Focus

s u Foc ting ers in Scoru2010 g a n a m r e nte vembe ine for volu October/No The magaz

Any plans for 2011?

Join-in-Jamboree is here

Shop window recruitment

Scouts take over a town

S A E R A L L A S S ABCreaCkinEg down barriers in Scouting k/focus

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Your Adult Support Team Mark Flexman, UK Adviser for Adults in Scouting, Paulina Sekrecka, Programme and Development Adviser (Diversity) Contact them at: focus@scouts.org.uk adult.support@scout.org.uk Adult Support Team The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford; London E4 7QW; Tel: 0845 300 1818 email adult.support@scouts.org.uk ADVERTISING Richard Ellacott richard.ellacott@thinkpublishing.co.uk 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.

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

ALL CHANGE

From 31 December 2010 all current Scout Fellowship roles (ACC Scout Fellowship, AAC Scout Fellowship, ADC Scout Fellowship, Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and member) will be closed on www.scouts.org.uk. Members who wish to continue to support Scouting must be registered as Scout Active Support members. The process put in place to change Scout Fellowship members to Scout Active Support members is up the District, County/Area/Regional Secretary and the District or County/Area/Regional Commissioner when they have decided on the most appropriate approach.

For assistance please email active.support@scouts.org.uk

Welcome

Thinking differently Scouting’s vision emphasises the importance of making the Movement more diverse.

Paulina Sekrecka says now is the time to start planning to make this a reality

This issue of Focus provides you with practical support on how to help Scouting become more accessible to people of different ethnic backgrounds, beliefs, mental or physical abilities, gender and age. Quite a challenge – but an achievable one.

We kick off with a look at what ‘accessible language’ means and how it can help create a more inclusive environment. We also hear from Claire Devine about the Disability Discrimination Act and how it impacts on Scouting.

Meanwhile, Sheridan Allman, the UK Adviser for Diversity, explains some changes that are coming up in the 2011 census.

Young voices Paul Fix from the Youth Involvement Group looks at how best to engage young people in the decision-making process (page 12).

On page 6 Jean Marshall reveals the secrets behind a successful local recruitment event. We also introduce Chance UK – an organisation successfully recruiting male volunteers as positive role models for young people. Meanwhile, Patrick Rooke introduces Join-in-Jamboree as a great way to promote crosssectional activities in your area. Tim Kidd, Chief Commissioner for England rounds things off with his thoughts on what it means to be truly inclusive.

Tell us what you think Send your management comments and article suggestions to focus@scouts.org.uk

In Focus 4 Flexible, inclusive and accessible Why a wider mix of people is good news for Scouting

6 Recruitment through adventure Top tips for running a successful event

8 A different perspective How Chance UK is recruiting male volunteers

9 Join-in-Jamboree How you can use the new resource to promote cross sectional activities

10 Do we know who we are?

There are some changes to the 2011 census. Sheridan Allman explains all

12 Do young people really get a say?

Paul Fix introduces some stories of youth involvement

13 Class act What does the Disability Discrimination Act mean for Scouting?

14 Facing up to the diversity challenge Tim Kidd, Chief Commissioner for England shares his thoughts

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Your Adult Support Team Mark Flexman, UK Adviser for Adults in Scouting, Paulina Sekrecka, Programme and Development Adviser (Diversity) Contact them at: focus@scouts.org.uk adult.support@scout.org.uk Adult Support Team The Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford; London E4 7QW; Tel: 0845 300 1818 email adult.support@scouts.org.uk ADVERTISING Richard Ellacott richard.ellacott@thinkpublishing.co.uk 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.

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

ALL CHANGE

From 31 December 2010 all current Scout Fellowship roles (ACC Scout Fellowship, AAC Scout Fellowship, ADC Scout Fellowship, Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and member) will be closed on www.scouts.org.uk. Members who wish to continue to support Scouting must be registered as Scout Active Support members. The process put in place to change Scout Fellowship members to Scout Active Support members is up the District, County/Area/Regional Secretary and the District or County/Area/Regional Commissioner when they have decided on the most appropriate approach.

