{"alias":"contentPage","byline":null,"standfirst":null,"content":{"layouts":[{"type":"sidebar","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDelivering online activities or sessions can be a great way to mix up your programme. \u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWhether it\u0027s your wet weather plan or a way to meet up virtually \u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003Ewith another group, we\u0027ve got lots of activity ideas and advice to help you.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ERemember, you\u0027ll need to risk assess your activities as normal. You can find guidance and examples on our \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/risk-assessments/\u0022 title=\u0022Risk assessments\u0022\u003ERisk assessments page.\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETake a look at our guidance on \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/supporting-life-issues-and-young-people/digital-safeguarding/staying-safe-online/\u0022 title=\u0022Staying safe online\u0022\u003Estaying safe online\u003C/a\u003E, and make sure you still follow the \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safe-scouting-cards/young-people-first-yellow-card/\u0022 title=\u0022Scouts child protection policy\u0022\u003ECode of Behaviour set out in the Yellow Card\u003C/a\u003E when connecting with young people online.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMake sure everyone understands that when people are joining in you expect the same behaviour online as you would at your face-to-face meeting.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou should communicate activities to parents and carers, so they know what is being shared online. This ensures transparency, and parental and carer engagement.\u00A0Make sure all parents and carers are aware of what the activity is, what platform it will be presented on, and when.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou should give parents and carers enough time to allow them to set up new accounts or gather any materials if they need to.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs always, if a volunteer has any concerns about a young person\u2019s welfare (including their online experiences), they must follow the reporting process set out in the\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safe-scouting-cards/young-people-first-yellow-card/\u0022\u003EYellow Card.\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"accordion","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","showExpand":false,"items":[{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThere must be at least a minimum two adults present at all times during any online meetings,\u0026nbsp;with\u0026nbsp;at least one being a member of Scouts.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIdeally both adults should be Scout volunteers, but you can use a\u0026nbsp;parent and carer rota to support as you might normally do.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EYou may want to have three adults per meeting, so that there\u0027ll always be two adults present. For example, in case someone\u0027s Wi-Fi disconnects and an adult has to rejoin the meeting.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAll adult volunteers must start the video call together before young people are allowed to join and they must remain on the video call until all young people have logged off. This ensures no young people are left alone with an adult online.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Adult ratios on video calls"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThere are many different platforms you can use to run activities or sessions online. They\u2019re all slightly different and most importantly, have different levels of security and privacy.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/running-your-section/programme-guidance/taking-scouts-online/digital-platforms-for-scouts/\u0022 title=\u0022Digital platforms for Scouts\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETake a look at some of the most popular platforms you can use\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"What platforms you can use"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERemember to read the platforms features and make the most of any features that restrict access to only those you invite, such as by setting a password.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen setting up your meetings, make sure each one requires a unique password and attendees are put into a virtual waiting room before joining. This ensures no young person\u0027s left alone with an adult online.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Using waiting rooms and passwords"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFor adult volunteers, if you\u2019re calling from home and there are other people around, make sure those people are dressed appropriately and know how to behave when you\u2019re talking to young people. It might be best to ask other people to stay out of the room that you\u2019re making the call from.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMake sure your background space is young person friendly, ensuring nothing inappropriate\u0027s on display. You shouldn\u0027t be drinking alcohol or have alcohol in the video.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ESome of the video calling software has a built-in option to \u2018blur\u2019 the background, which you may feel this is an appropriate feature to turn on.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EYoung members must take part in the video call in a suitable communal environment and not a bedroom. They should be appropriately dressed, as they would for a face-to-face meeting. You should remind parents and carers to make sure all\u0026nbsp;\u003C/span\u003Emembers of their household are aware that the call\u0027s taking place.\u0026nbsp;Make sure parents and carers know that you\u2019ll still be following the Yellow Card guidelines and why you\u2019re doing this.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EParents and carers will also need make sure they use appropriate language and behaviour when nearby or in the background, as well as make sure their young person\u0027s background is appropriate.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Having an appropriate background"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYou can find backgrounds for you to use on your live video calls, such as on Zoom, on the \u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://scoutsbrand.org.uk/catalogue/category/digital/wallpaper-and-backgrounds\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022Wallpaper and backgrounds (Scout brand centre)\u0022\u003EScout brand centre\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Scout themed picture backgrounds for your live video calls"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExamples:\u003C/strong\u003E Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype or FaceTime. FaceTime is on Apple devices only.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are many video conferencing platforms available, and these are great tools to deliver Scouts digitally.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese platforms allow volunteers, parents and carers, and young people to all be online at once, so they can see and talk to one another.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMost live video call platforms, such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, have a \u003C/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-your-section/programme-guidance/taking-scouts-online/digital-platforms-for-scouts/\u0022 title=\u0022Digital platforms for Scouts\u0022\u003Eminimum age requirement\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E.