Payments Policy
In order to decrease admin we will only accept payments made by OSM(Online Scout Manager), this covers all payments, Subs, Camps, Trips.
Communication and bookings can only be made by OSM, cancellations or alterations by Facebook, SMS, or to other emails other than the named contact will not be accepted.
1. This policy will apply to trips and camps of multi-day duration or activities of significant expense that may require an element of forward planning. Lesser charges and small payments will be at the discretion of the leaders involved.
2. PAYMENT: Payments should be made through Online Scout Manager as this decreases the amount of admin required.
3. THE DEPOSIT: Trips under £25.00 should be paid in full at time of booking (this is non-refundable). A deposit will be chargeable of 10-25% depending on the nature of the event at a set time when the activity is announced, this deposit is non-refundable. Where the trip fee is paid as a single payment this will be considered a non-refundable deposit.
4. THE BALANCE: The balance of payment will be made by pre-agreement prior to the event, this shall be no later than two weeks prior to the event. Individuals that do not pay the balance by the agreed time without representation to the committee shall not allowed to go on the trip.
5. THEY CANCEL: In case of cancellation, If the trip is cancelled by 1st Knaresborough we will endeavour to return what funds we can which have not been spent at that time.
Reviewed 13/6/2023 S Beardwell LV
Behaviour Policy
The Scouting Purpose and Method is based upon personal development, learning by doing and enjoyment. We promote positive behaviour to help make Scouting an enjoyable and safe experience for all.
1st Knaresbrough Scout Troop’s Behaviour Policy has been developed taking account of Scout Association guidance and the framework is intended for use only in exceptional circumstances to address persistent challenging behaviour or continued breaking of the Code of Conduct.
Whilst the Leaders will do their best to avoid the need to implement the measures outlined, the Behaviour Policy exists to protect all members of the Troop and to support our ability to deliver safe, fun Scouting.
Any behaviour seen as inappropriate or socially unacceptable for the time and place, affecting the enjoyment or rights of others, or against the Code will be given a maximum of two verbal warnings.
Any further inappropriate behaviour following the warnings will result a report to the Scout Leader or Senior Leader present and in immediate exclusion from an activity or task.
If the behaviour persists from a youth member, parent(s) / guardian(s) will be invited to meet with the Scout Leader and the young person to discuss the issue and to agree next steps
Should there be any further related behavioural issues this will be reported to the Group Scout Leader for review and consideration of further action.
This may include:
Mutual agreement with the parent(s) / guardian(s) for the young person to stay away from the next meeting or meetings.
Further escalation and consultation with the District Commissioner, who has the authority to suspend a member from Scouting. Such a suspension would be undertaken in accordance with the process prescribed in the Scout Association’s Policy, Organisation and Rules
Scout Leaders reserve the right to send a member home during any meeting or activity, by contacting a parent / guardian to arrange immediate collection, should the member’s behaviour be considered as significantly inappropriate.
Reviewed 13/6/2023 S Beardwell LV
Attendance Policy:
Scouting is a commuity organisation, we believe in building a strong team spirit where the kids pull together to achieve their goals. Rather like being part of a sport team, if a player is missing the team cannot work. In order to foster a sense of duty and commitment we expect the group memebers to turn up every week. They may have to miss other events or opportunities, this is part of life making a sacrafice to achieve something. If children cannot attend that week then you should inform the group leader why they are not attending.
Children that miss three consecutive sessions without good reason and prior permission will be expected to leave the group. Children that have a less than 80% attendance level will be asked to justify their position and may lose their position to someone on the waiting list.
If you have any concerns about how your child's attendance is being addressed you should speak to the Section Leader in the first instance or the Group Scout Leader for further clarification.
Reviewed 13/6/2023 S Beardwell LV
Hardship Policy
Whilst 1st Knaresborough Scout Group ("1st K’boro") is a Charitable Non-Profit Organisation we understand that there are times when financial situations cause difficulty for our young people and their parents/carers but that their participation in Scouting would be both deserving, and of significant benefit. We want all of our young people to have the opportunity to experience camps, activities and of course our usual weekly Section meetings. Therefore, we have developed a financial hardship fund and policy whereby the Parent/Carer of a young person can request assistance with the financial obligations of being a member of 1st K’boro. This policy outlines the framework for handling cases of financial hardship related to events. Hardship cases are always considered on a case-by-case basis, and only where sufficient funds are available.
If you find yourself in this situation please do not give up, speak to your Section Leader, on a confidential basis, they will put forward your case to the Group Scout Leader and Executive for Hardship Fund consideration. Contribution to, or full payment of, regular subs and/or the cost of additional activities will be considered for those young people with attendance records of 75% or above for the prior and current term. Consideration will also be given to non-member siblings of current 1st K’boro members where financial circumstances prohibit siblings joining 1St K’boro. Young people will be expected to continue attendance at the 75% and above level unless exceptional circumstances are discussed and agreed with the Section Leader. Funding for nights away camps will be considered on a case-by-case basis but cannot be guaranteedeven where regular subs assistance is given. Whilst consideration will be given to all cases, where funding will be provided, it may besubsequently withdrawn. Where funding has been agreed, each case will need to be reviewed at the conclusion of the Scouting year (31st March), by reapplication by the member. They will not be automatically renewed for the year ahead. All cases will be handled in a sensitive and confidential manner, with as fewpeople being aware as needed.
