The trail to Squirrels
Our approach to planning and preparing for a new section for four and five year olds
Quick links
Express your interest to open a Squirrels provision
If you've decided that you'd like to start a new Squirrels provision and have completed the readiness checklist, please complete this form to express your interest. This should be done by Group Scout Leaders and the District Commissioner will then carry out a final review.
Ensure you've completed the readiness checklist before completing this short formWe're particularly encouraging those who can open Squirrels in communities where Scouts is currently underrepresented.
For now, only groups who have completed the readiness checklist; expression of interest form and had this accepted by their District Commissioner will be able to open Squirrels as unofficial provision won’t be insured.
We'll continue to test and learn from innovations that reduce local administration, and boost recruitment. We're growing Squirrels bit by bit, learning and providing more support as we go.
The process at County level (across the UK)
Our aim is to support local discussions and decision-making. Your nominated adviser will be trained and supported with resources to help facilitate meaningful, informed District conversations and shape local plans. The support package includes; a toolkit and presentation, a readiness checklist, start up grants, data reports and advice on how to reach underserved communities and Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.
Please let us know who's your Squirrels Adviser.
More details about the role
Who: A member of the County team who'll be a fixed term primary point of contact with the HQ Early Years team. There are many options for the most appropriate person for you to nominate based upon your own County team structure. From initial discussions individuals leading programme, growth or inclusion are being nominated to take the lead, but this may be different for your own County.
Purpose: Helping your County to start preparation for Squirrel Scouting. The role is not to advocate for early years or to deliver the opening of new provision, but will support Districts to consider if the time is right for them to start or not.
The Early Years ‘Adviser’ will:
- Be trained on Squirrel Scouting, the cohort roll out approach, what we've learnt from the pilots, support and tools available, badges and programme, recruitment of young people and adult volunteers, via webinars.
- Be provided with reports and insight data on current reach into areas of deprivation and under-represented communities for your County.
- Plan for new provision to prioritise communities where Scouting is currently under-represented, especially IMD 1-5 and Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities
- Help with initial preparation and planning providing a pathway for others in the County who'll be opening provision in future years.
- Receive ongoing support from the HQ Early Years team with opportunities to share learning and best practice, that shape the national approach and digital tools developed.
- Bring your District teams together to facilitate accurate and informed conversations on Squirrel Scouting and establish initial level of interest. Where Districts decide they want to start new provision this year they'll hold discussions with their own Groups and update their District plans if appropriate.
Nominate your Adviser via this form and we'll get in touch.
We'll share a variety of resources with Advisers to help facilitate informed discussions. The Squirrels Adviser would be able to support County Commissioners discussions with District Commissioner and District Commissioner conversations with Group Scout Leaders.
The delivery of a new provision for four and five year olds isn’t compulsory - it's up to you to decide when's the right time. Unless it’s a real opportunity for you to reach families we don’t currently reach, then you may have other priorities.
If you've decided you'd like to explore this further – then proceed to the next step.
Please let us know what interest you think there will be in your County. This isn't a commitment, but will give us an indication of numbers to help us plan support effectively.
Once you have Dreys scheduled for opening in your County, it’s a good opportunity to consider appointing to your County Team an Assistant County/Area Commissioners (ACC/AAC) (Squirrels Support) to provide guidance to Squirrel leaders about the delivery of a safe, fun, inclusive and age appropriate programme and support the growth of Squirrel Dreys in the County.
Here's a role description for this role.
The process at District level (across the UK)
If your County Commissioner has approved to explore opening Squirrels, District Commissioners can then decide to explore this further with their Scout Groups. DCs should meet with GSLs, supported by their Squirrels Adviser, to discuss when's the right time to get involved and at what rate.
To see if you are able to open a new Squirrels section, please ask Group Scout Leaders to complete the Readiness checklist and run through this with the District Commissioner.
The Group Scout Leader completes and submits the online expression of interest form. Any groups based in IMD areas 1-5 will be eligible for a £500 start-up grant.
The District Commissioner will receive the form (please check your junk mailbox just in case it has landed in that mailbox) who can then carry out a final review considering if the request will reach new communities, and to check compliance status – DBS, safeguarding, safety, training – before making a decision whether to approve it or not.
Approved requests will be contacted by the Early Years Team and notified when they’ll be joining a cohort (which will be sense checked at County level). We’ll prioritise those planning to open new provision in underrepresented communities (lower income areas and / or Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities).
You'll join 9 other Scout Groups in a cohort (10 Squirrel sections = 1 cohort) to be supported with final planning and preparation, and open a new provision that’s safe and delivers a high quality programme.
A Cohort Coach will bring everyone together to share ideas, resources and provide peer support, drawing upon national expertise and learning from the initial Early Years pilots.
In addition this support and ideas are provided by the Welcome to Squirrels Facebook group.
Once you have Dreys scheduled for opening in your District, it’s a good opportunity to consider appointing to your District Team an Assistant District Commissioner (ADC) (Squirrels Support) to provide guidance to Squirrel leaders in the delivery of a safe, fun, inclusive and age-appropriate programme and support the growth of Squirrel Dreys in the District, including getting people ready to set up the Drey and provide ongoing care.
Here's a role description for the Assistant District Commissioner role.
Would you like to support us in the roll-out of Squirrel Scouts?
Apply now to be a cohort coach
The role of the ‘Squirrels Cohort Coach’ is to support adult volunteers to plan, open, recruit, share best practice, and run engaging and safe programmes, that results in high quality Squirrel Scout provision for 4 and 5 year olds.
- New provision opened will benefit from support provided by their Scout Group and District team and in addition peer guidance and age specific expertise provided by the cohort coach.
- You will bring together your cohort of volunteers from ten units geographically spread across the UK using digital platforms such as Zoom.
- Through online meetings you will facilitate discussions to identify successes, challenges, sign posting available resources and training, sharing best practice on recruitment of adults and young people, particularly in under-represented communities.
- You will share insight from your cohort with the HQ Early Years team enabling continuous improvements to national tools, programme and processes.
- You will be supported by the HQ Early Years team who will provide a rolling programme of training, guidance, subject matter expertise, social catch up’s, and a cohort coach peer to peer programme.
- The term of this role is six months. At the end of this period you may opt to coach another cohort.
- The expectation for this role will be to plan, chair and coach a one-hour cohort meeting every four to six weeks, followed by a follow-up call with a member of the HQ Early Years team and participation in monthly Cohort Coach feedback meetings over a six to eight-month period.
How to apply
If you are interested in the role please email early.years@scouts.org.uk outlining your name, e-mail address, contact number and current role (if you have one).
A member of the team will then be in touch to talk through the role in a little more detail and explain the next steps.
Read more about the early years pilots
We've conducted 30 externally funded pilots in underserved communities and found that the programme was impactful, felt like Scouting and attracted new volunteers.
What we foundFeedback
Do you have questions or feedback about Squirrels and the approach to roll out? Please contact the Scout Support Centre and they'll point you in the right direction.
Contact us