Safeguarding and Safety
Young people or their parents/carers can make a report to the police in the UK about inappropriate sexual contact online such as ‘grooming’. See the CLICK CEOP button below.
Safeguarding in the Scouts
Adult volunteers who participate in regulated activity require a disclosure check. The Scout Association has reviewed all volunteer roles against the criteria for regulated activity which is defined as:
Teaching, training or instruction of children, carried out by the same person frequently (once a week or more often), or on four or more days in a thirty day period, or overnight
Or
Day to day management or supervision on a regular basis of a person providing this activity which would be regulated if unsupervised
Some roles fall outside regulated activity and do not require a disclosure check. The remainder meet the requirements of the legislation and will require an appropriate level of disclosure check. Compass helps to automate this process: when an adult volunteer is assigned a role it will know what checks need to be processed. Renewal reminders will also be automated for those roles that require it.
Adult volunteers who work with vulnerable 18-25 year olds in Scouting need a disclosure that is checked against both the adult and child register. This can be arranged on that volunteer’s behalf by contacting vetting@scouts.org.uk.
When a new adult is entered onto the system there will be two options for disclosure checks. If the applicant does not have any identification documentation with them and they have an email address then they can be sent an email with a temporary username and password which allows them to log into the disclosures system and choose the identification documentation they have available which meets the minimum requirements. Once they have selected sufficient identification the system will inform them of this; they can then arrange a meeting with the person initiating the disclosure who will then check and verify the identification documents. The other option is to enter the details straight away if the applicant does have their identification documentation with them.
Safeguarding downloads
Carry the yellow card with you and make sure you follow its guidance on our safeguarding policy. You can download a copy of the card using the link below – and copies are available at the District Centre. Click on the links below for more resources.
- Yellow Card
- Orange Card (for Young Leaders)
- On line Safeguarding Training
- Data protection
- Guidance for parents on responding to cyber bullying
Safe Scouting
Carry the purple card with you and make sure you follow its guidance in an emergency. Contact the District on 07736 430660 if you are dealing with an emergency. Copies are available at the District Centre or you can download one from here.
You can also download copies of the Staying Safe checklists for Leaders, Managers and Executive Committees:
- Checklist for Leaders
- Checklist for Managers
- Checklist for Executive Committees
- Online Safety Training
Risk Assessment
Scouting and Alcohol
The green card provides a checklist on our policy on alcohol for all adults in Scouting. Pick up a copy at the District Centre or you can download one from here.
Coronavirus/Covid-19 – Getting back together safely
The UK government has confirmed that the youth sector in England has moved to Green readiness level from 6 September. As a result, residential and international trips will change as outlined here.
We’ve updated the readiness level table along with relevant guidance at www.scouts.org.uk.
Residential activities
Residential activities are not now limited to six people sharing accommodation. This means more flexibility for you when planning your nights away activities, although you should still be managing the spread of Covid-19. Members who’ve tested positive for Covid-19 within the past 90 days (but are outside of the isolation period) are no longer required to undertake lateral flow testing in order to take part.
International travel
Also, members may now take part in international travel. Although you can start planning visits abroad once again, please remember that this planning will take time and trips require approval at each stage. Make sure you remind yourself of the visits abroad process. Remember that you must meet any Covid-19 requirements in all the countries you travel through/to, as well as conditions set by the home government.
If you have already postponed trips due to Covid-19, please first speak with your insurers to be clear on any conditions which they may have in place for the trip resuming.
There is still a risk of Covid-19 resurgence and many countries are not as advanced as England in vaccination, so there is a chance that plans will need to change at short notice. The relevant Executive Committees need to assess the financial risks around these trips.