What do we fund?
Things we intend to be able to fund include:
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Support for youth & adult members in financial hardship to purchase uniform
-
The cost of a youth member attending an activity that they may not otherwise be able to take part in
-
Section subscriptions (up to a maximum of 3 terms) provided the Commitment to Scouting has been shown. (see below)
Implementation
When a young person’s parents or carers approach the relevant Section leaders, the Section Leader should enter discussions within the constraints of this policy. The Leader(s) should ask the GSL and a member of the Executive to participate. The application form should be completed and given to the GSL following the discussions. Final approval requires the agreement of both the GSL and a member of the Executive.
The total amount available for support (the Hardship Fund) in a given financial year is set at the AGM and support will not be allocated beyond this total. Any request for further support must be agreedby the Group Executive Committee. The primary consideration must always be the young person: if they are keen and active members then we should be doing everything we can to enable them to attend scouting activities. Commitment to Scouting The applicant must show a regular commitment to the Group, commensurate with the subsidy
requested.
For a main summer camp, the following is a minimum:
-
Membership of the Association
-
6 months of regular attendance (75% of nights), confirmed by their relevant Section Leader.
For a one off event / camp, or subscriptions:
-
Membership of the Association
-
Attendance records of 75% or above for the prior and current terms confirmed by their
relevant Section Leader.
For new members who are just joining, then discussions will need to take place and items from Appendix 1 considered as there will be not past history of Scouting for that person.
Financial Situation
The Group normally uses the list in Appendix 1 as a guideline.
We will consider the following:
-
Support for members in financial hardship to attend camps/events in the UK or abroad
-
Support for members in financial hardship to purchase uniform
-
Support for members in financial hardship to support subscription payments
-
Support for individual members with additional needs to participate in Scouting
-
One-off Section grants of up to £200 per year for activities/camps
The fund will support individual and family members in ‘financial hardship’, something which can be
a difficult subject to discuss with young people, parents and leaders. Therefore, a section grant is
also available so a leader can offset the cost for some activities they feel are in danger of being
exclusive due to cost. Young people and adults who are carers or are considered ‘looked after
children’ (in care) would also be eligible. The Appendix reports the different categories at the time of
writing.
Payment Options
This clearly varies with the type of event the support is requested for. The following examples for a Summer Camp may be considered during discussion for example.
It could be a timing issue for payments, so the following could be appropriate:
-
Individual makes payment of 2/3 of the camp fees. The Group pay the final third.
-
Payment of 1/3rd up front to secure the place on the camp. The second third is paid after the camp, ideally within three months.
-
The Group provide the final third. Repayment periods must not run into the next financial year.
-
Offers of help to the Scout Group. It should however be noted that people going through a
crisis like a breakup or illness cannot often cope with extra commitments.
Loans / delayed payments beyond the above are to be avoided as they are hard to enforce. The Treasurer has final say on all payment options, and Section Leaders should not agree anything unless discussed with the Treasurer.
Subscriptions
In cases of hardship, subscriptions may be reduced at a rate agreed by the Group Executive Committee, or waived in their entirety.
Confidentiality
Information relating to individual hardship cases is often highly personal and is treated as strictly confidential. Any record of discussion of a hardship case at Group Executive Committee will be reported in a Confidential Minute, separate to the normal minutes. We will keep the number of people aware of any personal details to a minimum.
Policy Revision
This is v1 of the Hardship Policy, and was adopted at Group Executive Meeting on 06-10-2022, and
will be reviewed annually by the Group Executive Committee prior to the AGM.
Appendix 1
Evidence that can help make the best judgement of ‘financial hardship’ would be if a family is in
receipt of and not limited to one of the following: (Documentary proof must be witnessed)
-
Carer’s allowance
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Severe Disability Allowance
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Housing Benefit
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Income Support or Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)
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Working tax credit
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Child Tax Credit
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Universal Credit
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Jobseeker’s Income-based Benefit
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Disability Living Allowance (PIP)
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Employment and Support Allowance
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Industrial Injuries Disablement Allowance
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An income-related employment and support allowance
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Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
How do I apply?
Simply have a chat with your section leader, who will in the first instance advise of any issues to the
Group Scout Leader. They will discuss your case one a one-to-one basis. The application form is to be
completed and handed in.
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Group Data Protection and GDPR Policy
This notice is issued in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
These Regulations govern how Personal Information (PI) can be handled and how it must be protected by Data Controllers. Because of the information held on its
members, 1 st Knaresborough (Castle) Scout Group is classed, under those Regulations, as a Data Controller, and must comply with the Regulations. For
general information about these Regulations and how they apply in Scouting, see further guidance on GDPR here.
The Data Protection Act 1998 governs the collection, recording, storage, use and disclosure of personal data, whether such data is held electronically or in manual
form. Young people have the same rights as adults under the Act.
