{"alias":"contentPage","byline":null,"standfirst":null,"content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cspan data-contrast=\u0022auto\u0022\u003EWhat are accreditations\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccreditations are a way of sharing tasks and responsibilities, where a volunteer needs to be given certain permissions to take these on.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Scouts, we want to make it easier for people to give their valuable time in a way that really works for them. To make this happen, everyone in Scouts is part of a team. It\u2019s up to volunteers in each team to agree who does which tasks, based on their skills, interests and availability.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESometimes a volunteer needs permission to do a specific task. This is where accreditations come in.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"accordion","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","showExpand":false,"items":[{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Col\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EA task that needs to be done by someone with specific skills or qualifications. For example, making sure a kayak permit assessor is appropriately qualified.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EA task where someone needs to find and contact a specific person. For example, if the UKHQ Awards Team needs to know who to post awards to.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ol\u003E","label":"Example tasks"}]},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cspan data-contrast=\u0022auto\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EBenefits of sharing accreditations in this way\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur volunteers want to give their time in a flexible way that suits them.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELead Volunteers can share their responsibilities and tasks with others by giving them an accreditation. This flexibility means roles such as Lead Volunteer are more attractive and achievable, which\u0027ll help when recruiting new volunteers. It also means they can divide up their workload and focus on supporting others to grow, develop skills, and deliver amazing programmes for young people.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf volunteers want to take on more responsibilities, they don\u2019t have to take on a whole new role or join a new team, they can simply have an accreditation and take on those specific tasks.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur Team Leaders and Lead Volunteers should make sure the right people are doing the right tasks. This could be members from their own teams, or volunteers from across the wider movement. They\u2019ll be able to see clearly on scouts.org.uk who\u2019s doing what.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003EWhat accreditations are there\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFind out about the responsibilities shared by the following teams:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/volunteer-experience/volunteering-together/team-descriptions/accreditations/leadership-team-accreditations/\u0022 title=\u0022Leadership Team Accreditations\u0022\u003ELeadership Teams\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/volunteer-experience/volunteering-together/team-descriptions/accreditations/volunteering-development-team-accreditations/\u0022 title=\u0022Volunteering Development Team Accreditations\u0022\u003EVolunteering Development Teams\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/volunteer-experience/volunteering-together/team-descriptions/accreditations/programme-team-accreditations/\u0022 title=\u0022Programme Team Accreditations\u0022\u003EProgramme Teams\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/running-things-locally/tools-to-support-leadership-teams/how-teams-share-tasks/accreditations/support-team-accreditations/\u0022 title=\u0022Support Team Accreditations\u0022\u003ESupport Teams\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/volunteer-experience/volunteering-together/team-descriptions/accreditations/ukhq-accreditations/\u0022 title=\u0022UKHQ Accreditations\u0022\u003EUKHQ\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EHow accreditations work\u003C/h3\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"accordion","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","showExpand":false,"items":[{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAll accreditations are for adult members only (18\u002B), unless otherwise specified. A volunteer needs to be a \u2018full member.\u2019 This means they\u2019ve already completed all the steps on their volunteer joining journey, including their Growing Roots learning, and they\u2019re a member of a team.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThey may also need to meet other criteria for their accreditation. For example, completing relevant learning, having a specific qualification, or holding a particular role. For more details about criteria, see the \u003Ca href=\u0022/por/16-adult-roles/1611-tables/\u0022 title=\u002216.11 Tables\u0022\u003Eaccreditations table in POR\u003C/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Who can have an accreditation"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELead Volunteers or Team Leaders usually give accreditations. They have the best overview of how tasks and accreditations are shared in their teams, so ideally they should approach suitable volunteers and ask them to take on accreditations. However, volunteers (in their team or in wider teams) may also approach the Lead Volunteer or Team Leader if they\u0027re interested in taking on specific tasks.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELead Volunteers or Team Leaders check the volunteer has met the criteria, is suitable to take on these responsibilities, and they\u2019ve done the relevant learning. They\u0027ll then log into \u0027My membership\u0027 and give the accreditation to the volunteer. This\u2019ll give the volunteer the right permissions to do their tasks and it\u2019ll record who\u2019s doing what on scouts.org.uk.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERead the\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/volunteer-experience/digital-tool-guides/accreditations/\u0022 title=\u0022Accreditations\u0022\u003E accreditations digital tool user guide\u003C/a\u003E to find out how to give an accreditation in My membership.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"How to give an accreditation"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EMany accreditations expire after a certain date or if the volunteer no longer meets the criteria. Lead Volunteers and Team Leaders are able to see when an accreditation will expire, and the volunteer holding the accreditation will get a notification when it expires.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccreditations can be renewed if the volunteer still meets the criteria. For some accreditations, volunteers will need to complete the relevant learning again to make sure they\u2019re up-to-date with any changes and meet the pre-requisites. A renewed accreditation begins the day it\u2019s issued \u2013 even if the previous one hasn\u2019t expired yet. See the accreditations table for more detail about expiry dates (to be added in POR in 2024).\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs with any team task, it\u2019s important the Team Leader or Lead Volunteer checks in with the person who has the accreditation to see how they\u2019re getting on and what support they need.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"How long someone can have an accreditation"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETo take on a role, our volunteers need to go through the \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/volunteer-experience/welcome/steps/\u0022 title=\u0022Steps\u0022\u003Ejoining process\u003C/a\u003E. They\u2019ll complete all the relevant steps, such as criminal record checks, references, and Growing Roots learning within 180 days.