Growing Roots: Learning you need to do
Branching Out: Further learning opportunities
Optional Wood Badge
Growing Roots: Learning you need to do
The only people who don’t need to complete this learning are Presidents, Vice Presidents, Non-Member – Needs Disclosure, Retired Members and Designated Carers.
Re-joining Scouts after a break?
If you’re joining or re-joining Scouts after a break of 180 days or more, you’ll need to re-do your Growing Roots learning, even if you’ve completed this learning in a previous role.
Learning for all volunteers
Safety
How long do I have to complete it?
Completed within the first 30 days of joining.
What will I learn?
This learning is about how we keep our young people and each other safe. It includes:
• What our safety policy is and why it’s important
• What your responsibilities are in terms of Safety
• How to assess and manage risks
• How to respond to and report incidents
For existing volunteers…
This learning is automatically signed off if you’ve already completed the retired Safety modules within the last three years.
It must be renewed every 3 years.
Safeguarding
How long do I have to complete it?
Completed within the first 30 days of joining.
What will I learn?
This learning is about how we safeguard our young people and each other. It includes:
• What safeguarding is and why it’s important
• How to recognise Safeguarding concerns
• How to respond to and report Safeguarding concerns
• How to Safeguard Adults at Risk
For existing volunteers…
This learning is automatically signed off if you’ve already completed the retired Safeguarding modules within the last three years.
It must be renewed every 3 years.
Creating Inclusion
How long do I have to complete it?
Completed within the first 6 months of joining.
What will I learn?
This learning is about how we make Scouts a welcoming space for everybody. It includes:
• How to challenge assumptions
• Practical ways to be more inclusive in everything we do
• How to respond when people need reasonable adjustments
• How to challenge discrimination
For existing volunteers…
This learning is automatically signed off if you’ve completed the retired Module 7 – Scouting for All.
Data Protection in Scouts
How long do I have to complete it?
Completed within the first 6 months of joining.
What will I learn?
This learning is about how we take care of people’s personal data. It includes:
• What data protection and personal data is.
• How to gather personal data in Scouts.
• How to use, share and store personal data in Scouts.
• How to delete or archive personal data securely.
• How to respond in case of a data breach or subject access request.
For existing volunteers…
This learning is automatically signed off if you’ve already completed the retired GDPR module.
Who we are and what we do
How long do I have to complete it?
Completed within the first 6 months of joining.
What will I learn?
This is an introduction to what Scouts is and how we help young people develop skills for life. It includes:
• Our purpose, Promise and values as Scouts.
• The support that’s available to you.
• How our different teams work together.
• How Scouts create impact.
For existing volunteers…
This learning is automatically signed off if you’ve already completed the retired Essential Information (Module 1).
Learning for some volunteers
Delivering a Great Programme
Who needs to complete it?
Section Team Members.
Inlcuding Section Team Leaders for all Sections – Squirrels, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers and Network.
How long do I have to complete it?
Completed within the first 6 months of joining.
What will I learn?
This helps our Section Teams to understand how to plan and deliver a safe, balanced and high quality programme for young people in Scouts. It includes:
• The Scout Method and how we create impact.
• How to involve young people and be youth led.
• How to promote positive behaviour when working with young people.
• How to plan and run safe and exciting programmes, so young people can achieve their top awards.
• How to work with parents and carers of our young people.
For existing volunteers…
This learning is automatically signed off if you’ve already completed and validated the following retired Modules:
- Module 3 – Tools for the Role (Section Leaders)
- Module 12A – Delivering a Quality Programme
- Module 12B – Programme Planning
- Module 17 – Running Safe Activities
Leading Scout Volunteers
Who needs to complete it?
Team Leaders and Lead Volunteers
Except for Team Leaders of Section Teams and Sub-teams.
How long do I have to complete it?
Completed within the first 6 months of joining.
What will I learn?
• How to adapt your leadership style
• How the Scouts approach to Teams works
• How to welcome new volunteers
• How to run good reviews with volunteers, and how to recognise them for their work
• How to have constructive conversations
• How to carry out your responsibilities for permit approvals, activity approvals, and suspensions
• How to lead on inclusive growth
For existing volunteers…
This learning will be automatically signed off if you’ve already achieved your Manager & Supporter Wood Badge.
Being a Trustee in Scouts
Who needs to complete it?
All Trustees
How long do I have to complete it?
Completed within the first 6 months of joining.
What will I learn?
• What a Trustee is and what responsibilities you have
• Where to find resources and support for approaching your responsibilities
• How to manage premises
• How to manage risks as a Trustee
For existing volunteers…
This learning will be automatically signed off if you’ve already completed the retired Trustee Introduction module.
First Response
Although not technically a part of Growing Roots learning.
