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Preparation, generic rules and definitions for all activities

9a.1.1 Before an activity

9a.1.1.1 Appointing a leader in charge 
A Leader in charge must be appointed for each activity. This person must hold a full appointment.

  1. For section activities involving only youth members of one section:
    The Leader in charge will normally be an adult who is a member of the relevant Section Team. It does not have to be the Section Team Leader.
    The Section Team must nominate the Leader in charge for each activity.
    There may be occasions when the Leader in charge is not from the relevant Section Team. In this case the person nominated as Leader in charge must be advised, prior to the start of the activity, to the Group Lead Volunteer (for Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts) or to the District 14-24 Team Leader (for Explorers).
    Examples of section activities include:
    • section meetings at the normal meeting place
    • trips or other events involving the section members
    • section residential activities (whether camps or indoors).
  2. For activities involving more than one of the Group’s sections (or two or more sections but from different Groups), or the District’s sections (Explorers and Scout Network):
    The Leader in charge must be agreed by the Group Lead Volunteer(s) or the District 14-24 Team Leader as appropriate.
    Examples of these activities include:
    • meetings or activities involving more than one section
    • a Group Family Camp
    • a Group activity day
    • a camp involving Scouts and Explorers.
  3. For District, County, Country, and UK Headquarters events involving more than one activity:
    An overall Leader in charge must be appointed, in writing, by the relevant Lead Volunteer or national equivalent.  
    Examples of such activities include: 
    • a District or County camp or jamboree
    • a District Sixers Training
    • a County section ‘fun day’
    • a County Group Lead Volunteer conference
    • a UK contingent attending a major event (for example a World Scout Jamboree)
  4. Events involving more than one activity
    Where an event involves more than one activity, a Leader in charge must be assigned for each individual activity within the event.

9a.1.1.2 The role of the leader in charge
Before the start of each activity, the Leader in charge must ensure that: 

  1. it is appropriate to the age and abilities of all participants 
  2. any legal requirements for the activity have been complied with  
  3. it complies to the general and specific activity rules set out in this chapter, including the numbers of adults required to run the activity safely
  4. any other requirements of The Scout Association, including the Safeguarding Policy and Safety Policy, are complied with 
  5. the members of the team(s) planning and delivering the activity collectively has any necessary permits (Adventurous Activity and Nights Away) and qualifications and skills to deliver the programme in accordance with The Scout Association’s rules and safety standards. 
  6. there is additional, responsible supervision as required, including for those in the locality of the activity but not actively involved, see POR 9a.1.2.
  7. a risk assessment (FS120000) is carried out, recorded and the safety instructions are communicated to all supervising adults and participants. 
    The risk assessment needs to be proportionate. For example, any activity involving young people must have a risk assessment in place. Gatherings of adults (for example a County Group Lead Volunteer Conference) should also have a risk assessment in place, but a 1-to-1 meeting of a couple of adults in a home or in a café should be arranged with safety in mind but may not have a publicly available risk assessment. 
  8. suitable InTouch (FS120075) arrangements are in place  
  9. Emergency Procedures are in place (POR Chapter 7)
  10. all activities must have access to someone holding a relevant and current first aid qualification and access to suitable first aid materials.  For adventurous activities and nights away, this access must be immediate.  The detail of the first aid skills required must be identified by the risk assessment, but the minimum qualifications (or equivalents) are: 
    • A full first aid certificate as defined at First Aid (FS120052) is required for all remote activities, where travelling time is three hours or more (in the method of travel being used) to a point of refuge including at least one of: 
      1. a road which carries a normal road-going ambulance
      2. a building which is occupied (such as a farm or harbour)
      3. another means of calling help (such as a telephone box)
    • First Response is required for all other activities 
  11. each participant has received appropriate training  
  12. all equipment is appropriate for the activity 
  13. all supervising adults and participants are made aware of who is in charge 
  14. the relevant District or County Lead Volunteer has approved the activity (POR 9a.1.3).

9a.1.1.3 Risk assessment and adult presence 

  1. For all activities, the Leader in Charge must assess the risks and ensure that sufficient adults aged 18 or over will be present to ensure a safe environment for the operation of the activity. This will often require more adults than the minimum numbers required in POR 9a.1.2.2.
  2. Although Young Leaders are members of their Section Team, they must not be included in numbers for ratios (either as young people or as ‘adults’).  
    Where Young Leaders are present at an activity, one adult member of the activity team aged over 18 and with a full appointment must be designated as also having responsibility for the Young Leader(s). If no adult member of the activity team is able to take on that responsibility, then a separate adult must be recruited in addition to the adults required to meet the minimum adult ratios (POR 9a.1.2).

9a.1.1.4 Additional requirements

  1. All adults and helpers at a Nights Away activity must hold a completed and satisfactory Personal Enquiry. 
  2. Only in the event of an emergency may an adult or helper be alone overnight with young people on a nights away activity.

9a.1.2 Ratios of adults and young persons

9a.1.2.1 Minimum Adult Ratios
The Leader in Charge must be present at all times.  

The programme and the risk assessment for the meeting or activity determines the number of adults or helpers that must be present to ensure a safe, effective and enjoyable activity.

However, if the number of adults or helpers calculated using the table below exceeds the number derived from the programme and the risk assessment, it is this larger number of adults or helpers that must be present.

