Adults in Scouting

Have you ever thought about getting involved in Scouting but never got round to asking how? Hopefully on this page we can tell you a little about what the different roles are, what training you would be required to do and most of all what your commitment would be.

Why volunteer?
Young people join Scouting for a range of reasons, but they stay because they get something out of it. This may simply be expressed as fun, but as they mature and develop it expands into a broader set of reasons.

Adults join Scouting because they want to help provide better Scouting for more young people. Being an adult in Scouting is a very rewarding, however challenging role. It does involve giving up some time to the Movement, but it will be time well spent supporting young people through Scouting.

Every adult who works in Scouting will get something out of it. For example, being a Section Leader is a demanding job, requiring time, patience and empathy for the circumstances and problems of young people. The rewards of the job are fun, participation in a wide variety of activities and helping Scouts of different ages achieve their personal and collective growth as young people.

The following list contains most of the reasons that are most commonly mentioned:

• seeing the fruits of your labours
• taking part in activities
• passing on your skills
• gaining new skills
• working with other adults
• joining a network of potential friends

Training
The Scout Association places great emphasis on ensuring that all adults involved in Scouting have the required level of training and support to undertake their role.

The training scheme is modular, meaning that if you already have some of the skills (such as management, presentation, financial, first aid etc.) you will not be required to duplicate these topics under the Scout scheme.

Child protection
The Scout Association has a robust Child Protection policy to ensure the safety of the Young People in its care.

All adults in Scouting must undertake a CRB check before they can take up any role in Scouting. All warranted leaders are issued with a provisional appointment which is valid for 5 months and the full warrant is presented when essential learning process is complete. They will also be asked to attend an appointments panel where a informal interview will take place.