Leader in charge

The leader in charge is, simply put, the adult present at an evening meeting, event or activity who has the role of co-ordinating the work of all adults towards delivering the Programme or activity in a safe manner. Scouting safely is not just about ensuring that risk assessments and safety checks are conducted; all adults need to be clear on what they need to do and young people should be given clear instructions, guidance and rules.

The leader in charge does not have to personally fill in every risk assessment; this can be done by someone else in discussion with other adults. Nor do they have to give rules or guidance to either young people or adults personally. Being the leader in charge is about being the person with an overview of safety in the given situation.