Focus F

Focus

WHY PARENTS ARE JUST

WAITING TO BE ASKED

scouts.org.uk/focus

The magazine for volunteer managers in Scouting

December 2010/January 2011

Two’s companyMeet the role-sharing

County Commissioners

Small island, big ideas

Active Support takes o� in Guernsey

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Welcome

3scouts.org.uk/focus

The year ahead

4 Big Adventure; big opportunity

Involve parents in your camps and activity days and reap the rewards

6 Parent powerMore tips for getting parents on board

7 Supporting diversity The new Diversity Ambassadors are here to help

9 Channels of supportScout Active Support takes o� in Guernsey

10 Are two heads better than one?

How a role-sharing arrangement is already paying dividends

12 Global action Our new partnership with Save The Children

13 Got it covered? Let Unity sort out your equipment insurance

14 Sharing our visionWayne Bulpitt shares progress on the launch of our Vision Towards 2018

18 New generation; new ideas Let’s make volunteering easier, says Tim Kidd

Download all section supplements at www.scouts.org.uk/magazine

CREATE ...... your own local calendar at

www.scouts.org.uk/brand

Your Adult Support TeamMark Flexman, UK Adviser for Adults in Scouting, James Newton, Programme and Development Adviser for Adults in ScoutingContact them at:[email protected] [email protected]

Adult Support TeamThe Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford;London E4 7QW; Tel: 0845 300 1818 email [email protected]

ADVERTISINGRichard Ellacott [email protected] Tel: 020 8962 1258

County: Although in some parts of the British Isles Scout Counties are known as Areas or Islands - and in one case Bailiwick - for ease of reading this publication simply refers to County/Counties. In Scotland there is no direct equivalent to County or Area. In Scotland, Scouting is organised into Districts and Regions, each with distinct responsibilities. Some ‘County’ functions are the responsibility of Scottish Regions, whilst others lie with Scottish Districts. The focus of responsibility is outlined in Scottish variations from POR.

The new year is all about new challenges, and one of mine is taking on Focus says James Newton

(Programme and Development Adviser for Adults in Scouting). I look forward to hearing your views

as I settle into the editor’s chair

2011 starts with some big opportunities for Scouting. We kick o� with a look ahead to The Big Adventure – are you using it to recruit parents into Scouting? With the transition from Scout Fellowship to Scout Active Support �nishing on 31 December 2010, one commissioner shares how Guernsey is using Scout Active Support. Meanwhile Claire Welch highlights the role of the new Diversity Ambassadors and how they can help you and your teams. Jean Marshall discusses the important role parents play in helping Scouting and o�ers advice on how to encourage them to get more involved.

Flexible volunteering This issue, we also catch up with Adrian Tallett and Paul O’Brien, the two new County Commissioners for Greater London South, about how role-sharing is helping them be more e�ective. We also bring news of a partnership with Save The Children who has helped produce new programme material for the Global Programme Zone.

On page 14, UK Chief Commissioner, Wayne Bulpitt shares news on Scouting’s Vision Towards 2018. Finally Tim Kidd rounds up this edition with a look at how a �exible and creative approach can help make Scouting better for all involved.

Your feedback...Focus is here to support you. If there are any issues you would like to raise, stories you can share or ideas for future editions then let us know at [email protected]

In Focus


4 Focus December 2010/January 2011

Big Adventure; Big opportunity



Parent power

How often have you heard ‘they think we are

just glori�ed babysitters’ asks Jean Marshall ,

or ‘we get absolutely no support from our

parents, they are just not interested’. Let’s look

at a positive way to engage our parents

P arents are our greatest source of support. However we are often quick to blame them for not getting involved or lacking interest. We don’t always ask

them why they seem disinterested. Engaging parents and getting their active support is therefore a valuable use of time and the best for getting more helpers and potential leaders.

Starting the conversation The �rst challenge is getting to know your parents including their skills, hobbies, occupations and personalities. This can be tricky as you may only see them dropping o� or collecting their children. Building a parents’ skills directory will give you an idea of who may have the time and inclination to help. A family information form is included in the parent pack available on

www.scouts.org.uk/parentWhy not organise a ‘bring a parent’ night? This

might involve a team project, introducing some element of competition such as young people versus parents, or getting the young people to run the evening, which works particularly well with Scouts.

Parent rotas work well in Beavers and Cubs. They help encourage and reassure while showing parents what actually goes on during a meeting. A chance to �nd out and get involved can be quite appealing, especially if it is just a one o�. At the end of an evening a good way to say



Top tips for engaging parents1. Ask, face to face, if they are

prepared to help on a rota or at an event.

2. Have a friendly and relaxed approach when asking people to help.

3. Spend time with adults that o�er their help – remember you need to speculate to accumulate.

4. Make the best use of their skills.5. Accept that not all parents will

become uniformed leaders, but their help, no matter how small, is just as valuable.

