Learning Update – February 2025
Mike Treanor
Volunteer Development Lead
My Learning
We want all our volunteers to have the skills and knowledge they need to feel confident to keep young people safe and help them gain skills for life. We organise learning at Scouts in what we call the Learning Tree. It’s made up of:
Growing Roots: The learning all new volunteers need to do within their first six months. Learn more about Growing Roots
Branching Out: The learning you can choose to do to develop your knowledge further and get accreditations. Learn more about Branching Out
My Learning Digital Tool
This link provides guidance on how to start a new learning, credit skills, check your team’s learning and create a learning report.
New Safety Module
A reminder that all members will need to complete a new Safety Module by 14th July 2025 (or before that if your existing Safety Module expires before that date). The Safety Module can be accessed via My Learning on the membership system. Its takes approximately 45 minutes to complete and you can start the module, save it, and go back to it later to complete it.
First Response
First Response learning need to be undertaken by adult volunteers in the following roles:
- Group Lead Volunteers
- Section Team Members (including those who were previously Sectional Assistants)
- Section Team Leaders
- 14-24 Team Leaders
New volunteers in these roles must undertake First Response within one year and previous Sectional Assistants who are now Team Members, must complete First Response within the next two years.
There are three main ways to complete First Response:
- Attend a f2f First Response Course (usually 9.30am to 4.30pm) – we have a range of courses available during qtr. 1 – you can register here
- Undertake First Response via the Blended Model where you do some online learning (3 hours), attend an online confirmation session (2.5 hours), and then attend a f2f practical session (30 mins). Details of the Blended model can be found here and you can register for the online learning at First Response e-learning 2025
- Undertake an External First Response Course e.g. FAW or BASP and/or present your Professional Qualifications as evidence as having the appropriate First Response Skills. You will need to send your course certificate or details of your professional qualifications to firstresponse@sesscouts.org.uk . A Regional First Response Trainer will validate your learning/experience and confirm whether it meets Scouting requirements or whether you need to do some additional learning e.g. Child CPR.
