UK International Events Medical Panel Members
Join our UK Scouts volunteer team
Equal opportunities
Scouts is an equal opportunity recruiter. We're committed to diversity and actively seeking applicants from a wide range of backgrounds, in particular, Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities.
About the role
The UK International Events Medical Panel is a multidisciplinary panel providing specialist clinical, mental health and safeguarding-informed advice to support decisions about participation in international Scouting events.
The panel reviews anonymised Health & Wellbeing information submitted by participants attending UK Contingent and other international events. It provides advice to Event and Contingent Leaders on whether participation is appropriate, and what reasonable adjustments, mitigations or conditions may enable individuals to safely take part.
International events can involve complex environments, including extended residential camping, unfamiliar healthcare systems, extreme climates and long periods away from home. These factors mean decisions about participation may require specialist judgement beyond the experience of most volunteer event teams.
As a panel member, you will contribute your professional expertise to support fair, consistent and evidence-informed decision making. The panel plays an important role in supporting inclusion, ensuring that individuals are enabled to participate wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so.
The panel operates in an advisory capacity, working alongside existing governance, safeguarding and event leadership structures.
The UK International Events Medical Panel is part of the wider UK International Team.
Key tasks
- Contribute as a member of the UK International Event Medical Panel, providing specialist advice to support international events.
- Review anonymised Health & Wellbeing information relating to participants in UK international Scouting events.
- Provide professional advice on the suitability of individuals to attend international events.
- Advise on reasonable adjustments or mitigations that may support safe participation.
- Contribute to panel discussions to consider complex cases and agree recommendations.
- Apply professional judgement to support fair and consistent decision making.
- Maintain strict confidentiality when handling sensitive information.
- Contribute specialist expertise to support the effective operation of the panel.
Person specification
- Experience as a senior healthcare professional, mental health specialist, safeguarding practitioner or equivalent professional background.
- Experience assessing risk and making professional judgements in complex or high-pressure environments.
- Experience supporting young people or adults in residential, educational or expedition-style settings.
- Understanding of safeguarding and welfare considerations when working with young people.
- Experience of providing professional advice to support operational or governance decisions.
- Experience of working collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams.
- Familiarity with international Scouting events or large-scale residential events (desirable).
We are particularly interested in individuals with expertise in one or more of the following areas:
- Senior clinical practice (for example consultant-level doctors, senior nurses or equivalent).
- Mental health, including child and adolescent mental health.
- Safeguarding and welfare in youth settings.
- Residential, expedition or international environments.
Additional relevant expertise (e.g. travel health, neurodiversity, disability inclusion, outdoor risk assessment) is also welcomed.
- Ability to assess complex information and provide clear, evidence-informed professional advice.
- Ability to balance risk management with inclusion and reasonable adjustment.
- Strong communication skills, including explaining complex clinical or wellbeing considerations to non-clinical audiences.
- Ability to work collaboratively and respectfully within a multidisciplinary panel.
- Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries while supporting volunteer leaders.
- Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately.
- Ability to contribute constructively to discussions where professional opinions may differ.
- Ability to apply sound professional judgement where information may be incomplete.
- Commitment to the values of The Scouts.
- Strong sense of professional integrity and ethical judgement.
- Respect for confidentiality and sensitive information.
- Balanced and thoughtful decision-making approach.
- Supportive of inclusive participation and reasonable adjustments wherever possible.
- Calm and measured in situations involving risk or uncertainty.
- Willingness to contribute time and expertise to support safe international events.
This role includes a range of tasks that need a realistic and ongoing time commitment, with flexibility around when those tasks are completed. If you already volunteer with Scouts, please take time to think about how this UK role would fit alongside any other roles you hold, and have a conversation with your current Team Leader before applying.
For some people, taking on a UK role may mean stepping back from, or handing over, another role so they can give each one the attention it deserves and have a positive and rewarding volunteering experience.
UK International Event Medical Panel
The UK International Event Medical Panel is a new initiative that will play an important role in strengthening how we support safe, fair and inclusive participation in international Scouting events.
International events can be life-changing experiences, but they can also involve a level of complexity beyond the experience of most volunteer event teams. Extended time away from home, challenging environments and the need to make careful decisions about reasonable adjustments mean that access to specialist advice is essential.
This panel has been developed in response to learning from recent international events, including the World Scout Jamboree in Korea. It will help bring greater consistency, confidence and transparency to decisions about participation suitability, supporting Event and Contingent Leaders to balance both risk and inclusion.
We are looking for people with senior professional expertise who can bring sound judgement, compassion and a collaborative approach to this work. Whether your background is in clinical practice, mental health, safeguarding or a related field, your contribution will help ensure more young people and adults can access international Scouting safely and with the right support in place.
This is an important and developing area of work, and we’re looking forward to working with panel members to build an approach that is practical, credible and rooted in the values of Scouting.
Ben Hodgkiss (UK Contingents Team Leader)
Sound good?
Before making an application please ensure that you've read carefully read our vacancy informtion. In order for us to monitor the application of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy, we'd be grateful if you'd also complete the Diversity Monitoring questions on the Application Form.
Questions?
If you'd like to discuss this role in more detail, please get in touch with:
Ben Hodgkiss (UK Contingents Team Leader): [email protected]
Richard Flowerdew (Head of International & Events): [email protected]
Next steps
Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering with our team. You can apply for the role yourself by completing the Application Form.
A Search Group has been set up to guide the selection process. They will carefully review all applications and nominations. Shortlisted applicants may be invited to a short informal discussion to explore their experience and suitability for the Panel.
Apply nowKnow someone who might be a perfect fit?
Use the Nomination form if you know someone that might have the skills and experience that we're looking for.
We'll get in touch with them and invite them to apply for the role.
Nominate someone for this roleLocation:
UK International Team
Closing date:
Mon, April 13, 2026, 9:00 AM