Doing our best standards

Girls enjoy working with different members of the unit and in different types of groups. 

Checklist for your unit

• Are you giving each girl regular chances to work with the whole group, in different group sizes and with different girls during your unit-based activities? 
• Are you planning and arranging groups to give each girl the chance to contribute, thinking about the group dynamics and each girl’s personality and needs? 

Girls choose, plan and lead activities – and reflect on what they’ve experienced and learned. 

Checklist for your unit 

Planning and leading activities 

• At least once a term, do you involve all girls in planning the programme and deciding which activities to do? 
• Are you encouraging girls to make choices during weekly activities and involving them in decisions about events and residentials? 
• Do you support girls in choosing, planning and leading activities themselves, either for a small group or the whole unit? 
• Are you encouraging girls to think about resources and possible risks, and creating a safe space where they can learn by doing? 
• Do you allow girls to make mistakes or not meet the objectives of a task (unless it’s unsafe) to help them learn from experience and understand it’s OK to ‘fail’? 
• Are you encouraging girls to take more ownership of the programme as they get older and (where appropriate) involving them in the running of the unit? 

Evaluation 

• Do you give girls regular chances to share what they like and don’t like doing in the unit, and what they’ve learned and achieved? 
• Do you make sure every girl’s voice is heard by evaluating activities in different ways? 
• Do you give girls the chance to reflect at different times – after activities, after weekly meetings and events, and looking back on the whole term or year? 
• Do you take what girls thought about past activities into account when planning? 

Girls develop skills for life through a variety of fun indoor and outdoor activities, residential experiences and social action projects. They achieve badges and awards for their efforts. 

Checklist for your unit 

• Are your activities appropriate for the girls’ ages and abilities? 
• Do the girls enjoy a range of unit-based activities across all 6 programme themes? 
• Do you help girls to challenge and develop themselves – and to complete at least 1stage of a skills builder across each of the 6 programme themes? 
• Do you encourage girls to work towards interest badges independently – and celebrate and record their achievements? 
• Do girls take part in activities outside your unit meeting place and have chances to experience residentials? 
• Do you make sure girls know about all the things they can do outside your unit – with the wider guiding family, other organisations and in the local community? 

All girls, volunteers and parents feel valued during their time with the unit and build positive relationships with each other. Whenever members are ready to move on, we help them decide the next steps in their guiding journey. 

Checklist for your unit 

• Do you give all new members (girls and volunteers) friendly, inclusive information that clearly explains what to expect - and give visitors a warm welcome too? 
• Do you manage your waiting list effectively to make sure girls don’t miss out on guiding? Do you keep girls and parents up to date and tell them about other ways they can enjoy guiding, including joining another unit? 
• Are you approachable and do you take time to get to know each of your girls and fellow volunteers as individuals? 
• Do you use what you know about people’s likes, dislikes, needs and abilities to make sure every member has a positive experience? 
• Do you record and recognise girls’ individual achievements and progress through the programme, and celebrate this in your unit and beyond? 
• Do you make sure parents know how to contact you, and keep them up to date about guiding activities and opportunities for both girls and adults (for example, as parent helpers)? 
• When girls or volunteers are ready to move on, do you help them to explore their options and decide the next steps in their guiding journey? 
• Do you work with other units and local commissioners to help young members move on to the next section or to another role in guiding when they reach the right age? 

We help girls to understand the meaning of the promise and the law, and how they can stay true to these commitments in their daily lives. They choose how and when to make the promise. Volunteers also live the promise and law in everything they do in guiding. 

Checklist for your unit 

• Are you using current Girlguiding programme materials for your section so that the Promise and Law are at the core of your unit programme? 
• Are you linking the activities you do with your girls to the ideals of the promise and law, and helping girls to understand that they’re part of a worldwide guiding family (WAGGGS) who share these values? 
• Do you encourage girls to share and celebrate how they’re living the Promise and Law? 
• Do your girls understand that they can decide whether they make the Promise, and that they can do this whenever they feel ready? 
• Do you support girls to choose how and where they make the Promise, so that it’s a moment that’s special for them? 
• Are you making time for your unit to explore and agree their expectations for behaviour (for example, through unit guidelines) in line with Girlguiding values? 
• Are all volunteers in the unit following the volunteer code of conduct, acting as a role model and giving girls positive experiences? 

All volunteers complete the Girlguiding recruitment process for their role and follow the volunteer code of conduct.

Checklist for your unit

• Is everyone who regularly attends your unit registered on GO?
• Have all volunteers completed their recruitment checks on time and do they have an active status on GO?
• Do you make sure that any adult who hasn’t had a disclosure check is always supervised with the girls? 
• Are all volunteers aware of and following the Girlguiding volunteer code of conduct?

Leaders prepare to keep everyone safe in an emergency. This means making sure there’s first aid cover and adequate fire precautions - and that all unit team members know what to do if there’s an emergency.

Checklist for your unit

First aid

• Is there always an appropriately qualified first aider at unit meetings, activities and events?
• Do you have an appropriately stocked first aid kit at your unit meeting place, and other kits available (if needed) for specific activities and residentials?
• Is there a list with each kit that clearly shows its contents? Do you check the kit regularly and restock it when something is nearly finished or near its expiry date?
• Do you keep and use medicated items following Girlguiding’s 1st Response guidance, together with health care plans for members with specific health needs?

