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Supporting international volunteers with safeguarding

Read more about ensuring safeguarding when inviting adult Scout colleagues from overseas to attend Scout activities with TSA youth members

It's important to establish the capacity in which an international volunteer (someone who is not a member of 'The Scout Association' (TSA)) is attending a Scout event within the territory of TSA.

This process applies where the international volunteer is participating in a TSA event.  For example, as an international volunteer at a TSA international camp or a joint camp with a UK Scout Troop.

This process is not applicable where the international volunteer is leading young people from their own National Scout Organisation (NSO) only and not participating in a wider TSA event.

Vetting volunteers from overseas

International volunteers are not able to complete our usual vetting process due to the fact that they do not live in the UK. In order to attend a Scout activity within TSA, an international volunteer must be a member of a NSO which is part of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM) or part of a Member Organisation which is part of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) if the event is open to both Scouts and Guides.

To ensure young people are safe from harm and for a valuable experience for everyone involved, when planning to welcome an international volunteer to a Scout activity within TSA you should:

  • Get confirmation in writing from their NSO's International Commissioner that the international volunteer is a full member of a WOSM-affiliated NSO and has fulfilled the appointment, training and vetting requirements in line with the safe from harm policies of the NSO.
  • The NSO should confirm that there is no reason they should not attend the event.
  • Their participation in your camp or event can only be confirmed once you have this.

Contact details for National Scout Organisations in other countries can be found in the World Scouting Directory, by contacting your County Leadership Team, or by contacting the Scout Support Centre. Contact details for Member Organisations in Girlguiding can be found in the WAGGGS directory. 

International volunteers who have not been through the above process should be supervised at all times when visiting a Scout activity within TSA.

Training for international volunteers

Before they arrive at a TSA event

In addition to being up-to-date with training requirements in their home country NSO, international volunteers must also complete WOSM Safe from Harm training for volunteers. This is available in the working languages of WOSM. International volunteers should be able to demonstrate their completion of this training by showing their certificate or by providing an endorsement from their NSO stating that they have completed a WOSM Safe from Harm check. 

Prior to and on arrival in the UK, provide all international volunteers with: 

If international volunteers plan to bring their own child(ren) under the age of 18 to a TSA activity, arrangements for their care and supervision while at the event must be agreed in advance with the event organiser(s).  Consideration should be given to the impact on ratios and clear agreement is required about the primary role of the parent or carer of the child(ren) at the event, including arrangements if they are unwell or incapacitated and unable to undertake their parental responsibilities.  Expectations of adult supervision for children vary worldwide, so it's important to discuss this before agreeing to allow children to accompany their parents. 

After they arrive at a TSA event

Provide an event-specific briefing or training, which should include:

  • Emergency procedures for the event
  • The Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card)
  • A discussion about the culture of volunteering with children within TSA. It should be made clear to international volunteers that while they are in the UK, TSA policies and UK legislation supersede any child protection or safe from harm processes their home nation follows and that where breaches of policy may constitute a criminal offence, UK Police will be informed.

For non-English speakers, interpreters should be used to ensure understanding. 

For further advice and guidance on welcoming and supporting international Scout volunteers to join camps and events in the UK, please contact [email protected].

Read about safeguarding at UK-based large scale events