Who needs to complete it?
Section Team Members, Section Team Leaders and Group Leader Volunteers
How long do I have to complete it?
Completed within the first 12 months of joining.
What will I learn?
This is First Aid training at Scouts. It includes:
• Managing a first aid incident
• Offering emergency life support such as CPR
• Helping in situations where a person is unconscious
• Dealing with common Scouting injuries including bleeding, sprains and head injuries
• A basic understanding of some of the major illnesses: asthma, stoke, diabetes, and so on
For existing volunteers…
It must be renewed every 3 years.
How do I access learning?
Sign in to scouts.org.uk and go to ‘My learning’ to access all learning and to view your learning record.
There you can see the learning you need to do, explore other learning you might be interested in, request to be assessed and keep track of your progress.
Read the My learning digital tool guide to learn how to do this.
Who can support with learning?
If you’re joining Scouts for the first time or changing to a new team or role, your Team Leader or Lead Volunteer will help you understand what learning you need to do.
The District Volunteering Development Team are there to support all volunteers with their learning. They manage the learning offer locally and can answer any questions you might have. They can also support you to access digital learning and help you find an alternative if you don’t have any access to the internet.
Volunteers with the Learning Assessor accreditation are responsible for crediting learning on scouts.org.uk.
Branching Out: Further learning opportunities
Find out about learning opportunities for when you’d like to build your skills.
Branching Out learning is for when you want to stretch yourself and develop your skills and knowledge.
Some of the Branching Out learning is required if you want to do certain things – like learning for accreditations. Other learning is there for if, and when, it’s helpful for you.
It covers a wide range of topics, from practical Scouts skills and how to deliver adventurous activities, to how to manage projects and events. Delivery methods vary with some content designed to be delivered face-to-face, in practical skills workshops for example, or as online content on the My Learning digital tool.
Eventually, all content from the Adult Training Scheme will be replaced. We’ll let you know when the new content is available, and when you can take part in testing it.
Branching out learning opportunities…
- Skills of leadership (Module 8)
- Working with adults (Module 9)
- Growing the section (Module 13)
- Residential (Module 16)
- Practical Skills (Module 18)
- International (Module 19)
- Assessing Learning (Module 25)
- Instructing Practical Skills (Module 27)
- Presenting (Module 29)
- Skills for Residential Experience (Module 38)
- Mentoring and Coaching (Module 39)
- Manager and Supporter Skills Courses
Future of the Wood Badge: Optional Learning Pathway
The Wood Badge is an international award demonstrating a volunteer’s personal commitment to learning and development with Scouts.
Completing the award is optional and volunteers can choose to work towards it as part of their ongoing development.
There are two ways to gain a Wood Badge (you can only earn one). One route is for volunteers focussed on delivering programmes for young people. The other route is for those who focus on supporting and leading volunteers.
Anyone can take either of these paths to a Wood Badge:
Section Wood Badge
The Section Wood Badge is for volunteers focussed on programme delivery.
How do I start?
To begin, sign in to Scouts.org.uk, head to My Learning and assign the Section Wood Badge to your profile. Full instructions can be found in the Digital Tool Guides.
What do I need to do?
Once assigned, you’ll be able to see the required learning, which covers the following themes:
- All growing roots learning
- Creating inclusion*
- Delivering a great programme*
- Module 8 – Skills of leadership
- Module 9 – Working with adults
- Module 13 – Growing the section
- Module 16 – Residential
- Module 18 – Practical skills
- Module 19 – International
*To gain the Section Wood Badge, you’ll still need to do this learning even if you have an automatic sign-off of Growing Roots learning on joining the new digital system.
Managers and Supports Wood Badge
The Managers and Supporters Wood Badge is for volunteers focussed on leading and supporting volunteers.
How do I start?
To begin, sign in to Scouts.org.uk, head to My Learning and assign the Section Wood Badge to your profile. Full instructions can be found in the Digital Tool Guides.
What do I need to do?
Once assigned, you’ll be able to see the required learning, which covers the following themes:
- All growing roots learning
- Creating inclusion*
- Delivering a great programme*
All current Manager and Supporter skills courses:
- Managing Time and Personal Skills
- Finding, Appointing and Welcoming Volunteers
- Keeping, Developing and Managing Volunteers
- Dealing with Difficult Situations
- Planning for Growth
- Enabling Change
- Getting the Word Out
- Financial and Physical Resources
- Building Effective Teams
- Leading Local Scouting
- Project Management
- Decision Making
- Supporting the Adult Training Scheme
- Safety for Managers and Supporters
*To gain the Section Wood Badge, you’ll still need to do this learning even if you have an automatic sign-off of Growing Roots learning on joining the new digital system.
Updated: December 2024
