Non-members who require a criminal record check
Non-members who provide section teams with informal support to help them to deliver the programme are normally referred to as helpers. Anyone over 18 years can be a helper, they may be, for example, parents or local subject matter experts. Helpers are not members of Scouts, or of any team.
Helpers (or other non-members), whose informal support involves regulated activity must have a satisfactory personal enquiry (DBS), before they participate in the regulated activity. This requires them to be recorded on the membership system as an ‘non-member-needs disclosure’. The recording on the membership system is for the sole purpose of enabling criminal record check and internal check processes to be undertaken. This does not form part of any joining process and does not provide them with adult membership or other benefits, nor any personal accident or medical expenses unless provided locally. It is only used as part of a process to enable the necessary internal and criminal record checks to be conducted.
Helpers (or other non-members) is where a person aged 18 or over meets one or more of these criteria:
is taking on a formal adult appointment to help run or support scouting
will be assisting with, and be present overnight at, an overnight activity
may be helping once a week (or on four occasions in a thirty-day period), or more frequently
Could have unsupervised access to young people
will be involved with the handling or management of money and/or personal data
Helpers (or other non-members) who do not meet any of the these criteria must not have a criminal record check or an internal check and must not be recorded on the membership system.
For helpers (or other non-members) undertaking regulated activity, there are three steps which must be completed:
A new record is created on the membership system with the permission of the Lead Volunteer, or their nominee and a ‘non-member-needs disclosure’ role is added.
Once the new record is created, the new non-member can then log into the system and enter their personal data.
Before undertaking any regulated activity, a criminal record check must be satisfactorily completed
Before undertaking any regulated activity, a satisfactory internal check must be satisfactorily completed
Until these three steps are all complete, the applicant must always be supervised when with young people and must not undertake any form of regulated activity. The person(s) supervising must be members with a full appointment and with a current personal enquiry.
Where a helper is no longer providing informal support either because they have become a member or because they have stopped being a helper, the membership system must be updated accordingly under arrangements made by the Lead Volunteer.