{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"","standfirst":"Our pilots to test Scouts for 4 and 5 year olds is now well under way. Daniel Fiander, a District Commissioner in Sheffield Norfolk, is supporting the \u2018Scout-led model\u2019 pilot in his area so we chatted to Daniel to find out how they\u2019re going.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"mediaBlock","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/4799/screenshot-2019-11-19-at-163426.png","width":1122,"height":724,"altText":"Early years","caption":"","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EDaniel, what were your concerns before the pilots started?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EMy main concerns were whether we could effectively get enough leaders? Would the programme feel like Scouting or a playgroup? And were there any other issues that we needed to prepare for? We needed to examine all of these challenges upfront. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EDid your pre-pilot concerns change at all once they were up and running?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EThe potential problems we identified in advance, actually turned into solutions. We asked parents if there was anything we needed to be aware of and this then resulted in parents offering to stay and help out. Our ability to recruit parents was much higher than expected because of the age of the children, many parents hadn\u2019t yet handed them over to be looked after by someone else \u2013 so they were much keener to get involved. It doesn\u2019t feel at all like a playgroup, it\u2019s much more structured and active.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EWhat surprised you most about the section programme?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EI\u2019m really impressed with the quality and structure of the programme. It starts with a story followed by activities that relate to the moral of a story. This works really well with this age group as they know that story time means quiet time, so they focus and engage well. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EFor instance, there\u2019s the Tree Trolls activity where the children are read a story about Tree Trolls and then they go foraging in their local green area for things like twigs, mud and leaves to then bring back to the venue to create their own trolls. It\u2019s exactly the right level for them, engaging them through storytelling while being an outdoor active activity.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EWhat techniques did you use to find enough volunteers to run the pilots?\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003ERather than asking a whole room of people to take on a task, we asked individuals to do a specific task which resulted in more people saying yes \u2013 rather than just hearing from the most confident \u2018yes person\u2019 in the room. It\u2019s about adapting how you communicate and using short and straight-forward messages.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EWhat do you think motivated volunteers to get involved?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003ESome areas in Sheffield have increased levels of crime and low income households so our volunteers are aware that early years fills a massive gap. There\u2019s no affordable, positive activities for children of this age to get involved with. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EWhilst parents do get involved, we\u2019ve also had interest from people within Scouts and outside of Scouts as they believe in what Scouts can do. For instance, one lady was a former Group Chair but stepped in to work with the early years pilots as she wanted to work with younger children. We also have one lady who works in childcare in her day-role \u2013 the meeting times seem to work really well for people in that industry. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EHave you seen any differences in the adults involved in the pilots?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EA lot of our volunteers were completely new to Scouts so it took some time to find their feet as there wasn\u2019t anyone to pass on skills or recommendations. Now, the adults have got to know the young people and how to best run the meetings, and I think they\u2019ve realised it\u2019s OK to delegate and ask for help. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EHave you or others experienced anything challenging about the section programme?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EThe skills gap is quite vast, with children aged 4 needing considerably more support than those aged 5. However, we\u2019ve seen considerable developments in the children\u2019s dexterity and motor skills. Many come to us shy but when they lose their inhibitions it becomes fun and play, and the enthusiasm that young people bring is great to see. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EHow would you describe the programme for 4 and 5 year olds?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EIt\u2019s absolutely fantastic! There\u2019s quality and depth to the programme with varied activities fitting around programme zones. It feels like Scouting. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EHow did you manage waiting lists or joining requests?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EAs the early years pilots are focusing on areas underrepresented in the Scouts we approached a local social mobility charity to find people in the community that needed help. Parents also put young children on a joining list for Beavers around age 4 so we invited the young people on this list to join. We focused on the children who would benefit most.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EWhat are you still concerned about if we went ahead with early years?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003ELeaders throughout Scouts of course know how to create a programme well, however if early years goes ahead, I think early years would need a full set of programme activities because this requires a different skill \u2013 not everyone is a creative storywriter. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EIf the pilots are successful, would you recommend other District Commissioners to consider opening sections for 4 and 5 year olds, and what advice would you give?\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022p1\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022s1\u0022\u003EYes, I would recommend it. It really does feel like Scouting. Don\u2019t be afraid of it. It\u2019s just like opening and supporting any other section. We\u2019re providing support to the Leaders and they\u2019re delivering the activities to the young people, just like we would with Beaver, Cubs, Scouts and so on. You need to recruit the right people who are ready to face those challenges and will be there to support them to find the solutions.\u003Cspan class=\u0022Apple-converted-space\u0022\u003E\u00A0 \u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"19 November 2019","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[],"relatedLinks":[],"id":40267,"nodeName":"Insider insight into the early years pilots \u2013 a District Commissioner shares his thoughts","title":"Insider insight into the early years pilots \u2013 a District Commissioner shares his thoughts","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/4799/screenshot-2019-11-19-at-163426.png?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd29d04b30","caption":"Screenshot 2019 11 19 At 16.34.26","type":"png","size":1521382,"width":1122,"height":724,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Insider insight into the early years pilots \u2013 a District Commissioner shares his thoughts","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"Our pilots to test Scouts for 4 and 5 year olds is now well under way.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80MDI2NyJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2019/november/insider-insight-into-the-early-years-pilots-a-district-commissioner-shares-his-thoughts/"}