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s u Foc ine for The magazDistrict t Leaders, Group Sconual Commissioners 9 /Area/RegFioebruary/March 200 ty n u o C d n a

They said yes!

Top tips for perfect inductions

Walk this way

How good is your Fellowship at recruitment?

ADULT TRAININRG A PLAN FORE THE FUTU

E H T R O F P U E L BUCK E R U T N E V D A ence r G e f f i BI d e h t l al ake m n a c u o y How

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Your Adult Support Team Tim Kidd, UK Commissioner for Adult Support Ben Storrar Programme and Development Adviser (Adult Support)

Intro

Supporting growth

Contact them at: focus@scout.org.uk adult.support@scout.org.uk appointment.process@scout.org.uk Adult Support Team The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford; London E4 7QW; Tel: 0845 300 1818 ADVERTISING Senior Sales Executive: Tom Fountain tom@thinkpublishing.co.uk Tel: 020 8962 1258

Recruitment and retention are not just buzzwords, says Focus editor Rosie Shepherd. This issue, we look at some practical ideas to help you put them into practice Recruitment of adults is always a hot topic in Scouting, and particularly now as the numbers of young people wanting to get involved are growing. In this issue we look at some of the ways which you can get key groups of people such as parents and young adults involved, as well as tips on how to make Fellowships more accessible.

EDITOR’S NOTE 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 Focus 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 Big Adventure Have you heard about The Big Adventure yet? Turn to page 4 to find out how you can use your camps and outdoor events this summer to recruit more adults to help out in your Groups.

Keeping you up to date It’s four months since the new appointment process was launched and in this issue we find out how one County is getting on with putting it into place.

Perhaps their experiences will give you some ideas that would work for you.

Also, the training community has been thinking (we know, its dangerous!) about development. To find out what they got up to at the conference last September, and what’s on their minds, turn to page 8.

Better induction Once you’ve recruited a new adult it’s important to think about the next steps.

Turn to page 12 for more some practical hints on induction, and why it is important in welcoming and supporting adults.

In Focus 4 The Big Adventure How you can support this summer’s big recruitment push

6 Parental persuasion Turning an enthusiastic parent into an occasional helper

7 Attractive options How welcoming is your Fellowship?

8 Plan of action Some sound advice for developing adult training where you are

10 Go West Follow us down to Devon to see how the Appointment Process is bedding in

12 They said yes!

After recruitment comes induction – we provide some top tips

14 Volunteering: the next generation Why 16-25 year olds are the key to our future success

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What’s the big idea?

T

at exactly is The Big Everyone’s talking about it, but wh can you get involved?

Adventure, how will it help, and how

he Big Adventure is a new way to recruit adults by involving them in residential experiences and outdoor events. It’s all about encouraging parents and other adults connected with a Group or section to experience the fun of Scouting as part of the leadership team.

How is it going to help?

Just as the excitement and adventure of camp is one of Scouting’s biggest attractions for young people, it’s also one of the things our adults love most. Every summer we organise camps, activity days or trips for hundreds of thousands of young people. For summer 2009, why not extend the invitation?

Research shows that the single most effective way of turning adults on the edge of a Group (such as parents, helpers and members of the community) into volunteers is to give them an active role in the running of a residential experience. By inviting people to take on a defined, meaningful role in an event they will get a taster of what it’s like to volunteer in Scouting, how fun it can be working as part of a team, and what a difference their contribution can make to the young people involved.

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This adds up to them being more likely to become a regular volunteer with that Group or section.

How do people get involved?

The Big Adventure will be happening across the UK from 1 May to 31 August 2009 – but only if our leaders make it happen! Any camp, sleepover or other outdoor event during that time can be part of The Big Adventure. There’s no need to create something new. Leaders can plan the same camp they do each year, but just think a bit differently about how they put together their leadership team.

Before and during the summer national PR and marketing surrounding The Big Adventure will help to raise the profile of Scouting both locally and nationally.

By becoming part of the event Groups and sections within your patch can make the most of this coverage, as well as resources and products which will help to show people what an exciting movement they are part of.

What can you do?

This has the potential to dramatically support Scouting by recruiting those much needed new adults. However,

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The Big Adventure

for it to work it will need to be planned, delivered and followed up effectively – this is where you come in!

Helping section leaders or other event organisers to identify adults who may be willing to be involved will increase the chance of events being a recruitment success. Equally, in order to turn those adults into volunteers the follow-up after the event needs to be effective, and may benefit from extra input. It’s important too that your Districts are ready to deal with any Want to Join enquiries that may be generated.

What about Explorer and Network?

The Big Adventure is primarily aimed at Colonies, Packs and Troops.

However Explorer Scout Units and Scout Networks are actively encouraged to provide support at Big Adventure events, if they can.

