Adult’s
Welcome Pack
Claygate Scout Centre
Oaken Lane
Claygate
Esher
Surrey
KT10 0HR
Web site Tel.:01372 461770
Contents
1Introduction from your Group Scout Leader......
2Your Responsibilities......
2.1Our Policies etc......
2.2Meetings......
2.3The Building......
2.4The Entrance Lobby......
2.5The Main Hall......
2.6Scouters Room......
2.7Training Rooms......
2.8The Kitchen......
2.9The Stores......
2.10Upstairs Rooms......
2.11The Grounds......
2.12Using E-mail at the Centre......
2.13Resigning......
2.14Fire Safety......
2.15Safety………......
2.16Insurance......
2.17Claiming Expenses......
2.18Financial aspects......
2.19Forms and Letterheads......
2.20Welcome Packs......
2.21Security of Membership Lists......
2.22Guidelines for Protection of Personal Data......
2.23Where to go for Help......
3Additional Information for Section Leaders & Helpers......
3.1Uniform......
3.2Badges......
3.3In the event of an Accident......
3.4Booking the minibus......
3.5Booking out equipment......
3.6Organising Trips......
3.7Permits......
4About the Group Structure......
5Additional Information......
5.1Points of interest......
Appendix A - Guidance for use of 1st Claygate Scout Group’s vehicle – BU56 EVR
Appendix B- Guidance for use of 1st Claygate Scout Group’s vehicle – BUO7 KFC
Appendix C - Guidance for use of 1st Claygate Scout Group’s vehicle – W654 XGJ
Adults Welcome Pack / Page 1June 2010
1Introduction from your Group Scout Leader
Thanks for offering your time to 1st Claygate Scout Group. Whatever your role, and however long you hold it I hope you enjoy your time with us. Before you read this you might find it helpful to understand some terms used in the pack.
Our group is 1st Claygate
It is split into several sections: Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Network Scouts and Scout Fellowship or Service Crew.
In our group the Beaver and Cub sections are spilt into units: Maple, Oak and Sycamore (Beavers) and Panthers, Lions Lynx (Cubs).
Good Luck!
Hugh Gostling, Group Scout Leader June 2010
2Your Responsibilities
If you are joining the Group as a Unit Leader, Assistant Leader or as a helper you will probably find everything in this pack is relevant. If you are joining as part of the Group Executive this part may be irrelevant but useful background information nonetheless. Hopefully you will have some form of job description to make sure you understand what is expected of you, if not please ask for one.
2.1Our Policies etc.
Policy, Organisation and Rules (POR) is the title of the Scout Association’s rulebook. It contains all the things we have to do as a Group so you should read the parts appropriate to your role.Hugh has copies of the POR on DVD and in paper and you can access it online from the following link:
2.2Meetings
If you are working with a particular unit (eg Panther Cubs), you will have one unit meeting a week. Each unit should have one leader who is responsible for organising/overseeing the weekly programme. Training is provided for all adults depending on their needs.
Each unit leader is a member of the Group Executive Committee which meets every 2 months usually on the 3rd Wednesday in January, March, May, July, September & November. Here you will meet the adults who support the group whilst not directly working with a section. Decisions about how we spend our money, manage the building and other assets are just a few of the things we address here.
All unit leaders, assistants and helpers are invited to attend a monthly Scouters Meeting (usually the second Wednesday of the month). This is chaired by Hugh and addresses issues relating directly to the regular unit meetings. This is important because it ensures that any programme clashes are resolved and that the weekly meetings run smoothly.
Each unit leader is also invited to a District Meeting led by the District representative for the section: District Beaver Meeting, District Cub Meeting and District Scout Meeting. One of our Assistant Group Scout Leaders (we have 3 – Graham Gibbs, Hugh Gostling and Debbie Bowles).One of our Assistant Cub Scout Leaders , Sue Hoad, is also Assistant District Commissioner for Cub Scouts. These meetings are held at the headquartersof one of the groups in our district. Please note if you want to offer 1st Claygate Scout Centre as the venue for one of these meetings you are wise to check out in advance when you might want it. Our HQ is in use every night of the week so it can be difficult to find a suitable slot for outside meetings. The best night is probably a Wednesday or Thursday after Cubs.
2.3The Building
We are lucky to have a modern building which has been designed to make all activities enjoyable and easy for us. Any problems with the fabric of the building or any damage should be reported in the book above the pigeon holes in the Scouters room.
Each leader has a set of keys for the gate and main door. Keys to all cupboards are in a key safe in the Stores. The following instructions should help you if you are lucky enough to have a set of colour-coded keys, if not you will have to guess which is which!
