Our commitment to young people
To achieve our Aim, meet young people’s needs and support their personal development, our Youth Programme will be delivered and supported by trained and resourced adult leadership teams at all levels of Scouting Ireland.
These leadership teams will create safe environments and foster positive youth-adult working relationships that are based on mutual respect and trust. The older a Youth Member becomes the more the role of the adult Scouter will change from leader to facilitator and from facilitator to mentor.
Our commitment to adult learning
Scouting Ireland is committed to supporting adult leadership teams, to better deliver and support the development of young people, through its programme by helping Scouters to:
- Understand Scouting and their role within it
- Gain the competencies and confidence necessary for them to fulfil their role
We recognise that adults also have different needs, knowledge, experience and learning styles and that an individual’s learning needs might be met in a range of ways. We also recognise that adults without prior Scouting experience will have different learning needs over and above those who have been actively engaged as a youth member. Accordingly, adults in Scouting will be:
- Encouraged and supported to identify individual & team learning needs
- Afforded the opportunity to consider prior learning and knowledge when determining their learning needs
- Provided with a range of learning opportunities, which will include Scouting Ireland training courses
- Encouraged to use the methods most appropriate to their needs in order to gain relevant learning
- Encouraged to see learning and personal development as a continuous process for the duration of their time in Scouting
- Afforded the opportunity to provide feedback on the usefulness & quality of the learning opportunities they undertake
- Provided with advice, support & guidance regarding their progress
The Wood Badge Trail
In addition to the above commitment to adult learning, a Wood Badge training scheme is an essential and key component of the wider support and learning mechanisms for adults in Scouting Ireland. The Wood Badge is the symbol worn by adults to show they have completed training to a particular standard in their Scouting Association and is recognised worldwide. It is issued by Scouting Ireland on behalf of the World Organisation of Scout Movement (WOSM). The key principles in designing a Wood Badge Training scheme are set out in WOSM’s Adults in Scouting Policy and Wood Badge Framework.
If a Scouter’s appointment in Scouting is to remain valid, they are required to commit to undertaking training in accordance with the Standards, Policies and Procedures as set out by Scouting Ireland and to actively pursue the training scheme.
Scouting Ireland Training Approach
In support of the above we provide training as follows:
- Training for Trainers (TTT)
- Adventure Skills Instructor training
- Group Leader and Commissioner Training
- Programme Scouter Training – Incorporating Induction, The Wood Badge Trail and Continuous Learning
- Training for Adult Supporters
- Training for 18 and over Youth Members
Additional Information
The training requirements for various roles are set out in Adult Training Standards
The Training provided for Programme Scouters are set out in the Training Programme Scouters publication