For assistance please email active.support@scouts.org.uk

Welcome

Thinking differently Scouting’s vision emphasises the importance of making the movement more diverse.

Paulina Sekrecka says now is the time to start planning to make this a reality

This issue of Focus provides you with practical support on how to help Scouting become more accessible to people of different ethnic backgrounds, beliefs, mental or physical abilities, gender and age. Quite a challenge – but an achievable one.

We kick off with a look at what ‘accessible language’ means and how it can help create a more inclusive environment. We also hear from Claire Devine about the Disability Discrimination Act and how it impacts on Scouting.

Meanwhile, Sheridan Allman, the UK Adviser for Diversity, explains some changes that are coming up in the 2011 census.

Young voices Paul Fix from the Youth Involvement Group looks at how best to engage young people in the decision-making process (page 12).

On page 6 Jean Marshall reveals the secrets behind a successful local recruitment event. We also introduce Chance UK – an organisation successfully recruiting male volunteers as positive role models for young people. Meanwhile, Patrick Rooke introduces Join-in-Jamboree as a great way to promote crosssectional activities in your area. Tim Kidd, Chief Commissioner for England rounds things off with his thoughts on what it means to be truly inclusive.

Tell us what you think Send your management comments and article suggestions to focus@scouts.org.uk

In Focus 4 Flexible, inclusive and accessible Why a wider mix of people is good news for Scouting

6 Recruitment through adventure Top tips for running a successful event

8 A different perspective How Chance UK is recruiting male volunteers

9 Join-in-Jamboree How you can use the new resource to promote cross sectional activities

10 Do we know who we are?

There are some changes to the 2011 census. Sheridan Allman explains all

12 Do young people really get a say?

Paul Fix introduces some stories of youth involvement

13 Class act What does the Disability Discrimination Act mean for Scouting?

14 Facing up to the diversity challenge Tim Kidd, Chief Commissioner for England shares his thoughts

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Flexible, inclusive and accessible O ne of the key roles as managers is to create a comfortable environment for everyone. This doesn’t mean we need to turn into interior designers. Rather it’s about making everyone welcome regardless of age, mental or physical ability, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or gender.

We need to ensure that individuals from all sections of society are welcomed and their needs are met.

Use simple language and explain what they will be doing in their role ie leading craft activities or going hiking.

Breaking the role down into individual tasks and defining how long each task should take gives a much clearer picture to a potential volunteer than asking them to become a leader. Words like ‘flexibility’ and phrases like ‘job sharing’ can also give out strong messages about our inclusive approach to recruitment.

Suitable venues

Make yourselves known

Think, for example, about where you hold events and how they are conducted; whether it’s an AGM, a social event, planning or training sessions. The local pub may seem like an excellent venue but it’s not accessible to all. Some adults don’t drink alcohol or cannot be in places where alcohol is available for religious, cultural or health reasons, so they are immediately excluded. Similarly choosing venues where leaders can bring along their own children if they need to, saves them the hassle of finding babysitters and demonstrates flexible thinking. How many events, for example, that explicitly exclude children may also be excluding parents?

Even if your leaders are all OK with being in the pub, thinking ‘inclusion’ and making changes now sends out a powerful message that new joiners are welcome. Similarly making sure that your venue choices are accessible to people with mobility challenges or disabilities, such as hard of hearing, goes a long way to ensuring accessibility for all.

Being open and accessible in recruitment is also about knowing your target audience and how you are likely to attract their attention. To target a wide range of people from different kinds of backgrounds, you may need to move to both online sites and print media that appeal to different sets of people – The Big Issue, Emel magazine, local radio stations aimed at Black and Asian populations or Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender press – rather than just sticking to the traditional Scouting routes.

Contact your local media to see if they have someone responsible for diversity and inclusion on their staff who could help you with local contacts. To ensure resources are accessible to all members of your local community ask parents or leaders to translate recruitment materials and distribute them at local community centres or places of worship.

