Behaviour and Discipline Policy

Summary

Minor first incident

Behaviour continues

This is our policy and does not replace The Scouts' Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) which takes precedence.

Purpose

At 1st Bourne End Scout Group, we want every young person to enjoy Scouts in a safe, welcoming, respectful and inclusive environment.

Scouting should be fun, challenging and adventurous, but one person's behaviour must not prevent other young people from enjoying Scouts or make another person feel unsafe.

This policy explains:

• the behaviour expected from young people;

• how leader / leaders / volunteers will deal with unacceptable behaviour;

• our Yellow and Red Card system;

This policy will be applied fairly and consistently, while taking into account their individual circumstances.

Our Behaviour Code

When taking part in Scouts, we expect everyone to:

Respect others

• Treat everyone fairly and with respect.

• Listen when someone else is speaking.

• Be polite and considerate.

• Respect other people's personal space and belongings.

Behave safely

• Follow instructions.

• Follow the safety rules for activities.

• Stop an activity immediately when instructed to do so.

• Never deliberately put themselves or another person in danger.

• Use equipment and the Scout premises responsibly.

Take responsibility

• Take responsibility for their own actions.

• Tell the truth about what has happened.

• Apologise and try to put things right when appropriate.

• Walk away from arguments rather than making them worse.

• Accept reasonable consequences for their behaviour.

• Follow the Scout Promise, Law and Values.

• Support and encourage other young people.

• Allow everyone the opportunity to participate.

• Help look after our Scout Hut, equipment and surroundings.

Be part of the team

• Follow the Scout Promise, Law and Values.

• Support and encourage other young people.

• Allow everyone the opportunity to participate.

• Help look after our Scout Hut, equipment and surroundings.

Unacceptable Behaviour

Examples include:

• repeatedly talking (including muttering and whispering) over leaders / volunteers or other young people;

• deliberately disrupting an activity;

• refusing to follow instructions;

• inappropriate or offensive language;

• disrespectful behaviour;

• deliberately excluding another young person;

• throwing objects or misusing equipment;

• inappropriate use of mobile phones or electronic devices;

• leaving an activity or designated area without permission;

More serious behaviour includes:

• bullying (including persistent, low-level, verbal or physical actions)

• harassment;

• discrimination;

• threatening behaviour;

• deliberate physical violence;

• fighting (including “play-fighting” which may put scouts in danger or encourage other scouts to copy the behaviour);

• deliberately dangerous behaviour;

• serious verbal abuse;

• deliberately damaging property;

• bringing or using prohibited substances or items;

• behaviour which places another person at significant risk.

This list is not exhaustive.

How We Deal With Behaviour

The purpose of this policy for discipline at 1st Bourne End Scouts is to improve behaviour, not simply punish it.

Where appropriate, leaders, following the safeguarding policy, will initially try to resolve minor behaviour informally.

Stage 1 – Reminder

For minor behaviour, a leader / leaders / volunteers will normally remind the young person:

• what behaviour needs to stop;

• why it is inappropriate; and

• what behaviour is expected instead.

For example:

“Please stop talking while the instructions are being given. Everyone needs to hear them so that we can do the activity safely.”

Stage 2 - Warning

If the behaviour continues, or the behaviour is more significant, a young person may receive a formal verbal warning.

The leader / leaders / volunteers should explain clearly:

1. What behaviour is unacceptable;

2. What needs to change; and

3. What will happen if the behaviour continues.

The young person may also be asked to sit out of an activity for a short period to allow them to calm down and reset.

Repeated formal warnings may result in a Yellow Card.

Stage 3 - Yellow Card

A Yellow Card is a formal warning that a young person's behaviour has fallen significantly below the standard expected by the Group.

A Yellow Card may be issued for:

• repeated disruptive behaviour after warnings;

• repeated refusal to follow reasonable instructions;

• inappropriate language;

• disrespectful behaviour;

• unsafe behaviour;

• persistent interference with other people's activities;

• repeated breaches of the Group Behaviour Code; or

• another incident which the Section Team considers sufficiently serious.

