focus

A PLAN FOR

THE FUTUREA PLAN FOR

THE FUTURE

ADULTTRAINING

They said yes!Top tips for

perfect inductionsWalk this way

How good is your Fellowship

at recruitment?

scouts.org.uk/focus

The magazine for

Group Scout Leaders, District

and County/Area/Regional Commissioners

February/March 2009

Focus

BUCKLE UP FOR THE

BIG ADVENTURE BIG ADVENTURE

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Intro

3scouts.org.uk/focus

Supportinggrowth

In Focus

Recruitment and retention are not just buzzwords, says Focus editor Rosie Shepherd. This issue, we look at some practical ideas to help you put them into practice

Recruitment of adults is always a hot topic in Scouting, and particularly now

as the numbers of young people wanting to get involved are growing. In this

issue we look at some of the ways which you can get key groups of people such

as parents and young adults involved, as well as tips on how to make

Fellowships more accessible.

The Big AdventureHave you heard about The Big Adventure yet? Turn to page 4 to find out how

you can use your camps and outdoor events this summer to recruit more adults

to help out in your Groups.

Keeping you up to dateIt’s four months since the new appointment process was launched and in this

issue we find out how one County is getting on with putting it into place.

Perhaps their experiences will give you some ideas that would work for you.

Also, the training community has been thinking (we know, its dangerous!)

about development. To find out what they got up to at the conference last

September, and what’s on their minds, turn to page 8.

Better inductionOnce you’ve recruited a new adult it’s important to think about the next steps.

Turn to page 12 for more some practical hints on induction, and why

it is important in welcoming and supporting adults.

EDITOR’S NOTECounty: Although in some parts of the British Isles Scout Counties are known as Areas or Islands – and in one case Bailiwick – for ease of reading Focus simply refers to County/Counties. In Scotland there is no direct equivalent to County or Area. In Scotland, Scouting is organised into Districts and Regions, each with distinct responsibilities. Some ‘County’ functions are the responsibility of Scottish Regions, whilst others lie with Scottish Districts. The focus of responsibility is outlined in Scottish variations from POR.

Your Adult Support TeamTim Kidd, UK Commissioner for Adult SupportBen Storrar Programme and Development Adviser (Adult Support)

Contact them at:[email protected] [email protected]@scout.org.uk

Adult Support TeamThe Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford;London E4 7QW; Tel: 0845 300 1818

ADVERTISINGSenior Sales Executive: Tom [email protected] Tel: 020 8962 1258

4 The Big Adventure How you can support this summer’s big recruitment push

6 Parental persuasion Turning an enthusiastic parent into an occasional helper

7 Attractive options How welcoming is your Fellowship?

8 Plan of action Some sound advice for developing adult training where you are

10 Go WestFollow us down to Devon to see how the Appointment Process is bedding in

12 They said yes! After recruitment comes induc-tion – we provide some top tips

14 Volunteering: the next generation

Why 16-25 year olds are the key to our future success


4 Focus February/March 2009

The Big Adventure is a new way to recruit adults

by involving them in residential experiences and

outdoor events. It’s all about encouraging

parents and other adults connected with a

Group or section to experience the fun of Scouting as part

of the leadership team.

How is it going to help?Just as the excitement and adventure of camp is one of

Scouting’s biggest attractions for young people, it’s also

one of the things our adults love most. Every summer we

organise camps, activity days or trips for hundreds of

thousands of young people. For summer 2009, why not

extend the invitation?

Research shows that the single most effective way of

turning adults on the edge of a Group (such as parents,

helpers and members of the community) into volunteers is

to give them an active role in the running of a residential

experience. By inviting people to take on a defined,

meaningful role in an event they will get a taster of what

it’s like to volunteer in Scouting, how fun it can be

working as part of a team, and what a difference their

contribution can make to the young people involved.

This adds up to them being more likely to become

a regular volunteer with that Group or section.

How do people get involved?The Big Adventure will be happening across the UK from

1 May to 31 August 2009 – but only if our leaders make

it happen! Any camp, sleepover or other outdoor event

during that time can be part of The Big Adventure. There’s

no need to create something new. Leaders can plan the

same camp they do each year, but just think a bit

differently about how they put together their

leadership team.

