Volunteer / Police Check

All parents who wish to sleepover at camps, transport youth, or who wants to regularly help with activities, needs to be police vetted. This process starts by volunteering as a "parent helper".

How a Scout Group works:

• We are a community that helps young people to learn positive skills and develop friendships for life.
• Parents/Caregivers/Guardians are an integral part of the Group’s success.
• We are 100% voluntary and self-funding – leaders are not paid.
• We are not a kid-sitting service.

Parent’s Charter:

• encourage my child to be well behaved
• ensure my child is registered and fees are paid
• ensure all contact and health details are up to date
• ensure all activity and camping costs are paid promptly
• volunteer time to the Group

Examples of Volunteer Roles:

• Kea, Cub & Scout leaders, and adult helpers
• Sailors & Patrol/Safety Boat Skippers and Crew
• Group Activities – Regattas, Group Camps, Ski Trip
• Catering for camps, purchasing food, transporting food 
• Events co-ordinator
• Fundraising/grant applications
• Equipment organiser (Quartermaster)
• Property maintenance and gardens
• New Member Waiting List and Communications
• Weekly Emails and Attendance
• Electrical, Plumbing, Building
• Sewing 
• Bookkeeping + Treasurer
• Pro-bono legal advisor
• Transporting other youth to events
• Towing boats
• Working Bees
• Running a night about a unique skill that you can teach
• Putting our rubbish and recycling bin on Tuesday nights.
• Cleaning/Tidying the kitchen on any week night
• Cleaning/Tidying the crafts cupboard on any week night
• Identifying items that the craft cupboard needs, and making a purchase suggestion to the section leader
• Mangrove pulling at low tide (even not during working bees)

Who can be a leader?

• You can be a leader. Volunteer, police vetting, and complete child safety, and scouts essentials training minimum.
• You can be an adult helper. Volunteer, police vetting, and complete any training you would like to.
• Do you want to remain at the side of the room? Even if you don't want to stand up front, it's important to have plenty of adults with the status of warranted leader, so we can safely run a night compliant with the rules. Warranted leader status is also required to access confidential information required to do some of the administrative tasks listed above.

Who must complete the volunteer process

• Any parent or guardian or adult who wants to attend camps
• Any parent or guardian or adult who wants to attend events
• Any parent or guardian or adult who wants to help on more than occassional evenings

What if I already have a police check from work / school.

We have no visibility of your previous police checks. All organisations working with youth need to establish an independent police check. Through the volunteer signup process Scouts NZ can initiate their own check, to ensure the police check is valid. All checks expire, and the process will be repeated every couple of years.

Types of volunteers

• Parent helpers are police checked and is minimum required to stay at camp.
• Adult helpers are parent helpers who have done some basic online training (but don't want to commit to being a leader)
• Leaders are parents or adults who wish to volunteer their time to help run nights and events, or ensure that required health and safety ratios are met on ordinary nights, simply by being there. 

The process to becoming an parent helper 

1. Complete the NZ Scouts Volunteer form
2. You will receive an email subject "Scouts Aotearoa Membership Application - Police Vetting Required", with a link to an additional online form to authorise police checks. Please click that link in that email.
3. This link will first take you to a code of ethics page. Scroll to the bottom and confirm acceptance.
4. The police check form will specify who you will show your ID to, and confirm that you consent to a police check.
5. Your ID should be shown to a section leader in person, and/or Reuben, Gretchen or Craig. It should be an A class ID like drivers license or passport with a photo. Plus you need to provide a second ID such as a bank card with your name embossed. The viewer of your ID should take note of your birthday and full name. Perhaps you can let them take a photo of it.. 
6. The leader who you showed your ID to, will receive an email subject "Police Vetting ID Verification Request" for them to confirm your full name and birthdate is the same as what they viewed on your ID.
7. Wait for a few weeks for your police check to complete.
8. When the police check is complete, you will be able to register for events. If your youth camp is fast approaching, please discuss with your section leader. 

The process to becoming an adult helper 

1. Follow the same process as becoming a parent helper above.
2. Complete 2x online training modules. Safeguarding and Health and Safety. 

The process to becoming an leader

1. Follow the same process as becoming an adult helper above.
2. In addition to the police vetting check, you will receive an email requesting references (people who can attest to your good character). Look for a link in that email to submit your references. These referees will be contacted by Scouts NZ and asked questions about your good character.
3. After allowing for the police check time, and for Scouts NZ to do due dilligence, your will receive a login with Adult helper status. 
4. You will need to some preliminary training (at least)
1. An online child safety assessment. 
2. A scouting essentials training course 
5. Over time you should complete additional training. For any leader who complete appropriate training, Hawke will credit the 1 term youth membership fee as a small way of saying thank you.

Volunteer Here