A more engaging learning experience
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We’re moving to a more engaging learning experience and you’re going to love it!
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Here's the low down…
Learning is divided into Growing Roots learning and Branching Out learning. Growing Roots learning, is the mandatory learning that all volunteers need to complete and Branching Out learning, is optional and allows you to continue your learning and complete your Wood Badge.
The Wood Badge will eventually be structured as a programme of learning personalised to you. It will be focused on being engaging, relevant and something you’ll want to do.
There is still a requirement to renew safeguarding and safety learning every three years and roles that require first aid learning need to initially gain a certificate within their first 12 months and the renew every three years.
Branching Out learning will be gradually role out during 2025-26. During this time many of our modules and Manager and Supporter training will continue to be offered to enable those that choose to complete their Wood Badge.
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Growing Roots learning
Growing Roots learning is designed to ensure that everyone that is volunteering with Scouts has the skills and knowledge they need to carry out their role effectively. It supports adults and provides them with the information they need to help deliver, or support the delivery of, high quality, safe, sound and exciting scouting to young people. It covers the basics of Scouts, safety, data protection and creating an inclusive environment.
All Growing Roots learning is completed online using our learning system. The system tracks progress and automatically updates the learner’s membership record to show that each piece of learning has been completed.
Growing Roots learning appropriate to the role, as specified in the teams table, has two deadlines to meet. Safeguarding and Safety learning must be completed within 30 days of the start of the provisional role. The other elements for Growing Roots must be completed within 180 days of the applicant’s personal details being entered into the membership system.
Volunteers starting a new type of role that requires additional learning, have 180 days to complete their Growing Roots learning.
Growing Roots is the learning that all volunteers need to complete within their first six months as a new volunteer. The only people who don't need to complete this learning are Presidents, Vice Presidents, Non Member - Needs Disclosure, Retired Members and Designated Carers.
Five parts of learning that everyone needs to complete: | ||
This is the learning that all new volunteers will need to complete within their first 30 days. | ||
Learning Unit | Learning includes | |
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| Safety | This learning is about how we keep our young people and each other safe. It includes:
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| Safeguarding | This learning is about how we safeguard our young people and each other. It includes:
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This is the learning that all new volunteers will need to complete within their first 180 days. | ||
Learning Unit | Learning includes | |
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| Creating Inclusion | This learning is about how we make Scouts a welcoming space for everybody. It includes:
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| Data protection | This learning is about how we take care of people's personal data. It includes:
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| Who we are and what we do | This is an introduction to what Scouts is and how we help young people develop skills for life. It includes:
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The learning that some people need to complete: | ||
| This is role specific learning that all new volunteers will need to complete within their first six months. Most people will only need to complete one of these learning units. But some will be required to complete two, or all three. | ||
specific learning, for: | Learning includes | |
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| Section team Delivering a | This will help our Section Teams to understand how to plan and deliver a safe, balanced and high quality programme for young people in Scouts. It includes:
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| For everyone Being a Trustee | This learning needs to be completed by all new Trustees.
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| For team leaders Leading Scout Volunteers | This learning needs to be completed by all new Team Leaders and Lead Volunteers, except for Team Leaders of Section Teams and Sub-teams.
For existing volunteers, this learning will be automatically signed off if you've already achieved your Manager & Supporter Wood Badge. |
Click here to check out national the Growing Roots webpage.
First Response
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| Although not technically a part of Growing Roots learning, First Response must be completed by some people within 12 months of starting a role. This means that First Aid, to a minimum of First Response, and that covers the Scouts First Response syllabus is needed for these roles:
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Branching Out learning
Branching out, Wood Badge, learning will be structured as a programme of learning personalised to you -by you. It will be focused on being engaging, relevant and something you’ll want to do. Branching out and continuing your learning to gain your Wood Badge is open to everyone that has a role in Scouts. We will provide lots more information on our web pages as it becomes available over the coming months!
The learning and development opportunities available range from skills-based training such as first aid, risk assessment, safeguarding and public relations through to experience in leadership, management, communication, organisation, safeguarding, executive training and experience of working with young people.
Branching Out learning currently consists of two parts:
Learning
Learning is any activity that helps you to gain skills, knowledge or values. The most beneficial learning, as far as the scouts is concerned, is that which helps you to fulfil your scouting role more easily and with increasing success.
We aim to make learning accessible to all, regardless of geography, education, personal circumstances or special needs. Our learning is also designed to provide opportunities to enable you to interact and share your experiences with other volunteers around our county.
Validation (Demonstration)
Validation is the process of finding out if you are able to put the learning covered by a module into practice in your role in scouts. All learning for your role requires validating regardless of whether you have gained the skills from previous experience or by taking part in planned learning. Some learning is validated automatically by our learning system and some learning will need to be carried out by your District Volunteer Development Team.
Each subject, has a fixed list of validation requirement. There are a number of validation methods for you to select from. Validation methods are simple and effective and should always be something that you do as part of your normal role.
The focus should be on you ‘doing something’ and this will often be backed up by discussion. Validation should not be seen as an exam – it is a positive experience in which you will receive supportive feedback.
The Learning Tree
Our Learning Tree is a great way to start exploring what Growing Roots will be about and when you need to complete your learning.
Click the image below to visit the interactive Learning Tree...
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