Scouts with additional needs
Find out how Scouts actively involves everyone and how we make adjustments to make that possible
We know if you’ve got a young person in your care with additional needs, doing something new can be scary – for both of you!
We pride ourselves on our inclusivity and we do our best to make sure all our members can take part. There’s a lot of flexibility within the Scouts programme to meet individual needs, whether that be a disability, neurodiversity, or an educational, mental health or medical need.
What do I need to do?
When you’re first thinking of joining Scouts, contact your local group. Your local volunteers will get in touch to arrange a chat with you to find out more about your young person.
This isn’t an interview or screening process, it’s simply to make sure we understand your young person’s needs and how we can make reasonable adjustments to make sure your young person will get the most out of Scouts.
This conversation will just be the start of our ongoing partnership with you as a parent or carer. It'll help to form an individual support plan which will document what's been discussed and the support planned for the young person. We appreciate things are constantly changing, and as our volunteers work alongside you to plan individual support for your young person, we encourage you to keep them up-to-date so they know how to provide the best experience.
Young people thrive in secure surroundings, at home and away. Wherever we go, we’re serious about keeping them safe.
Exploring the world on four wheels is easier than you might think. Here, Finn Eyles talks about the small changes that made a big difference to their Scout experience, and explain why we need to encourage more people to have adventures on their own terms.