Adventurous Activities

Scouts ACT seeks to provide the highest level of well planned and risk managed adventurous activities. It does so through a range of measures developed over many years, refined with changes in contemporary outdoor recreation activities standards, qualifications frameworks, and child protection arrangements. The more significant elements related to adventurous activities are described below, and significant items referenced are listed as Appendices.

The Outdoor Recreation sector.

Australia has a number of Outdoor Recreation Councils, including one for NSW/ACT. This body is a collective of commercial and volunteer organisations who consult, advise, and develop information to assist the development of the Australian Adventurous Activities Standards (AAAS) and associated good practice guides, etc. Such products guide the qualification structure, requirements, and operating arrangements of Scouts Australia, including Scouts ACT.

The Vocational and Education Training sector

Australia has a Vocational and Education Training (VET) sector that is an integral component of the high secondary and post secondary educational system. It operates across many skill areas and is administered by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE); and implemented through Registered Training Organisations (RTO’s).

Of significance is that one broad skill area relates to Outdoor Recreation and Leadership, and many RTO’s around Australia have this on their registered scope with DSESE. Such RTO’s may deliver courses or undertake an assessment process based on current evidence and experience; or offer both services.

Given the importance of the products of Scouting, including adventurous activities, Scouts Australia operates an RTO within its overall framework. It is the Scouts Australia Institute of Training (SAIT) – RTO 5443, and on its scope is Outdoor Recreation and Leadership, along with a range of other skill areas such as Leadership and Management, Business, and others. SAIT issues VET units, skill sets, and qualifications where SAIT considers the candidate competent. Like all RTO’s, DESE manages the performance of SAIT and conducts regular audits.

The VET framework for Outdoor Recreation and Leadership guides the qualification structure, requirements, and operating arrangements of Scouts Australia, including Scouts ACT.

 

Scouts Australia National Adventurous Activities Framework (NAAF)

Scouts Australia has for some years had a National Adventurous Activities Framework (NAAF). It defines the qualifications requirements to lead and support adventurous activities within Scouting. Scouts Australia Member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement 2 The NAAF covers all Scouting defined adventurous activities to support the aims of Scouting and to satisfy the defined award scheme.

To appropriately support the youth program the NAAF, drawing on the Outdoor Recreation sector and VET sector information and guidance, provides in some detail the specific qualifications for Leaders for each adventurous skill area. Such qualifications may be Scouting specific for low complexity, low risk activities, e.g. basic camping and bushcraft; through to Scouting and VET sector qualifications (whether through SAIT or another RTO) for anything of some complexity or risk, e.g. abseiling, cross country skiing, difficult tracked bushwalking, snorkelling.

Scouts Australia Leader Training

Initially Scouting Leaders in training, and all adults regularly assisting or participating in Scouting, are required to satisfy the membership requirements of Scouts ACT. This includes references, Working with Vulnerable People card, a police check, etc.

Scouting Leaders in training are required to undertake defined Scout Leader training before they may take responsibility for any activity, adventurous activities or otherwise. Leader Training operates under a Scouts Australia national curriculum, reflecting Scouting’s status worldwide as a non formal educational system. Leader Training comprises online learning, on the job training, and four days face to face training. Once the required Leader trained is completed Scouting Leaders in training are able to be appointed to a Scouting Leader role. Additional training may be undertaken to achieve what is known in Scouting as the Wood Badge, being awarded on completion of additional advanced training.

In addition, Scouting runs courses, workshops, and activities across a range of adventurous activities to support the accumulating of skills and experience, providing current experience to assist the obtaining of VET sector units (through SAIT or another RTO) by Leaders and then acquiring additional appointment(s) by them in particular adventurous activities disciplines, e.g. A Scout Appointed Guide in Abseiling, Natural, Scout Appointed Guide in Cycling Overnight Tours, Scout Appointed Guide in Archery, etc.

People running adventurous activities  

Those running adventurous activities within Scouting must be a Scouting Leader and hold the appropriate qualifications as per the NAAF. All more complex or higher risk activities require those running adventurous activities within Scouting to be an Appointed Scouting Leader and be a Scout Appointed Guide in the specific discipline.