Before and during the summer national PR and

marketing surrounding The Big Adventure will help to raise

the profile of Scouting both locally and nationally.

By becoming part of the event Groups and sections within

your patch can make the most of this coverage, as well as

resources and products which will help to show people

what an exciting movement they are part of.

What can you do?This has the potential to dramatically support Scouting

by recruiting those much needed new adults. However,

What’s the big idea?

Everyone’s talking about it, but what exactly is The Big

Adventure, how will it help, and how can you get involved?



The Big Adventure

for it to work it will need to be planned, delivered and followed

up effectively – this is where you come in!

Helping section leaders or other event organisers to identify adults who

may be willing to be involved will increase the chance of events being

a recruitment success. Equally, in order to turn those adults into volunteers

the follow-up after the event needs to be effective, and may benefit from

extra input. It’s important too that your Districts are ready to deal with any

Want to Join enquiries that may be generated.

What about Explorer and Network? The Big Adventure is primarily aimed at Colonies, Packs and Troops.

However Explorer Scout Units and Scout Networks are actively

encouraged to provide support at Big Adventure events, if they can.

‘I think The Big Adventure is a really good idea. The obvious benefit is that we can increase our membership – more adults in Scouting means more young people can join. Parents are among our key stakeholders and by taking part in camps and other outdoor events they have a great opportunity to understand what really happens in Scouting. Parents have so much to give in terms of skills and experience, as well their own valuable network of contacts. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of getting parents and other adults involved in our big summer events is that they allow the programme to grow. We can offer a much wider and more exciting range of activities for young people if we have extra support on the leadership team.’ Ben Richardson, County Commissioner, Greater London South East

Don’t forget to check out the main article on The Big Adventure on page 18 of Scouting, your free step by step resource included with this issue as well as www.scouts.org.uk/thebigadventure

Buttons for local websites promoting the Big Adventure are available to download from www.scouts.org.uk/thebigadventure

more info


Please see the factsheet on Criminal Records Checks in The Scout Association (FS 321004) available from www.scouts.org.uk/appointment or by calling the Scout Information Centre on 0845 300 1818.

To find out how you can involve parents in your summer camps and other outdoor events visit www.scouts.org.uk/thebigadventure

more info

Parents are often overlooked as a invaluable

source of support; in fact they have a range

of skills that can be used when needed.

When they drop their children off at

meetings, instead of going home for an hour, why

not persuade them to stay and help when they

can? Others might enjoy something less

hands-on, such as compiling a fundraising

quiz for the Group, or would be happy

to arrange lifts to events.

Although some may not want to

make a regular commitment, many

will be happy to help out at

occasional events (such as camps

or District events), as part of

a parent rota (where they

might help out twice a term

at Section meetings) or as

and when they are free.

The right approach Asking parents to help

should always be done

positively and with specific

tasks or events in mind for

each parent (eg the qualified

canoeist taking Scouts

canoeing). Be flexible and open

about how much commitment it

will entail. Keep parents involved,

invite them to help when they

can and thank them for the

contribution they make.

Occasional Helper Form – what you need to knowThe Occasional Helper (OH) Form was introduced in

October 2008 to ensure there is a record of all those

involved in Scouting and to preserve the safety of our

young people. It also prepares for the introduction of new

legislation in October 2009 (applying to England, Wales

and Northern Ireland).

The OH Form is designed for those who help

on an informal basis, such as on a parent rota. It needs to

be completed, along with the relevant Criminal Record

Disclosure form, by parents and helpers who are involved

or undertake responsibilities in Scouting, including:

• assistingwithovernightactivities,eganovernightstay

at a camp and/or

• haveunsupervisedaccesstoyoungpeople

This form applies to England, Wales and Northern

Ireland. For legal reasons, separate rules apply to Scotland.

Please contact Scottish Headquarters for further

information.