‘I think The Big Adventure is a really good idea. The obvious benefit is that we can increase our membership – more adults in Scouting means more young people can join.

Parents are among our key stakeholders and by taking part in camps and other outdoor events they have a great opportunity to understand what really happens in Scouting.

Parents have so much to give in terms of skills and experience, as well their own valuable network of contacts.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of getting parents and other adults involved in our big summer events is that they allow the programme to grow. We can offer a much wider and more exciting range of activities for young people if we have extra support on the leadership team.’

Ben Richardson, County Commissioner, Greater London South East

more info Don’t forget to check out the main article on The Big Adventure on page 18 of Scouting, your free step by step resource included with this issue as well as www.scouts.org.uk/thebigadventure

Buttons for local websites promoting the Big Adventure are available to download from www.scouts.org.uk/thebigadventure

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Parental persuasion Encouraging adults to commit to formal appointments is sometimes challenging – many wish to help out, but find making a sustained commitment difficult. Ben Storrar looks at the options

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arents are often overlooked as a invaluable source of support; in fact they have a range of skills that can be used when needed.

When they drop their children off at meetings, instead of going home for an hour, why not persuade them to stay and help when they can? Others might enjoy something less hands-on, such as compiling a fundraising quiz for the Group, or would be happy to arrange lifts to events.

Although some may not want to make a regular commitment, many will be happy to help out at occasional events (such as camps or District events), as part of a parent rota (where they might help out twice a term at Section meetings) or as and when they are free.

The right approach Asking parents to help should always be done positively and with specific tasks or events in mind for each parent (eg the qualified canoeist taking Scouts canoeing). Be flexible and open about how much commitment it will entail. Keep parents involved, invite them to help when they can and thank them for the contribution they make.

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Occasional Helper Form – what you need to know The Occasional Helper (OH) Form was introduced in October 2008 to ensure there is a record of all those involved in Scouting and to preserve the safety of our young people. It also prepares for the introduction of new legislation in October 2009 (applying to England, Wales and Northern Ireland).

The OH Form is designed for those who help on an informal basis, such as on a parent rota. It needs to be completed, along with the relevant Criminal Record Disclosure form, by parents and helpers who are involved or undertake responsibilities in Scouting, including: • assisting with overnight activities, eg an overnight stay at a camp and/or • have unsupervised access to young people This form applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For legal reasons, separate rules apply to Scotland.

Please contact Scottish Headquarters for further information.

more info Please see the factsheet on Criminal Records Checks in The Scout Association (FS 321004) available from www.scouts.org.uk/ appointment or by calling the Scout Information Centre on 0845 300 1818.

To find out how you can involve parents in your summer camps and other outdoor events visit www.scouts.org.uk/thebigadventure

Focus February/March 2009

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Fellowship

Attractive options Scout Fellowship is ideal for recruiting new volunteers who want to help in a flexible way, says Stuart Card. But is it always as welcoming as it could be?

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have met with many different Scout Fellowships over the past year and have noticed that even the most active ones often have a static membership. Whilst retention of members may be good, recruitment can still be an issue. The flexible concept of Fellowship may seem ideal for recruiting new members from outside the movement, but there are some common barriers which may need to be overcome.

Looking at your culture Do you remember your first day at school, or your first day in a new job? You’ll recall the feeling that everything is new and strange, and that you’ll never understand it all. While Scouting customs and traditions encourage a sense of belonging and community amongst current members, they can be very daunting to someone new. Try making some occasions more informal, and take time to explain what is happening to a newcomer.

more info For more information and ideas see www.scouts.org.uk/fellowship

Broadening your appeal You probably enjoy what your Fellowship does and the activities it gets involved in, otherwise you wouldn’t be there! But do you offer a breadth of activities that would appeal to a range of people? How about holding a brainstorming evening to see how you could do this.

A famous man once said: ‘Look wider and whilst you are looking wider, look wider still.’

Offering flexible volunteering A Fellowship diary can seem hectic at first glance: supporting camps; helping with sections; running or attending training courses, visits, speakers, social evenings and committee meetings. It’s a list that would be enough to put anybody off! It is therefore important to make clear Fellowship allows people to give whatever time they are able to supporting Scouting. They are not expected to attend every event. scouts.org.uk/focus

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Plan of action Are you aware of the plan for developing training in your Group, District, County or Region? Samantha Marks summarises the key learning points from a weekend dedicated to improving adult training

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n September 2008, five years after the launch of the Adult Training Scheme, Training Managers from around the UK returned to Warwick University where it all began. The weekend programme enabled them to focus on the work that would improve adult training across the UK. They also looked at opportunities for people to work together across Regions.

