Training requirements by role
Updated 5 February 2020
Training Requirements for Scout Network Roles
In November 2015 the previous Scout Network roles (such as District Scout Network Leader or County Scout Network Commissioner) were discontinued and replaced by two new roles; District Scout Network Commissioner and Assistant County Commissioner (Scout Network).
Most Districts' Counties/Areas and Scottish Regions have now introduced these new roles. Below you can find information regarding the training they need to undertake.
District Scout Network Commissioner
- Modules for all appointments(green modules)
- Modules for managers, section supporters and other supports (blue modules) except modules 26: Supporting Adults and module 25: Assessing Learning
- Module 17 Running Safe Activities
- Module 19 International
Assistant County Commissioner (Scout Network)
- Modules for all appointments (green modules)
- Modules for managers, section supporters and other supports (blue modules) except modules 24: Managing Adults and module 25: Assessing Learning
- Module 17 Running Safe Activities
- Module 19 International
Change of role:
Members who are changing from a previous Scout Network Role (District Scout Network Leader or County Scout Network Commissioner) to one of the new Scout Network roles will need to revalidate Module 12(A) : Delivering A Quality Programme, which was updated early 2016.
The below is applicable to all roles that require a Wood badge, as defined by Appointments: Table 2 in the September 2020 edition of POR. Namely, the following roles:
- Section Leader
- Assistant Section Leader
- Group Scout Leader / Deputy Group Scout Leader
- District / County Commissioner (and equivalents)
- Deputy Commissioner
- Explorer & Scout Network Scout Commissioners
- Assistant Commissioner
- Youth Commissioner / Deputy Youth Commissioners
- Scout Active Support Managers
- Scouter and Leader
Before 15 September 2020
Getting Started training
In the first 5 months of your role (and to move to a Full appointment) you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- Module 2 PLP
- Module 3 or 4 Tools for the job (as appropriate)
- GDPR
Wood badge training
Wood badge and First Aid training is required.
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
You will need to renew your Safety, Safeguarding and First Aid training every 5 years.
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After 15 September 2020
Getting Started training
In the first 5 months of your role (and to move to a Full appointment) you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- Module 2 PLP
- Module 3 or 4 Tools for the job (as appropriate)
- GDPR
- Safety
- Safeguarding
- Trustee Introduction*
*this new training is required of members in ex-officio roles such as Group Scout Leaders and Commissioners and for those Section Leaders who have opted into a Trustee role. POR Appointments Table 2 provides clarity for people in these roles as it also depends on your location.
Wood badge training
Wood badge and First Aid training is required.
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
You will need to renew your Safety, Safeguarding and First Aid training every 3 years.
More information is available on the changes to Compass as a result of these changes to training requirements.
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Trustee Introduction requirements
If you take up the role of Section Leader and opt into being an executive committee member or take on an ex-officio role (such as Group Scout Leader, District or County Commissioner) after the 15th September 2020 you will need to complete the Trustee Introduction training, within the first 5 months of the role start date on Compass.
If you are already in an ex-officio role or are a member of the Executive Committee, and have completed Essential Information for Executive Committee members (01EX), it is strongly recommended, but not required, that you complete Trustee Introduction as it will help you to ensure you can support other members of the executive appropriately and keep you updated with current policy.
All Ex Officio members of Executive Committees (including Section Leaders who have opted-in to a Group Executive Committee) are required to complete the new Trustee Introduction, Safety and Safeguarding training if they have not already completed Essential Information for Executive Committee (01EX).
For Section Leaders who have opted-in to being an Executive Committee member, the best way to record this on Compass is to have the role of Executive Committee member added to your Compass record. This will automatically flag up the need to complete the Trustee Introduction module.
The below also applies to Unit Assistant within an Explorer Scout Unit, although they did not previously require GDPR.
Note that for future appointments of Explorer Unit Assistant roles, this will be re-titled Section Assistant – Explorers in Compass.
Before 15 September 2020
Getting Started training
In the first 5 months of your role (and to move to a Full appointment) you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- Module 3 Tools for the job
- GDPR
Wood badge training
Wood badge is not required.
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
You will need to renew your Safety and Safeguarding training every 5 years.
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After 15 September 2020
Getting Started training
In the first 5 months of your role (and to move to a Full appointment) you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- Module 3 Tools for the job
- GDPR
- Safety
- Safeguarding
Wood badge training
Wood badge is not required.
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
You will need to renew your Safety and Safeguarding training every 3 years.
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As long as completion (validation) of Essential Information has been recorded on your Compass record before 15 September you do not need to complete the new Essential Information eLearning.
You will need to complete the Safety and Safeguarding training when your renewal is due. This will be every 3 years from 15 September. Your renewal date can be found on Compass.
If we change your renewal period to bring it forward, we will communicate with you directly by email.
More information is available on the changes to Compass as a result of these changes to training requirements. New training requirements will need the modules adding to PLPs by Training Advisers or Managers.
This is applicable to the following roles:
- Chair and deputies
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Elected, Nominated and Co-opted Executive members
Before 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months you must complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1EX Essential Information for Executive Committee members
- GDPR
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
None required except for Chair, Secretary, Treasurer roles who need to renew Safety and Safeguarding training every 5 years.
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After 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months you must complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- GDPR
- Safety
- Safeguarding
- Trustee Introduction
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
You will need to renew your Safety and Safeguarding training every 3 years.
