Learning for volunteers
Every Scout volunteer gets learning to help them feel confident in their role. This page explains what you need to do and how to find it.
Midlothian is part of South East Scotland Scouts. Its Learning Team lists in-person and online learning courses, including safeguarding sessions, on its Region Learning Calendar. Check it for upcoming dates and book your place there.
How learning works
Scouts organises learning in a Learning Tree, which replaced the old Adult Training Scheme in November 2024 (Learning, Moving from the Adult Training Scheme).
- Growing Roots is the learning you complete when you join or take on a new role.
- Branching Out is optional learning to develop further, for example towards permits, accreditations and the Wood Badge.
Growing Roots
- Safety and Safeguarding: complete within your first 30 days.
- Creating Inclusion, Data Protection in Scouts, and Who We Are and What We Do: core modules for most volunteers, completed within a set time after starting your role (for example, 180 days for Group Lead Volunteers).
- Role-specific learning: some roles also need Delivering a Great Programme, Leading Scout Volunteers, Being a Trustee in Scouts or First Response.
A few roles, such as Presidents, Vice Presidents and Non Member – Needs Disclosure, do not need Growing Roots. Check your own role on the scouts.org.uk Learning page.
First Response
Volunteers whose role needs First Response (for example 14-24 Team Leaders and Group Lead Volunteers) complete it within 12 months of starting. It has a theory part (10A) and a practical part (10B), and a Learning Assessor credits it under the direction of a First Response Trainer. Sources: Learning, Accrediting First Response Learning.
Renewing your learning
Safety, Safeguarding and First Response must be renewed every three years. First Response renewal is dated from when you complete module 10A. My Learning sends automatic reminders before they are due (source).
Finding and recording your learning
- Sign in at scouts.org.uk and open My membership, then Learning, to see the learning you need, your progress and your expiry dates.
- Online modules are completed there; when every item is done the status changes to completed automatically.
- If the learning you need isn’t listed, assign the skill to your profile first. You can also ask to be assessed in a skill.
- Learning Assessors validate your learning and credit skills.
Step-by-step guide: My Learning digital tool guide.
Questions about learning?
Email info@midlothianscouts.org.uk and we’ll point you in the right direction. New to Scouts? Read about volunteering on our Volunteer page.