Clear, simple language Both printed and online material are other areas where more inclusive thinking can pay off. When advertising new roles, for example, try and avoid using too much Scouting jargon such as ‘provide a balanced programme’ or acronyms like ‘DESC’. Many people won’t understand them and they can end up creating unnecessary barriers to potential volunteers.

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A diverse leadership team The more diverse your leadership team, whether in age, gender, faith or ethnicity, the better your Scouting will be.

It encourages a creative approach to planning and delivering programmes, as well as a more comprehensive offer for young people. When promoting diversity try focusing on the idea of inclusion and accessibility; these terms are more easily understood and most people can understand and relate to them.

Focus October/November 2010

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Diversity

Scouting is attracting people from a wider range of backgrounds, with varied life experiences and expectations, says James Newton. We need therefore to promote equal opportunities and respect for diversity

FIVE STEPS TO IMPROVE INCLUSIVITY

for • Consider using a neutral venue and open safe is ch whi e plac a meetings or to ever yone. erences • Be awa re of generationa l diff ly use - whi le you nger people com mon ht have mig ple peo r olde e, uag trendy lang usive incl be ld a problem with it – we shou to all. ance on • Check out the RNI B site for guid . sites web le ssib creating acce t kinds of • Consider advertising in differen ia. med places and • Thin k FLEX IBLE , INCLUSIVE AND ACCESSI BLE .

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, t n e m t i Recru through e r u t n e v ad Help with adult recruitment is still the number one support request, says Jean Marshall, Regional r Development Officer fo ks loo e the South West. Sh sful at what makes a succes t‌ local recruitment even

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Recruitment

I

am not really a betting person, however, I’d wager that if you’re reading this article you’d like more adult support in your teams. Am I right?

One of the most popular and effective ways to recruit adults is to organise a recruitment stand, which is exactly what West Devon District did last summer. They decided to take a collective approach and hold it in Tavistock town square.

On display The theme was camping: the young people set up camp in the windows of a wide range of local shops, supported

by Scout Active Support members who put up a display at the local supermarket.

Adult volunteers talked to shoppers about why they were there, gave them a Scout postcard and encouraged them to go to the town square where they could exchange the postcard for a free Scouting goodie bag.

Each goodie bag was filled with leaflets and information about Scouting. Freebies included i.Scout pens, Scout cotton shopping-bags and Beaver and Cub mugs.

Activities and adventure There were also activities that people could have a go at, such as the climbing wall, face painting and competitions like pitching a hike tent (donated by the County Kit Store) in the shortest time. The trusty Scout Mobile Display Unit was in the main town square as a focal point. Volunteers there engaged the public and took details of anyone interested in finding out more.

The baker’s gave 40 vouchers for free lunches for the volunteers and Somerfield donated £50 for food for a cooking competition and food giveaway. Some £200 was raised for the give-away material from writing to local businesses and organisations. The District Commissioner also applied to the Development Grants Board at Headquarters and received £1,250. The local press visited the event, which resulted in a two-page spread.

CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS 1. Aim. What is the aim of your activity or event? The recruitment of young people, adults or both? Recruitment or fundraising?

Be clear and focus on the primary aim of the event.

2. Resources. How will you cover the financial costs? How many people and what skills are needed? Activity instructors, recruiters, put up and take down teams? People to follow up interested adults and young people?

3. Location, location, location… Where would be the best place to have a recruitment stand; at an existing fete, fair, show, community festival or at a standalone recruitment event?

4. Attraction. What will attract people to your stand? Activities, competitions, freebies?

5. Promotion. If you are doing a standalone event, how will you promote the stand before the day? If you attend an existing event, how will you promote your presence?

6. Registration. How will you record the details of people who show an interest?

7. Follow up. Who will follow up the people after the day, where will you place them and what welcome and induction will they receive?

Great results At the final count, 74 people had given their details, which was just 26 short of the District’s target of 100. This included people wanting to be leaders, occasional helpers, activity instructors, Scout Active Support members and young people. The proof is in the statistics, with West Devon appearing in the top 25 Districts across the country for growth in the 2010 census (21.5% increase in young people and a 21 per cent increase in adults).