\u0026nbsp;You should check the terms and conditions of services to make sure they\u2019re suitable.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EFor Squirrels, Beavers and Cubs, a parent or carer should be present in the room at all times. \u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EScouts and Explorers\u0026nbsp;should have an adult nearby, so that they can ask for help if they need it. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EYou should ask parents\u0026nbsp;or carers to \u0027drop\u0027 their young person off to the meeting,\u0026nbsp;\u003C/span\u003Eso you know that they\u0027ve a responsible adult nearby if they need any help. This\u0027ll also give you a chance to talk to parent or carers if you need to.\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Live video calls"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExamples:\u003C/strong\u003E\u00A0Facebook pages or private groups, or YouTube\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany platforms allow users to upload and share videos and photos. Read our guidance on \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/supporting-life-issues-and-young-people/digital-safeguarding/staying-safe-online/\u0022 title=\u0022Staying safe online\u0022\u003Esafely uploading videos and photos.\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIf young people are below the minimum age of the platform, you need to communicate via the parents and carers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMake sure Facebook groups are private, so only members and/or parents/carers of your section can join. \u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EYou may want to upload\u00A0YouTube videos private and only accessible by link. The link can then be shared to your section\u0027s parents and carers via email, Facebook group or instant\u00A0messenger services.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Uploading videos and photos"},{"gridType":"accordionItem","gtmId":"","gtmClass":"","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExamples:\u003C/strong\u003E SMS text, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Chat Rooms/apps\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany groups use some form of instant messaging, so that parents, carers, volunteers, and young people can keep in touch.\u00A0You need parental or carer permission to use this form of messaging.\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMake sure that the \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/running-your-section/programme-guidance/taking-scouts-online/digital-platforms-for-scouts/\u0022 title=\u0022Digital platforms for Scouts\u0022\u003Eplatform you use is age appropriate\u003C/a\u003E and within the age restrictions put in place by the platform.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIf young people are below the minimum age of the platform, you need to communicate via the parents and carers.\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ERemember, creating a WhatsApp group will mean that an individual\u0027s mobile number is shared and can be seen by everyone in the group. You may want to\u00A0set up a \u003Ca href=\u0022https://faq.whatsapp.com/861663048350950/?cms_platform=android\u0022 data-anchor=\u0022?cms_platform=android\u0022\u003EBroadcast list\u003C/a\u003E instead.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWhen you send a message to the broadcast list, it\u2019ll be sent to all recipients in the list who have your number saved in their phones\u2019 address book. Recipients will receive the message as a normal message. When they reply, it\u2019ll appear as a normal message in your chats screen. Their reply will not be sent to other recipients in the broadcast list.\u003C/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA minimum of two adults, with at least one being a member of Scouts, must monitor the group to ensure there\u2019s no bullying or inappropriate behaviour.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou must make sure that no young person messages or communicates with any adult directly on a one-to-one basis.\u00A0If this does happen, please don\u0027t respond to the one-to-one message. Instead, contact your local area manager and the young person\u0027s parents and carers. You should ask the parent or carer to speak to their young person to explain why it\u2019s not appropriate.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf it happens again, report this to the Safeguarding team, so we can speak to parents and carer to make sure they\u2019re monitoring their young person\u2019s online usage.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERead our additional guidance for\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/supporting-life-issues-and-young-people/digital-safeguarding/staying-safe-online/\u0022 title=\u0022Staying safe online\u0022\u003Estaying safe online.\u003C/a\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","label":"Instant messaging"}]}]},{"items":[{"type":"Image top","cta":"Read our guidance on staying safe online","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EKeeping everyone safe is the number one concern for all of us at the Scouts.\u00A0\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Staying safe online","id":null,"url":"/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safeguarding-in-the-programme/scouting-online-safely/","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Staying safe online","image":"/media/18099/db-20210929-70844-6128.jpg?cc=0,0.05998259693231539,0,0.09618301962934066\u0026width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1daee458983eed0","imageFocus":"","imageId":33200,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Image top","cta":"Find information about insurance at home","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFind information about insurance when participating in Scout activities from home.\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Insurance at home","id":null,"url":"/volunteers/running-your-section/programme-guidance/information-for-volunteers/taking-scouts-online/insurance-at-home/","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Insurance at home","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":"Keep young people safe even when they\u2019re at home with Scouts guidance on online safety and safeguarding.","pageType":null,"location":null,"browserTitle":"","versionDate":"15 July 2023","reviewDate":"30/03/2020","redirectUrl":"","id":50246,"nodeName":"Taking Scouts online","title":"Taking Scouts online","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":"Taking Scouts online","headerSubTitle":"Find guidance and ideas to help you run Scout activities virtually.","headerCta":"","headerCtaText":"","headerCtaLink":"","headerBackgroundColour":"002f6c","showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":[{"caption":"","title":"Young People First - Yellow Card","url":"/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safe-scouting-cards/safeguarding-code-of-conduct-for-adults-yellow-card/","newWindow":false}]},"subHeader":"Keep young people safe even when they\u2019re at home with Scouts guidance on online safety and safeguarding.","silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC81MDI0NiJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/running-your-section/programme-guidance/information-for-volunteers/taking-scouts-online/"}