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 [email protected].

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.  Click on the links below for more resources.

Useful websites

  • NSPCC – Support around online safety or bullying
  • Thinkuknow – Tips for staying safe online
  • ACT Early – Guidance and information on staying safe online, and preventing radicalisation and extremism
  • The NSPCC and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), in partnership with age verification platform Yoti, have developed the Report Remove tool to support young people to remove illegal nude images of themselves online

Safe Scouting

Carry the purple card with you and make sure you follow its guidance in an emergency. You can download one from here.

You can also download copies of the Staying Safe checklists for Leaders, Managers and Trustee Boards:

Risk Assessment

Scouting and Alcohol

The green card provides a checklist on our policy on alcohol for all adults in Scouting. You can download one from here.

Put your phone down and what are you left with? Just teamwork, courage and the skills to succeed.’
Bear Grylls, Chief Scout Bear Grylls