The District Commissioner praised everyone for coming together and sending a powerful message to the community that Scouting is relevant, growing and adventurous.

Find out more For more information contact the Regional Development Service in your area and see factsheet Design and Deliver an Effective Recruitment Event (FS500017).

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A different perspective We know adult recruitment is vitally important, so how do other organisations do it? Matt Collins from Chance UK shares his experience of recruiting male adult volunteers

C

hance UK aims to reduce youth crime and anti-social behaviour across the UK. We run an early intervention mentoring programme that works with children aged 5-11 who are showing the warning signs of developing this behaviour later in life.

Just like in Scouting, volunteers are crucial to our success. We recruit volunteer mentors to form an inspiring bond with a child, raise their self esteem (focusing on the child’s strengths rather than their negative behaviours), broadening their horizons through sports, visiting museums, in fact anything that enthuses and engages them.

The need for volunteers

positive male role model. Chance UK strives to match children with a male mentor where possible.

Recent research revealed that 35 per cent of men felt that having a male primary teacher challenged them to work harder at school. The recent recruitment drives for male primary school teachers however shows there may be some reluctance among men to volunteer their time with this age group.

Effective ways to recruit male volunteers Our volunteer recruitment activity focuses on the positive impact male volunteers can have on young people. We encourage word-of-mouth recruitment of male mentors via social media like Twitter and Facebook. We target gyms and five-a-side football pitches to find active and dedicated men.

The vast majority of children with behavioural difficulties referred to us are boys who lack a

fo

more info www.chanceuk.com

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The i.Scout Full Zip Hoodie with i.Scout printed on the front and sleeve and i.Rock on the back.

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01903 766 921 Activity Trousers Ref 1006953R

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NEW restyled

The new Scout Activity Trousers have been redesigned to meet the modern day requirements of Scouting. Available in men’s, women’s and youth sizes.

Changes include: Soft handle water resistant finish, redesign of the pockets, new tunnel waistband with adjustable internal elastic to give a better fit and a repositioned Sizes: Men’s 32”-60”, mobile phone pocket. Women’s 8-36

Adult Harlequin Rugby style shirt Ref 1025489R

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Made from heavy knitted cotton, this shirt is comfortable and ideal to wear when the temperature starts to drop.

Unisex

The i.Scout Full Zip Hoodie with i.Scout printed on the front and sleeve and i.Rock on the back.

All profits go back into Scouting. The Scout Association Registered Charity number 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland). focus_101110.indd 8

10/09/2010 10:45

Join-in-Jamboree

Join-inJamboree O

Join-in-Jamboree goes out to all section leaders with this issue of Scouting magazine. How can you help members in your area make the most of the new resources?

kay – so not everyone will be able to get to Sweden for the 22nd World Scout Jamboree.

But Join-in-Jamboree is very much the next best thing. It uses next year’s Jamboree as a focal point to provide global and internationally themed programme ideas for all sections to use as part of regular meetings.

to a particular month of the year for planning purposes, the ideas can be used at any time of the year.

‘Make a change, Make a difference’ and ‘Working together’ are themes specifically designed to bring Scouts of all ages together, to make a difference to each other and their local, national and international communities.

Available to all

The ideas in the monthly themes range from raising awareness on global issues such as water usage, recycling and homelessness, to working externally with other charities. ShelterBox, Save the Children and SOS Children’s Villages all feature in the resources providing both programme ideas and opportunities to fundraise and get involved with the work these charities do.

There are five separate resources – one for each section – and these have been sent along with the regular sectional supplements. All resources will also be available to view online at www.scouts.org.uk/wsj2011, meaning managers will have easy access to all the programme and activity ideas for each section.