Encouraging adults to commit to formal appointments is sometimes challenging – many wish to help out, but find making a sustained commitment difficult. Ben Storrar looks at the options

Parental persuasion

Focus February/March 20096


Fellowship

For more information and ideas see www.scouts.org.uk/fellowship

more info


I have met with many different Scout Fellowships over

the past year and have noticed that even the most

active ones often have a static membership. Whilst

retention of members may be good, recruitment can

still be an issue. The flexible concept of Fellowship may seem

ideal for recruiting new members from outside the

movement, but there are some common barriers which may

need to be overcome.

Looking at your culture Do you remember your first day at school, or your first day

in a new job? You’ll recall the feeling that everything is new

and strange, and that you’ll never understand it all. While

Scouting customs and traditions encourage a sense of

belonging and community amongst current members, they

can be very daunting to someone new. Try making some

occasions more informal, and take time to explain what is

happening to a newcomer.

Broadening your appeal You probably enjoy what your Fellowship does and the

activities it gets involved in, otherwise you wouldn’t be

there! But do you offer a breadth of activities that would

appeal to a range of people? How about holding

a brainstorming evening to see how you could do this.

A famous man once said: ‘Look wider and whilst you are

looking wider, look wider still.’

Offering flexible volunteering A Fellowship diary can seem hectic at first glance: supporting

camps; helping with sections; running or attending training

courses, visits, speakers, social evenings and committee

meetings. It’s a list that would be enough to put anybody

off! It is therefore important to make clear Fellowship allows

people to give whatever time they are able to supporting

Scouting. They are not expected to attend every event.

Scout Fellowship is ideal for recruiting new volunteers who want to help in a flexible way, says Stuart Card. But is it always as welcoming as it could be?

Attractive options


Plan of actionAre you aware of the plan for developing training in your Group, District, County or Region? Samantha Marks summarises the key learning points from a weekend dedicated to improving adult training

In September 2008, five years after the launch of

the Adult Training Scheme, Training Managers from

around the UK returned to Warwick University

where it all began. The weekend programme

enabled them to focus on the work that would improve

adult training across the UK. They also looked at

opportunities for people to work together across Regions.

The programme included workshops on the Saturday

with action planning on Sunday. This provided

opportunities for networking and sharing ideas, identifying

tools that could be used on a local level. It also gave time

for Counties, Areas and Regions to draw together the

weekend’s work into an action plan. These action plans

helped to identify key areas of development across the

Country. Some of this work will already have begun; all of

it will be on-going. Here are some of the key learning

points that came out of the weekend.

Make learning fun! There is a constant need for an understanding of what

learners want and need, engaging with both new and

existing learners. Training Managers should revisit their

module delivery methods to ensure they are engaging


Adult training

OVER TO YOUA quality training provision allows for a better quality of Scouting to be delivered at a local level. To achieve this, the training teams where you are need your support.


with the learners and using a variety of methods based

around the needs of the learners.

There is no one right structure for all Remember, your structure needs to change to meet

local needs. There may be a need to review the

structure and provision of the local training team,

as well as recruit and enhance the current teams. There

is a strong desire to acknowledge and reward training

teams, to support them and ensure their training needs

are met. They should also receive recognition for the

work that they do.

Together, everybody achieves moreWorking together across Districts, Counties, Areas and

Regions is seen as a key priority. Training Managers

want to build a working relationship between the

training teams and line management structure, in order

to help with recruitment into training roles and the

development of local training plans.

Be flexible with the Training Adviser roleThere is a clear need to support our Training Advisers as

they are a crucial part of a successful training team.

As many have other roles within Scouting it is important

to manage their workloads and provide the resources

they need to make the role easier.

Enthusiasm, flexibility and making Training Advisers

feel valued has resulted in the most consistent and

effective training teams. By sharing resources and ideas

across the country, we can help each other with the

development of people in this challenging role.

Select the tools that work for us There was an overwhelming consensus that we need

to ensure there are processes and systems in place to

support training. In particular, there should be a focus

on the use of our own systems by other members

of the training teams.

