Be clear about the roles / help you need
The most important piece of planning you can do before recruitment is understanding how your team will work together and what responsibilities need to be covered. In Scouts today, this is less about creating fixed individual roles and more about identifying tasks and responsibilities that can be shared across a team. A “role” might still be a single focused task, but it sits within a flexible team structure rather than belonging to just one person.
As part of this, you should be clear about what needs to be done and the kinds of skills, interests or availability that would help someone contribute. This doesn’t mean finding the “perfect person” for a rigid role, but instead thinking about how different people can bring different strengths to the team.
Being clear about responsibilities, and the type of support needed, will help you decide how best to find volunteers. For example, inviting someone to help occasionally with social media is very different from welcoming someone into a Section Team supporting young people regularly. The team-based approach allows you to tailor opportunities so they feel manageable and appealing.
Clarity is just as important for volunteers. People want to know what they’re being asked to do, how they’ll be supported, and how flexible their involvement can be. A short, friendly and well-written description of how someone can contribute within the team helps show that your Scout Group is organised, welcoming and respectful of people’s time. It also helps potential volunteers decide how they’d like to get involved.
Thinking through responsibilities in this way also supports safer Scouting. By understanding what tasks people may take on, who they’ll work with, and the environment they’ll be in, you can better identify and manage any risks. This doesn’t rely on rigid role descriptions, but on having a clear and shared understanding across the team of how activities are delivered safely.
A team-based role or task outline should still make it clear what is needed, while allowing flexibility. Rather than defining strict boundaries, it should describe how someone might contribute and how this can adapt over time.
When planning how people can get involved, it can be helpful to consider:
- What tasks or responsibilities need to be covered within the team?
- How might I contribute, and what could that involve?
- What skills, interests or experiences might be helpful (but not essential)?
- Why does this contribution matter for young people?
- Who will support me, and how will I be welcomed into the team?
- Who will I be working with?
- How does this fit within the wider team or Scout Group?
- How much time might I give, and how flexible is this?
- Where will I be volunteering?
- What support, tools or equipment are available?
- Are there any requirements (such as safeguarding checks or learning)?
- What learning or development opportunities are available?
- What will I get out of volunteering?
Not every task needs a detailed write-up. For smaller or one-off contributions, a simple conversation or brief outline is often enough. The key is making sure people feel informed, supported and able to contribute in a way that works for them.
Overall, the focus is on flexibility, shared responsibility and positive team experiences, helping more people get involved in a way that fits their lives while delivering great Scouting for young people.
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Why team descriptions?
What we once called ‘role descriptions’ are now better understood as flexible responsibilities within a team or a team description. Unlike traditional job descriptions used in paid employment, volunteer roles in Scouts are designed to reflect the adaptable, skills-based and collaborative nature of volunteering. This helps avoid confusion between employment and volunteering, while making it clear that people can contribute in ways that suit their time, interests and abilities.
As Scouts has evolved to a team-based approach, the focus has shifted away from fixed, rigid roles towards shared responsibilities across a team. Instead of one person being expected to do everything, tasks are distributed, and volunteers can shape how they contribute. You might still hear terms like role description, volunteer brief or task outline, but what matters most is how clearly expectations are communicated and how well the team works together to support young people.
Some people worry that writing things down might make volunteering feel too formal or restrictive. While that can happen if done poorly, in practice, clear and flexible team roles actually make it easier for people to get involved and understand what needs to be done. They help volunteers understand where they can help, while still allowing a person’s team role to change over time as their availability, skills and interests develop.
One of the main challenges is the time it takes to define responsibilities clearly. However, investing a little time upfront saves much more time later by preventing misunderstandings, sharing workload more effectively, and supporting better recruitment. In fact, having clear team responsibilities is one of the most important tools for attracting and retaining adult volunteers.
That said, not every task needs a detailed outline. For one-off or simple activities, like helping at an event or supporting a specific activity, a full description would be unnecessary. Even so, it’s still important to give clear guidance so volunteers feel confident and supported in what they’re doing.
Overall, in Scouts today, the emphasis is on clarity, flexibility and teamwork, ensuring that everyone can play a part in delivering great experiences for young people in a way that works for them.