Understanding Welcome Conversations
Guidance for preparing for and taking part in a Welcome Conversation
Why Welcome Conversations Matter
The Welcome Conversation is a chance to get to know the new volunteer, explain how things work, and answer any questions they may have. These conversations are a key part of our safer recruitment process, ensuring volunteers understand our values, expectations, and safeguarding practices from the very beginning. Taking the time for a proper welcome lays the foundation for a supportive and positive volunteer experience.
When to have the Welcome Conversation
Welcome Conversations should happen within the first 30 days of a volunteer’s journey. If this isn’t possible, it must be completed within 180 days to meet the requirements in POR and make sure safeguarding standards are upheld.
Most volunteers will need only one Welcome Conversation. They won’t need another if they change roles, unless their new role requires one and their previous role did not, or if they’ve taken a break of more than 30 days.
Who takes part in the Welcome Conversation
Every Welcome Conversation must include:
- The new volunteer
- The person responsible for appointing the volunteer (usually the Lead Volunteer, District/County Team Leader or Sub-Team Leader – or delegated to a member of the Leadership Team, non ex officio)
- A Welcome Conversation Volunteer
An accompanying adult, if the new volunteer would like additional support (for example with understanding, accessibility needs, or anxiety) can also attend.
The appointing person and the Welcome Conversation Volunteer cannot be the same individual. The appointing volunteer must have completed the appropriate learning and is the one to record the outcome on My Membership.
The Welcome Conversation Volunteer plays an important part in creating a consistent, fair and supportive experience for new volunteers. They take part in the conversation alongside the Team Leader or Lead Volunteer and bring an independent perspective.
To act as a Welcome Conversation Volunteer, someone must:
- Be from outside the new volunteer’s Group or Team
- Hold a full appointment in a role that requires a Welcome Conversation (i.e. not someone who holds only a trustee role)
- Have held a similar role to the new volunteer within the past five years
- Have completed the required Welcome Conversation learning
- Have been given the Welcome Conversation accreditation by their Volunteering Development Team Leader
Guidance for the Team Leader or Lead Volunteer
Invite the new volunteer to a Welcome Conversation
Prepare by arranging the meeting at a time and place that suits everyone, allowing around 20–30 minutes for the conversation. This could be in person at a Scouts meeting place, a local coffee shop, or online via a platform like Zoom or Teams.
Make sure you arrange for a Welcome Conversation Volunteer to join the conversation.
If you need help finding someone who’s accredited and available, read our digital tool guide on finding a Welcome Conversation Volunteer on Data Explorer, or speak with your Volunteering Development Team for support.
Next, explain to the volunteer that the conversation is informal and friendly, rather than a formal assessment. Sharing the Welcome Conversation checklist beforehand can help them know what to expect and feel more at ease.
Finally, check if the volunteer has any access needs or preferences, so you can make any necessary adjustments and ensure the conversation is inclusive and supportive.
Invitation template
Subject: Your Welcome Conversation with The Scouts
Hi,
Thanks so much for starting to volunteer with/joining <insert name of Group, District or County>. We’re really excited to have you on board!
As part of getting started, we’d love to invite you to a Welcome Conversation. It’s a friendly, informal chat designed to help you feel comfortable and confident as you get started in your role. It’s a great chance to get to know each other, explain how things work, and answer any questions you might have, as well as a chance for us to share our values, expectations, and safeguarding practices.
<Insert name of Team Leader or Lead Volunteer> has set this up for you on <insert time, date, location and expected duration>. You’ll also be joined by <name of Welcome Conversation Volunteer>, who volunteers with another local team. This means you’ll get to hear different perspectives and experiences, and ask questions of someone who volunteers in a similar role to you.
If the time or date doesn’t work for you, just let me know and we’ll find something that does.
We’ve attached a quick checklist so you know what to expect during the chat. Feel free to take a look beforehand.
Any questions? Just give us a shout.
Thanks!
<your name>
Use the Welcome Conversation checklist as a guide, but keep the conversation natural and two-way. It should feel like a chat, not a form-filling exercise.
Key things to cover
- Welcome them warmly: Check name pronunciation or ask for any other names the new volunteer might go by, thank them for joining, and explain your role and the role of the Welcome Conversation Volunteer.
- Get to know them: Ask why they want to volunteer and what they hope to gain or contribute.
- Talk through the role: Explain what they’ll be doing, who they’ll be working with, and how their role fits into the bigger picture.
- Share our values and expectations: Highlight the Scout Values, Promise and Our Volunteering Culture. Make sure they have a copy of the Yellow Card (Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults) and understand what to do if they have a safeguarding concern.
- Explore their support needs: Ask if they have any access needs or adjustments and explain what support is available.
- Clarify what’s next: Make sure they understand the remaining steps in their joining journey (like completing training or ID checks) and how to access tools like scouts.org.uk.
Once the Welcome Conversation is complete, the outcome must be recorded in My Membership to confirm it has taken place. If the task is delegated, the person who led the conversation should log the outcome and inform the Team Leader or Lead Volunteer.
Follow up if needed by offering additional support, introductions, or resources to help the volunteer settle in.
Remember, the Welcome Conversation is just one step in the joining process. Until all steps are complete, the new volunteer can take part in activities but must not have unsupervised access to young people.
Welcome Conversation checklist
This handy checklist is for Welcome Conversation Volunteers and Team Leaders or Lead Volunteers to use during the Welcome Conversation. It's a conversation guide, to make sure all the points have been covered.
The checklist should also be shared with the new volunteer ahead of the conversation, so they know what to expect.
Make sure you let the new volunteer see this throughout the conversation, and tick things off as you go through them together.
Thank you for taking this next step with us. We want you to have the best welcome possible. Within your first 30 days, you’ll have a chat with a Welcome Conversation Volunteer and your Team Leader. Here, you can chat about everything you need to feel confident in your new role.
Tick off the following points together for an easy start to your new role.
- Tell us a little bit about yourself and your interest in Scouts. Do you have any access needs we can support you with?
- Do you know what tasks you’ll be doing? Let us know which tasks you’ve signed up for and how you’ll plan these in.
- At Scouts, we want to help you grow. Chat through our learning and development opportunities.
- It’s everyone’s responsibility in Scouts to keep young people safe. Chat through the Scout values, promise, policies, Yellow Card and our Volunteering Culture.
- We make your journey easy to follow through scouts.org.uk. Can you access this?
- Complete the rest of your joining journey steps.
Top tips
- Please let us know what pronouns you use and if you have a preferred name? Do we have your correct details?
- Volunteering is flexible, so chat to your Welcome Conversation Volunteer to see if there’s something else you’d like to try.
- We’d love to hear from you. If you have any questions or just want to chat, reach out to your Welcome Conversation Volunteer, Team Leader or buddy (if you have one). Thank you for everything you’ve done so far and for having this conversation with us.
Good luck on your volunteering journey!
Becoming a Welcome Conversation Volunteer
Discover what you need to do to become a Welcome Conversation Volunteer.