Scout Active Support
Scout Active Support allows people to give their time to Scouting on a flexible basis. People can still be involved in Scouting without the full-time commitment of being a leader.
It provides a resource for Managers of local Scouting including Group Scout Leaders, District Commissioners and County Commissioners, who can use it in whichever way is required.
Scout Active Support is for anyone over the age of 18 years. It is a way for adults to volunteer time to Scouting in a flexible way that suits them.
There is no requirement to have been involved in Scouting before joining. All that is required is a willingness to volunteer some time to support Scouting.
These volunteer roles are instrumental in the setup and running of a Scout Active Support Unit:
Group Scout Leader, District Commissioner or County Commissioner
The Group Scout Leader, District Commissioner or County Commissioner has a role in starting and developing a Scout Active Support Unit.
This should be decided upon dependant on the Group, District or County needs. The Group Scout Leader or responsible Commissioner must ensure the Scout Active Support Unit is meeting its purpose and fulfilling a need.
Ultimately the Group Scout Leader, District Commissioner or County Commissioner is responsible for ensuring that line management for the Scout Active Support Unit is in place.
The Group Scout Leader, District Commissioner or County Commissioner may fulfil this role, or nominate another person to undertake this – depending on the local management structures in place.
Scout Active Support Manager
The Manager is responsible for the management, leadership and day to day running of a particular Scout Active Support Unit.
The Scout Active Support Manager works with the Group Scout Leader or responsible Commissioner to agree a service agreement which details the purpose of the Scout Active Support Unit.
This should be reviewed annually to ensure that the Scout Active Support Unit is accomplishing the targets set.
The Scout Active Support Manager is part of the Group Leaders’ Meeting or the District/County Team (as appropriate), so that the work of the Scout Active Support Unit is directly linked into the local Scouting structure.
Scout Active Support Coordinator
The Coordinator role is to assist the Scout Active Support Manager.
A Coordinator may be appointed to fulfil a specific function, for example ensuring membership details are kept up to date, or could be a more general provider of support to the Scout Active Support Manager.
There may be more than one Scout Active Support Unit Coordinator per Unit, and this will be decided upon by the Unit Manager.
The Line Manager of the Scout Active Support Unit Coordinator is the Scout Active Support Manager.
Scout Active Support member
The flexible nature of Scout Active Support lends itself to people who want to be involved in Scouting and benefit from opportunities for flexible volunteering.
Scout Active Support can take up as much or as little time as the volunteer wishes.
Each Scout Active Support member is responsible to the Scout Active Support Manager for carrying out the work of the Scout Active Support Unit.
A District or Group Scout Active Support Unit can be a source of extra adult help in and could teach skills that your leadership teams do not have.
A group Scout Active Support Unit...
is a great way to get the parents/guardians/family members of your members involved in supporting your group. Being a member of the unit provides people with a way of helping out as and when they can - all the paperwork is done upfront and when they are able to help they can hit the ground running. .
Your SASU could also provide catering at events during the year. This could include camps, and the group annual general meeting. They can also run activity or badge days or help manage the groups equipment - the list is endless.
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More information on how to set-up and run a District or Group Scout Active Support Unit can be found below...
Seven simple steps to help you start a Scout Active Support Unit