Upload
the-scout-association
View
213
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
October/November focus issue
Citation preview
ACCESS ALL AREAS ACCESS ALL AREAS
Breaking down barriers in Scouting
scouts.org.uk/focus
The magazine for volunteer managers in Scouting
October/November 2010Focus
Any plans for 2011?Join-in-Jamboree is here
Shop window recruitment
Scouts take over a town
FOCUS FINAL.indd 1 13/09/2010 16:11
Welcome
3scouts.org.uk/focus
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 cross-
sectional 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 thinkSend your management comments and article suggestions to [email protected]
Thinking differently
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 actWhat does the Disability Discrimination Act mean for Scouting?
14 Facing up to the diversity challenge
Tim Kidd, Chief Commissioner for England shares his thoughts
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 [email protected]
Download all section supplements at www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
In Focus
Your Adult Support TeamMark Flexman, UK Adviser for Adults in Scouting, Paulina Sekrecka, Programme and Development Adviser (Diversity)Contact them at:[email protected] [email protected]
Adult Support TeamThe Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford;London E4 7QW; Tel: 0845 300 1818 email [email protected]
ADVERTISINGRichard Ellacott [email protected] 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.
FOCUS FINAL.indd 3 13/09/2010 16:12
Welcome
3scouts.org.uk/focus
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 cross-
sectional 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 thinkSend your management comments and article suggestions to [email protected]
Thinking differently
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 actWhat does the Disability Discrimination Act mean for Scouting?
14 Facing up to the diversity challenge
Tim Kidd, Chief Commissioner for England shares his thoughts
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 [email protected]
Download all section supplements at www.scouts.org.uk/magazine
In Focus
Your Adult Support TeamMark Flexman, UK Adviser for Adults in Scouting, Paulina Sekrecka, Programme and Development Adviser (Diversity)Contact them at:[email protected] [email protected]
Adult Support TeamThe Scout Association, Gilwell Park, Chingford;London E4 7QW; Tel: 0845 300 1818 email [email protected]
ADVERTISINGRichard Ellacott [email protected] 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.
focus_101110.indd 3 10/09/2010 10:43
4 Focus October/November 2010
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.
Suitable venues 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.
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.
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.
Make yourselves known 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.
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.
Flexible, inclusive and accessible
focus_101110.indd 4 10/09/2010 10:43
5scouts.org.uk/focus
Diversity
FIVE STEPS TO IMPROVE INCLUSIVITY • Consider using a neutral venue for
meetings or a place which is safe and open
to everyone.• Be aware of generational differences
- while younger people commonly use
trendy language, older people might have
a problem with it – we should be inclusive
to all. • Check out the RNIB site for guidance on
creating accessible websites.
• Consider advertising in different kinds of
places and media. • Think FLEXIBLE, INCLUSIVE AND
ACCESSIBLE.
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
focus_101110.indd 5 10/09/2010 10:43
6 Focus October/November 2010
Help with adult recruitment is still the
number one support
request, says Jean Marshall, Regional Development Officer for
the South West. She looks
at what makes a successful
local recruitment event…
Help with adult
Recruitment, through adventure
focus_101110.indd 6 10/09/2010 10:43
7scouts.org.uk/focus
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 displayThe 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.
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.
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?
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).
cooking competition and food giveaway. Some £200 was
was just 26 short of the District’s target of 100. This included
people wanting to be leaders, occasional helpers, activity
what welcome and induction will they receive?
FOCUS FINAL.indd 7 13/09/2010 16:13
A different perspectiveWe 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
Chance 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 The vast majority of children with behavioural
difficulties referred to us are boys who lack a
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.
www.chanceuk.commore info
All profi ts go back into Scouting. The Scout Association Registered Charity number 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland).
01903 766 921
fo
This lightweight, zipped i.Scout microfl eece top with i.Scout embroidered on the front is a must for camp.
The i.Scout Full Zip Hoodie with i.Scout printed on the front and sleeve and i.Rock on the back.
