Regulated Activity and Regulated Roles in Scouting

If your role in Scouting involves you participating in Regulated Activity or is a Regulated Role (in Scotland), this determines whether you require a criminal record check and the level of the check.

Regulated Activity and Regulated Roles with Children in Scouting

Regulated Activity with Children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Regulated Activity with children is:

Teaching, training or instruction; care for, or supervision of children on more than 3 days in a 30-day period, or once overnight with the opportunity for face-to-face contact with children.
Moderating a web service wholly or mainly for children (excepting those without access to content or child users) on more than 3 days in a 30-day period.
Driving a vehicle for children on more than 3 days in a 30-day period.
Personal care on at least one occasion
Day-to-day management of someone in regulated activity with children

Regulated Roles with Children in Scotland

A Regulated Role with children is a role of any description which:

Involves the carrying out of one or more named activities (see below) AND
The activities are carried out as normal duties (reasonably expected to be part of the role) and in Scotland; AND
Carrying out of these activities gives the individual the opportunity to have contact with children (including physical or visual contact, written or verbal communication with children, exercising power or influence over children). This contact should be more than incidental.

Regulated Roles in Scotland apply to volunteers aged 16 and over.

Examples of named activities with Children within Scouting:

Having responsibility for the safety and welfare of a child
Teaching, instructing or delivering training to children
Holding power or influence over a child for the purpose of an activity in which the child is taking part or seeking to take part in.
Being in charge of or caring for children
Providing cultural, leisure, social or recreational activities for children
Driving or escorting children in connection with transport services provided exclusively or mainly for children
Being the day-to day supervisor or line manager of someone doing the activities above
Holding a position of responsibility in an organisation which has as one of its main purposes the provision of benefits for or to children

There are no time limitations as for the other nations, other than it is part of normal duties. Once is enough.

Regulated Activity and Regulated Roles with Vulnerable and Protected Adults in Scouting

As Scouts is a youth organisation, the majority of our service users are children aged 4-17 and the adults in Scouting have roles and responsibilities to care for the children so most criminal records checks are for the Child Workforce.
There are some occasions in Scouting where a vulnerable or protected adult may be a service user and some specific guidance on whether Regulated Activity/ Regulated Roles apply. More guidance is below.
If you think that these may apply to your volunteering, please discuss this with [email protected]

Regulated Activity with Vulnerable Adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is

Providing an adult with physical assistance with eating or drinking (eg spoon feeding), going to the toilet, washing or bathing, dressing, oral care or care of the skin, hair or nails because of the adult’s age, illness or disability
Prompting and then supervising an adult who, because of their age, illness or disability, cannot make the decision to eat or drink, go to the toilet, wash or bathe, get dressed or care for their mouth, skin, hair or nails without that prompting and supervision.
Training, instructing or providing advice or guidance which relates to eating or drinking, going to the toilet, washing or bathing, dressing, oral care or care of the skin, hair or nails to adults who need it because of their age, illness or disability
Day to day management of those providing the above regulated activity to adults

An adult is considered vulnerable at a particular time, not because of the setting in which the activity is received, and not because of the personal characteristics or circumstances of the adult receiving the activities.

Regulated Roles with Protected Adults in Scotland

A Regulated Role with protected adults is a role of any description which:

Involves the carrying out of one or more named activities (see below) AND
The activities are carried out as normal duties (reasonably expected to be part of the role), and in Scotland; AND
Carrying out of these activities gives the individual the opportunity to have contact with protected adults (including physical or visual contact, written or verbal communication with protected adults, exercising power or influence over protected adults). This contact should be more than incidental.

A Protected Adult in Scotland is anyone 18+ who

is homeless
is receiving health or community service
needs assistance with activities of daily living
has experienced, is experiencing or is at risk of experiencing domestic abuse
has an impaired ability to protect themselves from physical or psychological harm because of a physical or mental disability, illness, infirmity or ageing
AND receiving a service for this.

Protected Adult status is only in effect whilst the person is receiving a service addressing one of the listed needs.

Examples of named activities with Protected Adults in Scouting:

Teaching, instructing, training or supervising protected adults
Giving advice or guidance to a protected adult in relation to education, training or employability
Being in charge of protected adults
Having responsibility for the safety and welfare of a protected adult
Having the ability to directly influence decisions about the safety and welfare of a protected adult
Providing cultural, leisure, social or recreational activities for protected adults
Driving or escorting protected adults in connection with transport services provided exclusively or mainly for use by protected adults
Holding a position of responsibility in an organisation which has as one of its main purposes the provision of benefits for or to protected adults (regardless of Whether the organisation has an additional purpose of providing benefits for or to another group)

More information about Regulated Activity and Regulated Roles can be found here: