Equal Opportunities  

The Scout Association is part of a worldwide educational youth movement. The values, which underpin and inspire its work are embodied in the Scout Promise and Law and in the Purpose of the Association.


Within this framework, the Association is committed to equality of opportunity for all young people.  The Scout Association is committed to extending Scouting, its Purpose and Method to young people in all parts of society.  No young person should receive less favourable treatment on the basis of, nor suffer disadvantage by reason of:

class;
ethnic origin, nationality (or statelessness) or race;
gender;
marital or sexual status;
mental or physical ability;
political or religious belief.

 

All Members of the Movement should seek to practise that equality, especially in promoting access to Scouting for young people in all parts of society. The Scout Association opposes all forms of racism.

 

Mixed Scouting

The Scout Association is fully committed to mixed scouting and co-education.  Scouting is now open to both males and females in all Sections, subject only to the age restraints of the Section and a willingness to make the promise.  The Scout Association firmly believes that young people grow into better citizens when they work together and learn to support each other.

 

Young people with Special needs

It is important that wherever possible, those with Special Needs are welcomed into and included in Scouting.  Many hundreds of young people with a wide variety of disabilities and needs enjoy scouting.  The Scout association pledges to:

 

recognise young people with Special needs;

provide for them;

accept them;

physically integrate them;

value them.

 

Before accepting a young person with a Special Need into the pack, the leadership team must ensure that they are able to meet the very special needs of the child.  This may well involve detailed discussions with parents/guardians to firmly establish what support the young person would need to join the pack.


Leaders and other volunteers
To carry out its work the Association seeks to appoint effective and appropriate Leaders, and to involve other volunteers in supporting roles, all of whom are required to accept fully the responsibilities of their commitment.


The overriding considerations in making all appointments in Scouting shall be the safety and security of young people, and their continued development in accordance with the Purpose of the Association.


Accordingly, all those whom the Movement accepts as volunteers must be ‘fit and proper’ persons to undertake the duties of the particular position to which they have been appointed (including, if relevant, meeting the requirements of the Sponsoring Authority) and, where appropriate, the responsibilities of membership.
In making an appointment to a particular leadership or support position it may be appropriate to consider the gender and/or ethnicity of the potential appointee, in particular to ensure appropriate composition of leadership or supporting teams.
The physical and mental ability of a particular potential appointee to fulfil a particular role will always be a relevant factor to consider.


Within these constraints, and those imposed by the need to ensure:
the safety and security of young people;

the continued development of young people; and
equal opportunities for all;
no person volunteering their services should receive less favourable treatment on the basis of, nor suffer disadvantage by reason of:
age;
class;
ethnic origin, nationality (or statelessness) or race;
gender;
marital or sexual status;
mental or physical ability;
political or religious belief.
Note: Paedophilia is a bar to any involvement in the Scout Movement.
Note: With reference to religious belief, the avowed absence of religious belief is a bar to appointment to a Leadership position.

 

Responsibilities within the Equal Opportunities Policy
All adults in Scouting have a responsibility for the operation of the Association's equal opportunities policy.

The District Commissioner or the County Commissioner, as appropriate, must be satisfied that all applicants for Leader or Commissioner appointments are fully aware that they will be required by their personal example to operate the Association's equal opportunities policy.


They must also be satisfied that all those whom they invite to assist them in other ways in the work of the District or County are upholding the Association's equal opportunities policy by the personal example that they set before the Scouts in the District or County as the case may be.

Group Scout Leaders must be satisfied that all those whom they invite to assist them in the work of the Group will uphold the Association's equal opportunities policy by the personal example that they set before the Scouts in the Group.

Appointment Advisory Committees are required to operate the Association's equal opportunities policy in their work.

The District Executive or the County Executive Committee, as appropriate, must be satisfied that all applicants for appointments in their gift are fully aware that they will be required by their personal example to operate the Association's equal opportunities policy. 

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