Opening the Gates
There are two entrance gates, one for pedestrians and one for vehicles.
To open the vehicle gates use the key colour coded green to unlock the gates, open the left hand gate and secure with keep at bottom, unlock and lift the drop bolt after unlocking padlock with the key colour coded white, open and secure as other gate, place padlock back into retaining holes.
The pedestrian gate can be opened with the key colour coded black.
Opening the building
The front door has two locks which are opened using the same key colour coded orange. When you open the door the alarm will be activated and will emit an audible sound and the box will flash, the alarm unit is a white box on the wall to the right of the front door just past the Male toilet. Swipe this box once with the black fob at the left of the black strip to deactivate the alarm.
The lights are turned on by using the aluminium forked key in the wall box to the right of the front doors as you enter. This will activate the lights in the toilets and those not switched off by the previous user.
Securing the building and premises
Make sure all the external doors and windows are closed and securely locked.
Turn the lights off using the aluminium forked key in the same box.
Activate the intruder alarm by swiping with black fob, the display will ask if you want to activate, swipe again and this will activate the alarm system, an audible alarm will sound.
Exit the front door, close and lock as soon as possible with the key colour coded orange. The alarm sounder will stop after a few moments.
Lock the front gate in the reverse order to opening.
2.4The Entrance Lobby
There are coat hooks here and a whiteboard for notices for parents. Please make sure you only use white board markers and wipe the board clean when you leave so the next meeting can use it. Use blutac as opposed to selotape which can leave a mark.
2.5The Main Hall
Please make sure that the hall is left as you found it. Wherever possible the young people should be encouraged to clear it up themselves.
2.6Scouters Room
This is the heart of communications in the Centre. It houses the telephone (with answering machine) and pigeon holes for each unit. You should check your slot for any notices which need to be distributed at your meeting. It also contains a photocopier, a PC and the colony and pack cupboards. Individual leaders have keys for their own cupboards. Be aware that parents are given the phone number of the Centre and may call in an emergency.
Instructions for the copier are available on a disc which is stored in the copier itself. You should find it relatively straight-forward to use. It remains on at all times and Hugh is responsible for ordering new toner and the like.
2.7Training Rooms
The training room next to the Scouters Room contains 4 networked PCs. If you have any problem with these please report to Hugh. Paper for the printer is in the stationery cupboard in that room. If you use a lot dolet Hugh know so he can keep stocks replenished.
There is also a training room next to the kitchen which has a whiteboard.
2.8The Kitchen
Please leave this clean and tidy. The floor will be cleaned as part of our cleaning contract but it is up to you to wash, dry and put away anything you use. Instructions for the dishwasher are on display and should be followed. Ed Bowles (our Explorer Scout Leader) is our expert on use of kitchen equipment so please let him know if there are any breakages or other problems.
2.9The Stores
There are 2 doors on the wall of the main hall opposite the kitchen, the one on the left contains all the chairs and tables and the one on the right all the equipment and is known as the Stores. This is where all the camping equipment is stacked on shelves. If anything is needed from here is must be booked out (see 3.5). If you find anything which needs to be mended then please leave it on the labelled shelf for our Quartermaster and note what is needed.
2.10Upstairs Rooms
The room on the right hand side as you reach the top of the stairs, is for storage and contains valuable equipment. It won’t normally be used for meetings. The room on the left hand side may be used for activities if appropriate.
2.11The Grounds
We own the land immediately behind the Centre but if you draw an imaginary line between the 2 fence posts (one on either side) with side supports, the land behind is leased to us. There are strict rules about how this is used so please make sure that if you want to do anything unusual on it, you get permission fromHugh. For examples we are not allowed to make fires on it and should not remove wood from it. If wood is needed use the stock piles at the back of the Centre.
At the far end of the grounds there is a gate going out to Telegraph Hill. If you would like to use this, please let Hugh know so he can let the appropriate people know.
Please be sure if you are taking young people outside you identify any risks associated with activities and make sure you have sufficient adults to supervise. There is a gate to the right-hand side of the building to stop anyone coming in or out uninvited.
2.12Using E-mail at the Centre
The following account names are available for use at the Centre where necessary.
Adults Welcome Pack / Page 1June 2010
Adults Welcome Pack / Page 1
June 2010
Any problems please contact Mark Nicholls at ()
2.13Resigning
If you do decide to leave, please do give us time to fill your place, preferably at least a term. If you can find a replacement that would be even better!
2.14Fire Safety
There are fire extinguishers in appropriate places in the building. If you use the Centre regularly you should familiarise yourself with their location.
