The Scout Association Census 2018 Guidance for Completion Why do we have a census? The Scout Association has an annual census to create a detailed picture of the young people and adults that make-up the membership. Knowing who our members are helps The Scout Association, at all levels to better inform the support and services provided to meet the needs of our members. The census figures also provide information regarding the payment of the national membership fee for youth members and associated levies at various levels of the Movement. Who needs to be recorded on the census? Anyone who is a member or associate member should be recorded, both young people and adults. Members should only be recorded once on the census (with the exception of those being recorded elsewhere for statistical purposes only see below). For young people this ensures that their national membership fee is only paid once. If an adult has more than one role, they should be recorded in the role the member considers to be their primary role. Adults and Scout Network members do not pay the national membership fee. How does it work? In an attempt to getting a greater understanding of Scouting across the Country, the online system has individual pages for each Section at all levels. The details of the hierarchy used for the Census will be taken from Compass. The Group will be able to log in and add Group level information, as well as being able go into each section within the Group to add the information for those Sections. If sections are missing, they will need to be added to Compass and then it can be added to the Census by contacting the Scout Information Centre. Details of how to do this can be found on the Compass Support site. Explorer Scout Units will be recorded at District level and the DESC will be able to log in and complete the Units census return.
Pre filled information Some details taken from last year s return, will have been included on the census pages. This has been done to help make the form easier to manage. These details will be editable should it be necessary to change any of these pre-filled items. Recording members for statistical purposes There is a section on each census return which asks for a count of people in particular roles for statistical purposes only (specifically Explorer Scout Young Leaders working with the younger sections, Scout Active Support members). Youth member figures collected for statistical purposes will not be included in the total figure due to pay membership subscriptions. Again, they should only be recorded once in that particular role for statistical purposes. Example 1: Sharon is a Cub Scout Leader and a County Scout Active Support Member. She should be recorded on the Group census under Leaders and Cub, but also recorded as a Scout Active Support member on the County census for statistical purposes only. Example 2: Glenn is an Assistant Explorer Scout Leader and a member of two Scout Active Support units; one at District level and one at County/Area/Regional level. He should be recorded on the District census as an Assistant Explorer Scout Leader and should also be recorded as a Scout Active Support member on the District census for statistical purposes only. He should not be recorded on the County/Area/Regional census. Example 3: Sam is a County Secretary, but is also a Sectional Assistant at the local Cub Pack. Sam should be recorded on the County return as an Office Bearer, as this is the primary role, and should not be recorded anywhere else. Example 4: Alex is an active Explorer Scout and a Young Leader. Alex should be recorded on the District return as an Explorer Scout and should be attached to the Unit where a he is an active member, and should also be recorded on the relevant Group Section return as a Young Leader for statistical purposes. Example 5: Jane is not an active Explorer Scout and but is a Young Leader. Jane does not participate in the Explorer Scout programme and is only interested in being a Young Leader. She should be recorded on the District return as an Explorer Scout attached to the Young Leader Unit if there is one in the District, or to an appropriate Explorer Scout Unit is there is no Young Leader Unit. She should also be recorded on the relevant Group return as a Young Leader for statistical purposes.
Scout Network members Scout Network members are listed in the relevant Scout District Network. Where they are a member of two Scout Networks, they should be listed in the one which they feel is their primary Scout Network. Scout Network members who also hold other Scouting roles should be recorded on the census with this other role. Example 1: Syed is a Scout Network member and an Assistant Cub Scout Leader. He should be recorded on the Group census under Leaders and Cub, and should also be recorded as a Scout Network member on the District or in agreed exceptional circumstances, on the County/Area/Regional census for statistical purposes only. Example 2: Jasmin is a Scout Network member only. She should be recorded as a Network Member in the relevant section which they consider to be their primary Network. She should also be recorded in any Network she might belong to for statistical purposes. Note that all 18-25 year olds who are in an adult role with the minimum membership requirement of member, are also Scout Network Members. Other 18-25 year olds may opt in to Scout Network Membership. All of those who are considered to be members should be recorded as a Scout Network Member, regardless of whether they are actively participating in the Network programme. Additional questions Joining lists: You are asked to record the number of young people you have on joining lists for each section. This means the number of people who are the right age to join that section, not those who are too young to join. If a young person is recorded on more than one Group s waiting list, they should only be recorded on one of the Groups census returns. Information about how many young people are interested in Scouting can be used locally to inform growth and development plans. This can help identify where new Sections and Groups may be needed. Top Awards: This year we are collecting the number of top awards gained between 1 st February 2017 and 31 st January 2018. This information covers all the Chief Scout s Awards, Duke of Edinburgh s, Queen s Scout Award, Explorer Belt and Young Leader Award.