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhereas accreditations are a simple way of taking on specific tasks, volunteers still need to meet the criteria, which may involve some learning, but they\u2019ll already be a \u2018full member\u2019.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Accreditations are different to roles"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAccreditations are responsibilities linked to certain teams \u2013\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/volunteer-experience/volunteering-together/team-descriptions/accreditations/leadership-team-accreditations/\u0022 title=\u0022Leadership Team Accreditations\u0022\u003ELeadership\u003C/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/volunteer-experience/volunteering-together/team-descriptions/accreditations/volunteering-development-team-accreditations/\u0022 title=\u0022Volunteering Development Team Accreditations\u0022\u003EVolunteering Development\u003C/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/volunteer-experience/volunteering-together/team-descriptions/accreditations/programme-team-accreditations/\u0022 title=\u0022Programme Team Accreditations\u0022\u003EProgramme\u003C/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/volunteer-experience/volunteering-together/team-descriptions/accreditations/ukhq-accreditations/\u0022 title=\u0022UKHQ Accreditations\u0022\u003EUKHQ\u003C/a\u003E. If a volunteer takes on an accreditation, they might already be part of that team, but they don\u2019t have to be. If they\u2019re in another team and they take on the accreditation, they don\u2019t join that team, nor do they take on whole team tasks.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead, they\u2019ll simply show up on scouts.org.uk as someone who\u2019s taking on a task linked to that team. There can be real benefits to this, as it makes it more flexible about who can do what tasks.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, a Beaver Section Team Member receives an Adventurous Activity Assessor accreditation, as they\u2019re qualified to assess kayaking permits. This task is linked to the County Programme Team, so the County Programme Team Leader gives them the accreditation. The Beaver Section Team Member remains part of the Beaver Section Team, and they don\u2019t join the County Programme Team just because they\u2019ve taken on these tasks. However, they now have the right permissions to be an Adventurous Activity Assessor.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"How accreditations link to teams"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAll accreditations are recorded and accessed in \u0027My Membership\u0027 at scouts.org.uk. Those who need to know who has which accreditation are able to see it in \u0027My Membership\u0027. For example, a Team Leader is able to see who has accreditations linked to their team.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERead the\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/volunteer-experience/digital-tool-guides/accreditations/\u0022 title=\u0022Accreditations\u0022\u003E accreditations digital tool user guide\u003C/a\u003E to find out how to\u00A0check your team\u0027s accreditations and to find members with accreditations.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"How to see who has an accreditation"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETasks can be shared depending on who\u2019s in the team and your local needs. This might change over time. Accreditations help volunteers give their time flexibly.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example, in a large District with plenty of volunteers, there might be multiple volunteers with the same. In a small District, our Lead Volunteers may find it more practical to keep some responsibilities, rather than sharing them with others.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe only exceptions are Awards Parcel Recipient and the King\u2019s Scout Award Parcel Recipient. These accreditations are used for sending certificates and other award materials in the post, so there should only be one person with these accreditations in each location to avoid confusion.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Accreditations can be given to multiple people"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s possible for volunteers to take on more than one accreditation, if they\u2019d like. There\u2019s no limit to the number of accreditations a volunteer can have. However, it\u2019s worth checking in with volunteers to make sure they understand the size and nature of the responsibilities that come with each accreditation, and how it\u2019ll fit in with their overall commitment to volunteering.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Volunteers can have more than one accreditation"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELead Volunteers or Team Leaders usually remove accreditations. It won\u2019t affect any role(s) or team membership(s) of the volunteer. There is a record of past accreditations in the volunteer\u2019s personal profile in \u0027My Membership\u0027 at scouts.org.uk.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESome accreditations expire (for example, after a certain time or after an event). These can be renewed, except for a small number, which are specific to an event, such as the International Service Team Member accreditation.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERead the \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/volunteer-experience/digital-tool-guides/accreditations/\u0022 title=\u0022Accreditations\u0022\u003Eaccreditations digital tool guide\u003C/a\u003E to learn how to remove an accreditation.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"How accreditations are removed"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWhen you\u2019re recruiting new volunteers or talking to current volunteers about their skills and interests, try to decide who might take on extra responsibilities. For example, Volunteer Safeguarding Lead, Permit Approver or Awards Parcel Recipient sit as default with the Lead Volunteer, but can be shared through accreditations.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EAs you create your Volunteering Development Team, consider who might take on the responsibilities (and accreditation) to become a Trainer.\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ETake time to identify volunteers in the Programme Team who could get the accreditations for Visits Abroad Recommender, Nights Away Assessor, or Adventurous Activity Assessor\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E","label":"Some things to consider when building your new teams"}]}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":"How to use accreditations that give someone our permission to take on a task or responsibility","pageType":null,"location":null,"browserTitle":"Using accreditations to share tasks","versionDate":"11 August 2023","reviewDate":"12/12/2022","redirectUrl":"","id":76438,"nodeName":"Accreditations","title":"Accreditations","type":"contentPage","image":{"url":"/media/12108/fdl-hp.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1dab8e1b20252a0","caption":"Scouts purple logo","type":"jpg","size":93039,"width":1268,"height":664,"altText":"An image of a purple background showing the white Scouts logo"},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Using accreditations to share tasks","headerSubTitle":"How to use accreditations that give someone our permission to take on a task or responsibility","headerCta":"","headerCtaText":"","headerCtaLink":"","headerBackgroundColour":"006ddf","showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":[{"caption":"","title":"Digital System Permissions","url":"/volunteers/volunteer-experience/digital-tool-guides/user-permissions-and-personal-data/","newWindow":false}]},"subHeader":"How to use accreditations that give someone our permission to take on a task or responsibility","silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC83NjQzOCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-things-locally/tools-to-support-leadership-teams/how-teams-share-tasks/accreditations/"}