If you have a Safeguarding Concern, you must always follow the Yellow Card: Scouts – Yellow Card: Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults

All Safeguarding concerns must be reported directly to the UK Safeguarding Team. This is a change from the pre-2024 process where concerns were reported to your Lead Volunteer. It is now no longer necessary to report concerns to your Lead Volunteer, and is often best practice to ensure concerns are disclosed to the least amount of people possible.

The UK Safeguarding Team will instead feed down any information required, including whether any action needs to be taken (rather than information being fed up to them).

1. Gather the necessary information

• Make sure that you have the name, date of birth, address and phone number of each person involved with the concern.
• Find out when the people involved will next be at a Scout meeting or activity.

2. Contact the Safeguarding Team

• Report a safeguarding concern online. Include as much information as possible.
• If you can’t fill in the form online, call +44(0)20 8433 7164 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) or email safeguarding@scouts.org.uk
• In an emergency outside the above times, you can contact the Safeguarding Team by calling the Scouts Support Centre on +44(0)345 300 1818.
• Follow the Safeguarding Team’s advice and take no further action unless they tell you to.
• Ask questions if you’re not sure what to do.

If another volunteer discloses a concern to you, you must also contact the UK Safeguarding Team to ensure this has also been reported to them.

For further information, including details on how to respond to a concern, and why this reporting process is in place, please visit the Yellow Card link above.