Ethnicity Why are we collecting this information? Mapping the ethnicity of our Members enables The Scout Association to understand how reflective we are of the communities in which we are present, and identify if there are groups which are currently under-represented within the membership. This helps us to look at how we might grow and develop Scouting locally. Information about ethnicity is anonymous. If any individual is uncomfortable about providing this information, please record as prefer not to say. A letter for parents and a form has been produced to help collect this information. The ethnicity categories use the full set of classification from the UK National census. The letters on the census return relate to the ethnic origin classification groups detailed below. Ethnicity categories WHITE MIXED ASIAN BLACK OTHER A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R White Mixed/multiple ethnic groups Asian/Asian British A B C D E F G H I J K English/Welsh/Scottish/Northern Irish/British Irish Gypsy or Irish Traveller Any other White background White and Black Caribbean White and Black African White and Asian Any other mixed/multiple ethnic background Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi
Black/African/ Caribbean/ Black British Other ethnic group Prefer not to say L M N O P Q R S Chinese Any other Asian background African Caribbean Any other Black/African/Caribbean background Arab Other Parent/individual preferred not to say How will this help develop Scouting? There are a number of ways in which collecting this data will help us to grow and develop Scouting. These include: helping us to identify and celebrate our successes in working with diverse communities; and helping us to identify communities with which we could work to grow and develop Scouting. Additional Needs The Equality Act 2010 defines a disability as having a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on an individual s ability to do normal daily activities. Understanding the disabilities and additional needs of our members helps us to constantly look for ways to improve access to Scouting and provide the support and guidance needed to support the full participation of all young people. This information enables us to identify the key external bodies and agencies we need to work with in order to ensure that we are following the best practice guidelines with respect to our provisions for people with visible and hidden disabilities. Information about disability is anonymous and a letter for parents to explain why we want this information as well a form have been produced to help collect this. The categories in this year s census are outlined in the table below.
Developmental Dev ADHD, ADD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental delay, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Speech or language difficulties, other learning difficulties Injury Inj Long term affecting body or brain injuries Physical Phy Spina bifida, Down's syndrome, other condition affecting mobility Medical Med Asthma, allergies (which may require medical intervention), cystic fibrosis, heart condition, migraines, epilepsy. Mental Health Men Anxiety, depression, panic attacks, history of self-harm, eating disorder Progressive Pro Muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis Sensory Sen Affected sight, hearing, taste or smell No Disability None Prefer not to say NS Why are we collecting this information? We are seeking additional information about additional need across the Association in order to help us improve and more accurately target the support provided for adults and young people. The ethnicity and additional information will help collect much needed data to aid the Scout Associations strategic plan Scouting Beyond 2018. How will this help develop Scouting? There are a number of ways in which collecting this data will help us to grow and develop Scouting: This data will help us to be more effective in planning our projects, programme material and events, so we can meet the needs of both adult volunteers and young people. The data will identify the key external bodies and agencies we need to work with in order to ensure that we are following the best practice guidelines with respect to our provisions for people with visible and hidden disabilities.
