Steps in the volunteer joining journey
Understand the steps in the joining journey for a new volunteer and how they can become a full member.
The Volunteer Joining Journey
Here’s a handy illustration which explains the steps new volunteers take to become a full member:
When new volunteers first join Scouts, their Team Leader or Lead Volunteer will be in touch regularly in the first few weeks. They’ll explain how Scouts works, discuss the time the new volunteer has available, agree on tasks, share the safe scouting cards, and outline the learning they’ll need to complete. All new volunteers also have to complete key vetting and safeguarding checks.
Our digital tools support volunteers, tracking their progress and showing the steps to be completed. If someone is new to My Membership, or logging in and joining for the first time, they can access the First Steps Checklist to guide them through
Read on for more information on the steps to become a full member.
Criminal Record Checks
The criminal record check (where required) must be started within 30 days of joining in England and Wales, and 60 days of joining in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In England and Wales, we use a mobile friendly self-service criminal record check process through Atlantic Data.
Please note, we don’t use the Disclosure Update Service. This means new volunteers will have to complete a criminal record check even if they’ve already completed one for another organisation.
For Scotland, Northern Ireland, British Scouting Overseas and Branches, we have improved the criminal record check process, which is now managed within the membership system.
References
References are used to keep young people safe and check all volunteers are right for Scouts. References must be requested within 6 weeks of joining.
Getting references is straightforward with our digital tools. You just enter your referee information, click submit and they’ll be contacted and asked to respond. Referees can respond directly and references with no comments or issues will be approved automatically. Any issues flagged by references will generate an automatic notification to the Lead Volunteer or Volunteer Safeguarding Lead so it can be reviewed locally.
Referees should ideally know about the volunteer’s work or contact with young people, and be able to comment on their character and relationships with others. Referees must not be relatives. At least one referee must have known the volunteer for at least five years. One referee must not be from the Scouts.
Welcome Conversation
In the first six weeks of joining Scouts, the volunteer will attend a Welcome Conversation with their Team Leader and a volunteer who has the Welcome Conversation Volunteer accreditation.
It’s an opportunity for new volunteers to introduce themselves and their interests, and for current volunteers to make sure they understand and commit to our values, and how we keep young people safe.
Scouts UK Headquarters (UKHQ) automatically check new volunteers against our internal records to make sure there’s nothing that would prevent them from becoming full members.
This process is quick, and both new volunteers and Team Leaders can view any restrictions applied to someone’s membership by UKHQ on our digital system.
Declaration
When volunteers join, or take on a new role, they’ll be asked to accept a declaration relevant to their role, committing them to uphold Scout values, follow Scout policies and complete the required learning.
Charity trustees in the UK must also complete an eligibility declaration form saying they’re eligible to be a Trustee.
When a volunteer first signs into the new digital system, they will be asked to review and accept the declaration relevant to their role. They will also be assigned an action to sign a new declaration for each new role as part of the joining journey for that role.
Growing Roots learning
New volunteers need to complete their Safety and Safeguarding learning within the first 30 days of joining. This is important so volunteers understand how to keep young people safe in Scouts.
New volunteers, or volunteers starting a new type of role, need to complete their remaining Growing Roots learning within six months of joining.
Role Audit Information
In My Membership, you can access the role approval audit table, to show you progress on each of these areas. The digital tool guides on how to access this can be found here. The full list of the joining requirements for each role can be found in the POR Teams Table in Chapter 16.
Below is a role approval audit interactive guide which outlines some common resolutions at each stage.
Provisional
This status means that some or all of the joining journey steps are outstanding and need to be completed to gain access to the system.
Follow the guidance which will talk you through each status.
Provisional + System
This status means that there are still some outstanding parts of the joining journey to complete, but the volunteer has completed enough steps in the journey to gain access to the system.
Top Tips
- A common step outstanding at this point is a volunteers learning.
- Steps completed at this stage will include:
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- Valid Internal Check returned
- Valid Criminal Record Check returned
- Declaration Signed
- Data Protection in Scouts learning completed
Full
This status means that all the steps have been completed and there should be no further action required!
If you’re having trouble at this stage, contact: support@scouts.org.uk
Further Information
When a volunteer changes or adds a new role
There are some additional checks needed if a volunteer changes to a new role, or is given an additional role:
- The volunteer should have a conversation with their new Team Leader about the potential role before they take it on. This replaces the need for another Welcome Conversation. You can see the guidance on this here.
- They will need to sign a new declaration for the new role, or if becoming a Trustee, a Trustee declaration
- A new internal check will be conducted
No other checks need to be re-done.
When a Young Leader moves into an adult role
Members who complete the Young Leaders’ Scheme and continue volunteering as an adult volunteer still need to do all the same steps on the joining journey as any other adult would in Scouts, regardless of how well they know the adults around them.
Explorer Scouts and members of Scout Network who decide to take on roles will also need to do the same.
Young Leaders still need to complete Growing Roots learning.
When a volunteer is a Trustee
There are some additional steps in the joining journey for Trustees:
- Be appointed at the Annual General Meeting after taking part in an open selection process, or at regular Trustee Board meeting (if co-opted during the year)
- Sign a Trustee declaration.
- Complete the Trustee eligibility check.
- Complete Being a Trustee in Scouts learning as part of Growing Roots.
Trustees don’t need to attend a Welcome Conversation if that’s their only role.
When a volunteer is re-joining Scouts after a break
If a volunteer is re-joining Scouts after a break of 180 days or more, they’ll need to re-do their Growing Roots learning, even if they have completed this learning previously.
Scouts.org.uk shows what learning they’ll need to complete, but if this doesn’t look right, contact the Support Centre.
Further information can be found on the Scouts Webpage.
