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 processesWe’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 CountySupporting 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
Some volunteers might be going through a difficult time, and that could be stopping them from completing their training. County/ Area/ Region (Scotland) Commissioners can temporarily exempt volunteers from suspension if there is a justified reason why training hasn’t been completed, such as medical or personal reasons and if the volunteer is not carrying out their role(s).
County/ Area/ Region (Scotland) Commissioners should evaluate exemptions case by case, decide on the length of the exemption period (preferably no longer than six months) and notify UK headquarters of the request through the Mandatory Training Exemption Form.
Some volunteers might be going through a difficult time, and that could be stopping them from completing their learning. County/Area/Region (Scotland) Lead Volunteers can temporarily exempt volunteers from suspension if there’s a justified reason why learning hasn’t been completed, such as medical or personal reasons and if the volunteer is not carrying out their role(s).
County/Area/Region (Scotland) Lead Volunteers should evaluate exemptions case by case, decide on the length of the exemption period (preferably no longer than six months) and notify UK headquarters of the request through the Exemption Form.