Completing the census return Once the census return is completed online (unless previously arranged with the relevant person), the next approval level must be notified so that the return can be reviewed and approved. Deadlines for the completion of Group and District returns will be set locally, but County/Area/Region returns must be completed and marked as approved by Wednesday 28 th February 2018. Additional Information Scouting beyond 2018 strategic Plan can be found on our website www.scouts.org.uk/beyond2018 The Scout Association Census 2018 Guidance for Approvers Who approves a return? Scout Groups approve their Sections and the Group is approved by the District. The Group cannot be approved until the Group Sections has been approved. The District Explorer Scout Commissioner approves Explorer Scout Units, and the District is approved at County/Area/Region Scotland. The District cannot be approved until the District Sections have been approved County/Area/Region Scotland Sections are approved at this level and are themselves approved at Country or Region (England) level as appropriate. How to approve a return Once you are happy that the return is correct, use the drop down box at the bottom the page marked where it says This form has been submitted as complete. Do you approve these figures. If you wish to approve the page select These figures are confirmed as final. At this point you can select to return the form to be amended. How do I close a Section or Group? When you click on the Section you wish to close, below the links to View and Edit return there is a heading Status of Census Return. There is a drop down box which will allow you
to change the status from Unapproved to Closed. Please note that this is not available if there is any data in the Section return Closing a Group is done in the same manner but is not possible if there is any data in the Group or any of the Section returns for that Group. Please note that the status Closed means that the Section or Group is no longer active. This status should be used if there are no Members in that section. Deadlines The deadline for County/Area/Region (Scotland) returns to have been approved is Wednesday 28 th February 2018. Counties, Areas and Regions(Scotland) may set their own deadlines as they see fit, in order to meet the deadline outlined above. Young Leaders Young Leaders are recorded for statistical purposes at Group Section level. The total numbers will be collated on the District return. Who needs to be recorded on the census? Anyone who is a member or associate member should be recorded. Members should only be recorded once on the census (with the exception of those being recorded elsewhere for statistical purposes only see below). If an adult has more than one role, they should be recorded in their primary role. All members of the Executives need to be recorded. Recording members for statistical purposes There is a section on each census return which asks for a count of people in particular roles for statistical purposes only (specifically Explorer Scout Young Leaders and Scout Active Support Members). Again, they should only be recorded once in that particular role for statistical purposes. Example 1: Sharon is a Cub Scout Leader and a County Scout Active Support Member. She should be recorded on the Group census as a Section Leader but also recorded as a Scout Active Support member on the County census for statistical purposes only. Example 2: Glenn is an Assistant Explorer Scout Leader and a member of two Scout Active Support units; one at District level and one at County/Area/Regional level. He should be recorded on the District census as an Assistant Explorer Scout Leader and should also be recorded as a Scout Active Support member on the District census for statistical purposes only. He should not be recorded on the County/Area/Regional census.
Example 3: Sam is a County Secretary, but is also a Sectional Assistant at the local Cub Pack. Sam should be recorded on the County return as an County Exec Member, as this is the primary role, and should not be recorded anywhere else. Example 4: Alex is an active Explorer Scout and a Young Leader. Alex should be recorded on the District return as an Explorer Scout and should be attached to the Unit where a he is an active member, and should also be recorded on the relevant Group Section return as a Young Leader for statistical purposes. Example 5: Jane is not an active Explorer Scout and but is a Young Leader. Jane does not participate in the Explorer Scout programme and is only interested in being a Young Leader. She should be recorded on the District return as an Explorer Scout attached to the Young Leader Unit if there is one in the District, or to an appropriate Explorer Scout Unit is there is no Young Leader Unit. She should also be recorded on the relevant Group and District return as a Young Leader for statistical purposes. Scout Network members Scout Network members are listed in the relevant Scout District Network. Where they are a member of two Scout Networks, they should be listed in the one which they feel is their primary Scout Network. Scout Network members who also hold other Scouting roles should be recorded on the census with this other role. Example 1: Syed is a Scout Network member and an Assistant Cub Scout Leader. He should be recorded on the Group census as a Leader and should also be recorded as a Scout Network member on the District or in agreed exceptional circumstances, on the County/Area/Regional census, for statistical purposes only. Example 2 : Jasmin is a Scout Network member only. She should be recorded as a Network Member in the relevant section which they consider to be their primary Network. She should also be recorded in any Network she might belong to for statistical purposes. Note that all 18-25 year olds who are in an adult role with the minimum membership requirement of member, are also Scout Network Members. Other 18-25 year olds may opt in to Scout Network Membership. All of those who are considered to be members should be recorded as a Scout Network Member, regardless of whether they are actively participating in the Network programme.