6. Keep it simple for the person you are asking to help.

Adult recruitment

thank you is to present parents with a sticker or certi�cate from the young people.

Hold a Big Adventure Getting parents actively involved in organising a camp or sleepover as part of the Big Adventure initiative is another e�ective method. For more on this, see page 4.

Alternatively, why not hold an open night for the young people on the joining list and their parents? Organise some activities for the young people and have refreshments available for the parents. Ensure there are enough leaders

to run activities for the young people leaving others to talk to parents about Scouting and the possibility of getting involved.

The follow up Once you know your parents a little better and have identi�ed the people who have really helped and enjoyed themselves, make sure you

follow up. Invite them to sign up for more nights on the parent rota or ask them to attend a section night if they have only ever helped at camp. Ask if they would like to attend a planning meeting. Perhaps their skills would be best suited to helping on the Executive Committee? If so, speak with your Chair and invite them to the next meeting.

And �nally: a note of caution.

Beware of the philosophy that ‘it will be quicker for me to do it myself.’ This can be disastrous when it comes to parent engagement, since it often results in parents turning up to help but being left on the sidelines. Instead, the motto ‘you have to speculate to accumulate’ is more appropriate. Spend some time explaining to helpers what needs to be done and how to do it, so that next time they will be able to do it themselves.

Of course it is the young people we need to focus on, but without help from adults, there would not be any Scouting.


Want to make Scouting more accessible and inclusive? Like to develop your own understanding and knowledge of diversity? Our team of Diversity Ambassadors, recruited from across the UK, can help support you and your teams says Claire Welch

Supporting diversity

D iversity Ambassadors are currently being trained to deepen their understanding of the di�erent strands of diversity and

learning how to build inclusion. Their curriculum includes examining bias

and prejudice through a variety of topics such as generational di�erences, the legacy of slavery, and

Islamaphobia. The learning

is structured in a way which

relates them to Scouting’s strategic aim to be a Diverse Movement.

Room for improvement?Re�ect on the Scouting you manage and identify areas you would like to develop. These might include more girls in the younger sections, improved ethnic representation, younger managers, or another under-represented area. Would a discussion with a Diversity Ambassador be helpful? They can also help you raise the awareness of the diversity of you and your team.

If you wish to request contact with your local Diversity Ambassador please contact [email protected]



Channels of support It is more than ten years since Guernsey had a Scout Fellowship, says Julie Bulpitt, Bailiwick Commissioner. Learning about the changes at Gilwell Reunion, we felt it was time to set up a Scout Active Support Unit

R eading about Scout Active Support Units (in a few quiet moments at the hairdresser) I discovered that we certainly had a need for one. From supporting our leaders and

encouraging new adults to join to helping at island events, the list of things we needed help with went on.

The �rst step was to �nd a manager and we asked Ben De Carteret to �ll the role. He already works with our Network members and is used to working with all ages. He had a think about the support we needed, and his list was longer than mine! We then came up with a list of people, of di�erent ages and skills, who might be interested in joining, some who have been in Scouting for a number of years and some who �nd a weekly commitment too much. We also felt it was an opportunity to encourage others who were having a break back into the Movement.

The potential supporters are now being asked and we are also sending out a general invitation to see if we can �nd more. We also have plans for a social information evening to answer any questions.

Friends old and new We have written a draft agreement and set ourselves a target to set up our Scout Active Support within two months. We will ask our new recruits what areas they are prepared to help us with, perhaps starting with their hobbies, and then work on �nding the right people for the tasks that need doing. We will be welcoming back old friends and encouraging new ones to join us. All this will

help our leaders do what they do best, that is, making Scouting an adventure for our young

people, while having fun themselves.‘Guernsey has a great wealth of adults who have a wide

range of skills that are not used to the full potential’ says Ben. ‘Scout Active Support is a new start for Scout Fellowship, which has served Scouting well for 30 years. It will help move us forward and inspire more members to join and existing members to continue to provide practical support for local Scouting.’

Transition deadline approaching The countdown towards the end of Scout Fellowship is now in its �nal stage. If you are a District or County commissioners, please work with your Appointments Secretary to ensure that all Scout Fellowship members who wish to continue their membership of The Scout Association make the transition to Scout Active Support. If you have any questions please check www.scouts.org.uk/activesupport or email [email protected]

Scout Active Support



Are two heads better than one?

Bear Grylls and Wayne Bulpitt are already showing how

leadership roles can be successfully shared in Scouting.

But is the idea catching on? Focus catches up with two

new County Commissioners who are sharing the role

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Flexible volunteering

A drian Tallet and Paul O’Brien are the two new County Commissioners for Greater London South (GLS). Between them they bring 43 years of Scouting experience at all levels. We

spoke to them about the bene�ts of role-sharing within Scouting.

