Suspensions for no valid disclosure

The membership system sends notifications on disclosures in four moments:

• Volunteer joins (or re-joins) Scouts, and they are required a disclosure
• Volunteer’s disclosure will expire, and a new one is required
• Volunteer is suspended for not submitting a disclosure in the membership system
• Volunteer is reinstated after submitting a valid disclosure in the membership system

The volunteer and their team leader will receive these notifications, and therefore should have a valid email address recorded on the membership system.

There are three key elements to the mandatory suspension process regarding disclosures. These are:

• Welcome and reminder service for new adults joining Scouting who require a disclosure
• Reminder service for existing adults whose disclosure requires renewal
• The suspension and unsuspension of adults who have not submitted a disclosure application

In order for these systems to work efficiently, it is important that all volunteers (including Occasional Helpers and Non-Member PVG in Scotland) have a valid email address recorded on Compass so that the reminders are not missed.

You can view a process overview diagram that summarises the detail below.

The volunteer and their team leader receive a notification about their disclosure two days after they’re added to the membership system. This notification explains why they’re required a disclosure and how to obtain it. It also informs the deadline to submit a valid disclosure:

• England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 30 days
• Scotland and British Scouting Overseas: 60 days

The days are counted from the date the volunteer is added to the membership system.

The volunteer, their team leader and Lead Volunteer receive a second notification if a completed disclosure application has not been made within:

• England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 20 days
• Scotland and British Scouting Overseas: 40 days

The Lead Volunteer should suspend the volunteer if a completed disclosure application has not been made within the expected timeframe.

These adults will receive a welcome email two days after they are added to Compass (Note: the “clock” starts when they are added to Compass, not from the role start date). The email will remind them that obtaining a disclosure plays an essential part in safeguarding the young people in the Movement. It will also explain how to obtain a valid disclosure and that they need to complete the application process within 30 days (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or 60 days (in Scotland and British Scouting Overseas). This email will be copied to their line manager, the relevant Commissioner and Appointment Secretary.

If a completed disclosure application has not been made within 20 days (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland), 40 days (in Scotland) or 30 days (in British Scouting Overseas), a reminder email will be sent to the individual and copied to their line manager, the relevant Commissioner and Appointment Secretary.

The volunteer, their team leader and Lead Volunteer receive notifications informing the volunteer’s disclosure will soon expire, and what they have to do to apply for a new disclosure.

The notifications are sent 90 days, 60 days and 30 days from the expiry date.

If a completed disclosure application has not been made by the expiry date, further notifications are sent to the volunteer, their team leader and Lead Volunteer 1 day after the expiry date and:

• England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 20 days after expiry date
• Scotland and British Scouting Overseas: 40 days after expiry date

The Lead Volunteer should suspend the volunteer if a completed disclosure application has not been made within:

• England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 30 days after expiry date
• Scotland and British Scouting Overseas: 60 days after expiry date

These adults will receive reminder emails informing them that their disclosure is about to expire approximately 90 days, 60 days and 30 days before it does. The email(s) will explain what they have to do in order to apply for a new disclosure. Their line manager, relevant Commissioner and Appointment Secretary will also be informed at 90, 60 and 30 days that the disclosure is about to expire.

If by the time the original disclosure expires a completed application has not been made, further reminders will be sent after 1 day and 20 days (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or 40 days (in Scotland) or 30 days (in British Scouting Overseas) after expiry.

Lead Volunteers should suspend volunteers if a completed disclosure application has not been made within 30 days (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or 60 days (Scotland and British Scouting Overseas) after being added to the membership system or disclosure expiry date.

Suspensions are not an automated process. Lead Volunteers need to complete the suspension process on the membership system [LINK], selecting ‘No valid disclosure’ as the suspension reason, and obtaining approval from a Lead Volunteer (authoriser) one level up.

The Lead Volunteer must also inform the volunteer and their team leader (usually by telephone or face-to-face meeting).

If a disclosure application is not submitted, and the relevant Lead Volunteer doesn’t suspend the volunteer or close the volunteer’s role within seven days of notification, the matter will be escalated automatically to a Lead Volunteer one level up.

Like any other suspension, Lead Volunteers can make modifications to the suspension (e.g. to allow a parent or carer to attend award presentations or to drop off and pick up their child).

Please read the guidance on suspensions [LINK] for more information.

If after 30 days (in England, Wales, Northern Ireland) or 60 days (in Scotland and British Scouting Overseas) of being added to Compass as a new adult, or expiry of their disclosure for an existing adult, a completed disclosure application has not been made, the relevant commissioner (normally the District Commissioner) will be informed that they must suspend the individual concerned.

Suspensions are not an automated process, however they are mandatory and Commissioners will need to complete the suspension process on Compass (including obtaining the approval of the next Commissioner up in the line manager chain). It's critical that ‘No valid disclosure’ is selected as the suspension reason.

The Commissioner must also inform the individual concerned and their line manager (usually by telephone or face-to-face meeting).

An alternative to suspension is to close the role(s) that require a disclosure. For some people, particularly new volunteers and Occasional Helpers, this might be the best approach to adopt.

Once suspended on Compass, individuals who have an email address on Compass will automatically receive email notification of their suspension together with a link to some guidance notes for that suspended person. If they don't have a valid email address on Compass the Commissioner will be required to send them a hard copy suspension letter.

Commissioners should be aware of their ability to modify the suspension conditions in order to enable the suspended person as a parent or carer to participate to some extent in Scouting with their child (for example, to attend award presentations or to drop off and pick up their child). Any modifications must be kept to a minimum, communicated in writing to the individual and must not allow the suspended person to engage in regulated activity (for example by taking on a leadership function or to attend camp). See POR Rule 16.4.2.7.

If suspensions are not implemented by the relevant Commissioner, and/or a disclosure application is not submitted or the role closed within seven days of notification, the matter will be escalated automatically to the next Commissioner up in the line management chain.

The volunteer will be reinstated after obtaining a valid disclosure and completing the vetting process.

If a disclosure has not been applied for within 60 days (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or 90 days (Scotland and British Scouting Overseas) following their suspension, all roles held by the volunteer will be closed.

If the volunteer wishes to re-join Scouts in the future, they’ll need to restart the Welcome process.

Once suspended, in order to be unsuspended the individual concerned will need to complete a disclosure application, obtain a valid disclosure and complete the vetting process. Once they have cleared the vetting process the relevant Commissioner and Appointment Secretary will be notified and the individual will be unsuspended by HQ. The Commissioner will need to contact the individual concerned and tell them that they have been unsuspended. They must confirm this in writing.

If a disclosure has not been applied for within 60 days (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or 90 days (in Scotland and British Scouting Overseas) following their suspension, the roles held by the individual concerned will be closed. If they subsequently wish to re-join Scouting they will need to restart the joining process.

Coming soon!

You can find additional guidance about how to process a disclosure check in the following locations below:

• England and Wales
• Scotland
• Northern Ireland
• British Scouting Overseas