When a Yellow Card is issued:

The young person will be told:

• why the Yellow Card has been issued;

• what behaviour needs to change; and

• what will happen if the behaviour continues.

They may be removed from the activity for an appropriate period.

The young person's parent/guardian will be advised and support offered on what can be done to avoid the situation happening again. Two leaders should be present.

Group Lead Volunteer will be informed.

Yellow cards will be recorded and kept for one term.

Stage 4 - Second Yellow Card

If a young person who has received a Yellow Card continues to breach the Behaviour Code, a second Yellow Card may be issued.

Parents/guardians will again be informed.

The Section Leader will discuss the situation with the Group Lead Leader / leaders / volunteers.

The young person and their parent/guardian may be asked to attend a meeting with the Section Team and/or Group Lead Leader / leaders / volunteers.

The purpose of the meeting will be to agree:

• the behaviour expected;

• any additional support required;

• what the young person agrees to do;

• what leader / leaders / volunteers will do to support them; and

• what will happen if unacceptable behaviour continues.

Two Yellow Cards may result in a Red Card.

Group Lead Volunteer will be informed.

Stage 5 - Red Card

A Red Card is reserved for serious behaviour or persistent unacceptable behaviour.

A Red Card may be issued immediately without previous Yellow Cards where the behaviour is sufficiently serious or issued following two Yellow Cards where unacceptable behaviour continues.

Examples could include:

• deliberate physical violence;

• serious bullying;

• harassment or discriminatory abuse;

• serious threatening behaviour;

• deliberately placing another person in danger;

• bringing prohibited substances or dangerous items to Scouts;

• serious abuse directed towards another young person or leader / leaders / volunteers; or

• other behaviour which presents a significant risk to the safety or welfare of others.

The young person will normally be removed from the activity concerned.

A red card is, by definition, a serious incident and the parent/guardian will be contacted and asked to collect the young person immediately.

The incident will be recorded and reported to the Group Lead Leader.

The young person may be asked not to attend Scout activities while the incident is considered.

A meeting will take place with the young person, their parent/guardian, section leader and Group Scout Leader.

The meeting will consider:

• what happened;

• the young person's explanation;

• the impact on other people;

• any previous incidents;

• whether additional support is required;

• whether it is safe and appropriate for the young person to return; and

• any conditions which should apply to their return.

Red cards will be recorded, kept for two terms and then destroyed.

Stage 6 - Further Red Cards

A second Red Card will trigger a formal review of the young person's continued participation in the Group.

The Group Lead Volunteer will be advised, and may contact the District Lead Volunteers or The Scout Association for support.

Continued serious behaviour may ultimately result in the young person being asked to leave 1st Bourne End Scout Group.

This would only be considered after the circumstances have been properly reviewed and in accordance with applicable Scouts policies and POR.

Serious Incidents

Nothing in this policy prevents leaders / volunteers from taking immediate action where someone's safety is at risk.

A serious incident does not have to progress through:

Warning → Yellow → Yellow → Red

A young person may receive an immediate Red Card where this is justified by the seriousness of their behaviour.

Similarly, leader / leaders / volunteers may contact parents/guardians immediately and require a young person to be collected where allowing them to remain would create an unacceptable risk to themselves or others; OR

where leader(s) / volunteers reasonably believe that allowing the scout to remain would result in unacceptable disruption to planned activities.

In this situation the Group Lead Volunteer must be contacted immediately.

Where are meeting is held for more serious incidents, the meeting notes form will completed and counter-signed by parents.

Parents and Guardians

A successful Scout group depends upon support between young people, leaders, volunteers and parents/guardians.

We ask parents/guardians to support the Group by:

• discussing behaviour expectations with their young person;

• supporting decisions made by leaders and volunteers;

• telling the Leaders about anything which may affect their young person's behaviour;

• working with us where additional support is needed; and

• collecting their young person when requested following serious behaviour.

Parents/guardians are encouraged to speak to the leaders or the Group Scout Leader if they have concerns about how an incident has been handled.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Sam Samuel
Group Lead Volunteer

+44 077676 617581
gsl@bourneendscoutgroup.co.uk