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Volunteering at Scouts is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing to help us reach more young people

Volunteering is changing at Scouts. Read more

Discover what this means

Agreeing a role

When an adult takes on a new role in Scouts, it's important to agree both what the adult will do for Scouts and what Scouts will do for them. This is known as 'mutual agreement' or 'agreeing the role'.

How do I agree roles?

As part of the six steps to recruitment, you'll have looked at the role and the tasks you need to be carried out. You'll have also discussed these with the individual concerned when you asked them to volunteer.

Now you need to agree a role description with the adult. This covers:

  • role title
  • an outline of the role
  • who they will be responsible for
  • who they will be responsible to
  • who their main contacts will be
  • any requirements of the role
  • their main tasks - the tasks you came up with in step one

There may be other considerations such as:

  • where and when the job needs doing
  • where and when you want the role done
  • what help the person will get
  • what equipment and facilities are available
  • how much it will cost in time and money
  • how long you want the person to do the role

This part of the process can often be forgotten, but it's an essential part, particularly when it comes to retaining volunteers. Research has shown that volunteers are more likely to get involved, and stay involved, if they've a clear understanding of their role, how long they'll carry it out for, and the support they'll receive.

It's important to discuss with the adult you've recruited whether they can carry out all of the tasks you've highlighted, or whether some need to be taken on by another person. Be flexible, and willing to tailor the role to that individual - that way they're likely to be happier.

You can either write your own role description or you can edit one of the generic role descriptions that are available to download (use the options on the left hand side to find the role you're after).