Outline: As a member of the District Leadership Team the District Youth Commissioner works in partnership with the District Commissioner and Chairperson of the District Executive Committee. The role is to ensure that young people from 6 – 25 years are involved and engaged in every decision that shapes their Scouting experience locally and to empower young people to share their ideas and have a meaningful voice in planning, implementing and reviewing their programme and opportunities.
Length of Appointment: 3 years (suggested)
Responsible to: District Commissioner
Responsible for: District Youth Forum (or similar) Lead, Deputy District Youth Commissioner(s) (if appointed)
Main Contacts: Young people within their District, District Commissioner, District Youth Forum Lead, Deputy District Youth Commissioners, Deputy District Commissioners, Group Scout Leaders, District Explorer Scout Commissioner, District Scout Network Commissioners, Scout Network Programme Coordinators, Assistant District Commissioners, District Chairperson, members of the District Executive Committee and its sub-committees, County Youth Commissioner and other District Youth Commissioners.
Appointment Requirements: Must successfully complete the appointment process (including acceptable personal enquiries and acceptance of The Scout Association's policies). During the five months of Provisional Appointment the relevant Getting Started modules must be completed. A Wood Badge must be completed during the Appointment, and ongoing safeguarding and safety training must be completed
Outline: To manage and support the Scout Group and its Leaders to ensure it runs effectively and that Scouting within the Group develops in accordance with the rules and policies of The Scout Association.
Responsible to: District Commissioner (or deputy if appropriate).
Responsible for: All adults working in the Scout Group
Main Contacts: Section Leaders and their leadership teams in the Group, parents/carers of the young people in the Scout Group, Group Executive Committee members, sponsoring authority of the Group (if applicable), Group Scout Active Support Manager, District Commissioner, Deputy District Commissioner(s), other Group Scout Leaders in the District.
Appointment requirements: Must complete the relevant training (a wood badge) within three years of taking up the role. Must be eligible for charity trustee status (as a member of the Group Executive Committee).
It is expected that whilst volunteering for this role you will undertake regulated activity.
Main tasks:
- Ensure that the Scout Group thrives and has the best systems in place to support adult volunteers and develop the Group – including a Group Executive Committee and Section leadership teams.
- Provide line management and support to the Leaders in the Scout Group, including setting objectives for their work and holding regular reviews and one-to-one meetings.
- Ensure that the Scout Group has an adequate team of supported and appropriate adults working effectively together and with others to meet the Scouting needs of the area.
- Ensure that a challenging, exciting and balanced programme is offered to young people in the Scout Group.
- Work with the District Commissioner, Deputy District Commissioner(s) and other Group Scout Leaders in the District to ensure that the District thrives and supports Scout Groups
Note: Some of the tasks for which the Group Scout Leader is responsible may be delegated to others in the Group, including an Assistant Group Scout Leader, if appointed.
- Lead the Trustee Board.
- Plan when Trustee Board meetings should take place, and decide what to talk about at each meeting.
- Lead Trustee Board meetings and the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
- Liaise with Lead Volunteers.
- Lead recruitment for new Trustees.
- Support other Trustees by organising inductions, making reasonable adjustments (where needed), checking in to see how they’re getting on, and carrying out annual reviews.
Trustees work together to make sure the district
Manage money well
Have enough money for now and in the future. This means having a reserves policy and making sure fundraising
takes place, if it’s needed.
Have a budget in place. Trustees then agree how to manage the budget with other volunteer teams.
Follow Scouts policies and relevant legislation
Follow POR, key policies (including safety, safeguarding, data protection, and equality, diversity and inclusion), and
charity regulations.
Follow employment law, and act as a responsible employer in line with Scout values if staff are employed. Make
sure effective line management is in place for each staff member, which can be delegated to others.
Create Trustees Annual Report and Statement of Accounts.
Have Statement of Accounts audited by an appropriate person before the Annual General Meeting. If they’re a
registered charity, they’ll need to share it with the charity regulator.
Hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Look after buildings, insurance and property
Look after records of ownership of property and equipment.
Have the right insurance for people, buildings, and equipment.
Make sure buildings and equipment are working well.
Manage risks
Maintain a risk register and put the right risk mitigations in place.
Help the charity to operate well, today and in the future
Work with Lead Volunteers to meet their charity aims.
Champion Our Volunteering Culture, and make sure volunteers are aware of it, reflect on it, commit to it, and apply it
in their teams.
A Section Assistant helps out at regular meeting nights with the young people as part of the section leadership team.
A Section Assistant helps out in the best way that suits them, this could include attending as often as is convenient for you (It doesn't have to be once a week).
Your responsibilities are also whatever you can do, some SA's make the tea and juice, some run games, others help with running activities and some help plan and organise the programme.