Why are we processing your data?
So that we can safely deliver Scouting within the Group, each Section i.e. Beavers, Cubs, and Scouts, and the Group Trustee Board will need to hold personal
information about our members, their parents or carers and our adult volunteers (the Data Subjects).
Personal data will only be collected and used for the purpose of activities directly relating to Scouting and/or a person's Membership or association with Scouting.
We will use this information to contact you both routinely e.g. weekly newsletters and for invitations to Scouting events that we are running or planning on attending,
and in an emergency.
Where will the data be held?
We utilise Online Scout Manager (OSM), a third party online management system (Data Processor) for handling, collecting and storing personal data relevant to the
day to day running of the Scout Group. This system has been developed specifically for Scouting and Guiding Organisations. More information about the security
measures employed by OSM, to protect all personal data can be found
here.
We store all of the Personal Data held by the Group, on its members, on this online platform and conducts all reviews and updating of information held, payments,
bookings, etc. through this system. No paper records of this information is held, although, on limited occasions, records may be printed out for taking to
events/camps/sleepovers, where online access may not be possible. These physical records are then destroyed after the event.
We provide all parents with permanent access to their personal information records, held by the group, on this online system, which is available for remote access by all
parents at any time, following their setting up an account with secure login (required to make payments, confirm attendance to events, etc). All parents are required to
ensure that information held by the Group is up to date and they are able to amend/update records as they might change. The Group also sends out an annual
reminder to all parents asking to undertake this review.
OSM processes or records payments for subs, camps, and events as far as possible using the GoCardless online payment system. Information about how this system
processes your data can be found here. This is a secure online payment system to allow parents to safely and easily make payment for their child.
Personal Information held on adult members of the Group is handled through the Scout Association Online System, Compass. This has been developed and is
managed by the Scout Association for the recording of adult details, training, permits, DBS Disclosures, etc. Information about the use of Compass in the context
of GDPR can be found
here.
As far as possible, all email correspondence to parents is undertaken through Online Scout Manager any correspondence with third parties and for hall hire is undertaken
through our 1stKnaresborough@gmail.com email addresses.
We also use Google Cloud which is an online cloud storage services for storing Group records (e.g programmes, consent forms, archive files, financial records) and
photographs. More information about the security measures employed by Google Cloud can be found
here.
We also use ScoutsOnline to manage our website. This offer storage services relating to group information, activities and photographs. More information about
the security measures employed by ScoutsOnline can be found
here.
Sometimes we run meetings online, and for these we use Zoom. Zoom is a video- conferencing and online chat platform that has been approved for use within
Scouting by The Scout Association. More information about Zoom's GDPR policy can be found
here.
Photographs, videos and audio recordings may be taken of our members taking part in Scouting activities and temporarily stored on personal computers, personal
smartphones or personal cameras held by the Section Leaders.
?These are then transferred to one of the storage platforms detailed or deleted.
All text/phone call correspondence is conducted through personal mobile telephones held by the Section Leaders.
What data will we process?
The data we will process about our members will include but is not limited to names, dates of birth, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, doctor's details,
health conditions including allergies, dietary requirements, payment information, gift aid registration, and anonymised ethnicity information.
Photographs, videos and audio recordings may be taken of our members taking part in Scouting activities and we publish these on our Closed Facebook page.
Occasionally, we may submit Photographs or Videos to local newspapers, the Group, District, or County newsletters, websites or put on display for the sole purpose of
promoting Scouting.
We will never provide the names of any young person when using any of the above media, without the express permission of parents, in writing.
Who will have access to this data?
Members of the 1 st Knaresborough (Castle) Scout Group Leadership Team and the Executive Team will have varying levels of access to this information according to
their role and information needs. Everyone who has access to this data holds a Scouting Enhanced DBS certificate.
The Group is part of the Harrogate and Nidderdale District Scouts Council (the District) and North Yorkshire Scout Council (the County). The Group will periodically
join in events that are run by the District or the County. For these events, essential data required to provide safe scouting may be shared with the organisers for the
purpose of the event only.
As part of a larger Scouting Organisation, the Group shares certain records/information held from time to time with the Scout Association headquarters.
No information is passed outside the Scout Group to Third Parties.
Our Closed Facebook Page is restricted to Parents (or Carers/Guardians) and Grandparents of children in our Group, our Youth Members over 13 years old, Adult
Members of our Group and District, and Supporters / Significant Alumni of the Group.
Reviewed 13/6/2023 S Beardwell LV
How long do we retain the data for?
We will retain data for as long as the Data Subject remains a part of our Group and for up to 12 months thereafter. After 12 months, we will retain some data in a more
limited form (just name and badge records). We will also keep any Gift Aid information for the statutory 7 years as required by HMRC.
If a member moves to another Scout Group, we will ask for permission before we share any data with the new Group.
Your Rights
Individuals can request a copy of their personal data by making a Subject Access Request (SAR) to us.
If you have any questions related to the Data we hold, or any questions about your rights please contact us via 1stknaresborough@gmail.com
Policy Revision
Reviewed 13/6/2023 S Beardwell LV