Policies

HEALTH

The Scout Association Rules stipulate that no child is allowed to undertake any activity without a Health Information Form.

Please complete the Member Details Form, which will be kept on file by the section leader for regular week-to-week activities.

For out of the ordinary activities, you will be sent a permission form which will include a health information section. Please include anything that may be relevant to the activity on that form, including dietary restrictions.

SAFETY

The Scout Association takes pride in its safety record. Guidance is provided to Leaders through their District and County support to ensure that Scouting activities are as safe as possible. Safety issues are covered extensively in our Leader Training.

For more adventurous activities such as water sports, caving and mountaineering, we have special authorisation arrangements to ensure Scouts are in safe hands.

SAFEGUARDING

The Scout Association's child protection policy is known as the 'Young People First' policy.

It's often referred to as the ‘yellow card’ policy because of the pocket-sized reminder card all adults are asked to keep and carry with them.

The 'Young People First' policy is held up as an example of best practice. The Scouts also enjoys the confidence and trust of thousands of parents who each week place their children in our care.

It is the policy of The Scout Association to safeguard the welfare of all members by protecting them from physical, sexual and emotional harm. The Scouts are committed to:

taking into account in all its considerations and activities the interests and well-being of young people;
respecting the rights, wishes and feelings of the young people with whom it is working;
taking all reasonable practicable steps to protect them from physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and
promoting the welfare of young people and their protection within a relationship of trust.

All adults aged eighteen or over, no matter what their role or involvement within Scouting, are responsible for putting this policy into practice at all times.

A link to the Yellow Card is included here.

MEMBERSHIP DETAILS

The Scouts in the United Kingdom is a membership organisation. To enable it to operate - and to communicate with its Members - it is necessary to maintain accurate records.

This will include details of name; address; date of birth; contact telephone numbers along with details of your child's progress through Scouting (e.g., badges gained). Information held in our Scout Group may be shared from time to time within Scouting including the National Headquarters of The Scouts.

Legislation came into force in March 2000 that covers the protection and processing of personal data. Adults and young people have the same rights under the Data Protection Act 1998. The Act covers paper-based (as well as computer-based) information.

Certain information is classed by the law as 'Sensitive Personal Data'. In a Scouting context this may include information about your child’s:

Health (to ensure that we are prepared for medical emergencies it is important that we hold relevant information).

Additional Needs (to ensure a safe integration of your child's participation in activities, details of any additional needs to be known).

Religious or similar beliefs (this will help us ensure that we make appropriate arrangements when necessary).

Racial or ethnic origin (this is only used for our annual census to the Scouts for them to understand the take up of Scouting).

Images (we may use images of your child to promote scouting. These images may be used in our recruitment or in other printed publications that we produce, as well as on our website. First names only will be published. Our scout group may be visited by the media to take photographs or film of a visiting dignitary or other high-profile event. Your child may appear in these images, which may appear in local or national newspapers or on televised news programmes).

Email addresses (will be used and shared with other members of the group to help arrange scouting activities).

All of the information will be used only in connection with your child’s membership of the Scout Movement in the United Kingdom. This will include membership management and communications. None of the information provided will be passed to any third parties outside the Scout Movement.

Remember to inform one of your section leaders of any changes to the details shown on the Member Details Form that happen during the year.

DATA PROTECTION ACT / GDPR

As a small charity, the Group does not have to register with the Information Commissioner’s Office. However, the group is still subject to compliance with the Data Protection Regulations. In signing the member details form, you will be agreeing to the Scout Group during and beyond your child’s involvement with the organisation:

a) Retaining personal data to facilitate any present or potential future involvement with Scouting;

b) Retaining personal data regarding religion, special needs/disabilities, ethnicity, medical information and/or commission of offences or alleged offences

c) Allowing access to personal data to appropriate individuals within the hierarchy of Scouting.

d) We use a number of service providers to support the scout group, in particular Google (document storage and email), 34sp.com (email), online scout manager (records management)

COMMUNICATING WITH PARENTS

The Scout Group generates lots of information and instructions for Members and their parents / guardians. You will find that these include

• A termly programme, listing the activities, locations and, where possible, special equipment needed

• Notes home to parents

• Text messages – for urgent information or during an event / activity

• Emails giving programme updates and reminders

We make every effort to rationalise the information but it is important that you read and respond promptly to messages to ensure that your young person does not miss out.

It goes without saying that if you have any questions or concerns; please raise them with the Section Leader, the Group Lead Volunteer or with our Group Chairman.

Note. If you need to talk to a leader there tends to be more time at the end of a meeting than beforehand. Often an email or a text message saying that you would like a chat helps too.