Tips for managing the impact of the suspension

1. Prepare for any meetings:  

• When's the best time to meet with the team. 
• Think about what questions might be asked and how you'll reply, without sharing sensitive or confidential information.
• How you’ll manage any negative comments and behaviour.
• Consider what support the Group might need to be able to keep the sections running. For example, find a replacement permit holder for an upcoming activity.  

Tip: You can use the constructive conversations guide to prepare for meeting the team.

2. Try to keep team discussions focussed on how to keep Scouts running locally.  

3. Talk to the team and explain:  

• That the person won’t be volunteering for a while.
• You might not be able to give timeframes, but you’ll update them when you can.
• You'll do the best you can to help them manage the impact of the situation.
• Remind them of their Scout Values, our rules and that you’ll not be able to share details about the situation because it’s confidential.   

4. With the team, make a list of the tasks that the suspended volunteer does. Decide which of these tasks can be:    

a) Delegated (ask someone else to do):For all the delegated tasks, make a list of who could do these tasks, then contact them to ask.  

b) Dumped (not done): For all the tasks that can be dumped, make sure you’ve thought about the impact of not doing these tasks. Let people know that these tasks won’t be done and that you've considered what this might mean. Set a reminder to review these tasks in case they need to be picked up again.   

c) Delayed (not done for a short period of time): For all the tasks that can be delayed, decide how long they can be delayed for and let people know. Set a reminder to review these tasks, so that you’ll have time to put a plan in place to get them done.

5. Minimise opportunities for large gatherings, where comments and behaviour might become quite challenging.

6. Think about what support or actions might be needed, if the actions of a suspended volunteer, start to have a negative impact on the running of Scouts. For example, if the suspended volunteer is involved in another organisation that gives grants or funding and Scouts applications are negatively affected because the suspended volunteer hasn’t declared a conflict of interest.  If the volunteer works or volunteers for another organisation, let the safeguarding team know.  

7. Remember other volunteers might not be aware of the process that you’re following.

Page last reviewed: November 2025