The programme included workshops on the Saturday with action planning on Sunday. This provided opportunities for networking and sharing ideas, identifying tools that could be used on a local level. It also gave time for Counties, Areas and Regions to draw together the weekend’s work into an action plan. These action plans helped to identify key areas of development across the Country. Some of this work will already have begun; all of it will be on-going. Here are some of the key learning points that came out of the weekend.

Make learning fun!

There is a constant need for an understanding of what learners want and need, engaging with both new and existing learners. Training Managers should revisit their module delivery methods to ensure they are engaging

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Adult training

with the learners and using a variety of methods based around the needs of the learners.

There is no one right structure for all Remember, your structure needs to change to meet local needs. There may be a need to review the structure and provision of the local training team, as well as recruit and enhance the current teams. There is a strong desire to acknowledge and reward training teams, to support them and ensure their training needs are met. They should also receive recognition for the work that they do.

Together, everybody achieves more Working together across Districts, Counties, Areas and Regions is seen as a key priority. Training Managers want to build a working relationship between the training teams and line management structure, in order to help with recruitment into training roles and the development of local training plans.

ld ‘Training Managers need to bui a working relationship between ement the training teams and line manag structure.’

Be flexible with the Training Adviser role There is a clear need to support our Training Advisers as they are a crucial part of a successful training team.

As many have other roles within Scouting it is important to manage their workloads and provide the resources they need to make the role easier.

Enthusiasm, flexibility and making Training Advisers feel valued has resulted in the most consistent and effective training teams. By sharing resources and ideas across the country, we can help each other with the development of people in this challenging role.

Select the tools that work for us There was an overwhelming consensus that we need to ensure there are processes and systems in place to support training. In particular, there should be a focus on the use of our own systems by other members of the training teams.

OVER TO YOU

A quality training provision allows for a better quality of Scouting to be delivered at a local level. To achieve this, the training teams where you are need your support.

Make training greater than the sum of its parts All of the actions mentioned here will continue to help develop better quality training. It should be a provision agreed across each County, Area or Region, with training and management teams working together; a provision that is in tune with the learners’ needs and succeeds in enthusing and supporting learners. scouts.org.uk/focus

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Go west Ben: How did you find out about the new appointment process?

Sally: I read about it in the October/November issue of Focus and had a look at the appointment process webpage (www.scouts.org.uk/appointment) We also had a presentation at our Regional County Commissioners’ meeting in October, at which our Regional Commissioner suggested we identify the first steps we needed to take. He called it ‘getting all our ducks in a row’.

The new appointment process was launched in October 2008 and we are now in the one year transition period for Counties to move over.

Ben Storrar talks to Sally Yeo, County Commissioner of Devon, to see what progress has been made in her County

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We listed these stages as follows: 1. Getting Module 37 training arranged before we go live 2. Ensuring that all those who need to know about the process have been fully briefed 3. Identifying and appointing the Appointments Secretary 4. Identifying and appointing the Appointments Chairman (not the Chairman of the Executive Committee) 5. Appointing a panel of Appointments Advisory Committee members.

He then suggested that our Region should try to achieve all the stages by the end of July so we would have everything in place by early September. This would mean we would comfortably meet the deadline of 5 October 2009.

Ben: What progress have you made so far?

Sally: I briefed all my District Commissioners and their Chairmen at a meeting in early November and also my County Executive. I also briefed my County Training Manager and all the Local Training Managers in the same

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The appointment process

week. It is important they understand the process – and some of them are now involved in the delivery of Module 37. We also identified suitable Training Advisers to validate the module and discussed the best way to do this.

The District Commissioners and their Executives worked together to appoint their Appointments Secretary and Chairman, while we did the same at County level. These people then identified others to be members of their Committee. We all looked for people who had good interpersonal skills – they need to be friendly and welcoming but able to ask questions and make decisions about the suitability of applicants.

We have arranged training dates and opportunities for people to access the Module 37 DVD, as well as organising the Training Advisers needed to validate the module. We have also made sure that those who need to have completed Module 1. We are now nearly ready to actually start using the new process!

Ben: How would you describe making the transition to the new process?

Sally: It has been hard work to get it all in place but it has made us think about how we welcome people into the Movement. We’ve thought carefully about the induction process, and I think we have a much more streamlined system now.

The appointment process materials were all helpful.

They set out the information clearly for all those involved and the training has made sure that everyone knows what they are expected to do and how.

Getting all our ‘ducks in a row’ at the beginning really helped us. Planning the process and taking the time to do it properly has really helped us to put everything in place so we are ready and able to meet the deadline.

Ben: Are all your Districts ready?

Sally: Not quite, it has taken us longer in some Districts than others. We have looked at some Districts working together: some of them are very small and are not always able to find the three people they need for the interview – so they have made arrangements with the District next door to help.

more info For further information about the appointment process, a factsheet with key questions and answers and all the resources to download or print-to-order from the Scout Information Centre, please visit www.scouts.org.uk/appointment

Ben: Thank you Sally, and good luck with using the appointment process in Devon.