Completing the census return Once the census return is completed online (unless previously arranged with the relevant person), the next approval level must be notified so that they can review and approve the return. Deadlines for the completion of returns will be set locally. The Scout Association Census 2018 Frequently Asked Questions Why do we have a census? The Scout Association has an annual census to create a detailed picture of the young people and adults that make-up the membership. Knowing who our members are helps The Scout Association, at all levels, to better understand the support and services that are required to meet the needs of our members. The census figures also provide information regarding the payment of the national membership fee for youth members and associated levies at various levels of the Movement. The 2018 national membership fee for youth members is 26.50, with a discount of 50p for receipt of payment by Headquarters by April 23 rd 2018 (excluding any associated levies). Adults do not pay the national membership fee. What do I need to do? All members of Scout Groups, Districts, Counties, Regions and Areas must be recorded on the relevant census form. If you are part of a Scout Group, your Group Scout Leader will have the necessary passwords and instructions regarding how to log in to the online census system and record the relevant information. Similarly, for Explorer Scouts, the District Explorer Scout Commissioner will have the requisite passwords to enable completion and approval of the census forms. Explorer Scouts that only undertake the role of Young Leader should be shown as belonging to the District Young Leader Unit; Young Leaders who are also active Explorer Scouts should be recorded as members of the Explorer Unit in which they are active. Passwords will be sent during the first week of January to: Country Commissioners and Deputies Regional Commissioners England and Wales
County/Area/Region (Scotland) Commissioners and Secretaries District Commissioners and Secretaries Group Scout Leaders District Explorer Scout Commissioners District Scout Network Commissioners What information is required? On the census form, the total number of young people of each age and gender needs to be recorded in the relevant section this should be the number of members on 31 st January 2018. Young people who have recently moved Section should be included from the date of the first meeting in their new Section (there is no gap in membership whilst awaiting investiture to the new Section). For example, A young person who was a Cub and is attending Scouts but has not been formally invested into the Scout Troop should be recorded in the Scout Section census. A young person who was a Scout and is attending Explorer Scouts but has not yet been formally invested into Explorers Scout Unit should be recorded in an Explorer Scout Section on the census. A young person new to Scouting at any level who has not made the Promise as of 31 st January 2018, is not a member and is not listed on the Census. Alongside this, we ask for information regarding ethnicity and additional needs. This information is anonymous, and enables The Scout Association to understand the composition of its membership and provide the most appropriate support. A new question is introduced for each Section return this year relating to top awards. Each Section, including the Scout Network, is asked to state the number of top awards achieved during the past 12 months (1 st February 2017 to 31 st January 2018). It is important to note that this is the total number achieved (whether or not the young people are still members of the Section/Group or Scouting), and that it is completion of the award that matters rather than the date that the award is actually presented. (For example, if a young person completed their top award in December 2017, but the presentation will not be until March 2018 then the award should be recorded on the census). How do I enter the information? The information is entered or edited via an online form. Login information will be distributed (by email) during the first week of January 2018. If there are problems with login information use the contact information at the end of this document for assistance. The online form enables entry over a period of time, so updates can be made until the form is marked as finished. Marking the form as finished is an important step, as the information cannot be approved until this has been done. Each form is then reviewed and approved by
the next relevant level of organisation (Group forms approved by District; District approved by County, Area or Region(Scotland)). How do I know where an individual should be recorded? An individual should be recorded on the census in the box that relates most closely to their primary role. For the vast majority of members, this will be the only role they hold. Some adult members, however, hold more than one role. In these instances, a suitable method should be used locally to define what the primary role is. Members are recorded in this way to ensure that the results of the census give the most appropriate and realistic picture. Some examples: A County Secretary also holds a Section Assistant appointment in their local Group. In this case the primary role is most likely to be County Secretary. An Assistant District Commissioner for Scouts is also a Scout Leader in one of the Groups in the District. In this case the primary role is more likely to be the Scout Leader. Why are closed Groups listed on the census? These Groups are listed so that the census information for them in previous years is recorded and available to help compare the census year on year. Why can t I mark my Group as Dormant? The dormant classification from previous years is no longer used Sections/Groups/Districts are now either active or closed. Any Group which might have been marked as Dormant in previous years must be marked as Closed unless it has become active during 2017. Is there a deadline for completion? The deadline for County, Area and Region(Scotland) census returns to be approved is Wednesday 28 th February 2018. Counties, Areas, Regions(Scotland) and Districts may set their own deadlines as they see fit, in order to meet the deadline outlined above. Who pays membership subscription? The subscription is paid by Beaver Scouts, Cub Scouts, Scouts and Explorer Scouts. Scout Network members and adults do not pay the national membership fee. I need to approve other returns, what should I do? Guidance for those approving other returns has been included with the information sent to District Commissioners and Secretaries
A new Group or Section has opened and doesn t appear in the census. How can it be added? If the Section (Colony, Pack, Troop, or Unit) is not on the Census, it may not have been added to Compass, which needs to happen so a Registration Number is created. Adding a Section can be done locally. Once it has been added please contact the Scout Information Centre who will add the section to the Census. If a Group needs to be added, please contact the Scout Information Centre who will arrange for the necessary form to be sent to be completed. Once returned, the Group and it s Sections will be added to Compass and the Census. Who should I contact for more information? Further information and advice regarding the census is the Scout Information Centre which can be contacted by email at info.centre@scouts.org.uk or by telephone on 0345 300 1818 or 020 8433 7100.