Changes in POR – September 2020
We've made a number of changes to POR, specifically affecting training and our policies.
We’ve made a number of key changes to our POR (Policy, Organisation and Rules), with a number of the changes relating to keeping our members safe, specifically around training and new policies.
The updated POR can be viewed in full at scouts.org.uk/por, and you can view a summary of all amends made here. All the changes in POR were shared with members in July this year through consultation in the member emails, and via a series of Keeping Everyone Safe webinars.
Two areas that have seen significant changes are training, and some of our policies, including safeguarding and complaints. We have detailed a bit more on these two areas below.
Changes affecting training
Keeping everybody safe is our main priority. A big part of enabling members to keep people safe, is by making sure they have the right knowledge through training. Therefore we’ve made a number of changes to our training, and in POR, which help make sure that all members feel confident to keep both young people and adults in Scouts safe. To summarise the changes, we’ve:
- Changed the renewal period for safety and safeguarding training from five years to three years. This change will now show in your training records on Compass, and anyone affected will have a year to make sure they update their training.
- Changed the training requirements for a number of roles in POR and in Compass. Those affected will also have a year transition period to complete their training, if they haven’t already completed it for another role.
- Introduced a new online Essential Information module, and a new online Trustee training module. The validation for these modules is also much simpler, members need to send proof of their end of assessment certificate and no longer need to hold a meeting with their Training Adviser.
- Made a number of updates to Compass in line with these changes.
- Updated a number of key resources.
You can find more detail about the training updates by role online. We’ll also email members separately, detailing what changes have been made, where we have updated their record.
Anyone affected by the change of requirements and renewal period will have until 30 September 2021 to make sure they update their training.
These changes are in addition to the updates we’ve already made to the safeguarding and safety independent learning, and allowing line managers to support with validation.
Updated and new policies
The following policies are now updated or in place for the first time.
More support and guidance on explaining these policies will be added to the website to help members understand and use these policies at the appropriate times. You'll find this detail here.
You can watch short videos to understand more about some of the changes in the Safeguarding policy:
- Hear more about managing pre-existing relationships when a youth member turns 18
- Hear more about supporting adults at risk within Scouts