Nights Away Permits
A Nights Away Permit allows you to lead nights away events for young people within Scouts. It shows people in Scouts, the young people and their parents and carers that you have the necessary skills and experience to be able to lead these important events.
The Nights Away Permit Scheme is a national scheme, so when you have a permit it’ll allow you to lead nights away events for young people from any District or County.
Each permit can be tailored to the level of your skills, experience and requirements, meaning that restrictions may be placed on such matters as areas, venues or group sizes. This makes sure that you can lead events at the right level.
What will be assessed?
To gain a permit, you’ll be assessed in four areas:
1. Technical Competence.
2. Knowledge of Scout Association Rules for Nights Away.
3. Safety and Safeguarding.
4. Personal Suitability.
The last two will be checked by your responsible Lead Volunteer or Permit Approver (see FS120803 Nights Away Permit Scheme – Lead Volunteers and Approvers Guide), Knowledge will be checked by the responsible Lead Volunteer or a Nights Away Assessor, and Technical Competence by a Nights Away Assessor. (see FS120804 Nights Away Permit Scheme – Assessors Guide).
During your Technical Competence assessment you will be assessed for your skills, knowledge and experience. This is likely to be through a practical assessment, except where you are renewing an identical permit, and you have recent on-going experience. This assessment is not supposed to trick you or catch you out.
It is to assess your level of technical competence, and your Nights Away Assessor should also be able to support and provide advice to you throughout the process of planning, running and evaluating an event, as well as assessing you.
Full details of the syllabus you will be assessed against can be found in the Nights Away Assessment Checklist. If you are unsure about anything to do with the assessment or how it will be run, please talk to your Nights Away Assessor beforehand.
If the Nights Away Assessor or responsible Lead Volunteer or Permit Approver recommends certain restrictions on your permit they should let you know why this is. They should also be able to tell you what further experience or skills you require to gain a permit with fewer restrictions.
Activity Permits
How to apply for a permit
- Find an appropriate assessor. You may already know an assessor who is happy to complete your assessment – this is fine, simply select them when you apply for your permit. If you need help finding an assessor, please contact the Josh Morablanco, District Lead Volunteer who will assign a suitable assessor.
- Log into MyMembership on scouts.org.uk, navigate to permits this can be found on the entrance page as ‘Explore Permits’ or in the menu under ‘Programme Support’.
For New Application, find the permit you wish to apply for click on the permit name and then click the apply button.
For renewal, go to ’My Permits’ > ‘My Active Permits’ > and then select the permit you wish to renew. At the bottom of the page you will see a button to renew – click this. - Complete the application form, selecting the category and type of permit (if applicable). For location, this should be the group/district which you wish to be assessed under – your permit will not be limited to this location, but if will direct your permit application to the right Lead Volunteer.
Please complete the form with as much information as possible as it will help the assessor, adding any relevant qualifications eg, Archery GB Award when applying for Archery permit. When selecting your assessor, please ensure they are aware you are requesting a permit assessment. - Your assessor will make contact to discuss how they will assess you, each assessment will be different dependent on the permit you are applying for. The technical assessment will follow the HQ issued checklist, and you will need to demonstrate you are competent in all areas. We’d recommend familiarising yourself with the checklist prior to applying for your permit.
- Once the technical assessment is complete, the assessor will upload the assessment checklist and complete the relevant sections on the online system. The Lead Volunteer will review and complete their checks before making the final decision.
- If you have met all of the requirements set, the permit will be granted and be visible under ‘My Active Permits’.
