Safeguarding & Safety

4th Heswall Sea Scout Group are committed to the safeguarding and safety of all our members…

The safeguarding and safety of our young members and adults is of paramount importance to the 4th Heswall Leadership Team.
Whether we are in the hall, up a mountain, on the water, down the road and even overseas, we have a safeguarding policy and safety assessment to suit every adventure.

We seek to provide:

EXCITEMENT but not  DANGER

ADVENTURE but not HAZARD

Scout Association Cards

Every adult leader at 4th Heswall posses and understands the White, Yellow and Purple card system from the Scout Association.

All 4th Heswall adult members have DBS clearance and take part in safeguarding and emergency first aid courses every three years, leaders with water activity permits also hold RYA First Aid, many of our leaders also have mental health awareness training too.

Every activity we undertake has a written risk assessment, adventurous activities always have a leader in charge with relevant Scouts UK Adventurous Activity Permits, appropriate skills and experience, and if necessary, national governing body qualifications to deliver the activity safely.

Should you have any concerns or questions about how 4th Heswall deliver adventurous activities, or would like to view any risk assessment relating to our adventures, please contact one of our team leaders.


White Card

We are committed to keeping adults and relevant authorities aware of what we do and how we do it.

The group’s guidance, procedures and safety checklist assure all that our activities are safe, well organised, and within the competence and ability of the leader in charge to provide our youth members a safe, structured, and invaluable experience.

Yellow Card

To give positive guidance, the ‘Young People First’ code of practice (also known as the yellow card) sets out a code of behaviour for all adults in Scouting.

Every adult at 4th Heswall has a copy of the ‘Young People First’ code of practice. It is designed so you can keep it with you at all times during Scouting activities.

Purple Card

Whilst we endeavour to take every precaution to enable safe scouting, the nature of any activity will involve an element of risk and therefore a situation may present that requires emergency procedures.

The purple card provides support for safe Scouting and guidance in the procedures for dealing with an emergency.

Scouting from Home

Many Scout badges and awards can be achieved at home with evidence submitted to leaders to fulfil the requirements and receive the award. Whilst we actively encourage badge activities at home, we cannot control the environment in which the activity takes place.

All activities should be supervised by an adult at all times, and are not subject to The Scout Association’s Policy, Organisation and Rules (POR).

These activities are completely voluntary and each adult should independently determine if they are suitable for their children.

More about Badges at Home

Camp at Home

Merseyside County Scouts have made available a document which provides safety help for camping at home; click here to download.

Digital Scouting

All the group’s digital data collection, storage, and disposal conforms to the latest GDPR regulations. Our website, online activities and social media platforms conform to the Scout Association POR, should you have a concern regarding any aspect of our online activities, please contact a uniformed leader immediately, Contact Us

Further details regarding the group’s digital activities can be found on our Online Policy and Data Policy website pages.

Further guidance from the Scout Association on the use of online communication platforms can be found here Digital Platforms for Scouts

Policies and Reporting

You can find the latest information on Scout Safeguarding Policies and what to do if you feel concerned by following the link below.

Policy Organisation and Rules

The latest framework  on how the organisation operates is detailed in the Scouts UK POR. 

Adult Organisation and Responsibilities

Adult member responsibilities and the leadership structure is clearly defined and can be found in the document below.

Please contact a uniformed member of our team in person should you have any questions or concerns


#SkillsForLife  @4thHeswall


Safeguarding & Safety

Safeguarding & Safety

HM King Charles III has been confirmed as our new Patron, a great honour for UK Scouts.

The King continues a long tradition of the monarch giving their Patronage, dating back to 1912. This was when Scouts was granted its Royal Charter and HM George V became our first Patron.

Find out more
King Charles III

Our Patron, HM King Charles III