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National key policies

The Purpose of Scouting

Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.

The Values of Scouting

As Scouts we are guided by these values:

  • Integrity - We act with integrity; we are honest, trustworthy and loyal.

  • Respect - We have self-respect and respect for others.

  • Care - We support others and take care of the world in which we live.

  • Belief - We explore our faiths, beliefs and attitudes.

  • Co-operation - We make a positive difference; we co-operate with others and make friends.

Everyone that is involved in running and supporting scouting is required to act in accordance with the key policies of The Scout Association. They provide a framework within which we provide safe and inclusive scouting, in line with our purpose and values. 

Our key policies are listed below.  No order of importance or priority is implied - they are all equal.

our volunteer culture

Our Volunteering Culture guides and reminds us of our goal, both as a movement and as a volunteer team: to help more young people gain Skills for Life.

If we do get things wrong (we are human, after all), Our Volunteering Culture helps us to better reflect on what’s happened, learn from it, and to continue to improve, both individually and as a team.

Our Volunteering Culture is not something ‘extra’ to do. It’s at the heart of everything we do and it’s there to help us all.

Building on the foundations laid in our Values, the behaviours in Our Volunteering Culture are more detailed in terms of what we expect from one another in Scouts. Each behaviour, described in Our Volunteering Culture, can be linked to one, or more, of the Values of Scouting.

Our Values describe Scouting at its best, while Our Volunteering Culture is how we make our best a daily reality.

We want Our Volunteering Culture to be something we're all proud of. It's there to help our new volunteers thrive from the moment they join, giving them clear expectations and a shared understanding of what it really means to be a volunteer in Scouts.

When we created Our Volunteering Culture, we based it on the real life-experience of our volunteers. Our testing hub generated helpful feedback and comments from our volunteers throughout the UK. Volunteers led and shaped the work, supported by our staff. 

 

Click here to download out volunteer culture statement