Safeguarding The first night away from home. The first hike. The first trip abroad. All of these moments are great for developing young people’s confidence, but we know how daunting it can be for the one packing their overnight bag and waving them off at the gates. And we know it doesn’t necessarily get easier as they grow. Young people thrive in secure surroundings, at home and away. Wherever we go, we’re serious about keeping them safe. As a parent or carer, you’re bound to have questions about how we do this. Read on to find out more. All of our volunteers give their time freely to help young people to thrive. Some volunteers lead their Group week in and week out. Others call in occasionally to share a specific skill, or to provide an extra pair of hands – whether they’re abseiling down mountains, helping a group of eight year olds to build a robot, or expertly remembering how everyone takes their tea.All of our leaders are interviewed locally and asked to provide references. They undergo the mandatory training that they need to be the best that they can be, including basic first aid and child protection. Special training is provided for those taking young people away on residential events like camps and sleepovers.Everyone who works with young people also has to undertake a disclosure check (also known as a ‘police check’).There’s more information about safety and safeguarding on our Headquarters website. The Yellow Card and code for volunteer behaviour As Scouts, we have a clear code of behaviour by which we expect everyone to abide, known as the ‘Yellow Card’. This code is shared with all adults who interact with young people – regardless of their role – and is included in the training that leaders receive.If you volunteer to help out with an activity, you’ll be given your own Yellow Card to keep to hand and to refer back to. Check out a digital copy of the Yellow Card. Policies Safeguarding and Safety are two of our key policies that anyone involved in Scouts must work to. You can see the full policies in our Policy, Organisation and Rules section along with the Anti Bullying Policies:Anti-bullying PoliciesSafeguarding policySafety policy Raising a safeguarding concern All concerns, no matter how insignificant they might seem or when they happened or whether they happened inside or outside of Scouts, should be reported directly to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.You can report by:Phoning 020 8433 7164 (9am – 5pm weekdays)Phoning 0345 300 1818 (out-of-hours)Emailing safeguarding@scouts.org.ukUsing the Safeguarding Reporting FormFind out more about reporting a concern to safeguarding.