Make training greater than the sum of its partsAll of the actions mentioned here will continue to help

develop better quality training. It should be a provision

agreed across each County, Area or Region, with

training and management teams working together;

a provision that is in tune with the learners’ needs and

succeeds in enthusing and supporting learners.

‘Training Managers need to build a working relationship between the training teams and line management

structure.’


The new appointment process was launched in October 2008 and we are now in the one year transition period for Counties to move over. Ben Storrar talks to Sally Yeo, County Commissioner of Devon, to see what progress has been made in her County


Ben: How did you find out about the new appointment process? Sally: I read about it in the October/November issue

of Focus and had a look at the appointment process

webpage (www.scouts.org.uk/appointment) We also

had a presentation at our Regional County

Commissioners’ meeting in October, at which our

Regional Commissioner suggested we identify the first

steps we needed to take. He called it ‘getting all our

ducks in a row’.

Go westWe listed these stages as follows:

1. Getting Module 37 training arranged before

we go live

2. Ensuring that all those who need to know about

the process have been fully briefed

3. Identifying and appointing the Appointments Secretary

4. Identifying and appointing the Appointments Chairman

(not the Chairman of the Executive Committee)

5. Appointing a panel of Appointments Advisory

Committee members.

He then suggested that our Region should try to achieve all

the stages by the end of July so we would have everything

in place by early September. This would mean we would

comfortably meet the deadline of 5 October 2009.

Ben: What progress have you made so far?Sally: I briefed all my District Commissioners and their

Chairmen at a meeting in early November and also my

County Executive. I also briefed my County Training

Manager and all the Local Training Managers in the same



The appointment process

week. It is important they understand the process – and

some of them are now involved in the delivery of Module

37. We also identified suitable Training Advisers to

validate the module and discussed the best way to do this.

The District Commissioners and their Executives worked

together to appoint their Appointments Secretary and

Chairman, while we did the same at County level. These

people then identified others to be members of their

Committee. We all looked for people who had good

interpersonal skills – they need to be friendly and

welcoming but able to ask questions and make decisions

about the suitability of applicants.

We have arranged training dates and opportunities for

people to access the Module 37 DVD, as well as organising

the Training Advisers needed to validate the module. We

have also made sure that those who need to have

completed Module 1. We are now nearly ready to actually

start using the new process!

Ben: Are all your Districts ready?Sally: Not quite, it has taken us longer in some Districts

than others. We have looked at some Districts working

together: some of them are very small and are not always

able to find the three people they need for the interview –

so they have made arrangements with the District next

door to help.

Ben: How would you describe making the transition to the new process?Sally: It has been hard work to get it all in place but it has

made us think about how we welcome people into the

Movement. We’ve thought carefully about the induction

process, and I think we have a much more streamlined

system now.

The appointment process materials were all helpful.

They set out the information clearly for all those involved

and the training has made sure that everyone knows what

they are expected to do and how.

Getting all our ‘ducks in a row’ at the beginning really

helped us. Planning the process and taking the time to do

it properly has really helped us to put everything in place

so we are ready and able to meet the deadline.

Ben: Thank you Sally, and good luck with using the appointment process in Devon.

For further information about the appointment process, a factsheet with key questions and answers and all the resources to download or print-to-order from the Scout Information Centre, please visit www.scouts.org.uk/appointment

more info



A volunteer’s first six months of their role are

vital in determining how long they stay.

If you’ve put a lot of time and effort into

recruitment, it’s important to follow it up with

a good quality induction. Otherwise it is unlikely that your

new adult will stay in their role for long...

What is induction?The process of induction is about welcoming new

volunteers and ensuring that they are happy and

supported in their role. Primarily it is about information,

meeting people, and having a go. It is as much about a

culture of good support as it is about a process. Induction

allows the adult to develop until they reach the point

where they can find information and support for

themselves, so does not last for a defined period of time

but depends on the adult involved.

When does the process begin? In fact, induction starts even before the adult has said

‘yes.’ While they are deciding whether to take on a role

you may introduce them to someone they will be working

with; they may attend a meeting or event to see what it

might be like. They may also discuss the proposed role

description with you. These are all aspects of ‘induction’.

