Managing volunteers with overdue learning

Understand the options when volunteers haven’t completed their learning

Interim process for when Compass goes offline

This process will be impacted by Compass going offline for everyone from Thursday 7 November. For details on how this process is impacted and what you'll need to do instead, please take a look at our interim processes.

Find out more about the interim processes

We’re introducing new digital tools to improve volunteering. Follow the process based on your access to the new system.

Find out when the new system will go live in your County

Supporting volunteers to complete their learning

Most of mandatory training can be done online. Safety, Safeguarding, GDPR and Essential Information modules only take around 20-30 minutes each.

There are many ways line managers and Commissioners can work together to support a volunteer. An example might be to ask another volunteer to be there or provide additional support whilst the volunteer completes their training, particularly if they need help accessing the training online.

There is guidance for having conversations about overdue training with suggested actions you can propose to help volunteers complete their training, and tools such as mutually agreed restrictions to help ensure suspension or cancellation of role or membership is a last resort.

All Growing Roots learning is done online, it was designed to attend to most accessibility needs.

Team Leaders and Lead Volunteers can work together to support their team members to complete their learning. An example might be to ask another volunteer to be there or provide additional support whilst the volunteer completes their learning, particularly if they need help accessing our online learning.

There is guidance for having conversations about overdue learning with suggested actions you can propose to help volunteers complete their learning, and tools such as mutually agreed restrictions to help ensure suspension or ending a role is a last resort.

Options for Lead Volunteers when learning remains overdue

In most cases, volunteers will complete or renew the training requirements for their role before the deadline or after a reminder. However, where volunteers continue to have overdue training, there are a number of options for Commissioners:

1. Suspending the volunteers

You may wish to suspend a volunteer’s role for a set period while they complete their overdue training. By suspending the role, the volunteer should not take part in any Scouting activities until the ongoing learning has been completed and the suspension process has been completed. Before suspending the volunteer, you must communicate with them directly (and any line managers they report into, if applicable) to explain the reasons for the suspension. We’ve created a template email which you could use to explain the suspension.

Following the suspension period, you’re required to decide the outcome which includes reinstating, modifying or revoking the role. If they complete the learning during this period, you should reinstate their role first and then validate their learning on Compass.

Read our guidance for the suspension process.

2. Cancelling a role

If a volunteer hasn't completed or renewed their training within the given timescales or after having a restriction or suspension applied, then it will be necessary for you to cancel the volunteer's role or membership.

Read POR Chapter 16.5: End a role for detail on when this is appropriate.

3. Retiring a role

You may also retire a role if the volunteer is no longer able (for any reason) to continue their active service but wishes to retain an attachment to the movement. The retired member role should never be used for anyone who has any trustee responsibilities or responsibilities for young people, and should never be used as an alternative for suspending a volunteer. There are a number of conditions a volunteer must meet if their role is to be retired.

Read more about the conditions and the retired member role.

In most cases, volunteers will complete or renew the learning requirements for their role before the deadline or after a reminder.

Safe Scouting learning is essential to keep everyone safe. Lead Volunteers must suspend volunteers when this learning is overdue. For volunteers joining (or re-joining), this is 30 days after they have been added to scouts.org.uk. For existing volunteers, this is 30days after their previous Safe Scouting learning has expired.

For all other learning, when volunteers continue to have overdue learning, Lead Volunteers should consider:

1. Suspending the volunteer

You may wish to suspend the volunteer for a set period while they complete their overdue learning. When suspended, the volunteer should not take part in any Scouts activities until the learning has been completed and the suspension process has been completed.

Before suspending the volunteer, you must communicate with them directly (and their Team Leader or Lead Volunteer, if applicable) to explain the reasons for the suspension.

Please read the guidance on suspensions for more information.

2. Ending the volunteer’s role

If a volunteer hasn't completed or renewed their learning within the given timescales or after having a restriction or suspension applied, then it will be necessary for you to end the volunteer's role.

Read POR Chapter 16.8 for details on when this is appropriate.

3. Retiring the volunteer

You may also retire the volunteer if they’re no longer able (for any reason) to continue their active service but wish to retain an attachment to the movement. The retired member role should never be used for anyone who has any trustee responsibilities or responsibilities for young people, and should never be used as an alternative for suspending a volunteer.

Read the Retired Member webpage for more information.

Exemptions

Managing exceptions for mandatory learning on the new digital system.

When managing volunteers with overdue mandatory training, County/Area/Region Lead Volunteers have been able to temporarily exempt volunteers from suspension when there was a justified reason to do so. This could be for medical or personal reasons if the volunteer is not carrying out their role.

Previously HQ were notified of these exceptional cases via an online form. This process will no longer continue when we go live with the new digital tools. Anyone on this exemption list will be added to the new membership tool in a 'holding role', which means they won’t be automatically recommended for suspension. If County/Area/Region Lead Volunteers have any members currently on this exemption list, they’ll be contacted directly to recommend the best next steps for recording these volunteers’ status’ and roles going forward.

Managing exceptions for mandatory learning on the new digital system.