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Equal Opportunities Policy

2a.5.1 Young People

2a.5.1.1 Scouts’ Values and Foundations
The Scout Association is a member organisation of the World Organization of Scout Movements (WOSM), a worldwide educational youth movement. The values, which underpin and inspire its work, are embodied in the Scout Promise and Law and in the Purpose of The Scout Association. See POR Chapter 1. 

2a.5.1.2 Equality of Opportunity for All Young People
Within this framework, The Scout Association is committed to equality of opportunity for all young people.  

The Scout Association is committed to extending Scouts, its Purpose and Method to young people in all parts of society.  

2a.5.1.3 Protected characteristics and non-discrimination
No young person should receive less favourable treatment on the basis of, or suffer disadvantage or harassment or discrimination by reason of:

  • class or socio-economic status
  • ethnic or national origin, nationality, statelessness or race  
  • gender, including gender reassignment  
  • marital or civil partnership status  
  • sexual orientation  
  • disability  
  • political belief  
  • pregnancy and maternity  
  • religion, belief or faith, including the absence of religion, belief or faith
  • sex  
  • age (other than the age limits for youth and adult membership as set out in POR)

2a.5.1.4 Practising equality in Scouts
All members of The Scout Association are expected to seek to practice equality, especially in promoting equal access to Scouts for all young people.  

The Scout Association opposes all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including racism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. All Groups, Districts and Counties, as separate members of the Federation, have a duty to comply with relevant equalities legislation. All volunteers should make reasonable adjustments where possible to support all young people with disabilities to access Scouts. 

2a.5.1.5 Further guidance
See further information about equity, diversity and inclusion.

2a.5.2 Reasonable Adjustments

2a.5.2.1 Purpose
Reasonable adjustments mean actions to enable young people with disabilities to access Scouts and Scouting activities, as far as reasonably possible, to the same level as young people without disabilities. This should involve working in partnership with parents, to identify needs and support strategies.  

2a.5.2.2 Identify young people with disabilities
Reasonable steps should also be taken to identify any young people with disabilities in the section or Group.

2a.5.2.3 Further guidance
See POR Chapters 3 and 4 for further guidance around reasonable adjustments.  

2a.5.3 Volunteers

2a.5.3.1 Inclusive Volunteer Appointments 
To carry out its work, The Scout Association seeks to appoint effective and appropriate volunteers, of all backgrounds and all areas of the community, and to involve other volunteers in supporting roles, all of whom are required to accept fully the responsibilities of their commitment.  

2a.5.3.2 Safety and safeguarding of young people is key
The overriding considerations in making all appointments in Scouts must be the safety and security of young people, and their continued development in accordance with the Purpose and Values of The Scout Association.  

2a.5.3.3 Appointing suitable adults
Accordingly, all those whom the movement accepts as volunteers must  be appropriate persons to undertake the duties of the particular position to which they have been appointed including, if relevant, meeting the requirements of the Sponsoring Authority (see POR 4c.1.6) and, where appropriate, the responsibilities of membership. 

2a.5.3.4 Open recruitment
In recruitment and joining processes, volunteers must be clear that all roles are open to people of all genders, ethnicities, faiths and backgrounds and encourage a diverse range of applicants to apply, particularly those currently under-represented on the team.  

2a.5.3.5 Recognising genuine occupational requirements
It may, in limited circumstances, be appropriate to consider the gender or protected characteristics of a potential appointee. This is only the case where there is a genuine occupational requirement, for example, in order to ensure that a support team on a trip includes adult volunteers of different genders.  

2a.5.3.6 Safeguarding competence
The ability of all volunteers to understand and implement the Scouts’ safeguarding policies and procedures, as set out in POR 2a.5, is an essential requirement. 

2a.5.3.7 No discrimination in adult appointments
Within the constraints in POR 2a.5.3.1 to 2a.5.3.6, and those imposed by the need to ensure the safety and security of young people, the continued development of young people, and equal opportunities for all, no person volunteering their services must receive less favourable treatment on the basis of, nor suffer disadvantage, harassment or discrimination by reason of: 

  • class or socio-economic status
  • ethnic or national origin, nationality, statelessness or race
  • gender, including gender reassignment
  • marital or civil partnership status
  • sexual orientation
  • disability
  • political belief
  • pregnancy and maternity
  • religion, belief or faith, including the absence of religion, belief or faith
  • sex
  • age (other than the age limits for youth and adult membership as set out in POR)

2a.5.4 Responsibilities within the Equal Opportunities Policy

2a.5.4.1 Responsibilities across Scouts
All volunteers in Scouts have a responsibility for the operation of The Scout Association’s Equal Opportunities Policy.  

All Groups, Districts and Counties, as separate organisations within the Federation, have a duty to comply with relevant equalities legislation. 

2a.5.4.2 Lead Volunteer and Team Leader responsibilities

  1. The Group Lead Volunteer, District Lead Volunteer or the County Lead Volunteer ([NI] Country), as appropriate, must be satisfied that all applicants for volunteer appointments are fully aware that they will be required by their personal example to operate The Scout Association’s Equal Opportunities Policy and to support Groups, Districts and Counties to comply with relevant equalities legislation.  
  2. The District Lead Volunteer or the County Lead Volunteer ([NI] Country Lead Volunteer), as appropriate, must also be satisfied that all those whom they invite to assist them in other ways in the work of the District or County are upholding The Scout Association’s Equal Opportunities Policy by the personal example that they set before Scouts in the District or County as the case may be.  
  3. Group Lead Volunteers must be satisfied that all those whom they invite to assist them in the work of the Group will comply with relevant equalities legislation and uphold The Scout Association’s Equal Opportunities Policy by the personal example that they set before Scouts in the Group.  
  4. 14-24 Team Leaders must be satisfied that all those whom they invite to assist them in the work of the Explorer Units will comply with relevant equalities legislation and uphold The Scout Association’s Equal Opportunities Policy by the personal example that they set before Explorers and Scout Network members in the District.  

2a.5.4.3 Recruitment responsibilities
All volunteers involved in the recruitment and appointment of volunteers are required to operate The Scout Association’s Equal Opportunities Policy and comply with relevant equalities legislation in their work.

2a.5.4.4 Trustee Board oversight
The Group, District or County Trustee Board, as appropriate, must be satisfied that all applicants for appointments they make are fully aware that they will be required by their personal example to operate The Scout Association’s Equal Opportunities Policy and to support Groups to comply with relevant equalities legislation.  

2a.5.4.5 Further guidance
See further information about equity, diversity and inclusion.