New volunteer induction
Some people who get involved in Scouts leave after just a short while. This can be for a variety of reasons, including:
- not having a chance to do anything
- not being sure exactly what's expected of them
- not feeling valued
- being left without any support
A good way of overcoming some of these difficulties and encouraging people to stay involved with Scouts for longer, is to plan an induction period for new volunteers.
Induction is our settling-in period, a time where we want to give volunteers an extra special welcome to make sure they have a great start with us.
It runs alongside the steps in the joining journey and helps new volunteers get to grips with what to do, what to expect and how to be the best they can be while volunteering.
Be prepared! The key to a really warm welcome and engaging induction period is planning
Be flexibility and tailor things to the person - that way they will be happier.
Dive right in
Nothing boosts people's confidence more than achieving something. This is particularly true for new adults in scouting. They establish credibility with their new colleagues, the young people and other adults and most importantly with themselves.
It makes sense to find something with which they are familiar with and, if possible, is something fresh and new to those who you are working with. Running a game that they are familiar with, but which could be new to the section members is ideal. They will have the confidence of knowing the game and the members or the section would have something fresh and will not compare them with whoever usually does that game.
Basing an activity around their hobby or interest is another useful way to get started; such as collecting, model making, or cooking. If your new team member will be involve in scouting in a support role, working with a more experienced person on a bigger project may also work.
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During the induction period, you should introduce them to the other people in your Group or Unit so that they can connect and begin building relationships. During this time it’s important to provide lots of friendly help, support and guidance so they feel welcomed into their role. Their induction should be ‘dip fed’ to ensure that they are not bombarded with information and should cover the following areas:
- an introduction to Scouts and how things work on the ground
- our sections, structure and how things fit together locally
- who the different teams are and their responsibilities
- what to expected to do within your team and what tasks they would like to take on
- the Growing Roots earning that will equip them with the skills and knowledge they need to do their tasks
- our policies and procedures
- the Yellow Card, and its importance for safeguarding our young people
- our Scouts values, Promise and Volunteering Culture
- a tour around your meeting place and where to find the things they will need
It’s important to answer any questions they have openly and honestly, to help put any uncertainties aside as they settle in.
During the induction period it’s also beneficial to have a quick chat to the team leader to check how things are going and see if there is anything that the new adult needs focussed support with.
Who takes part in inductions
Everyone! The Team Leader or Group Lead should oversee the new volunteer’s induction, while the other team members should collaborate with the new volunteer to give them different experiences, and a proper feel for what Scouts is like.
When someone new joins a team, it’s down to all members of the team, not just the Team Leader, to make sure the new team member has the right tools and information they need to do their role.
Useful resources
To help support new volunteers, UKHQ have also created some new tools:
- A handy welcome pack to give to new volunteers, containing all the basic information they’ll need about Scouts and our general expectations of them as a volunteer
- New volunteers will have the option to receive support from a welcome buddy, in a non-formal way