Managing volunteers with overdue learning
Understand the options when volunteers haven’t completed their learning
Supporting volunteers to complete their learning
All Growing Roots learning is done online, it was designed to attend to most accessibility needs.
Team Leaders and Lead Volunteers can work together to support their team members to complete their learning. An example might be to ask another volunteer to be there or provide additional support whilst the volunteer completes their learning, particularly if they need help accessing our online learning.
There is guidance for having conversations about overdue learning with suggested actions you can propose to help volunteers complete their learning, and tools such as mutually agreed restrictions to help ensure suspension or ending a role is a last resort.
Options for Lead Volunteers when learning remains overdue
In most cases, volunteers will complete or renew the learning requirements for their role before the deadline or after a reminder.
For all other learning, when volunteers continue to have overdue learning, Lead Volunteers should consider:
1. Suspending the volunteer
You may wish to suspend the volunteer for a set period while they complete their overdue learning. When suspended, the volunteer should not take part in any Scouts activities until the learning has been completed and the suspension process has been completed.
Before suspending the volunteer, you must communicate with them directly (and their Team Leader or Lead Volunteer, if applicable) to explain the reasons for the suspension.
Please read the guidance on suspensions for more information.
2. Ending the volunteer’s role
If a volunteer hasn't completed or renewed their learning within the given timescales or after having a restriction or suspension applied, then it will be necessary for you to end the volunteer's role.
Read POR Chapter 16.8 for details on when this is appropriate.
3. Retiring the volunteer
You may also retire the volunteer if they’re no longer able (for any reason) to continue their active service but wish to retain an attachment to the movement. The retired member role should never be used for anyone who has any trustee responsibilities or responsibilities for young people, and should never be used as an alternative for suspending a volunteer.
Read the Retired Member webpage for more information.
Exemptions
Managing exceptions for mandatory learning on the new digital system.
When managing volunteers with overdue mandatory training, County/Area/Region Lead Volunteers have been able to temporarily exempt volunteers from suspension when there was a justified reason to do so. This could be for medical or personal reasons if the volunteer is not carrying out their role.
Anyone on this exemption list will be added to the new membership tool in a 'holding role', which means they won’t be automatically recommended for suspension. If County/Area/Region Lead Volunteers have any members currently on this exemption list, they’ll be contacted directly to recommend the best next steps for recording these volunteers’ status’ and roles going forward.