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).
Main Contacts: Section Leaders and their leadership teams in the Group, parents/carers of the young people in the Scout Group, Group Trustees, 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, County/Area/Region (Scotland) Commissioner.
Appointment requirements: Must successfully complete the appointment process within 5 months of the role start date. The relevant Getting Started modules must be completed within 5 months of the role start date. A Wood Badge must be completed within three years of the role start date and Safeguarding and Safety training completed renewed every three years.
It’s 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 Trustee Board 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 a Deputy Group Scout Leader, if appointed.
Person specification
Knowledge and experience:
Essential:
- Ability to manage adults effectively
Desirable:
- Understanding of the challenges of working in the voluntary sector
- Experience of working with young people and/or community work with adult groups
- Experience of working in the Scout or Guide Movement as an adult
Skills:
Essential:
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Provide advice and guidance effectively to others
- Provide inspirational leadership for the Group
- Build, maintain and facilitate effective working relationships with a wide range of people
- Enable others to identify issues, clarify objectives, develop attainable objectives and gain the necessary skills and confidence to work as an effective team
- Ability to negotiate compromises
- Plan, manage and monitor own tasks and time
- Construct and implement long-term plans that improve and expand the Scouting offered to young people and identify any training, resources and other needs required to undertake this work
- Use basic computer software
Personal qualities:
Essential:
- An understanding of the needs of adult volunteers
- Flexible approach
- Self-motivated
- Able to work as part of a team and promote good teamwork
- Resourceful, energetic and enthusiastic about the job
- Acceptance of the fundamentals of the Scout Movement
Detailed description of the role
The role of Group Scout Leader is based around six key areas of leadership and management.
1. Providing direction – as an effective Group Scout Leader you will be required to:
- Lead by example to promote a co-operative culture of working in the Group.
- Create a vision for the future development of the Group that takes into account the strategic objectives of The Scout Association and the plans for your District.
- Develop a plan to realise the vision for the Group, implement and regularly review it.
- Provide leadership, inspiration and motivation for all adults volunteering in the Group.
- Ensure that everyone in the Group follows the policies and rules of The Scout Association.
- Carry out regular one-to-one meetings and support adults who report directly to you.
2. Working with people – as an effective Group Scout Leader you will be required to:
- Develop good working relationships based on trust and Scout values with adults in the Group and with others in Scouting.
- Plan for and ensure that suitable adults are recruited to work in appropriate roles in the Group.
- Manage and support the adults in the Group – including allocating tasks and reviewing their progress.
- Support adults in the Group to develop by: completing formal training requirements, learning on the job, trying out new skills and addressing problems affecting performance.
- Build a team spirit in the Group and support the development of the team as a whole.
- Address conflict as it occurs within the Group and reduce the likelihood of it happening through good communication and other methods.
- Run effective Leaders’ Meetings in the Group and participate fully in the Group Trustee Board and District meetings.
- Ensure that adults in the Group perform to agreed standards and if serious problems occur, that correct procedures are followed in consultation with the District Commissioner.
- Carry out effective reviews and re-assign or retire people if necessary.
- Build and maintain collaborative relationships with other relevant organisations in the
Group’s local area.
3. Achieving results – as an effective Group Scout Leader you will be required to:
- Satisfactorily complete projects in the Group for which you are responsible.
- Satisfactorily resolve problems and issues raised by adult and youth members of the Group and by parents or carers of youth members in the Group.
4. Enabling change – as an effective Group Scout Leader you will be required to:
- Encourage adults in the Group to think of new and creative ways to improve the Group.
- Be enthusiastic about new ideas, give constructive feedback on those ideas and encourage and support further work on them.
- Carry out plans to implement change, working together with all members of the Group.
- Recognise the contribution of others towards change and improvement.
5. Using resources – as an effective Group Scout Leader you will be required to:
- As part of the Trustee Board, manage the Group’s budget.
- As part of the Trustee Board, ensure that there is an adequate income for the
Group including identifying other income sources such as grants. - Work with the Trustee Board and Leaders to ensure that the Group’s meeting place and equipment are safe and that adult volunteers act in a responsible manner.
- Work with the Section Leaders and the Trustee Board to ensure that the Group
has sufficient physical resources to support the programme. - Work with adults and youth Members to minimise the negative impact and maximise the
positive impact that the Group has on the environment. - Make decisions about all matters within the Group based on the best available information.
- Ensure that all adults in the Group have the right information provided in a timely manner and in the most effective way.
6. Managing your time and personal skills – as an effective Group Scout Leader you will be required to:
- Agree realistic goals and targets with the District Commissioner for the development of the Scout Group that work towards The Scout Association’s strategic objectives.
- Ask other adult volunteers for feedback about how you carry out your role and act on it.
- Regularly check how you use your time and identify possible improvements so that you focus on the goals and priorities that you have agreed with the District Commissioner.
- Identify the skills and knowledge that you need to develop or improve and the steps you will follow to do so.
- Attend National, Regional, County/Area and District Group Scout Leader meetings, workshops and events.
If you are interested in the role of Group Scout Leader / Group Lead Volunteer please fill in the short form below and the District Commissioner / Lead Volunteer will be in touch to discuss further.