More information is available on the changes to Compass as a result of these changes to training requirements.
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Trustee Introduction requirements
If you take on a governance role after the 15th September 2020 you will need to complete the Trustee Introduction training, within the first 5 months of the role start date on Compass.
If you are already a member of the Executive Committee, and have completed Essential Information for Executive Committee members (01EX), it is strongly recommended, but not required, that you complete Trustee Introduction as it will help you to ensure you can support other members of the executive appropriately and keep you updated with current policy.
All members of Executive Committees (including Section Leaders who have opted-in to a Group Executive Committee) are required to complete the new Trustee Introduction, Safety and Safeguarding training if they have not already completed Essential Information for Executive Committee (01EX).
If you have completed Essential Information (001) and have in date Safety and Safeguarding mandatory ongoing learning then, it is strongly recommended, but not required that you complete the updated Essential Information, Safety or Safeguarding training but will need to complete Trustee Introduction training by 30 September 2021.
This is applicable to the following roles:
- Appointments Chair
- Appointments Secretary
- Appointment Advisory Committee members
Before 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months you must complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1EX Essential Information for Executive Committee members
- GDPR
Additionally:
- Module 37 Advising on Adult Appointments
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
None required for Committee members but Chair and Secretary roles need to renew Safety and Safeguarding training every 5 years.
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After 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months you must complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- GDPR
- Safety
- Safeguarding
Additionally:
- Module 37 Advising on Adult Appointments
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
You will need to renew your Safety and Safeguarding training every 3 years.
More information is available on the changes to Compass as a result of these changes to training requirements. New training requirements will need the modules adding to PLPs by Training Advisers or Managers.
This is applicable to the following roles:
- Administrators
- Advisers
- Chaplains
- Skills Instructors
- Badge Secretary
- Camp Wardens / Centre Managers
Before 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months and to move to a Full appointment you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- GDPR
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
None required except for Advisers and Skills Instructor roles who need to renew Safety and Safeguarding training every 5 years.
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After 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months and to move to a Full appointment you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- GDPR
- Safety
- Safeguarding
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
You will need to renew your Safety and Safeguarding training every 3 years.
More information is available on the changes to Compass as a result of these changes to training requirements. New training requirements will need the modules adding to PLPs by Training Advisers or Managers.
Before 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- GDPR
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
None required for members but Coordinator roles need to renew Safety and Safeguarding training every 5 years.
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After 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- GDPR
- Safety
- Safeguarding
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
You will need to renew your Safety and Safeguarding training every 3 years.
More information is available on the changes to Compass as a result of these changes to training requirements. New training requirements will need the modules adding to PLPs by Training Advisers or Managers.
Before 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- GDPR
Additionally:
- Module 25 Assessing Learning
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
You will need to renew your Safety and Safeguarding training every 5 years.
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After 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- GDPR
- Safety
- Safeguarding
Additionally:
- Module 25 Assessing Learning
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
You will need to renew your Safety and Safeguarding training every 3 years.
More information is available on the changes to Compass as a result of these changes to training requirements. New training requirements will need the modules adding to PLPs by Training Advisers or Managers.
Before 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- GDPR
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
None required.
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After 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
No training requirements
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Before 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- GDPR
Additionally:
- Module 10 First Aid
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
You will need to renew your Safety, Safeguarding and First Aid training every 5 years.
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After 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- Module 2 PLP
- Module 3 Tools for the job
- GDPR
- Safety
- Safeguarding
It is recommended that role holders have the relevant Wood Badge and First Aid Certificate prior to appointment, or are close to completing both.
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
You will need to renew your Safety, Safeguarding and First Aid training every 3 years.
More information is available on the changes to Compass as a result of these changes to training requirements.
This is applicable to the following roles:
- Subcommittee members
- Awards Advisory Group members
- Supporters
Before 15 September 2020
No training requirements.
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After 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- GDPR
- Safety
- Safeguarding
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
You will need to renew your Safety and Safeguarding training every 3 years.
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Transition requirements
Existing members will need to complete the new eLearning, Essential Information, Safety, Safeguarding and GDPR training as a minimum by 30 September 2021.
Your Compass PLP / training record will still show the pre 15 September 2020 training requirements, as you are an existing member and so the new modules will need to be added by a Training Adviser, Training Manager or Line Manager.
If you have mandatory ongoing learning recorded on Compass (from another role perhaps) then the renewal dates shown are what you should go by.
If we change your renewal period to bring it forward, we will communicate with you directly by email. If you don’t have an email address in Compass we will communicate with your line manager.
If the date shown is already in the past, you should complete the Safety and/or Safeguarding eLearning before 30 September 2021.
More information is available on the changes to Compass as a result of these changes to training requirements. New training requirements will need the modules adding to PLPs by Training Advisers or Managers.
Before 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- GDPR
Additionally:
- Module 9 Working with adults
- Module 14 Supporting young people
- Module 19 International
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
None required.
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After 15 September 2020
Training Obligations
In the first 5 months you need to complete the learning and validation for:
- Module 1 Essential Information
- Module 2 PLP
- Module 4 Tools for the job
- GDPR
- Safety
- Safeguarding
Additionally:
- Module 9 Working with adults
- Module 14 Supporting young people
- Module 19 International
Mandatory Ongoing Learning
You will need to renew your Safety and Safeguarding training every 3 years.
More information is available on the changes to Compass as a result of these changes to training requirements.

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