ADULT APPOINTMENTS
The Appointment Process Overview
a Purpose: The purpose of the appointment process is to ensure that all those adults that the Movement accepts as volunteers:
i. are appropriate persons to volunteer with The Scout Association;
ii. are appropriate for the roles they are undertaking; and
iii. fully accept the responsibilities of the roles and, where appropriate, the responsibilities of membership of The Scout Association.
b. Principles: The appointment process must be run so that:
i. the applicant feels welcomed and not threatened by the appointment process;
ii. the applicant is kept informed of progress through the appointment process;
iii. the Association has robust assurance of appointing only appropriate people; and
iv. applicant takes a role that is appropriate to their skills, knowledge and attitude.
c. Stages of appointment: All adult appointments pass through four stages in the appointment process:
Application, Approval, Appointment and Induction
a application: where a line manager agrees to support an adult applying for an appointment and agrees a role description for that appointment;
b approval: where independent checking concludes that the applicant is suitable for an appointment and includes agreement from the relevant Commissioner or body, successful outcome of the Personal Enquiry and, where appropriate, taking up two references;
c appointment: where the District Commissioner makes the appointment; and iv. induction: where the line manager ensures that the adult receives a high-quality induction (this stage starts from the application process and runs for some time after the appointment is made).
d. Roles in the appointment process: the following roles are undertaken in the appointment process:
i. line manager: the line manager is responsible for recommending the applicant for the appointment. The details of the appointments that each role may recommend for appointment are given in Table 2: Appointments.
ii. approver: the appointment is approved by the Appointments Advisory Committee, the relevant Executive Committee or the relevant Scout Council.
iii. relevant Commissioner/body: the relevant Commissioner, the relevant Executive Committee or the relevant electoral body with the responsibility for making the appointment.
Scottish Variations from POR
(in relation to Appointments)
Rule 3.26 (b) The Appointment of Adults
(b) A personal enquiry (including where relevant a criminal records disclosure check) will always be required for a person aged 18 or over who meets any of the following criteria:-
- Wishes to become a member or associate member (for members of Scout Network see 3.26 (m) below) or,
- Will become a trustee of a Scout body registered as a Scottish charity; or
- Will be assisting with overnight activities (including Nights Away): or
- Will undertake any other adult role that may be determined to be a ’childcare ‘ role under the Protection of Children
- (Scotland) Act; or
- Will have unsupervised access to young people
- (d) Where any of the conditions of 3.26 (b) above are met and the individual does not otherwise hold a role requiring a disclosure, the individual must be recorded as a Non member PVG only on Compass and personal enquiry (including criminal records disclosure check) undertaken
- Other casual helpers should complete a Self-declaration form available from Scouts Scotland
- 3.26 (k)
- Parents and other regular helpers who are involved with the Group monthly or more often must undergo a PVG Scheme membership check and should be appointed as Section Assistants
- Membership of the PVG scheme is also required for those involved less often than monthly if the ‘normal duties’ they are
required to undertake meet the definition of ‘regulated work ‘ with children as defined in the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007
3.26 There is no role of Occasional helper in Scotland
APPOINTMENT
An adult role in Scouting which requires the adult appointment process as laid out in this document to be followed.
Pre-provisional Appointment
A new role starts with a Pre-Provisional Appointment status and is complete when the Appointments process is complete.
Provisional Appointment
This status reflects that completion of the Getting Started training requirements is a requirement for a role. If the Getting Started training requirements are not complete by the time that the Appointments process is complete, then the role status will change from pre-Provisional to a Provisional Appointment.
Full Appointment
An adult role in Scouting for which the holder has satisfactorily completed the adult appointment process and the associated Getting Started training requirements as laid out in this document.
SECTION LEADERSHIP TEAM ROLES
A Colony, Pack, Troop or Unit will have a Section Leadership Team (see Rules 3.7, 3.8, 3.9 and 4.7) comprising:
Section Leader
An adult responsible for the supervision, planning and delivery of the programme for the Colony, Pack, Troop or Unit and the management of the Section.
It is possible for this to be a role shared between two or more volunteers.
Assistant Section Leaders
One or more adults appointed to assist the Section Leader in all aspects of the role. It is good practice, but not necessary, to have one or more Assistant Section Leaders.
Section Assistants
One or more adults who assist the Section Leader in planning and delivering programmes to young people in the Movement.
Additionally, a Colony, Pack, Troop or Unit may use Helpers to assist delivery of the Section’s programme:
Helpers
Additional adults (for example parents or subject experts from the community) may be used on a regular or occasional basis to support the delivery of programme. The Personal Enquiry and criminal records disclosures checks requirements detailed in Rule 3.26(b), 4.28(b) and 5.19(f) must apply wherever applicable for these adults. A person who requires a Personal Enquiry (including where relevant a criminal records disclosure check) [Rules 3.26, 4.28, 5.19] and who does not have an active role on Compass that includes a criminal records check must be registered on Compass as an Occasional Helper SV. This Occasional Helper role on Compass is not otherwise part of the Appointment Process, carries no membership status and is only provided to enable the Personal Enquiry and criminal records disclosure checks to be conducted if required by Rules 3.26, 4.28 and 5.19.
MANAGER ROLES
A Group, District or County will be led and managed by a team comprising:
Managers
An adult appointed in the Movement who is the line manager for adults within the Movement and does not normally directly deliver programmes to young people, as defined by the role description. The roles include Group Scout Leader, District Commissioner, District Explorer Scout Commissioner, District Scout Network Commissioner, County Training Manager, Scout Active Support Manager, Regional Commissioner, County/Area Commissioner).
SUPPORT ROLES
Delivery of Scouting is supported by adults with a variety of roles:
Administrator
An adult appointed in the Movement to carry out administrative functions within Scouting.
Adviser
An adult appointed in the Movement to provide advice on a particular subject.
Assessor
An adult appointed in the Movement to assess a particular aspect of Scouting.
Co-ordinator
An adult appointed in the Movement who co-ordinates activities on behalf of the line manager.
Instructor
An adult appointed in the Movement to provide instruction in a particular skill area.
Scout Active Support Member
An adult appointed in the Movement to provide active support to Scouting with no responsibility for other adults or young people.
Supporter
An adult appointed in the Movement who works to develop Scouting without having management responsibility for people, as defined by the role description (e.g. Assistant District Commissioner, Assistant County Commissioner, District Scouter and County Scouter, Assistant Regional Commissioner).
District Scouters and District Leaders may be appointed to support one or more Assistant District/County Commissioners, or the District Explorer Scout Commissioner, in the execution of their role.
GOVERNANCE ROLES
Charity governance is undertaken by charity trustees:
Trustee
An adult who is a charity trustee within Scouting (Rules 3.23b(v), 4.25f(v), 5.15e(v), Chapter 6 for Group, District, County, UK Headquarters respectively).