Section

For section activities held:

  1. in the usual meeting place
  2. outdoors in the immediate vicinity of, the usual meeting place

But not including nights away activities

For:

  1. section activities held away from the usual meeting place
  2. nights away activities (at any venue) which are led by a Nights Away permit holder and are not led under a Nights Away Passport
Squirrels Leader in Charge plus 1 adult or helper per 6 Squirrels 
Minimum 3 adults or helpers		 Leader in Charge plus 1 adult or helper per 4 Squirrels 
Minimum 3 adults or helpers
Beavers The Leader in charge plus at least 1 other adult or helper.
Minimum 2 adults or helpers		 Leader in Charge plus 1 adult or helper per 6 Beavers 
Minimum 2 adults or helpers
Cubs  The Leader in charge plus at least 1 other adult or helper.
Minimum 2 adults or helpers		 Leader in Charge plus 1 adult or helper per 8 Cubs 
Minimum 2 adults or helpers
Scouts  The Leader in charge plus at least 1 other adult or helper.
Minimum 2 adults or helpers		 1 adult or helper per 12 Scouts, including the Leader in Charge
Minimum 2 adults or helpers
Explorers The Leader in charge plus at least 1 other adult or helper.
Minimum 2 adults or helpers		 Minimum 2 adults or helpers, including the Leader in Charge

 

9a.1.2.2 Support where no adult with a full role is present

  1. The ratios rules in POR 9a.1.2.2 specify the need for adults from the Section Team with a full adult role to be present at each activity.  
    If none of the Section Team who currently hold a full adult role can attend an activity, or for activities organised by others (for example Districts or Counties), it is important that the safety, safeguarding and pastoral care needs of young people and members are met at all times.  
  2. If none of the Section Team currently hold a full adult role it is acceptable for an experienced member or Team Leader from another Section Team, or from the Group Leadership Team or from the District 14-24 Team, to support in the interim.   
    This member must have a full adult role, should have experience of working with the section, and must attend each activity to ensure that the safety, safeguarding and pastoral care needs of young people and members are met during the activity. 
  3. These arrangements must be agreed on a case-by-case basis and confirmed in writing prior to the activity commencing by: 
    1. the Group Lead Volunteer (for Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts) 
    2. the District 14-24 Team Leader (for Explorers) 
    3. the District Lead Volunteer in the case of a Group Lead Volunteer or District 14-24 Team Leader providing the support. 
  4. If it is a frequent occurrence that no adults with a full adult role from a particular section can attend regular section activities, then it is essential that the Group Lead Volunteer (or District 14-24 Team Leader for Explorers) conducts a review of the situation.   
    Appropriate actions must then be taken to mitigate the risk of these exceptions recurring.   

9a.1.2.3 Group, District, County organised activities
For activities organised by Group, District or County, the Leader in charge must ensure compliance with:

  1. minimum adult ratio numbers from POR 9a.1.2.1
  2. the requirements of POR 9a.1.1.2.

9a.1.2.4 Prohibited activities
These activities are not permitted within The Scout Association:

  1. towing of inflatables behind powered watercraft, such as banana boating
  2. bungee jumping
  3. hitch hiking
  4. knife throwing
  5. archery tag and other combat style archery activities
  6. trotti biking

9a.1.2.5 Other activities
There are many opportunities for members to take part in activities which are not specifically covered in these activity rules. Where an activity is not covered by any other rules the Leader in Charge of the activity must: 

  1. assess the risks involved, document and communicate this to all involved
  2. ensure all members’ physical and emotional well-being can meet the requirements of the activity 
  3. ensure that all equipment used fits the participants and is suitable for the activity 
  4. obtain the approval of the relevant District or County Lead Volunteer, or their nominee

9a.1.3 Approval of an activity

9a.1.3.1 Activities for Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and Scout Network 
The District Lead Volunteer is responsible for approving all activities for Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and Scout Network taking place for members from the District. This must be by means of a system agreed between the District Lead Volunteer and each Group Lead Volunteer or District 14-24 Team Leader. See Approving Activities – Guidance for Lead Volunteers (FS120015).

9a.1.3.2 Activities for groups of adults 
The relevant District or County Lead Volunteer or nominee is responsible for approving all activities for groups of adults, where each individual is aged 18 and over.

9a.1.3.3 Special events 
Approval for special events and activities must be granted by a County Lead Volunteer, a Regional Lead Volunteer, or a Chief Volunteer, as appropriate. 

A special event or activity is one that is not within the scope of POR 9a.1.3.1 or POR 9a.1.3.2.

9a.1.3.4 Overriding authority 
For safety reasons only, the District or County Lead Volunteer, or their nominee, of the area where the activity takes place has an overriding authority, in consultation with the home Lead Volunteer, to direct that any activity should be postponed, stopped, or cancelled.

9a.1.3.5 Additional requirements for adventurous activities 
There are additional requirements for the District Lead Volunteer and County Lead Volunteer approval for those adventurous activities which fall within the scope of The Scout Association’s Adventurous Activity Permit Scheme (POR 9a.7).

9a.1.3.6 External instructors or leaders 
When professional instructors or leaders from outside the movement are engaged, separate rules apply (POR 9a.7).

9a.1.4 During an activity

9a.1.4.1 Continuous risk assessment 
Adults must continue to assess risk (FS120000) throughout an activity.

9a.1.4.2 Weather 
Appropriate weather forecasts must be obtained before the activity, and appropriate ongoing weather monitoring must be undertaken and acted upon to inform the ongoing risk assessment and safe management of the activity, equipment required and location. Each participant must be suitably equipped to cope with predicted extremes of weather.

9a.1.4.3 Safety considerations 
All activities must be undertaken in accordance with The Scout Association’s Safety Policy (POR 2a.8) and must adhere to the relevant general and specific activity rules set out in POR Chapters 9a and 9b.