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Overnight Activities

It is great to see so many groups out and about on overnight activities.  This month, our spotlight is on a refresh of the overnight activity requirements for our members so that we can ensure we are providing fun, adventurous, challenging, and inclusive activities for all our youth members in a safe and supportive environment, whilst at the same time meeting our child protection obligations. The below is a summary of the requirements that exist at the time of publication.

Separation

  • There should always be separation between all genders.
  • There should always be separation between youth and adults, regardless of family relationships (including Joey and Cub Scouts). This includes on family and group camps.
  • In cases where accommodation cannot be separate such as combined hall sleeping or alpine huts it is best practise to designate spate areas for separate genders and adults/ youth where possible.
  • Should a youth member wish to maintain a private sleeping arrangement, that should be respected by other members.
  • Co-habitation or shared sleeping arrangements by Scouts NSW members over the age of 16 years is discouraged due to duty of care and perceptions of lack of appropriateness in an organisation where children and young people are in the care of others who may not necessarily be immediate family.
  • Adult members or Rover Scouts who are in a relationship may wish to co-habit or share sleeping quarters however this is to be undertaken respectfully, especially if there are youth members in attendance.

For Joey & Cub Scouts

For Joey & Cub Scouts, there are some additional requirements that must be met:

  • Two leaders that hold a current Certificate of Proficiency, one of which who holds an appointment for the Joey Scout or Cub Scout Unit needs to be always present.
  • The leader in charge of the activity must have a Certificate of Proficiency for the Joey Scout or Cub Scout Unit and a Woodbadge in Leader of Youth.
  • There needs to be a ratio of 1 adult for every 5 Joey Scouts or every 8 Cub Scouts.
  • Joey Scouts and Cub Scouts would generally have separate sleeping accommodation from other youth sections.
  • Accommodation for sleeping is to be provided at approved Cub Scout Camp premises. These would normally include Region and District campsites, State Activity Centres, accredited Sport and Recreation sites etc.
  • Group Halls, Church halls or other similar buildings must be approved by Scouts NSW. (Reach out to Region for more information).
  • An appropriate location could also be National Parks sites, bush camps and Bushwalking/ Canoeing Campsites as long as Parents are aware of the facilities provided and are happy for the youth member to attend.

For Rover Scouts

  • Rover Scouts must always sleep separately to any youth members in compliance with Child Safe Scouting. This includes any Scouting event where a youth member from a Joey Scout, Cub Scout, Scout or Venturer Scout Unit is present.
  • It is recommended that at Rover program events the organising committee sleep in a separate site.
  • As Rover Scout events may have booted Rovers, ex-Rovers or a non-youth member attend in a support capacity, extra measures must be taken into consideration the minimisation of incidents for participants. It is recommended that non- Rovers sleep separate from Rovers at all events.

Transgender or Gender Diverse Members.

For cases where there are Transgender or gender diverse members present, it should be about making them comfortable in a way that best fits their gender identity. This is done following discrete and respectful discussion with the member in question and/or their parent if they are in the younger Sections, so that they can sleep in an environment in which they feel safe.

Sleeping in Scout Halls

Scout Groups who wish to use their Group Hall for a Unit sleepover must complete an “Activity /Sleepover in Scouts Halls” form P9 and forward the form and the other requirements listed to the Region Office for their approval. The application covers one year and must be renewed each year assuming a Scout Group wishes to continue using the Scout Hall for sleeping.

Requirements for Members over the age of 18

Under NSW Legislation and our own Child Protection Procedures, it is required that all members over the age of 18 attending an event (including Venturer Scouts over 18) meet the requirements of the organisation. This includes:

  • Being registered on ScoutHub for the current Trek as a member over the age of 18.
  • Have obtained a Working with Children Check (WWCC) and been verified by Scouts NSW.
  • Have completed a National Police Check and have had the results recorded by Scouts NSW.
  • Have completed the two mandatory training modules- Child Safe Scouting and WHS for Scouting.

It is up to the leader in charge of the activity to verify that all members meet the above requirements.

Don’t Forget…

While these requirements handle the basics of Overnight Activities, you should also make sure you consider any requirements that are included as part of the Adventurous Activities program.  You can always check this out using “What Activities Can I Run?”.

Overnight Activities should be lodged through the Activity Notification System (ANS) and if you need any assistance, please reach out to any member of the Region team.

You can read more in the following Scouts Documents

  • O&I Section 10 - The Joey Scout Unit (pages 24 – 25)
  • O&I Section 45 – Sectional Requirements for Accommodation (pages 132 – 135)
  • Supporting Gender Diverse Members in Scouting
  • PROC11 Working with Children Checks (WWCC) Procedure
  • PROC02 Youth Protection Procedure
  • What Activities Can I Run?