178th Glasgow Scout Group

The safety of all our members is extremely important to us.
We have strict policies and procedures in place to make sure young people and adult volunteers can enjoy Scouting safe from harm.

Child protection:

The Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 places legal obligations on The Scout Association to check adults volunteering /offering to work in a child care role against the Disqualified from Working with Children List.

In order to comply all adults who want to help in Scouting on a regular basis as Warranted Leaders or Certificated Section Assistants will be subject to an enhanced level criminal record check by way of Disclosure Scotland.

Parents/guardians who help out on an occasional basis may be required to undergo an enhanced level criminal check depending on the role or responsibility they take on.

Anyone who wants to help must sign a declaration stating that they are not disqualified from working with children.

Safety:

It is the policy of The Scout Association to provide Scouting in a safe way without risk to health, so far as is reasonably practicable.

This includes making sure that:

• activities are conducted in a safe way without risk to the health of participants
• the provision and maintenance of equipment and buildings for members and others is safe and without risk to health and adequate for their welfare
• information, instruction, training and supervision is provided with the purpose of ensuring the health and safety of all those involved in Scouting activities or who may be affected by them
• appropriate arrangements are made to ensure safety and the absence of risks to health in connection with the use, transport, storage and handling of equipment, and substances which are inherently or potentially dangerous.

Anti bullying:

[The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 19]

The Scout Association is committed to this ethos and we have measures in place to help prevent any member being bullied.

These include making sure that adults in Scouting:

• are aware of the potential problems bullying may cause
• are alert to signs of bullying, harassment or discrimination
• take action to deal with such behaviour when it occurs, following Association policy guidelines
• provide access for young people to talk about any concerns they may have
• encourage young people and adults to feel comfortable and caring enough to point out attitudes or behaviour they do not like
• help ensure that their Group/Section has a published policy or charter on bullying.

more information on these policies

You can get more information about all these topics at ScoutBase


The Scout Association has a number of policies and procedures to make sure our members are kept safe and treated fairly. 

More information on policies and procedures is available on Scoutbase

The Equal Opportunities Policy
The Religious Policy
The Development Policy

The Equal Opportunities Policy

Young People

The Scout Association is part of a world-wide educational youth movement. The values which underpin and inspire its work are embodied in the Scout Promise and Law and in the Purpose of the Association.

Within this framework, the Association is committed to equality of opportunity for all young people.

Accordingly:

a. The Scout Association is committed to extending Scouting, its Purpose and Method to young people in all parts of society.

b. No young person should receive less favourable treatment on the basis of, nor suffer disadvantage by reason of:

• class;
• ethnic origin, nationality (or statelessness) or race;
• gender;
• marital or sexual status;
• mental or physical ability;
• political or religious belief.

All Members of the Movement should seek to practise that equality, especially in promoting access to Scouting for young people in all parts of society. The Scout Association opposes all forms of racism.

Note: With reference to gender, Membership of the youth Sections of the Association is open to girls and young women of the appropriate ages.

Leaders and other volunteers

To carry out its work the Association seeks to appoint effective and appropriate Leaders, and to involve other volunteers in supporting roles, all of whom are required to accept fully the responsibilities of their commitment.

The overriding considerations in making all appointments in Scouting shall be the safety and security of young people, and their continued development in accordance with the Purpose of the Association.

Accordingly, all those whom the Movement accepts as volunteers must be 'fit and proper' persons to undertake the duties of the particular position to which they have been appointed (including, if relevant, meeting the requirements of the Sponsoring Authority) and, where appropriate, the responsibilities of Membership.

In making an appointment to a particular leadership or support position it may be appropriate to consider the gender and/or ethnicity of the potential appointee, in particular to ensure appropriate composition of leadership or supporting teams.

The physical and mental ability of a particular potential appointee to fulfil a particular role will always be a relevant factor to consider.

Within these constraints, and those imposed by the need to ensure:

• the safety and security of young people;
• the continued development of young people; and
• equal opportunities for all;

no person volunteering their services should receive less favourable treatment on the basis of, nor suffer disadvantage by reason of:

• age;
• class;
• ethnic origin, nationality (or statelessness) or race;
• gender;
• marital or sexual status;
• mental or physical ability;
• political or religious belief.

Note: Paedophilia is a bar to any involvement in the Scout Movement.

Note: With reference to religious belief, the avowed absence of religious belief is a bar to appointment to a Leadership position.

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The Religious Policy

The Scout Movement includes Members of many different forms of religion. The following policy has received the approval of the heads of the leading religious bodies in the United Kingdom.

All Members of the Movement are encouraged to:

• make every effort to progress in the understanding and observance of the Promise to do their best to do their duty to God;
• belong to some religious body;
• carry into daily practice what they profess.

Attendance at services

If a Scout Group is composed of members of several denominations or religions, the Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts and Scouts should be encouraged to attend services of their own form of religion.

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Development Policy

Subject to the Rules governing age ranges and mixed Membership the Scout Movement is open to all young people of whatever background.

The Scout Association recognises, however, that access to Scouting is not equally available to all groups and communities across society as a whole.

The Programme and Development Forum and the Programme and Development Staff Team at Scottish Headquarters support the Movement in Scotland in its work in making Scouting available to all.

In particular, through the use of innovation and experiment, it supports local Scouting in meeting the needs of young people in areas of urban disadvantage or priority, in highly rural areas, and among the minority ethnic communities.

It also works in collaboration with other agencies to support those disadvantaged young people who might benefit from its programme and ethos, and who may never become full Members of the Movement.

The Programme and Development Team supports local Scouting in a number of different ways:

• through the production and distribution of development material;
• through the sharing of experience and models of good practice;
• through support and advice from Scottish Headquarters staff, volunteer and professional;
• through recommendations to the Development Fund for financial support.

Those seeking help in this field should the forms to be found in the Library in the first instance.

 

 

The Scout Association is run by volunteers and we welcome help especially from parents and guardians.

This could be on a regular or occasional basis depending on how much time you can commit. There are many different roles we need to fill. As well as helping at weekly meetings we need help with administration, fund raising, outdoor activities and in many other ways.

 

What's in it for you?

As a volunteer you will have the reward of knowing that you are helping young people enjoy Scouting and all the benefits it brings them.

You will also be able to develop (and practice) a variety of skills which can be applied to all sorts of situations including the workplace. For example:

• working in or leading a team
• meeting targets
• problem solving
• taking responsibility
• effective communication
• decision making
• using your initiative
• planning and implementing tasks

We have a comprehensive training programme for all adults in Scouting.

 

Want to know more?

You can get more information about being a volunteer in Scouting on the
UK website