Preparing for Face to Face Scouting – Getting back together safely
Last updated: 23 September 2020
Latest Updates
Recent announcements in England (22nd September 2020), the government has confirmed that as an essential service, youth section activity can continue unchanged, which is in line with COVID secure NYA guidance standards.
IMPORTANT: Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, or who has been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms (within the last two weeks), shouldn’t come to any face-to-face activities, and should follow government guidelines on self-isolation and testing
Weekly Updates – click the link to the section:
Here’s each section’s plan for the coming weeks. You’ll get an email with full details and the link to click to sign-up to tell us you’re coming. This is just a reminder:
Each section will operate in bubbles. Please check below for the bubble timetable as arrival and collection times may change on a weekly basis.
Beavers: TBC
Cubs: Monday 5th Ocotober – Bubble 2 face to face meeting. Meet at: 18th Ipswich HQ (Outside) 7.15pm to 8.30pm. Ensure you have signed up via the Parent Portal invite
Please can you give us an indication of if you child intends to return to face to face – Cubs or if they would prefer to only do virtual sessions for the time being
Scouts: Friday 2nd October at 7pm – Virtual (Microsoft Teams) meeting for all Scouts. Email will be sent out
DETAILS WILL BE HERE WHEN AVAILABLE
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
To keep everyone safe we need members and their parents to:
- Sign-up to the ‘event’ invitation sent to the email address registered as contact in OSM
- Check the Getting everyone back together safely web page
- Check the details in the ‘event’ email for arrival and departure information and any other relevant information or messages from the leaders
- Ensure my child goes to the toilet before traveling to the venue
- Ensure my child washes their hands thoroughly before travelling to the venue
- Follow the arrival and departure instructions fully and maintain social distancing measures
If you need to speak to a leader, please use the Contact Us details or email in the first instance.
To keep everyone safe, we are asking for all young people and volunteers to:
- Go to the toilet before coming to the venue
- Wash hands thoroughly before coming to the venue
- Follow the arrival instructions carefully
- Follow Our keeping safe code
- Wash you hands with the provided anti-bacterial hand wash
- Listen to the leader’s briefing each week carefully
- Wash you hands with the provided anti-bacterial hand wash before leaving
Updated 05/09/2020
Beavers and Cubs who want to wear a face-covering are very welcome to. It is not mandated, but a personal choice. All we ask is that any decoration is appropriate – no skulls, etc. as they can frighten other young people.
Scouts and Explorers must wear face masks when indoors as per Government guidelines unless they are exempt.
Leaders and other adults in scouting – do not need to wear face coverings when delivering face to face scouting sessions indoors. They must do so when not directly delivering activities (preparation, cleaning etc).
We will continue to monitor this and inform you if the guidance changes.
All our leaders have a current and up-to-date first aid qualification and all the bubbles have a fully equipped first aid kit at every meeting.
Following advice from The Scouts, where possible and appropriate a first aider will support a young person to undertake their own first aid.
If this is not possible or not appropriate, the first aider will use the appropriate PPE and deal with the issue as usual. A first aid record form will be completed and parents/carers will be informed after the meeting.
If more serious, parents/carers may be contacted and/or health professional advice sought as normal.
Updated 05/09/2020
We will be operating section meetings in bubbles. Each bubble will have at least 2 leaders (Scouts/Explorers) or 3 leaders (Beavers/Cubs).
Bubbles will be able to meet at the same time at the same place, but will be kept at least 25m apart. To help with this, there will may be staggered arrival/departure times which we ask parents to adhere to as strictly as possible.
We will still be fully complying with our data protection policy and GDPR. This already includes the necessity to share information within Scouting (e.g. sharing information with the District Executive for approval of our risk assessment purposes) and also with statutory bodies, such as the NHS if ‘test & trace’ requires it.
If this causes you any concern at all, please do speak with to Denise (GSL) or Stuart (AGSL).
We’d love your support! In order to make the group/bubble system work, we need extra adults to support each bubble. Each group/bubble will have a leader-in-charge, but extra adults will be necessary.
Please speak to your section leader if you’re interested in supporting us.
Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, or who has been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms (within the last two weeks), shouldn’t come to any face-to-face activities, and should follow government guidelines on self-isolation and testing.
Please get in touch with your section leader or Denise (GSL) or Stuart (AGSL).
Updated 05/09/2020
We have developed a risk assessment for all venues that we are using, following guidance from The Scouts which draws on Government guidance and the National Youth Agency.
Our risk assessment has to be approved by a committee of the District Executive and has been developed in partnership with leaders, young people and parents.
Read the current risk assessments – click the link to the section:
Ideally, yes please. However, we appreciate they may have grown! If they don’t wear uniform, please ensure they wear clean clothes, not the same clothes worn at school all day. This will help limit any potential spread.
We do have some Group (18th Ipswich Group) T-Shirt and Sweatshirts in stock, if parents are interested.
Load More
Getting back together safely: The COVID Code
- A COVID-safe risk assessment has been completed and we communicated control measures to volunteer, young people and parents and all are encouraged to raise concerns.
- Additional hygiene measures are in place
- Social Distancing will be observed where possible (check current distant determined by your Government)
- Maximum group sizes will be limited and determined by scouts.org.uk and member will be consistent where possible
- Make adjustments for young and adults vulnerable or affected by COVID, and consult to make sure return plans are accessible and inclusive.
Current Readiness Levels
Our readiness levels determine what is allowable within Scouts. Suffolk readiness levels, in line with the UK Scouts framework, are referenced below:
AMBER – This means in Suffolk that you can now organise COVID-19 safe face-to-face activities indoors and outdoors only with a maximum group size of 15 and up to 5 leaders.
Please note that:
- Indoor activities are now allowed, but outdoor activities are preferred and should be encouraged
- Numbers change to 15 young people and up to five leaders (carers can be in addition and will not be counted in these numbers) – this applies both indoors and outdoors. Leaders can also include Young Leaders.
- Young people must stay in their limited group size but adults will now be able to move between these groups, i.e. across the 25m spacing if outdoors or to a section meeting at a different time on the same day.
- Leaders don’t need to wear a face covering when delivering activities – however, it’s recommended to wear one in all other circumstances.
- Scouts and Explorers must now wear face coverings indoors. Exceptions as per national guidelines are permitted.
- We’re required to keep a detailed register of those attending each activity to help with the track and trace process. This will be kept and readily available for at least 6 weeks to facilitate contact tracing.
For now, all young people in all sections must continue to social distance by 2m from each other where possible and from adult volunteers at all times.
We have developed a risk assessment for all venues that we are using, following guidance from The Scouts which draws on Government guidance and the National Youth Agency.