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Volunteering at Scouts is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing to help us reach more young people

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Staying Safe

Safety checklist for Leaders

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Staying Safe

(Published August 2021, replacing August 2020)

Title update November 2024 to align with volunteer experience

This is aimed to help all adults working with young people to fulfil their role and responsibilities in managing and supporting safety in Scouts.

It's the responsibility of all those involved in Scouts to seek, so far as is reasonably practicable, to make sure that all activities are conducted in a safe manner without risk to the health of participants.

The safety of both young people and adults is important. A large part of this is about being organised, asking the right questions and doing things that will help safety without taking away a sense of adventure appropriate to the age group. This is a straight-forward checklist of common hazards that will help you assess the risks for your activity and put suitable controls in place. Additional support can be found on the Safety and Safeguarding section of our website, alternatively, speak to your line manager or others locally.

Policy 

Organise your programme

  • Check POR rules
  • Check activity guidance and processes for delivery of Scout Activities
  • Check whether further insurance is required
  • Check whether HQ needs notifying  
  • Make sure an InTouch process is in place
  • Make sure all activities are approved in accordance with POR

Leader in charge

Make sure all meetings, events or activities have an identified leader in charge that oversees the activity and all adults and young people. This includes responsibility for registers, headcounts, allocation of roles to specific adults and checking they are aware of their specific responsibilities (find out more on our Leader in Charge page). The best way of doing this is for all adults who will be involved in the activity to agree which one of them will take on this role.

Note: the agreed leader in charge does not have to do all of this themselves, but they are responsible for ensuring that others undertake these tasks.

Putting Safety on the agenda

  • Make sure you understand how and when to record and report incidents and accidents. Information is contained within the Purple Card.
  • Discuss safety at events, activities, camp planning meetings and reviews.
  • Give young people and adults appropriate training, guidance or rules.
  • Support others in section leadership team to gain training and improve knowledge of safety.

Risk assessment

Use the Five Steps of Risk Assessment and see the diagram below:
 

  1. Look for the hazards, ie what could cause harm.
  2. Consider who might be injured and how.
  3. Decide how the risk is controlled and what further action needs to be taken.
  4. Record and effectively communicate your findings so that others are aware of the precautions to be taken (for more guidance see the risk assessment page).
  5. Remember to review and revise them (dynamically if conditions or circumstance change mid-activity), especially when you consider they are no longer effective.
The 5 steps of Risk Assessment

See the diagram above enlarged

Checklists

The following quick checklists are a helpful starting point when planning and at the start of an activity. Add any additional hazards as appropriate to your location. They are not intended as a substitute for doing and documenting a risk
assessment. Make sure your risk assessment is clear; communicate it to other adults and share relevant parts with young people.

  • Make sure all adult volunteers have undertaken the appropriate personal enquiries
  • Identify a leader in charge who understands the tasks they are responsible for making sure are done
  • Have a system in place for handover of young people between parents and carers and leaders
  • Have a suitable supervision plan – including free time and unstructured activities
  • Make sure everyone understands boundaries and limits
  • Make sure everyone understands rules
  • Make sure games are suitable for age and ability of participants
  • Monitor behaviour of young people to make sure it remains suitable for the activity
  • Keep equipment in good order
  • Store chairs and tables safely
  • Reduce tripping or slipping hazards
  • Minimise potential for falls on solid or sharp objects and glass
  • Make sure there are no unguarded lights or overhead hazards
  • Have a plan for what to do in an emergency
  • Put an InTouch process in place
  • Have medical and health details available
  • Have a first aid kit and trained first aider available
  • Think! What are the other hazards?
  • Make sure all adult volunteers have undertaken the appropriate personal enquiries
  • Identify a leader in charge who understands the tasks they are responsible for making sure are done
  • Have a system in place for handover of young people between parents and carers and leaders
  • Have a suitable supervision plan – including free time and unstructured activities, headcounts, and check-ins
  • Have a procedure in place in case a child becomes separated from the group
  • Provide adequate supervision – including ratios
  • Check if an activity permit is required
  • Identify natural hazards including water
  • Monitor behaviour of young people to make sure it remains suitable for the activity
  • Have a plan for what to do in an emergency
  • Put an InTouch process in place
  • Have medical and health details available
  • Have an emergency phone available
  • Have a first aid kit and trained first aider available
  • Think! What are the other hazards

If you have a vehicle...

  • Use vehicles with seat belts and child restraints fitted and make sure these are used
  • Identify susceptibility to travel sickness
  • Check vehicle insurance covers the outing
  • Make sure the driver is suitably qualified to drive that vehicle
  • Have appropriate supervision while travelling
  • Have a safe area for embarking and
    disembarking
  • Make sure all adult volunteers have undertaken the appropriate personal enquiries
  • Identify a leader in charge who understands the tasks they are responsible for making sure are done
  • Have a system in place for handover of young people between parents and carers and leaders
  • Have a suitable supervision plan – including free time and unstructured activities, headcounts, and check-ins
  • Provide adequate supervision – including ratios
  • Identify the nights away permit holder
  • Identify safe access and exit – make sure fire exits are known and unobstructed
  • Monitor behaviour of young people to make sure it remains suitable for the activity
  • Identify any hazardous natural features in the area
  • Keep equipment in good order
  • Control fire risks
  • Check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detector (if fitted) are working
  • Have adequate ventilation from hazards of carbon monoxide
  • Make sure heating arrangements including boilers are safe
  • Make sure cooking arrangements are safe and hygienic
  • Visually inspect electrics – no bare wires or overloaded sockets
  • Reduce tripping, slipping, or fall hazards
  • Have a plan for what to do in an emergency
  • Put an InTouch process in place
  • Have medical and health details available
  • Have an emergency phone available
  • Have a first aid kit and trained first aider available
  • Think! What are the other hazards?
  • Make sure all adult volunteers have undertaken the appropriate personal enquiries
  • Identify a leader in charge who understands the tasks they are responsible for making sure are done
  • Have a system in place for handover of young people between parents and carers and leaders
  • Have a suitable supervision plan – including free time and unstructured activities, headcounts, and check-ins
  • Have a procedure in place in case a child becomes separated from the group
  • Provide adequate supervision – including ratios
  • Identify the nights away permit holder
  • Monitor behaviour of young people to make sure it remains suitable for the activity
  • Keep equipment in good order
  • Make sure there’s safe access and exit from camping area and tents
  • Identify any hazardous natural features in the area
  • Control fire risks
  • Reduce tripping, slipping, or fall hazards
  • Make sure cooking arrangements are safe and hygienic
  • Have adequate ventilation from hazards of carbon monoxide
  • Have a plan for what to do in an emergency
  • Put an InTouch process in place
  • Have medical and health details available
  • Have an emergency phone available
  • Have a first aid kit and trained first aider available
  • Think! What are the other hazards?

Staying Safe - Section Volunteers

The Staying Safe - Safety Checklist for Section Volunteers is a pocket sized checklist aimed to help all adults working with young people to fulfill their role and responsibilities in managing and supporting safety in Scouting.

Title of printed edition will be done in the next print run

Order a free copy of the Safety Checklist

Risk assessments

Read more about risk assessments