Inclusion toolkit: Sections

This toolkit is for Section teams. You’ll find questions to reflect on, practical tips and resources to help you build on what’s already going well and make your Section even more inclusive.

You may wish to print off the PDF version of this resource: Inclusion toolkit: Sections

Ideas for when to use this toolkit: 

• As part of a regular review. 
• As part of an activity for Section volunteers. 
• As part of a team meeting. 
• With volunteers from other Sections to learn from and support each other.  
• When prompted by a Lead Volunteer. 
• Before recruitment drives. 
• With your Young Leaders or Explorers. 
• During programme planning. 
• Whenever you’d like to reflect on your inclusivity.

What’s the gender diversity of the Section?

Growing: The Section is mostly or entirely made up of one gender, such as all boys. 

Steady: There’s some gender diversity, but it doesn’t yet reflect the wider community. 

Strong: The Section has a good gender balance and welcomes young people of all genders, or we’re single gendered for faith-based reasons.

What’s the ethnic diversity of the Section?

Compare ethnicity demographics of your local area with those of your Section. You can use ONS census maps to compare your local area to who’s in Scouts, and spot which groups might be missing out. 

Growing: The Section doesn’t reflect the ethnic diversity of the local area. 

Steady: The Section somewhat reflects the ethnic diversity of our local area, but it could be better. 

Strong: The Section reflects the ethnic diversity of the local area. 

Does your Section actively support disabled young people? 

Does your Section actively support LGBTQ+ identities and families?  

This means being open and celebrating diversity, even if you don’t think anyone in your Section is LGBTQ+.  

Growing: We haven’t yet created a supportive environment where young people and volunteers feel safe to talk about sexuality, gender identity or family background. 

Steady: We’re supportive of young people and volunteers who are open about their sexuality and include different family backgrounds. We’re still learning how to support trans and gender-diverse young people and volunteers. 

Strong: We actively support all sexualities, gender identities and family backgrounds. We reflect this in our programme, in conversations with parents and carers, and in the support we offer LGBTQ+ young people and volunteers. 

Does your Section actively support young people’s faith-based, cultural and language needs? 

Growing: We haven’t yet considered or made changes to support young people’s faith-based, cultural or language needs. 

Steady: We make changes to support young people’s faith-based, cultural or language needs when asked, or when we think changes are needed. 

Strong: We actively support young people’s faith-based, cultural and language needs. We reflect this in our programme, conversations with young people, parents and carers and the support we offer to young people. For example, we provide a prayer space for those who need it. 

What Promise wording is offered? 

Growing: There’s little or no flexibility with the Promise wording. 

Steady: We make changes to the Promise wording when asked, or when we think changes are needed. 

Strong: We actively support young people to make a Promise that’s meaningful to them. We know what to do if the Promise wordings in our Policy, Organisation and Rules (POR) aren’t appropriate. 

Does your Section actively support young people from low-income households? 

Growing: We don’t yet have any ways to reduce costs to help young people from low-income households take part in Scouts. 

Steady: We have ways to reduce costs to help young people from low-income households take part in Scouts, but many people aren’t aware of them. 

Strong: Our ways to reduce costs for young people from low-income households are public, clear, easy to find and accessible. 

Does your Section actively support young people to move up through Sections?

Growing: We don’t yet have a clear and consistent process for sharing information or practical tips to support young people moving up through Sections. 

Steady: We try to share information to support young people who are moving up through Sections. This usually only happens for disabled young people. 

Strong: We connect with young people, their parents or carers and volunteers in other Sections to support all young people moving up through Sections.