Qualified Leaders list

Within Scouts ACT every person qualified to lead an adventurous activity is listed in the Qualified People and Mentor (Leaders) list, which is published in the Members area of the Scouts ACT website and available to all Members. The Qualified Leaders list is maintained, being updated most weeks.

Scout policies & related

Scouts Australia has a range of overarching policies. Two examples are the Scouts Australia Policy and Rules 2020 – 10th edition, the Scouts Australia Risk Policy, and the Scouts Australia Child Protection Scouts Australia Member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement 3 Policy. These are available on the Scouts Australia website. The NAAF is another policy document to be complied with by Scouting Branches, including Scouts ACT.

Scouts ACT has policies, covering a wide range of areas. Examples include Policy 2.1 - Appointment of Adult Members and Leaders, Policy 10.2 Incident Reports, Policy 10.7 Adventurous Activities, Policy 10.8 Scouts Australia risk management policy – 15 August 2020, etc. These policies are published on the head page of the Scouts ACT website, meaning they are publicly available.

Supporting Policy 10.7 Adventurous Activities, there are a range of subsidiary policies or Chief Commissioners Directives which provide additional specific detail or direction, and may be called Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s). Examples include 10.7.1 Alpine Activities, 10.7.3 Bushwalking, 10.7.4 Rock Activities, etc. These subsidiary policies or Chief Commissioners Directives are published on the head page of the Scouts ACT website, meaning they are publicly available.

In addition, there are a range of Guidance Notes which provide additional guidance to aspects of adventurous activities – of relevance are Guidance Note #1 – Understanding Adventurous Activities Qualifications, and Guidance Note #2 – Approving Adventurous Activities.

Risk Planning

Scouting activities are required to be planned, and this includes undertaking appropriate risk planning, assessment, and consideration of mitigations and controls.

Scout Training includes online and face to face training in risk planning and management, and a range of risk management plans are available in the Members area of the Scouts ACT website. These plans include likely risks and mitigations for a range of activities, as an aid for all Leaders. Such plans include those for Bushwalking, Archery, Dinghy Sailing, Alpine, etc.

Approving activities All

Scouting activities are led by Scouting Leaders, even if at the local Scout Hall.

Scouting activities away from the general area of a Scout hall are required to be specifically approved. An approval request with activity details is provided to the Group Leader or Scouting Formation Leader (when not directly related to a Scout Group).

In determining if an activity should be approved, the Group Leader or Scouting Formation Leader will take into considering the nature of the activity, who is leading the activity, the risk plan provided, etc. If an adventurous activity the Group Leader or Scouting Formation Leader has available to them the Qualified Leaders list to ensure a suitably qualified Leader is leading the activity (who may be the person leading the skill aspect of the activity, with another leading the activity overall, or it may be the same person), and can refer the information provided to the Adventurous Activities Commissioner or delegate for their advice. Note the Group Leader or Scouting Formation Leader remains the person approving the activity, seeking further information, or not approving the activity.

If approval is given the activity may proceed, subject to changes in conditions or arrangements that may require the activity to not proceed, e.g. weather, unavailability of a qualified adventurous activity Leader, lack of transport, etc.

Achievement Pathways – the Scouting Program’s Award Scheme

The award scheme of the Scouting program (known as Achievement Pathways) caters for youth and young adult members aged between 6 and 26. Within the Achievement Pathways there is a specific stream related to the Outdoor Adventure Skills (OAS), which itself has nine Stages (or progressions) across nine key adventurous activity types – Bushcraft, Bushwalking, Camping, Alpine, Cycling, Vertical, Aquatic, Boating, Paddling.

To appropriately support the youth program and the OAS component of the Achievement Pathways the NAAF has an appendix that provides the specific qualifications for Leaders to support, mentor and verify skills proficiency of youth members.

In addition, the skills and experience gained by youth members through the OAS and Scouting more generally also permits those 14 years and older to gain adult qualifications and VET units, though they cannot become Leaders until 18 years of age.

Summary

Scouts ACT has a comprehensive and contemporary approach to operating well planned and risk managed adventurous activities. Supporting measures include prescribed Leader training, an adventurous activities qualifications framework, and activity related policies including appropriate activity documentation and approval processes.