The i.Scout Full Zip Hoodie with i.Scout printed on the front and sleeve and i.Rock on the back.
i.Scout Microfl eece TopRef 1028008R
£22.50
i.Scout Zipped Hoodie PurpleRef 1027978R
£24
i.Scout Zipped Hoodie BlackRef 1027973R
£24
Made from heavy knitted cotton, this shirt is comfortable and ideal to wear when the temperature starts to drop.Unisex
Adult Harlequin Rugby style shirt Ref 1025489R
£19
Activity TrousersRef 1006953R
£27
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 fi nish, redesign of the pockets, new tunnel waistband with adjustable internal elastic to give a better fi t and a repositioned mobile phone pocket.
Sizes: Men’s 32”-60”, Women’s 8-36
NEWrestyled
focus_101110.indd 8 10/09/2010 10:45
9scouts.org.uk/focus
Join-in-Jamboree
Join-in-Jamboree
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?
O 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.
Available to all 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.
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
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.
Global issues 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.
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!
more info
All profi ts go back into Scouting. The Scout Association Registered Charity number 306101 (England and Wales) and SC038437 (Scotland).
01903 766 921
fo
This lightweight, zipped i.Scout microfl eece top with i.Scout embroidered on the front is a must for camp.
The i.Scout Full Zip Hoodie with i.Scout printed on the front and sleeve and i.Rock on the back.
The i.Scout Full Zip Hoodie with i.Scout printed on the front and sleeve and i.Rock on the back.
i.Scout Microfl eece TopRef 1028008R
£22.50
i.Scout Zipped Hoodie PurpleRef 1027978R
£24
i.Scout Zipped Hoodie BlackRef 1027973R
£24
Made from heavy knitted cotton, this shirt is comfortable and ideal to wear when the temperature starts to drop.Unisex
Adult Harlequin Rugby style shirt Ref 1025489R
£19
Activity TrousersRef 1006953R
£27
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 fi nish, redesign of the pockets, new tunnel waistband with adjustable internal elastic to give a better fi t and a repositioned mobile phone pocket.
Sizes: Men’s 32”-60”, Women’s 8-36
NEWrestyled
FOCUS FINAL.indd 9 13/09/2010 16:14
10 Focus October/November 2010
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 originHow would you describe your ethnic origin?
A White
English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British
Irish
Gypsy or Irish Traveller
Any other White background
B Mixed/multiple ethnic groups
White and Black Caribbean
White and Black African
White and Asian
Any other mixed/multiple ethinic background
C Asian/Asian British
Indian
Pakistani
Bangladeshi
Chinese
Any other Asian background
D Black/African/Caribbean/Black British
African
Caribbean
Any other Black/African/Caribbean background
E Other ethnic group
Arab
Any other ethnic group
Do we know who we are?
focus_101110.indd 10 10/09/2010 10:45
11scouts.org.uk/focus
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:
DisabilityThe 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
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 supportWhat’s your view? Contact us at [email protected]
Mental health difficulties
Multiple disabilities
Unseen disability eg diabetes, epilepsy, etc
A disability not covered above (please state below)
FOCUS FINAL.indd 11 13/09/2010 16:17
12 Focus October/November 2010
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
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_101110.indd 12 10/09/2010 10:45
13scouts.org.uk/focus
Accessibility
Class actSo 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?
The 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!
FOCUS FINAL.indd 13 13/09/2010 16:17
14 Focus October/November 2010
Facing up to the diversity challengeTim 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:
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 [email protected]
Opinion
focus_101110.indd 14 10/09/2010 10:46
ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: CANOEING • CLIMBING • COASTEERING
GORGE WALKING • KAYAKING • SURFING • CAVING • WHITE WATER RAFTING
TEAM BUILDING • ASSAULT COURSE/ LOW ROPES • FIELD SKILLS
Nant Y Pobty Farm Coed Y Bryn, Llandysul Ceradigion, SA44 5LQ
Phone: 07787123761 [email protected]
Adventure Beyond is a family run centre
based in West Wales. We have venues and camping or bunk house accommodation
in St Davids, Cardigan Bay, Brecon Beacons.
Jethro MooreAdventure Beyond
OBC_Focus_Supp_OctNov.indd 6 09/09/2010 11:21