional
supervision and support.
The study shows that volunteer guardians’
ability to reflect on their role and contin-
uously examine their own motives is vital
throughout. It is necessary to support this
process through regular meetings with other
volunteers and professional guardians. In
addition, both volunteer and professional
guardians must be supported with profession-
al supervision. Professional supervision will
help volunteer guardians to fulfil their role
and to develop relationships with children
and young people.
• Induction and ongoing training is
essential.
Volunteer guardians should participate in
induction and ongoing training in order to be
able to provide efficient guardianship ser-
vices and protect children from harm. Such
training will also help them in developing a
shared understanding of a guardian’s role and
responsibilities.
• Volunteer guardianship services can
complement but not replace professional
guardianship.
Volunteer guardianship services can comple-
ment professional guardianship but cannot
replace it. Working in partnership could
increase the quality of guardianship services.
A guardianship system where each child has
both a professional and a volunteer guardian
could be beneficial, as volunteers, with their
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