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They said yes! you some ideas on This issue of Focus will have given you do once someone’s recruiting new adults, but what do the importance said yes? Rosie Shepherd explains of induction

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volunteer’s first six months of their role are vital in determining how long they stay.

If you’ve put a lot of time and effort into recruitment, it’s important to follow it up with a good quality induction. Otherwise it is unlikely that your new adult will stay in their role for long...

What is induction?

The process of induction is about welcoming new volunteers and ensuring that they are happy and supported in their role. Primarily it is about information, meeting people, and having a go. It is as much about a culture of good support as it is about a process. Induction allows the adult to develop until they reach the point where they can find information and support for themselves, so does not last for a defined period of time but depends on the adult involved.

When does the process begin?

In fact, induction starts even before the adult has said ‘yes.’ While they are deciding whether to take on a role you may introduce them to someone they will be working with; they may attend a meeting or event to see what it might be like. They may also discuss the proposed role description with you. These are all aspects of ‘induction’.

Who is it for?

Induction is applicable to many people in a wide variety of circumstances, not just those completely new to Scouting.

When someone changes role, changes location, or has a change in circumstances they will need an induction. The content of that induction will vary between individuals, taking into account their prior experiences and knowledge.

Whatever the situation of the induction you are planning you will need to consider these aspects: 12

• Induction plan Induction does require thought in order to be effective.

An induction plan which sets out what will happen when, and who is responsible, means things are much more likely to happen. Agreeing the plan with the new adult means they are likely to feel more confident about receiving support in their first few months in the new role.

• Induction pack An induction pack is often one of the first things that an adult should receive in their new role. It should provide useful local information, tailored to the individual and their role that the adult can refer to.

It should be a welcoming and motivational resource that is seen as useful, not something to be hidden in a dusty corner! To help you, the Induction Pack template is available from www.scouts.org.uk/appointment

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Induction

• Contacts

• Informal induction

Helping the newcomer make the contacts they will need during their role is a vital part of induction. Plan to ensure that they meet the people they will need to know, not just those they bump into. This may include meeting the person who did their role previously for a handover. Setting up meetings is much more welcoming than simply providing a list of phone numbers, but bear in mind that meeting lots of new people at once may be daunting.

Finally, remember that induction is as much about an attitude as a process. Arriving early to meetings, showing them where to hang their coat or how to work the heating in the hut, letting them know the best way to contact you (and being available) are all part of a good induction. more info Induction: Starting Adults in a New Role, the Induction Prompt Card and The Induction Toolkit are available from the Information Centre and online at www.scouts.org.uk/ inductionresources The Induction Pack Template is available at www.scouts.org.uk/ appointment

• Having a go Having a go at the new role is one of the most important parts of induction. Ensuring that a new adult is given something interesting to do straight away such as running a game or working on a joint task keeps them interested and involved. Remember, more people leave an organisation through lack of activity than anything else.

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Volunteering: n o i t a r e n e g t x e n e h T says The Scout ped source of potential volunteers, tap un ely larg a are s old r yea g 25 16how the marketing team is helpin s lain exp She . son lin Tom ie tal Association’s Na you to recruit them…

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ur success in the last few years in attracting parents and lapsed leaders as volunteers has taught us many things, not least how to better communicate with these groups.

Now, in partnership with Sainsbury’s and v (the youth volunteering charity), the team is extending its focus to a wider audience – 16-25 year olds not currently involved in Scouting.

Different motivations This age group can be extremely enthusiastic, and may want to volunteer in order to work with young people, do something worthwhile, have fun outdoors or learn new skills. We will be targeting two particular groups: • The friends of current members – Personal recommendation is our strongest recruitment tool and people’s friends, who will be broadly similar to them, may be interested in volunteering if asked.

• Those who ‘need to’ volunteer – These are people who need to gain some experience working with young people as part of their own development. Perhaps they are thinking about a career with young people, or need additional work experience as part of a degree.

Specific information for both types of audience will be available online. This will explain the benefits 14

of volunteering in Scouting and will be linked to the ‘want to join’ system to enable you to capture the volunteers in your area.

What you need to do In order to ensure that potential interest is turned into real volunteers it is important that the ‘want to join’ enquiries are followed up efficiently. These people will be responding to a campaign asking them to volunteer, and will leave quickly and with a poor view of Scouting if their interest is not followed up. Ensuring that your join contact in our system is up to date is therefore vital.

By working together we should start to see an increase in the number of young volunteers across the UK, directly benefiting you locally.

Is your local contact up to date?

District Commissioners can change or add contact information for the membership enquiries person in their District, by amending the membership record on www.scouts.org.uk

Focus February/March 2009

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