Volunteer Learning & Support

Volunteers in Scouting come from a range of backgrounds and have a variety of different roles. We want all our volunteers to have the skills and knowledge they need to feel confident keeping young people safe, and helping them gain skills for life.

There’s plenty of help out there for new volunteers or those who have taken on a new role; we’re here to help signpost you to the right place. All adults, even non-members attending meetings, must be aware of the Yellow Card.

Denewulf’s Volunteer Development Team will be happy to answer your questions, queries and ensure you have a Learning Advisor (formerly Training Advisor) if required; please ask your Team Leader for contact details.

You can view the specific training needed for a variety of roles on the UK Scouts Learning page, and your Team Leader will communicate to you the learning needed for your role.

Much of the training can be completed online using the My Learning portal, which shows both modules you must complete in addition to those which are optional. First Aid/Response learning, in particular, is partially in person, and it is possible to do more modules in this way; check the Hampshire Scouts Training website for details of this.

Growing Roots

The first stage in the Scouts Learning Tree, Growing Roots, is the training everyone needs to complete when they become a volunteer or gain a new role. All of these modules can be completed through the My Learning portal, which updates the system automatically (if slowly) and provides a certificate.

The Safety and Safeguarding modules must be completed within the first 30 days of your appointment; failure to do this would lead to a suspension. This training is renewed every 3 years.

Other Growing Roots learning should be completed within 180 days of your appointment, and First Response must be completed within 12 months of your appointment (this is renewed every 3 years).

Further Learning

As volunteers continue in their roles, sometimes, more learning is useful, but, is entirely optional. This has two forms, either the modular format known as Branching Out or, as skills-based learning.

Branching Out

Once you have completed all the modules relating to one role, you can earn a Wood Badge for that role.

This is an international award that shows a volunteer’s personal commitment and achievement in learning and development with Scouts. Often, volunteers are already showing the skills taught in a particular module. In this case, a Learning Advisor can validate your modules where you are already putting the skills into practice. This reduces the volume of training you would have to do to earn the Wood Badge.

Skills-Based Learning

This is run both within the District and by the Country Training Team. Details about these skills modules can be found in the Hampshire Adult Learning Calendar.