If the fire alarm should be activated whilst you are in the building you should look at the alarm panel located by the stairs in the ground floor entrance lobby, this will indicate the area which has caused the alarm. If there is a fire you should leave the building and call the fire brigade in the normal way.
If it is a false alarm, you should type in 5 4 1 to activate the control panel and press the following :
PRESS SILENCE ALARMS
You should then contact Roger Hoad our Estates Manager. There should be a list of useful telephone numbers with each set of keys on a small card.
Please note that the sensors are very sensitive and excess dust near sensors can set off alarms. The building is a smoke-free zone!
The Group Executive suggests that each unit should carry out a fire drill once a year.Please let Roger Hoad know when you have done this so he can keep a record and show we have been undertaking these when we are audited.
2.15Safety………
A risk assessment of the Centre and grounds has been carried out but if you notice anything dangerous please either let Hugh or Roger Hoad know. You should be aware of the risks associated with any activity with which you are involved and take steps to reduce problems, for example by making sure younger children are supervised in the kitchen. If there is an accident and someone is injured do make an entry in the Accident Book stored next to the pigeon holesin the Scouters’ Room. It may be necessary to let Hugh know as an Accident Form is required in some cases.
2.16Insurance
If you are a uniformed leader (Scouter), you are covered by the Group insurance for personal accidents and liability claims. Insurance cover is also arranged for the buildings, valuables and equipment.
2.17Claiming Expenses
Our Group Treasurer can assist you with claims forms for any expenditure you make. A copyof the claim form is attached to this pack in an appendix. Don’t ever take this out of any cash you receive as we need to have a record of all transactions.
2.18Financial aspects
Parents should only pay subscriptions when they receive a request which you will be asked to distribute at the beginning of term. All money should go straight to the person named on the request letter, and you should not accept it directly.
If you organise an event which requires exchange of monies you are obliged under the Charities Act to keep an account of your expenditure to support your claim. To save event organisers from keeping individual accounts you should ensure that all monies go through our Treasurer, that way we have details of all income and outgoings for each event.
It is helpful if you let our Membership Secretary know if someone from your unit has left either directly or through the monthly Scouter’s meeting.
2.19Forms and Letterheads
There are a number of templates which are available from our Communications Chairperson.
2.20Welcome Packs
The Group publishes a Welcome Pack for parents of young people in each section in addition to this pack which is for all adult members. We would like to include your name, address and phone number here so that you can be contacted if necessary. Your details will also be held on a database by our membership secretary. If you have any problem with this, please let either Hugh (Gostling) or Harry (Jones) know. The pack is available on the website but with personal details removed.
2.21Security of Membership Lists
Our Group Scout Leader holds a master list of members and is responsible for ensuring that it is kept up to date. If you receive or hold any lists which identify living individuals the following guidance is given.
2.22Guidelines for Protection of Personal Data
Objective: Although we are not required to register under the Data Protection Act we are obliged to take reasonable care of the personal information we handle.
Policy: All personal data, that is name, address & contact details, for an individual held electronically or on paper will be protected, as far as possible, from theft when stored or transmitted within the Group. Any sensitive information which needs to be held (such as medical condition, religion, family circumstances) should be treated in strictest confidence and with sensitivity.
Action:
- Data should only be stored on pcs which have individual user accounts so that only the nominated group member has access to it.
- Protect your pc with a firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware and ensure security patches are applied.
- When storing personal data such as is held in membership lists, Group waiting list and any subsets of these which contain names and addresses, on pcs, memory sticks or other electronic media the following guidance should be applied wherever possible.
- Use Excel spreadsheets with password protection (Tools, Option, Security)
- Choose strong passwords with numbers and letters and send them by a different method to the file itself (phone or text if possible). The following website has guidance on choosing a suitable password
- Change the password regularly
- The owner of the data should include a Control sheet in the file to remind the recipient of his/her responsibilities
- The owner of the data should limit circulation as far as possible both in terms of what is sent and who it is sent to. So for example if someone needs a single phone number or a list of names for a single Beaver Colony, don’t send them the whole file, and don’t send it unless someone really does need it – think before you send personal data to someone.
- Delete files as soon as they are out of date and no longer needed
- When holding the same information on paper do not leave it lying around, shred it before throwing it away and always pass it on in a sealed envelope.
- When sending information electronically, whenever possible only email to people at their home address. If information is sent to a work address it could be seen by someone without authority to do so.
- If you have to use electronic media to store, back-up or transfer data make sure you store it somewhere safe and delete it as soon as possible.
- You must only use contact details passed on to you for scouting purposes. So for example you must not use e-mail addresses to circulate information about non-scouting events
If you have any problem in implementing these guidelines please contact the Group Chairman or Secretary to discuss a practical solution