{"alias":"contentPage","byline":null,"standfirst":null,"content":{"layouts":[{"type":"sidebar","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFS120340 \u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E(Published November 2024, Replacing May 2023)\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIntroduction\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EA large number of incidents occur when members are undertaking free time activities, this could be at the beginning or end of your meeting, during break in the normal section programme or time before bed on a camp.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003EThis guidance is designed to provide volunteers with some suggestions of how to manage these free time activities in order to reduce the potential for incidents and injuries.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EDirectly before and after section meetings\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt is easy for adult volunteers to be distracted whilst talking to parents and setting up the meeting place; this could result in the young people not being supervised.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETry dividing responsibilities to leave an adult volunteer or Explorer Scout Young Leader with the task of occupying the young people when they arrive and before they leave. This could be with a game or a quick activity, even something which will help them get ahead in a programme activity later that evening. Make sure games allow for people to arrive or leave throughout and avoid more boisterous activities. Remember that although this activity is at the start or the end of the session it is still part of the meeting/activity so should have been correctly \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safety/planning-and-assessing-risk/\u0022 title=\u0022Planning and assessing risk\u0022\u003Erisk assessments\u003C/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EIn between activities\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOften young people get distracted between activities when there is nothing to focus their attention. Planning your programme to have a smooth transition, with different Adult Volunteers taking the lead on each element, will allow for this to be seamless. Clearly communicate with the young people explaining what the next activity is so that you keep their attention. Plan the programme to be challenging, relevant and rewarding and promote positive behaviour amongst the group. Learning you may find beneficial include \u0027Delivering a Great Programme\u0027.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EFree time during Nights Away activities\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMany sections plan in a free time slot into their event, allowing the young people more freedom. This is great for allowing the young people to explore the environment, play games or rest but can result in young people over stretching their abilities and incidents occurring.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESetting clear boundaries will help remove some potential hazards, be clear on rules and expectations and have some supervision, although this could be more indirect than normal. Have someone on hand to run some games or simple activities if the young people start to get bored or stray outside of the agreed area, rules etc.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor example: some Scout and Explore groups chose to allow Scouts to use knives during free time for whittling. If so, you need to carefully consider how this activity will be assessed for risk, supervised and the storage of the knives. For further guidance visit \u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safety/safe-camping-residentials-and-outdoor-skills/scout-knife-safety-guidance/\u0022 title=\u0022Scout Knife Safety Guidance\u0022\u003Eknife safety guidance\u003C/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp style=\u0022mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; line-height: normal;\u0022 class=\u0022MsoNormal\u0022\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https://members.scouts.org.uk/supportresources/2360/planning-and-assessing-risk?cat=299,301\u0026amp;moduleID=10\u0022\u003E\u003C/a\u003EAs a leader make sure you\u2019ve used the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safe-scouting-cards/safety-checklist-cards/?cat=299,301\u0026amp;moduleID=10\u0022 title=\u0022Staying Safe - Safety Checklist\u0022 data-anchor=\u0022?cat=299,301\u0026amp;moduleID=10\u0022\u003ESafety Checklist for Section Leaders\u003C/a\u003E; this will help you identify risks and find suitable ways of managing them.\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EUnsupervised evening activities during nights away activities (for example, in rooms or tents before bed)\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYoung people will be excited about being away from home and having the freedom of being unsupervised. However, this can lead to unsuitable behaviour. Set clear rules and expectations and monitor, and have regular check-ins that everyone is OK. Always follow the \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safe-scouting-cards/safeguarding-code-of-conduct-for-adults-yellow-card/\u0022 title=\u0022Young People First - Yellow Card\u0022\u003EYellow Card\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHaving some quiet activities or encouraging young people to bring their own can make for a calmer atmosphere in the evenings and help reduce incidents.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EFree time during trips and outings\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe older the young people are the more likely they are to want independence. Giving young people the freedom to explore in small groups is part of helping them to develop and grow. Be sure to do this with some clear boundaries and expectations in place. Make sure each group of young people knows how you will communicate with them.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EConsider how those leading the trip will supervise this activity and how close you will be. This\u2019ll depend on the age and maturity of the young people and the location you are in. The activity would still need to be risk assessed, but the young people could be involved in this process.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EMore support\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019re unsure as to how to manage your situation, seek advice from your District Team Members, Group Lead Volunteer or other experienced Adult Volunteers.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you\u2019ve any concerns over the safety of an activity, don\u2019t do it or stop it and find an alternative activity. You can re-plan the activity at a later date.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf you need advice on what training is available ask your Group Lead Volunteer or District Support Team to put you in touch with your Local Volunteer Development Team.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]},{"items":[{"type":"Promo","cta":"Read the checklists","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe Safety Checklists are aimed to help all adults working with young people to fulfil their role and responsibilities in managing and supporting safety in Scouts.\u003C/span\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Staying Safe - Safety Checklist","id":null,"url":"/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safe-scouting-cards/safety-checklist-cards/","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":"#ffe627","title":"Safety Checklists","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"Take a look at the example risk assessment","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0027s sometimes daunting starting from a blank page, so we\u2019ve provided some example risk assessments to help get you thinking about what you may include in yours, or how this may look.\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Example risk assessments","id":null,"url":"/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/risk-assessments/example-risk-assessments/","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":"#ffe627","title":"Free-time activities risk assessment example","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"10-minute filler games","body":"","link":{"name":"10-minute fillers \u2013 fun games to play during any extra time in Scouts","id":null,"url":"/news/2022/october/10-minute-fillers-fun-games-to-play-during-any-extra-time-in-scouts/","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Take a look at our 10-minute filler games","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"Take a look at the circle games","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETake a look at our idea for 15 quick and easy circle games.\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"15 quick and easy circle games to help fill time","id":null,"url":"/news/2023/april/15-quick-and-easy-circle-games-to-help-fill-time/","newWindow":false,"target":null},"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Circle game ideas","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":"Free time activities are an area of high risk when it comes to incidents occurring, this guidance can help you manage these activities.","pageType":null,"location":null,"browserTitle":"","versionDate":"14 July 2023","reviewDate":"12/06/2020","redirectUrl":"","id":41037,"nodeName":"Managing free time activities safely","title":"Managing free time activities safely","type":"contentPage","image":null,"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"Managing free time activities safely","headerSubTitle":"Free time activities are an area of high risk when it comes to incidents occurring, here\u0027s some guidance which can help you manage these activities in order to reduce risk.","headerCta":"","headerCtaText":"","headerCtaLink":"","headerBackgroundColour":"ffe627","showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":[]},"subHeader":"Free time activities are an area of high risk when it comes to incidents occurring, this guidance can help you manage these activities.","silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80MTAzNyJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/volunteers/staying-safe-and-safeguarding/safety/planning-and-assessing-risk/managing-free-time-activities-safely/"}