Centre assistant

You’ll need

Tables
Chairs
A4 paper
Pens or pencils

Before you begin

This activity gives young people a chance to reflect on their volunteering while practising being interviewed.
You’ll need a separate room in your meeting place. If this isn’t possible, have the interview at one end of your meeting place and the rest of the activities at the other end.
Make sure you have enough adult leaders – you’ll need two for the interview and enough for ratios for everyone else at the meeting. You’ll also need to plan activities as usual for the rest of the meeting!
Plan for each interview to take between 10 and 15 minutes, but be flexible depending on how many interviews you need to hold and the needs of each interviewee.
We’ve also included some tips and things to consider when organising volunteering at an activity centre (or permanent District, County, or national Scout campsite).

Organise the volunteering

The young people who want to volunteer should work with an adult to organise the volunteering. It’s an important that an adult’s involved so they can pass the right information on to parents and carers and keep everyone safe.
Firstly, you’ll need to find a centre that’s letting young people volunteer their help. Some might have specific age limits for volunteering, so check whether they’re the right place for you.
- Scout Adventures has a network of national centres across the UK who can provide a range of residential and activity options.
- The Association of Scout and Guide Centres (ASGC) provide a directory of all centres that are members of their association.
An adult should contact the centre to introduce the young person, explain why they want to volunteer, and discuss potential dates. The young person can help to write this message, but an adult should communicate with the centre.
Once the centre replies, the adult and young person should talk to them about details like accommodation, food, appropriate clothing, and, if necessary, additional needs and adjustments.
Each centre will be different, so people may want to chat to the people in charge about the activities or jobs they might help with. Depending on the site, it might be maintenance (think litter picking, painting, and gardening), being a friendly face for guests (including welcoming them, checking on them, working in a shop, or helping with activities), or keeping the site functioning by helping with everyday tasks (like cooking, emptying bins, or cleaning). All centres are different, and things change on a daily basis, so it’s useful for people to stay flexible and be willing to give things a go.

Prepare for the interview

The people leading the interview should prepare some questions to ask in the interview. They should be relevant to each young person’s experience at the centre, and the questions should include one about improvements to the centre.

Think about the sorts of questions young people might encounter in other interviews, for example, ‘Can you give me an example of when you had to think on your feet during the volunteering?’ or ‘What part of the volunteering did you find most challenging and why?’.

The young people being interviewed should spend a few moments preparing for the interview. They may find it useful to just think about what they did, any challenges they faced, and how they’d like to see the place they volunteered develop and improve.
The people leading the interview should set up a table and chairs.

You may also want to make sure everyone has pens and paper (and a glass of water).

Time to chat

The people leading the interviews should let the young people being interviewed know roughly when it’ll be their turn.
The first person should go to the space that’s being used for the interviews. Once they get to the table, they should take a few moments to jot down any thoughts and ideas about their volunteering and how they’d like to improve the centre.
The people leading the interview should go through the questions they’ve prepared. They should ask any follow-up questions they want to, especially if they think it’ll help people explain themselves more. The people leading the interview could write some notes down to make the experience more authentic.
Once they’ve asked all of their questions, the people leading the interview should thank the young person. They should give them a chance to ask questions or explain anything they’ve not had a chance to say.
Now the interview’s over, everyone should take a few minutes to chat about how it went.

Reflection

People’s experiences of volunteering are likely to be really different, but they probably all had the chance to be independent. Did anyone have to make any decisions for themselves? This may have included the decision to ask for help and guidance, for example, asking a customer to wait while they checked with someone more experience. What did people achieve during their volunteering? How did it make them feel? How do they feel about taking on other challenges in the future?

Interviews can be intimidating at first – how did people feel while they were waiting for their turn? What was it like once it began? Hopefully the people who were interviewing weren’t too scary, and people found it easier to talk about their own experiences. Why might it be useful to have practice of mock interviews? People could think about whether they feel more confident about other future interviews, or if their leaders gave them any helpful hints or tips.

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Rubbish and recycling: All items should be clean and suitable for this activity.
Dark: Provide some light, so the environment isn’t completely dark. Everyone must be able to see others and move around the area safely.
Animals and insects: Be aware of the risks before interacting with animals. Be aware of anyone with allergies, and make alternative arrangements for them.
Gardening and nature: Everyone must wash their hands after the activity has finished. Wear gloves if needed. Explain how to safely use equipment and set clear boundaries so everyone knows what’s allowed.
Heavy and awkward objects: Never lift or move heavy or awkward items alone. Ask for help or, if possible, break them down into smaller parts.
Outdoor activities: You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast, and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.
Poles and long objects: Be careful when moving poles or long items. Take care if the ends are sharp. Have appropriate supervision for this activity.
Snow and ice: Be careful when activities involve snow and ice. Check surfaces and reduce the risk of slipping where possible. Have appropriate supervision for this activity.
Chemicals: This task involves the use of potentially harmful fluids or chemicals. Make sure you follow all relevant safety guidance. Make sure you dispose of them appropriately too, in line with safety guidance.
Manufacturer’s guidelines: All vehicles will be different so always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Phones and cameras: Make sure parents and carers are aware and have given consent for photography.
Near water: Manage groups carefully when near water. The guidance on activities near water will help you to keep your group safe.
Online safety: Supervise young people when they’re online and give them advice about staying safe. Take a look at our online safety or bullying guidance. The NSPCC offers more advice and guidance, too. If you want to know more about specific social networks and games, Childnet has information and safety tips for apps. You can also report anything that’s worried you online to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command. As always, if you’ve got concerns about a young person’s welfare, including their online experiences, follow the Yellow Card to make a report.