Safeguarding the welfare of our youth members

The Scout Association takes seriously its responsibilities to safeguard the welfare of children and young people.

The Scout Association is committed to:

• taking into account in all its considerations and activities the interests and well-being of young people
• respecting the rights, wishes and feelings of the young people with whom it is working
• taking all reasonable practicable steps to protect them from neglect and from physical, sexual and emotional harm
• promoting the welfare of young people within a relationship of trust  

The Scout Association believes that safeguarding and protecting the welfare of all the young people we work with is the
responsibility of everyone.

The Association's 'Young People First' code of good practice is published in the form of a pocket size yellow card that all adults
are asked to keep with them. This contains information about how to report concerns or allegations of abuse and also a code of
behaviour that all adults are required to follow.

The Scout Association's Child Protection Policy can be read in full HERE

Anti-Bullying Policy

Children and young people have the right to protection from all forms of violence - physical or mental
(UN Convention on the Rights of the Child).

The Scout Association is committed to ensuring, as far as it reasonably practicable, the prevention of all forms of
bullying among Members.

It is the responsibility of all adults in Scouting to help develop a caring and supportive atmosphere, where
bullying in any form is unacceptable. To this end, all Scouting activities should have rigorous anti-bullying strategies in place.

Contacts for parents

Should you have any concerns regarding the welfare or protection of Scout members, you should contact the
local Scout District Commissioner. Alternatively please call the Scout Information Centre on 0845 300 1818 and say that
you wish to discuss a safeguarding issue and/or North Yorkshire County Council customer services centre on 0845 034 9410
or 0845 034 9417 outside office hours. In an emergency, always ring 999.

Other useful contacts

Young people: contact Childline free at any time at www.childline.org.uk or freephone 0800 1111

Parents: contact the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or freephone 0800 800 5000 at any time to report concerns

Concerned about the safety of your child on the Internet? See and/or contact the National Crime Agency's
Child Exploitation Online Protection Centre (CEOP) www.thinkuknow.co.uk

Family Lives is a free, confidential 24-hour helpline for parents concerned about a wide range of issues.
Call 0808 800 2222 or visit www.familylives.org.uk

For anti-bullying information see www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk and  www.kidscape.org.uk