Supporting you
Words cannot express how much we value your personal dedication and commitment to scouting and the lifelong benefits you help to provide your young people with.
The parents, guardians and families of our members put unmeasurable trust in us as volunteers. This is because of their resounding belief in the benefits scouting brings to young people to help them develop skills and succeed, in hand with your professionalism and commitment as a member of a leadership team, and the exciting programmes and opportunities you provide.
Without question, they assume that the adults they are entrusting with their children have the appropriate skills and knowledge to enable them to run safe programmes and support the needs of young people.
To support you with this we are committed to helping you develop your skills and knowledge to enable you to continue to help run great, safe scouting. We provide this as a series of short online learning topics. These are very easy to complete over a period of time. This learning not only supports you in your new team roll but it’s also a great addition to your own personal development and looks great on your C.V.
In parallel to the changes, we are making to the way we volunteer, we are also changing the learning and development that we provide to support you.
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As we are currently in a period of transition there are two ways you can complete your mandatory learning, which really will support you in your new team role.
Option one: our current learning...
If you want to complete your learning before 31st March 2024…
Our current learning is called getting started. The learning is designed to support you in your role and you can complete them at their own pace and in any order.
The topics covered provide you with support and the essential information and skills you need to be an effective volunteer in the Scouts.
Getting started learning consists of 5 topics:
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This online learning can be completed in any order.
Essential information - An introduction to General Data
Protection Regulations (GDPR) - Safety
- Safeguarding
- Tools for the role - section leaders
If you are also a member of a trustee board, you also need to complete ‘Introduction to being a Trustee in the Scouts’.
Each topic will take you around 30 to 45 minutes to complete.
It is important to note, you only need to complete most of this learning once. If you have already completed Essential information, An introduction to General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), and Tools for the role - section leaders, (and if needed Introduction to being a Trustee in the Scouts), or have a Wood Badge you do not need to complete them again.
Safety and Safeguarding need to be completed every three years so if you have completed these within the last three years you currently have nothing to complete. Next time you need to complete them you will complete Safe Scouting which is part of the new Growing roots learning.
Option two: our new learning...
If you want to complete your learning after 1st May 2024…
In late April 2024 we’re replacing our current getting started learning with Growing roots learning. Our new elearning will be more engaging and fun to take part in. It will also be relevant to your new team role.
Growing Roots learning consists of five topics:
- Who we are and what we do
- Creating inclusion
- Data protection
- Safe scouting
- Delivering a great programme
There is also a short piece of additional learning for anyone that is also a member of trustee board called Being a Trustee in Scouts.
It is important to note you only need to complete this learning once. If you have already completed Essential information, An introduction to General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and Tools for the role - section leaders as part of Getting started learning, or have a Wood Badge you do not need to complete them again.
Safety and Safeguarding need to be completed every three years, so if you have completed these within the last three years you currently have nothing to complete. Next time you need to complete them you will complete Safe Scouting which is part of the new Growing roots learning.
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Getting started learning can be completed from now until 31st March 2024.
Growing Roots learning will go live on 1st May 2024 and needs to be completed within 6 months
so, by 1st November 2024).
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In Scouts, we give our young people adventures and opportunities to develop new skills through the activities we offer. For any activity to be delivered successfully, it must be delivered safely, this includes making sure there’s adequate first aid equipment and experience in the leadership team delivering the activity.
First Response (the first aid training offered at Scouts), gives our adult volunteers the vital skills and knowledge they need to manage incidents and provide basic first aid to our young people and adults.
As part of the move to the team-based approach, a review of who requires a First Aid qualification (minimum of First Response), was undertaken and the following principles were agreed:
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Every young person should have direct access to first aid treatment when on Scout activities
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Parents and carers should be confident that every adult leader, who is regularly and directly involved with their child’s Scouting, has completed, or is working towards completing, first aid training
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No young person should ever miss out on a Scouts activity due to a lack of qualified adult first aid cover
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Having a body of first aid trained volunteers has a positive impact on our communities
This means that First Aid is required by everyone who works directly with young people as a member of a section team (as a Team Member or Team Leader).
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You can find out more information about our First Response courses and book your place on our 2024 courses HERE can be found at HERE
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Branching out, Wood Badge, learning is optional and enables you to continue your learning and personal development to gain your Wood Badge. The branching out programme of learning, is personalised to your interests and needs and the learning you want to complete is chosen by you.
The learning and development opportunities available range from skills-based learning such as scouting skills, and also covers topics such as supporting the needs of young people, public relations, growing scouting, and effective team work through to experience in leadership, management, communication, organisation, safeguarding, trustee training and experience of working with young people.
It’s focused on being engaging, and relevant, and we really hope is something you will explorer and want to do.