Appointment forms
This webpage contains the following downloadable forms, relating to appointments, along with guidance on their use:
- Adult Information Form
- Reference form (RF)
- ID checking form
- Appointment review (AR) form
- Cancellation/suspension (CS) form
- Young person information form
The information on this webpage may be subject to change as the result of new legislation or guidelines. The Scouts will publish any new information, if and when it becomes available.
This webpage should be checked regularly to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information.
The adult information form is designed to help you collect the information needed to add new adult members (over the age of 18) onto Compass. It has been updated in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
You can also order the Adult information form from the Scout Store.
- Adult information form (PDF) - print friendly version
- Adult information form (PDF) - editable version
This form should be retained locally, and the information added to Compass as soon as possible. Once the information has been added to Compass, the form should be destroyed, including the declarations page. A digital method of recording members’ agreement of the declarations is currently being explored.
Download a copy of the information contained on the declarations page.
The RF form is designed to collect information about an adult for the purposes of receiving a reference, as part of the appointments process.
The downloadable forms have been updated in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- Reference form (RF) (PDF)
- Reference form (RF) (PDF) - editable version
- Reference form (RF) (Word document) - editable version
The RF form is given to the referee usually by the Appointments Secretary. The referee then returns the form to them, who then pass it to the Appointments Advisory Committee. The form should be retained locally until a decision has been made as to whether or not to appoint.
If you decide to appoint, the forms should be destroyed as soon as that decision is made and the individual’s record has been updated with this information. If you decide not to appoint, due to an unsatisfactory reference, the form should be sent to the Vetting team at the Scouts HQ at vetting@scouts.org.uk, along with any other relevant information regarding the decision not to appoint, within one week of the decision being made.
This means that the form should not be kept for longer than one month from the date at which a decision is made and then either destroyed, or sent to the Scouts HQ.
The ID checking form can be used by any person completing the identity checks for adults in England, Wales and British Scouting Overseas who wish to undertake a role in Scouting that requires a criminal record check. It has been updated in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and to support changes made by the government’s Disclosure and Barring Service.
You can also order the ID checking form from the Scout Store.
For guidance on the secure storage, handling, use, retention and disposal of disclosures and disclosure information (including use of the e-Bulk Service for England, Scotland and Wales) England, Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland.
The AR form is currently under review, for now the current form can be downloaded below, and is also available to order from the Scout Store.
The AR form should be retained locally, by the Appointments Secretary (or whoever the appropriate person is) as part of an adult's record until the next review has been completed.
After a review is complete, the new AR Form then replaces the old one. This means that a single AR Form should be stored until the next review (no longer than five years), and then destroyed.
The CS form can be used to inform of the cancellation of an individual’s appointment for an unsatisfactory reason or in order to suspend an individual from Scouting. This process can also be completed on Compass.
If using the paper form, the completed form (including any relevant information regarding the decision to cancel or suspend that person) must be sent to the Vetting team at the Scouts HQ – vetting@scouts.org.uk. This means that the form should not be kept for longer than a week before it is sent to the Scouts HQ.
The young person information form provides a template which you may wish to use as part of your local joining processes. It is designed to help you collect useful information about young people under the age of 18, who are joining Scouting.
This form has been updated in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Information should be retained in-line with your Scout Group or District’s Data Protection and Retention Policy.
Providing a Reference
If you've been sent an email from our membership system asking to provide a reference for someone who wishes to be a volunteer, please download our reference form.
You can reply to the email that you received from our system, attaching the completed reference. This will be returned to the right person automatically.