All of our sections run active parent rotas to ensure that we have sufficient adults present to run our activities safely. You can find out more about how the Parent Rota system works on this page.
Why do you run a parent rota?
Safety is always our number one priority. Our volunteer leadership teams work extremely hard in planning and preparing all of our regular activities and sessions, alongside camps and events.
For the safety of our young people, it is important that all of our activities have sufficient adults present to run and supervise all activities, and this need can often not be met by our volunteer leaders alone.
Do I have to take part in the parent rota?
One parent of every youth member in the group is expected to take part in the parent rota for their child’s section at least once a term (although parents are always welcome to come along more often if they wish!). The only exception to this is for families where a member of the family is already volunteering for the Group in an official leadership or administrative role.
Unfortunately, if you choose not to turn up for your session on the rota, it is sometimes unlikely that the leaders can safely run the session, and this might thus lead to sessions being cancelled at very short notice and young people sent home disappointed.
How do I know when I am on the parent rota, and what happens if I can’t make the session I am allocated to?
Our section leaders allocate the parent rota at the start of each term, and it will be published with the section’s programme on Online Scout Manager.
If you find you cannot attend the session you have been allocated to, it is your responsibility to arrange a swap with another parent on the rota, and then let the appropriate Section Leader know before the session.
Unfortunately, if a parent simply does not turn up for their session this may lead to a session being cancelled if sufficient adults are not present to run the session safely.
What should I expect during the session I am on the rota for?
The section leaders will ask you to get involved with the delivery and/or supervision of the session by giving you specific tasks. You will be within eyesight/earshot of one of our leaders at all times – at no point will you be expected to go off on your own with a group of young people. Our leaders will do their best to allocate tasks to you that you are comfortable with.
If at any point you are asked to do anything that you feel you cannot do, please feel free to let the section leader know and the tasks can be moved around.
Thank you in advance for helping to ensure we can continue to deliver adventurous but safe programmes to our young people!