Throughout this blog, I’m likely to use “Brownie” to mean “Girlguiding”. It just feels more familiar to people who are not within the Girlguiding movement. Almost everything applicable to Brownies is also applicable to Rainbows, Guides and Rangers, and some of it will also be applicable to Young Leaders, adult members, Inspire and Trefoil Guild.
This first post is about what it actually takes to run a unit at the moment.
Two adults
It takes a minimum of two adults. Each section has a different ratio for adults out of meetings – you’re recommended to always have two adults anyway but you also need one adult to every five Rainbows, every eight Brownies or every twelve Guides. That means for a good healthy unit of 20 Brownies, you need three adults. Rangers have no ratio, which means technically they don’t need a leader at all but even they fall under the rule that online meetings need two adults.
At least one Girlguiding volunteer who has or is working on the Adult Leadership Qualification
What I mean by this is that two trained leaders are the best but needs must. For example, before I came along, my Brownie unit was run by one local leader with all the parents on a rota. I have no second leader, only a unit helper. Sometimes I’ve dragged my dad along on night hikes when I’ve needed a second adult and not had one. A leader-in-training who doesn’t yet have her ALQ can run a unit without a qualified leader as long as she’s actively working towards it.
The leadership qualification is quite a big old beast, covering the programme, safety, admin, the whole nine yards. I’ve heard rumours you can complete it in 6 months. I’ve never known anyone do it in less than two years. It took me nearly four the first time (I have three ALQs. It gets easier).
All adults with regular contact must have a DBS check
There are four basic types of adult. Leaders, leaders-in-training, unit helpers and occasional helpers. Everyone except occasional helpers needs to have a DBS check – that is, a Disclosure of Voluntary Service from the Disclosure and Barring Service (which you may know as a CRB, Criminal Records Bureau check, or police check). These have to be renewed every five years.
Occasional helpers may have to have a DBS. If they come more than about twice a month, they’re classed as unit helpers, in which case DBS. If they’re going to be alone with the girls at any point, DBS. My old Guide unit had an occasional helper whose purpose was to be an extra pair of hands at camp, so she had to have one. My dad, coming to help on a night hike every five years, or to put up the marquee on the first evening of camp, doesn’t. That one-to-one helper who takes girls to the toilet while you run the activity, she needs a DBS.
At least one adult volunteer must have a first aid qualification
Everyone needs a one-day first aid qualification to pass their adult leadership qualification. You don’t have to keep it up to date but at least one person present must have it, so it makes things easier if everyone does. Mine expired during the pandemic; County wasn’t doing the practical sessions to renew until May 2021 and although they adjusted the rules, we were only really able to keep going because my unit helper still had hers in date.
All volunteers must have Safe Space Level 1
That’s Girlguiding’s safeguarding training. Everyone must have a basic level of safeguarding training. They’re very particular about this – we had a lot of threatening emails in 2019 and 2020 about throwing us out if we didn’t complete it by December 31st. Throwing us out. That’s how seriously they take it. I believe occasional helpers are mostly exempt again.
At least one volunteer present must have Safe Space Level 3
This is another thing that’s easier if everyone has it and everyone keeps it up to date. Meetings cannot go ahead without a Safe Space Level 3 holder. I mean, my unit helper isn’t working towards her ALQ so she can’t hold meetings without me anyway, but my previous other leader, who was, didn’t have SSL3 and so I had to cancel meetings if I couldn’t make it.
Oh, and by the way, even though I have Safe Space Level 3, I still need to keep my Level 1 up to date and I have the letter from Girlguiding threatening to throw me out if I don’t. Even though I have Level 3! I presume I’ll have a similar one about Level 2 this time next year when that one’s coming up to renewal.
Risk assessment signed off by local commissioner
You were always supposed to have a risk assessment – either of your meeting place or of your activities outside the meeting place. But now you have to have your meetings risk assessed, and signed off by your local commissioner. I’ve done a risk assessment for meeting on Zoom. I’ve done a risk assessment for meeting on the local rec. I’ve done risk assessment for the outdoor half-day meetings. If we go back into the hall, I’ll need a risk assessment for that.
Consent forms
Previously you had a Starting Brownies form and a digital registration on GO. Now you need consent forms for each type of meeting, so I have a set of consent forms for every girl for online meetings and a set of consent forms for meetings on the rec and of course, a separate consent form for every half-day meeting we do. When we go back into the hall, I’ll need another consent form for that too. I’m also going to gather consent forms for blanket permission to go outside in the village on those evenings when it’s too hot and sunny to stay in and craft or whatever’s in the programme.
In summary:
To hold a Brownie meeting, I need:
- Adult Leadership Qualification
- First aid certificate
- Safe Space Level 1
- Safe Space Level 2
- Safe Space Level 3
- DBS
- Risk assessment
- A second adult with at minimum a valid DBS and Safe Space Level 1
- Two consent forms per Brownie
And we wonder why we’re short on volunteers. If you think your local Brown Owl isn’t doing a good enough job, remember how much she’s done just to be there and then think about why you’re not volunteering to help. And then volunteer your services either as an extra pair of hands once a term or to come in and teach some special skill you have or even just to take over the accounts.
The Internet's Brown Owl 
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