Global issues

Joined up thinking Join-in-Jamboree can be used by managers to promote cross-sectional activities and meetings in their areas. Each resource is split into 12 monthly themes, running from October 2010 – September 2011. These themes range from ‘Past Jamborees’, to ‘Make a change! Make a difference’, to ‘Working together’. Although allocated

with and ck.

more info Visit www.scouts.org.uk/wsj2011 to access opportunities to bring Scouts of all ages together as part of the global programme in the Jamboree year – don’t miss out!

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Do we know who we are?

You’ll notice some changes in the 2011 census, says Sheridan Allman, UK Adviser for Diversity. The extra data gathered will mean we can provide better support to our increasingly diverse membership

Y

ou may have read in this year’s census pack about some changes to data collection coming up in 2011. You need to be thinking now about how these will affect your record keeping systems for both young people and adult volunteers.

What sort of changes?

In the 2011 census the questions on ethnicity will be enhanced using the full ethnic group classifications from the UK Census. The ethnic origin classification will now look like this:

Ethnic origin

White and Asian Any other mixed/multiple ethinic background C Asian/Asian British Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi

How would you describe your ethnic origin?

Chinese

A White

Any other Asian background

English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British

D Black/African/Caribbean/Black British

Irish

African

Gypsy or Irish Traveller

Caribbean

Any other White background

Any other Black/African/Caribbean background

B Mixed/multiple ethnic groups

E Other ethnic group

White and Black Caribbean

Arab

White and Black African

Any other ethnic group

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Census

Why are these changes necessary?

The new sections will help us match our data more closely with the UK National Census. This in turn means that we can get a much more accurate picture of whether Scouting truly reflects our local areas.

For example by looking at the Government Census data for our large cities in England, Wales and Scotland, we can see that there is a very diverse ethnic mix. Therefore we would expect all our Scout membership in these cities to reflect that same mix. But how will we know unless we collect more accurate data? It may be that we are missing out on a large population of young people and adult volunteers from different kinds of backgrounds and we therefore need to do more work to develop Scouting in these populations.

We also need to be more effective in planning our projects, programmes and events, so we can meet the needs of both the adult volunteers and the young people.

One way to address this challenge is to gather more data around special needs. So by widening our question around disability, as shown below, we will get more accurate data to help us improve our support.

It will also give us the opportunity to consult with outside agencies to make sure that we are following the best practice guidelines with respect to our provisions for people with visible and hidden disabilities. The questions around disability are likely to be as follows:

Disability The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 defines a disabled person as anyone who has or has had a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term affect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities

Mental health difficulties Multiple disabilities Unseen disability eg diabetes, epilepsy, etc A disability not covered above (please state below)

What do you need to do?

Over the course of 2010 Groups, Districts and Counties may wish to think about the mechanisms for collecting this information for both adults and young people.

For example, your section leaders could distribute and collect the new forms then add the data to the census.

Parents and volunteers may question you as to why the Association is asking these more detailed questions around ethnicity and disability. Hopefully this article will help you answer and address these concerns.

We are committed to building our profile in more diverse communities and in traditionally disadvantaged communities so a good starting point is to know where we are and to be able to focus our development efforts in a more informed way.

Download the new forms To help collect this data in your Groups, we have provided two forms (one for adults, one for young people) that you may ask members to complete anonymously. These can be downloaded from www.scouts.org.uk/census

How many adults/young people are Registered Disabled or consider themselves to have a disability? Please provide a number for each category.

Dyslexia Autistic spectrum Blind/partially sighted Deaf/hard of hearing Wheelchair user/mobility difficulties Personal care support

What’s your view?

Contact us at diversity@scouts.org.uk

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Do young people really get a say?

It is vital that young people have a strong input into what we do locally and nationally. But how widespread is this involvement and what does it look like in practice? Paul Fix of the Youth Involvement Group investigates

O

kay – so first comes the theory. The Youth Involvement Group is working towards The Scout Association’s vision that: Scouting will be a movement that is truly youth focused, led by young people in partnership with adults. It will be a movement where all young people are able to contribute to the running and shaping of all aspects of their Scouting journey and experiences.