How are you planning on sharing the role between you?Adrian: We have clearly de�ned our areas of responsibility. I am responsible for the management of District Commissioners and Districts as well as managing our County Development Project and its three Development O�cers. Paul is responsible for training, activities, programme, international and safeguarding. What di�erent skills do you each bring to the role?Paul: I have extensive management experience leading teams of various sizes, as well as experience in programming and working with young people at a grass roots level. My professional background as a senior IT manager will help with County communications. Adrian: My key strengths are in project management, organisational skills and strategic planning at a senior management level. I also run a charity so am well versed in social inclusion and cohesion along with such things as governance, HR, �nance and fundraising. I have successfully managed a number of development projects, in Scouting and professionally, in the voluntary and community sector. What do you feel are the bene�ts of a role-share?Paul: Sharing the role of County Commissioner allows us to divide the huge workload involved in running an inner city County. Adrian: We have each other to bounce ideas o� and share the woes that being a County Commissioner sometimes brings, especially when making the changes to ensure that Scouting is �t and proper for today’s society. With clear areas of responsibilities sharing the role will allow us to focus our e�orts much more than if there was only one County Commissioner. Do you think role sharing a management role will make the role easier as a whole?Adrian: This really remains to be seen. We have only been in post for a couple of months at the time of writing. But yes, we expect it to.

What do you think are the biggest challenges of the role-sharing arrangement? Adrian: Getting the County membership to believe that Borough Scouting is right for us will be one of our biggest challenges. We’ll also be promoting new working practices and sharing new ideas around the County.Paul: I think recruiting and retaining more adults into Scouting from outside the Movement will be a big challenge for us. It is also important for us to get County members to feel proud that they are part of a great County. We will also hope to build on the current success of the County and sustain our increase in membership for another four to �ve years in a row. What are you hoping to achieve in the coming year? Paul: Our main focus is on implementing boundary changes to bring Districts in line with local authority areas. How can role sharing be applied to other roles within Scouting?Adrian: Role-sharing can work at all levels. All it really needs is an open minded-ness and a willingness to make it work.

What advice would you give to someone considering a role-share in Scouting?Paul: I think is important to make sure that you can work with the other person and that you both have clearly de�ned areas of responsibility.

‘Sharing the role of County Commissioner allows us to divide the huge workload involved’Paul O’Brien

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December sees the start of The Scout Association’s partnership with Save the Children, a charity that works in the UK and across the world to ensure children get proper healthcare, food, education and protection. But, asks Daisy Charlton , how can it also bene�t Scouting?

O ver the next year, we’re going to be working with Save the Children to provide programme material for the Global Programme Zone. This, as you will know, has been identi�ed as

a particularly challenging area for section leaders to deliver. But how else can the partnership help you and your leaders?

Inspirational programme resources Let leaders know about the Friendship Passport. This is a unique and exciting resource primarily aimed at the Beaver, Cub and Scout sections but with themes that stretch across all. Ready made activity ideas are given that can help work towards di�erent badges. In particular this is an ideal way to encourage leaders to try the International Partnership Award as there are many activities suitable for cross-sectional co-operation. See the December/January edition of Scouting for more.

A theme for your events Want to do something di�erent for St George’s Day or Founder’s Day? One of the suggested activities in the

Friendship Passport is to hold a Friendship Funday. Resources are available on the website giving you activity ideas so you can create a day to learn about the global community, re�ect on the meaning of friendship and discover how members can help make a positive di�erence.

PR opportunitiesSave the Children is another high pro�le charity with volunteers all over the UK. Contact local Save The Children volunteers to see if you can run a joint activity and use your local press contacts to get the story into print.

FIND OUT MORE These are just a few ideas, but there are many di�erent ways you can use the resources created. For more information please visit www.savethechildren.org.uk/scouts and Programmes Online www.scouts.org.uk/pol

Global action

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Insurance

Insuring your equipment need not be daunting. Here are some of the things to consider, which should help you make an informed decision.

Getting the right value for your equipmentOne of the �rst points is setting the right value for your items. You should insure your equipment at a full replacement value, even if it was donated as a gift or originally purchased second hand. You may not be so lucky in getting it replaced so cheaply.

Storage and usageConsider how your equipment is used, and where it is stored. Unity provides two options.1. Contents Cover provides a cost e�ective way of insuring

equipment, especially if you occupy brick or concrete premises.

2. If you are not lucky enough to have all your possessions under one roof and rely on people to store items in their own homes, then All Risks Cover is a more �exible option.