Who is it for? Induction is applicable to many people in a wide variety of

circumstances, not just those completely new to Scouting.

When someone changes role, changes location, or has a

change in circumstances they will need an induction. The

content of that induction will vary between individuals,

taking into account their prior experiences and

knowledge.

Whatever the situation of the induction you are

planning you will need to consider these aspects:

• Induction planInduction does require thought in order to be effective.

An induction plan which sets out what will happen

when, and who is responsible, means things are much

more likely to happen. Agreeing the plan with the new

adult means they are likely to feel more confident about

receiving support in their first few months in the new

role.

• Induction packAn induction pack is often one of the first things that

an adult should receive in their new role. It should

provide useful local information, tailored to the

individual and their role that the adult can refer to.

It should be a welcoming and motivational resource that

is seen as useful, not something to be hidden in a dusty

corner! To help you, the Induction Pack template

is available from www.scouts.org.uk/appointment

They said yes!This issue of Focus will have given you some ideas on

recruiting new adults, but what do you do once someone’s

said yes? Rosie Shepherd explains the importance

of induction


Induction

Induction: Starting Adults in a New Role, the Induction Prompt Card and The Induction Toolkit are available from the Information Centre and online at www.scouts.org.uk/ inductionresourcesThe Induction Pack Template is available at www.scouts.org.uk/appointment

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• ContactsHelping the newcomer make the contacts they will

need during their role is a vital part of induction. Plan to

ensure that they meet the people they will need to

know, not just those they bump into. This may include

meeting the person who did their role previously for a

handover. Setting up meetings is much more welcoming

than simply providing a list of phone numbers, but bear

in mind that meeting lots of new people at once may be

daunting.

• Having a goHaving a go at the new role is one of the most

important parts of induction. Ensuring that a new adult

is given something interesting to do straight away such

as running a game or working on a joint task keeps

them interested and involved. Remember, more people

leave an organisation through lack of activity than

anything else.

• Informal inductionFinally, remember that induction is as much about an

attitude as a process. Arriving early to meetings,

showing them where to hang their coat or how to work

the heating in the hut, letting them know the best way

to contact you (and being available) are all part

of a good induction.



Is your local contact up to date? District Commissioners can change or add contact information for the membership enquiries person in their District, by amending the membership record on www.scouts.org.uk

Our success in the last few years in attracting

parents and lapsed leaders as volunteers

has taught us many things, not least how

to better communicate with these groups.

Now, in partnership with Sainsbury’s and v (the youth

volunteering charity), the team is extending its focus

to a wider audience – 16-25 year olds not currently

involved in Scouting.

Different motivations This age group can be extremely enthusiastic, and may

want to volunteer in order to work with young people,

do something worthwhile, have fun outdoors or learn

new skills. We will be targeting two particular groups:

• Thefriendsofcurrentmembers–Personal

recommendation is our strongest recruitment tool and

people’s friends, who will be broadly similar to them,

may be interested in volunteering if asked.

• Thosewho‘needto’volunteer–Thesearepeoplewho

need to gain some experience working with young

peopleaspartoftheirowndevelopment.Perhapsthey

are thinking about a career with young people, or need

additional work experience as part of a degree.

Specific information for both types of audience will

be available online. This will explain the benefits

ofvolunteeringinScoutingandwillbelinkedtothe‘want

to join’ system to enable you to capture the volunteers

in your area.

What you need to doIn order to ensure that potential interest is turned into real

volunteersitisimportantthatthe‘wanttojoin’enquiries

are followed up efficiently. These people will be

responding to a campaign asking them to volunteer, and

willleavequicklyandwithapoorviewofScoutingiftheir

interest is not followed up. Ensuring that your join contact

in our system is up to date is therefore vital.

By working together we should start to see an increase

in the number of young volunteers across the UK, directly

benefiting you locally.

Volunteering: the next generation

16-25 year olds are a largely untapped source of potential volunteers, says The Scout

Association’s Natalie Tomlinson. She explains how the marketing team is helping

you to recruit them…


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