Most adventurous activities require a permit when being undertaken in Scouting. If included in the list in the link below, you would need to obtain a permit, even if you have the relevant National Governing Body (NGB) qualification.
To apply for your permit, including a flowchart detailing the procedure, please take a look at Scouts digital tools guide.
Types of permit
Personal
Age Restrictions
Maximum age 17, no minimum age.
Allows
Taking part in the activity with others who hold personal permits.
Doesn’t allow
Leading the activity for anyone without a permit.
Useful for
Allowing young people to progress in an activity by practising with their peers.
Leadership
Age Restrictions
No maximum or minimum age.
Allows
Leading the activity for a group of young people while remaining with them.
Doesn’t allow
Remotely supervising an activity or working with multiple groups.
Useful for
Introducing and training young people in an activity by working directly with them.
Supervisory
Age Restrictions
No maximum or minimum age.
Allows
Remotely supervising an activity for multiple groups.
Doesn’t allow
Approving groups to take part in the activity without remotely supervising them.
Useful for
Developing young people by giving them opportunities for supervised responsibility.
Further details of how these permits work for each activity can be found in the factsheet for the specific activity.
It should be recognised that a supervisory permit is a very high level permit that shouldn’t be given out lightly. It is designed for very experienced practitioners who have taken part in their activity in multiple locations and have seen and know how to deal with almost every eventuality.
When under 18s are granted permits they are not checked for the safeguarding elements, so when an under 18 turns 18 their permit expires until these safeguarding requirements are carried out. They can automatically get a new permit, once the safeguarding checks have been carried out, without needing a new technical competence assessment.
Course dates & express your interest
To express your interest in a course, click the button below. Julian Pierce, MAPS (Manager – Activity Permit Scheme) will be in touch to discuss your application and arrange payment.