You should check whether your equipment is covered when it is being used. Some other policies may not cover equipment outside the meeting place. Unity understands Scouting. We know it isn’t much fun camping inside!Unity can cover your equipment:• for loss or damage while stored or in transit• for use in the UK (even when left unattended at camp)• on overseas trips • ‘new for old’ cover on most items.

If you share equipment in the school or church hall where you hold your meetings, do not assume that their insurance will cover your items.

Something borrowed, something hiredAnother issue is borrowing equipment from others and hiring out your own equipment to people outside your Group. If you borrow equipment and it is damaged, lost or destroyed, you will need to reimburse the owner using Group funds if you were not insured. You really shouldn’t take the risk, but consider arranging insurance for the period of the loan If you lend out your equipment, most policies will not cover hiring out/loaning unless you have speci�ed it. It is dangerous to assume that the borrower will insure it. You should seriously consider insuring items you hire out or lend. You can always recover the cost as part of the hire fee. Unity can arrange suitable cover for you, whether it is short period cover for items you borrow, or cover for items you hire out.

Specialist policies for speci�c equipmentMost of your Group’s equipment can be covered under Unity’s Scout Property and Equipment policy. Some larger items, such as marine equipment, a minibus or other motor vehicles may be better insured under specialist policies, which Unity also provides.

Got it covered?

A lot of money, time and e�ort goes into providing your Scouts with equipment. That’s why it’s important to have adequate cover to protect it. It’s also a Policy, Organisation and Rules (POR) requirement. Ralph Doe explains how Unity can provide the cover you need

For more information or how we can help with your insurance needs please call 0845 0945 [email protected]

more info

Check whether your equipment is covered when it is being used at camp

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If you have already attended a forum, please discuss in your District and Groups how you can make the vision a reality. What support do you need from us to make it happen? Once we’ve completed the workshops, we’re planning to share the ideas across the UK, so that we can all learn from and be inspired by each other. Email your thoughts to [email protected]

more info

Focus: So Wayne, you’ve held seven Regional District Commissioner and Group Scout Leader Forums in England and attended the Scottish District Commissioner Conference. What’s the purpose of these meetings?Wayne: Firstly it’s very important that those with national roles get out and about and spend time with District Commissioners and Group Scout Leaders. We need to �nd out what the issues are and how we can support people better. Over the past few years we have made these kinds of forums a regular feature and I think it has been a valuable experience for all. However, this year the forums are particularly important as we are discussing the Association’s new strategic Vision Towards 2018.

Focus: How has the vision been developed?Wayne: The vision has come from the Movement itself. Over the past couple of years we have been talking to members to �nd out what they really want from Scouting and where they see it going. We have pulled all that information together into one place to give a clear direction for the future.

Focus: How has the vision been received?Wayne: Very well so far. I think when it comes to looking forward, there is a mixture of excitement at the continuing

potential of Scouting, but also an acknowledgement that we have challenges ahead of us. However, it’s great to look at how far Scouting has come in the last ten years – these achievements show we are more than able to meet challenges in the future.

Focus: Some people reading this will have been to a forum, and others will have theirs in the next few months. What’s your message? Wayne: Well, for those who haven’t had their forum yet, these are really important events for the future of Scouting in your area. So please come ready to engage with the vision.

Sharing our visionA series of workshops are running around the UK for District Commissioners and Group Scout Leaders to get to grips with Scouting’s Vision Towards 2018. We caught up with Wayne Bulpitt , UK Chief Commissioner, to �nd out how they are going

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Opinion

New generation; new ideasScouting asks a great deal of its adult volunteers – whether that is working directly with young people, managing Scouting or supporting others. So, asks Tim Kidd , how can we make things easier?

O n a bad day (and we all have them!) sometimes it seems easier to just stop Scouting altogether. But then we remember that it is all about helping young people. In

terms of making things easier, the solution can be very complex. But Scouts are practical and can usually �nd a few simple answers even to very di�cult questions.

Increased �exibility I think that being �exible and creative is key to making our Scouting better and easier for adults. This means being open to doing things di�erently and, more importantly, �nding methods that �t our volunteers rather than �t our systems.

It is hard for me to admit that I am getting older and that some of my ideas are alien to the new generation of volunteers. I guess that my experience is similar to that of

many adults involved in Scouting. However we all have a responsibility to pass on good Scouting to new generations of young people. Sometimes that means letting new people take charge and allowing them to run things in their own way.

New ideasIn considering how you might be more �exible and creative in running Scouting, I hope that this edition of Focus will give you some ideas. Would role sharing help in your patch? Do you need ideas to get parents involved? How about making more of those adults who choose not to be section leaders perhaps because of of their limited available time? Would an appreciation of the diversity of your local area help to make Scouting more accessible? However you choose to move forward – keep an open mind and be receptive to change. Good luck!

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Focus F

Documents

Transcript of Focus F