One of the biggest challenges for line managers is how to effectively engage young people in the decision-making process without making the young people feel tokenised. Fortunately, there are many examples across the UK where youth involvement is working well:

Taking time Dean Jefferys is County Commissioner for Greater London North East: ‘I meet our 18-25 members on the County Executive Committee before the start of every meeting,’ he says. ‘Together we run through the agenda items and provide the opportunity for young people to ask any questions

12

they might have. Taking time to discuss these matters makes them feel a more integral part of the committee.

Their input is also more valued. This results in a more productive and effective working relationship for everyone.’

In Manchester a District Explorer Scout Commissioner has handed over parts of her role to the District Explorer Scout Committee to perform. This includes taking on the responsibility to actively encourage the moving on process from the Explorer Scout Section to the Scout Network. The end result is that there is youth member representation at Unit level and youth members have the opportunity to contribute to the programme and management of Explorer Scouting in the District.

Don’t be afraid to be different Engaging young people in creative and innovative ways helps them become more involved in decision making and allows line managers to delegate some of their duties whilst retaining overall management responsibility. Establishing such a mutually beneficially partnership can only strengthen Scouting further.

Focus October/November 2010

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Accessibility

Class act

So you’ve got your team sorted, been to all the meetings and completed the training says Claire Devine, Accessibility Project Team Leader. But how are you coping with the Disability Discrimination Act?

T

he Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) gives disabled people important rights not to be discriminated against in certain areas. These include accessing everyday goods and services like shops, cafés, banks, cinemas and places of worship and becoming a member of a larger private club.

Everyday services can include voluntary groups as well as playgroups and non-educational school services so it is easy to see how the DDA also applies to The Scout Association.

Our obligations Providers of services have an obligation to make reasonable adjustments to premises or to the way they provide a service. But access to services is not all about ramps and lifts, it’s about making the adjustments to make the service easier for everyone to use. Put simply, it’s about making sure that the opportunities that Scouting

offers: the camps, the meetings, the training, are available to all.

Practical steps So while we can widen doorways, build ramps and obtain grants for toilets, how do we make the rest of what we do in the name of Scouting accessible and compliant with the law? Well here are a few tips: • Don’t be afraid to ask questions... we can only make adjustments when we are aware of the need.

• Ask other people for ideas... visit other people to see how they do things.

• Ask for help when you need it... there is expertise in every corner of The Scout Association and plenty of organisations with specialist knowledge.

• Don’t ignore the issues and hope they’ll go away! scouts.org.uk/focus

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Opinion

Facing up to the diversity challenge Tim Kidd, Chief Commissioner for England, reflects on why being inclusive is as much about a state of mind as it is about following a policy. Let’s make everyone welcome, he writes

I

believe that Scouting is important for young people and helps make the world a better place.

I also believe that it is important to provide Scouting for as many young people as possible.

Whilst it is simple to write this, making it a reality takes a lot of effort – and sometimes we have to challenge ourselves to do it. It is often more comfortable to focus on the lack of adult volunteers rather than on the difficulty of attracting people from a variety of backgrounds into Scouting.

All I am saying is that Scouting should be inclusive.

Everyone should feel that Scouting welcomes and values them. This is the key issue. We can be so comfortable with ourselves that often we don’t notice when we are acting in a way that excludes others. Think about the language you use that others might not understand or may take to mean that Scouting is not for them.

What do we mean by inclusive?

When you think about being inclusive, think as widely as you can. It’s about a wide range of areas including: 14

age, class, ethnic origin or nationality, gender, marital status or sexual orientation, mental or physical ability and political or religious belief.

If we make Scouting truly inclusive then we will make Scouting stronger. We will find people with new talents, views and opinions. Scouting will become more attractive and relevant to young people from a broader range of society. In turn, our youth membership will increase which should also encourage more adult volunteers from different kinds of backgrounds.

It strikes me that taking the first step in becoming more inclusive is very important – I hope the articles in this edition of Focus have provided some inspiration.

Good luck!

GET IN TOUCH Contact Tim at diversity@scouts.org.uk

Focus October/November 2010

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Jethro Moore Adventure Beyond

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