Fire safety

• Do all leaders and girls know the fire evacuation procedure and assembly point for your unit meeting place, and for any other venue you’re using?
• Do you tell all new members and visitors what to do if there’s a fire?
• Do you have a fire drill at least once a term and record this on the Fire Evacuation Information page of your emergency file?
• Are all fire precautions in place for your unit, in line with Girlguiding’s fire safety guidance?

Dealing with emergencies

• Is your emergency file completed, fully stocked and available at all guiding activities? Does everyone in your team know where to find this file and how to use it?
• Do you keep a unit register so that leaders always know who’s present at meetings and activities?
• Do you gather information and consent for events and activities for all members using Girlguiding forms?
• Do you have a home contact system in place for all activities outside your normal unit meeting place and time? Do you let your local commissioner know where activities outside the unit meeting place are happening?
• Do you get a residential event notification (REN) form approved by your local commissioner ahead of time for any activity that involves an overnight stay?
• Do all team members know what to do in an emergency and how to report accidents or incidents?

Everyone in the unit team understands the importance of data protection and follows Girlguiding requirements for protecting data and keeping information up to date.

Checklist for your unit

• Are all volunteers aware of and following our procedures and policy for managing information?
• Do you collect members’ personal data needed for guiding using Girlguiding forms and statements?
• Do you keep members’ personal data only in GO – and download or print details from GO only when necessary for an event or activity?
• Do you keep records up-to-date for everyone in your unit, both girls and volunteers?
• Do you only share members’ personal data when necessary for activities (for example, to make a booking) or to keep members safe (for example, giving health information to the emergency services or reporting a safeguarding concern to HQ)?
• Do you always get relevant permissions before taking or sharing photos or videos of members?
• Do you securely destroy any personal data (including photos and videos) that’s no longer needed in line with Girlguiding’s data retention framework?
• Do all volunteers know they have to let Girlguiding know straight away by contacting [email protected] if they think personal or sensitive member data may have been misused, wrongly shared, lost or stolen?

We welcome all girls and give them equal chances to join and participate in our units. We make every volunteer who meets our requirements for their role feel welcome and treat them fairly.

Checklist for your unit

• Are all volunteers familiar with and following our equality and diversity policy?
• Do you make adjustments where needed so that all girls have a great guiding experience, and their individual needs and beliefs are respected?
• Do you help each volunteer to contribute in a way that reflects their individual strengths and abilities?
• Are you encouraging girls to celebrate diversity and to make sure their behaviour and language includes and respects everyone?
• Are you doing all you can to make your unit representative of your local community, including trying to remove any barriers to access for both girls and volunteers?
• Do your promotional materials and information sheets make it clear that your unit is open to all girls and welcomes volunteers from different backgrounds?

Volunteers make sure they have the knowledge and skills needed for their role, and keep themselves up to date. Everyone in the team is supported to make a positive contribution for girls – and we recognise and celebrate their contributions.

Checklist for your unit

• Do you make new volunteers feel welcome and give them induction information to help them get to know their role, unit and guiding area, and the different ways they can contribute?
• Do the volunteers in your unit work well as a team, sharing responsibilities and supporting each other? Do you recognise and celebrate the contribution that each volunteer makes to your unit?
• Do all volunteers complete required and ongoing learning and development for their role?
• Are you encouraging young leaders and helpers to develop the knowledge and skills they’ll need for future roles in guiding and beyond?
• Do your team members regularly review and update their knowledge and skills so they can give the best possible experiences to all the girls?
• Do volunteers share what they’ve learned with the rest of the team and use their new knowledge and skills to make the unit even better?

• Does everyone in your unit represent guiding in a good light, and do girls and volunteers proudly wear their uniforms and other guiding wear?
• Are your unit materials in line with the latest Girlguiding visual brand and writing style?
• Do you regularly take part in local guiding meetings? Do you work with other guiding units to share knowledge, skills, ideas and experiences – and to create opportunities for girls?
• Do you keep up to date by reading Girlguiding and local guiding e-newsletters and websites, Girlguiding magazine and other communications – and use what you learn in your unit?
• Do you make sure all volunteers and girls know about what’s happening in guiding beyond your unit, and encourage them to make the most of opportunities?
• Do you make members aware of opportunities to experience global guiding through the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS)?  

• Do you manage your unit’s money and accounts in line with our finance policy and procedures? If there are specific guidelines for your country or for an organisation your unit is connected with, do you follow those as well?
• Do you keep unit money in a bank or building society account that’s in the name of the unit and needs at least 3 (unrelated) signatories for all transactions?
• Do you keep the unit’s accounts accurate and up to date? Do you keep financial records for 7 years (including the current financial year) and then destroy them securely?
• Do you have annual accounts prepared and independently reviewed at the end of your unit’s financial year?
• Does your unit pay subscriptions for every active member to support local and national guiding?
• Do you plan ahead and manage the unit’s money well so that you can offer as much as possible to your girls? Have you looked at using Gift Aid and other ways of raising money for your unit?