Volunteering Development Team Accreditations
Understand which volunteering development tasks are shared through accreditations
Volunteering Development Teams make sure all our volunteers have a positive and enjoyable volunteering experience. They make it easy for new volunteers to join and for all volunteers to learn new skills.
Many tasks for Volunteering Development Teams can be organised flexibly, based on volunteers’ skills, interests, and availability.
For other areas in supporting our volunteers’ experience, a volunteer needs permission to do specific tasks or take on certain responsibilities.
Volunteering Development Team Leaders and Lead Volunteers make sure volunteers with the right skills and experience take on these responsibilities through accreditations. These are outlined in the descriptions below.
District / County Accreditations
Purpose:
Our Awards Parcel Recipients receive parcels from UKHQ containing awards for their location. They may include any of these awards:
- Good Service Awards
- Length of Service Awards
- Wood Badges
- Meritorious Conduct Awards (includes Youth)
- Gallantry Awards (includes Youth)
- Cornwell Scout Badge Awards (includes Youth)
- Chief Scout’s Personal Awards (includes Youth)
Tasks:
- Receive the awards parcels, and check the contents are correct.
- Let UKHQ know if there’s anything incorrect or missing from the parcel.
- Let the relevant Lead Volunteer know when the parcel arrives and what awards it contains.
- Communicate with the Lead Volunteer to make sure the award items (for example, badges, certificates, and medals) are presented to award recipients:
- In good time
- At a suitable occasion
- Following the relevant local procedure.
Who can have this accreditation:
These tasks can be done by the Lead Volunteer as default. They can also be shared as an accreditation with any full member.
It's best to only have one Awards Parcel Recipient per location, so UKHQ know where to send the awards parcel to.
What learning is needed:
None
Who can give or remove this accreditation:
- All Volunteering Development Team Leaders
- All Lead Volunteers (except Group Lead Volunteers)
Purpose:
Our Disclosure Support Volunteers assist volunteers in completing their criminal record checks.
Tasks:
- Help local volunteers as they complete necessary criminal record checks.
- Communicate any queries with Safe Scouting and the local area.
- Keep up to date with the criminal record checks process and Scouts’ requirements of volunteers.
These tasks don’t include supporting with adverse criminal record checks; they’re the responsibility of the Volunteer Safeguarding Lead, or Lead Volunteer (if there isn’t a Volunteer Safeguarding Lead).
Who can receive this accreditation:
These tasks can be done by all Lead Volunteers, all Team Leaders, all Chairs; and any member of 14-24 Teams, Leadership Teams, Support Teams, and Volunteering Development Teams as default. Additionally, they can be shared as an accreditation with any full member.
What learning is needed:
None
Who can give or remove this accreditation:
- All Volunteering Development Team Leaders
- All Lead Volunteers (except Group Lead Volunteers)
Purpose:
Our First Response Trainers deliver the First Response course (first aid training at Scouts) to volunteers.
Tasks:
- Deliver First Response training to volunteers (online or in person), following the First Response syllabus and instructions.
- Confirm learners have paid attention and successfully completed the course.
- Support volunteers who’ve previously completed external first aid training on parts of the syllabus they didn’t cover before.
- Keep up to date on first aid practices and Scouts training requirements.
- Make sure Scouts first aid training is up to local and national standards.
Who can have this accreditation:
Any full member who:
- Holds a current first aid qualification provided by a regulated body (this should confirm their attendance at a minimum 16 hours first aid course). Have completed any additional learning to meet the Scouts first aid syllabus.
- Holds a recognised training / teaching qualification (level 3 award or above) or has validated the Scouts Presenting and Facilitating Skills modules.
Please note, volunteers can’t be counted as a First Response Trainer for courses until they hold the accreditation. Before that, they can only help with first aid delivery, alongside accredited trainers.
What learning is needed:
None
Who can give or remove this accreditation:
- All Volunteering Development Team Leaders
- All Lead Volunteers (except Group Lead Volunteers)
Purpose:
Our Learning Assessors support and assess volunteers as they learn.
These responsibilities may change over time as new learning content is developed between 2023 and 2025.
Tasks:
- Approve completed modules for learners (some modules may be approved by other people with specialist experience).
- Check completed workbooks and record learning on scouts.org.uk for volunteers without access to digital technology and/or for those who need an alternative to e-learning.
Who can have this accreditation:
Any full member
What learning is needed:
Who can give or remove this accreditation:
- All Volunteering Development Team Leaders
- All Lead Volunteers (except Group Lead Volunteers) can also give or remove this accreditation. However, they should agree the decision first with the Volunteering Development Team Leaders
The Recruiter accreditation is also linked to the Group Leadership Team. The description can be found on Leadership Team Accreditations.
Purpose:
Our Trainers deliver valuable learning experiences to our volunteers. This includes both current modules and new content.
These responsibilities may change between 2023 and 2025 as new learning content is developed.
Tasks:
- Facilitate appropriate learning to volunteers.
- Deliver current Scouts’ modules, as well as newly devised learning content.
- Facilitate learning and run workshops in line with Scouts’ methods and expectations.
- Find specialists to lead volunteer learning. For example, expert-led learning around practical skills or adventurous activities.
- Help test and deliver new learning as it’s created, providing feedback on what works in practice.
Who can receive this accreditation:
Any full member
What learning is needed:
Who can give or remove this accreditation:
- All Volunteering Development Team Leaders
- All Lead Volunteers (except Group Lead Volunteers) can also give or remove this accreditation. However, they should agree the decision first with the Volunteering Development Team Leaders
Purpose:
Our Welcome Conversation Volunteers give new volunteers a warm welcome, engaging them in a meaningful conversation. They’ll answer any questions they have at the start of their Scouts’ journey, making sure Scouts is right for them.
Tasks:
- Using this guide, prepare for a welcome conversation, together with the Team Leader/Lead Volunteer or local volunteer (or their delegate).
- Arrange a time and place that works for the new volunteer.
- Hold the welcome conversation, using the checklist.
- Inform the new volunteer’s team leader about the outcome of the conversation.
- Report any safeguarding concerns to the Volunteer Safeguarding Lead (or Lead Volunteer if there isn’t a Volunteer Safeguarding Lead).
- Report any welcome conversation concerns to the Lead Volunteer.
Who can have this accreditation:
These tasks can be done by all Lead Volunteers and Team Leaders as default (except Section Team Leaders). However, they can also be shared as an accreditation with any full member (except anyone whose only role is Trustee, and any roles that do not have a criminal record check).
What learning do they need:
Welcome Conversation learning (this will be available on scouts.org.uk when ready)
Who can give or remove this accreditation:
- All Volunteering Development Team Leaders
- All Lead Volunteers (except Group Lead Volunteers)