Going on residentials

How to plan and run your own residential events and use our residential event notification (REN) form

Going away with your unit is a great adventure for you and the girls.

Running a residential is a fantastic opportunity for girls to gain confidence, build friendships and try new experiences. This guidance brings together the key requirements and practical tips to help you plan and run a safe and enjoyable event.  

This table lays out what we mean by a few key terms.

Term Definition
Residential A residential is where members stay overnight at a location. Residentials include sleepovers, camps, holidays, large-scale events and international residentials. 
Personal care Personal care is physically helping someone look after themselves. This could be in connection with eating or drinking, using the bathroom, washing or bathing and dressing.  
Girl and woman In line with the Equality Act 2010, girl and woman refers to those whose sex at birth is female. 
Boy and man In line with the Equality Act 2010, boy and man refers to those whose sex at birth is male. 

There are loads of organised residential activities that your unit can go on without you needing a going away with licence – but if you want to give your girls a unique experience, why not run your own? A residential could be indoors or outdoors, on a boat, in a yurt, close or far from home. Involve girls in choosing where you want to go.

How to run your own residential

To run your own residential event, someone in your event leadership team must hold, or be working towards, the relevant modules of the going away with scheme. They must be the person who completes the residential event notification (REN) form.

You need to ensure you have a licence holder in a ratio of at least 1:50. This also applies to large-scale events. 

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Residential event notification (REN) forms

The residential event notification (REN) form is what leaders in charge of residential events must use when planning a residential event with young members. This includes sleepovers, camps, large-scale events and international residentials.

At the start of planning your residential event you should speak to your commissioner and send them the first part of the REN form. Include the relevant supporting documents including a risk assessment. You can do this through the events area on GO or by submitting either a home REN form or an international REN form.

Your commissioner will consult with the relevant advisers and confirm approval for the next stage of planning your residential.

Download the REN forms

If you're staying in your home country, use the home form. If you're travelling abroad, use the international form on GO.

REN help files

For step-by-step instructions on completing the REN form on GO, you can use our REN help files for advisers, commissioners and leaders in charge. 

What's the difference between a home REN form and an international REN form?

You should use a home REN form for any residential taking place in the UK.

The international REN form should be used for any event where you're staying in, or travelling through, any country outside the UK (or your home country), including Ireland.

When should I submit each stage of the form?

This depends on the type of residential you are planning:

International trip

  • 9-18 months before the event: international permission to plan and part one, if agreed with your commissioner.
  • 4 months before the event: updated risk assessment and itinerary. 
  • 4 weeks before the event: part two.

Large-scale events

Check our guidance on running a large-scale event. You only need to complete an International permission to plan form if the event is overseas.

  • 12-18 months before the event: part one.
  • 4 months before the event: updated risk assessment and itinerary.
  • 4 weeks before the event: part two.

All other home residentials

  • 12 weeks before the event: part one.
  • 4 weeks before the event: part two, along with the updated risk assessment and itinerary.

If there are any changes to your plans after your REN form has been approved by your commissioner, you must update and resubmit part two of the REN form.

You can submit the permission to plan section earlier. And in certain circumstances we recommend this, for example: the event is high cost, you're relying on fundraising, you're travelling outside Europe or the trip will last more than 1 week.

What to do if you can't get the REN form to your commissioner within the required time

We recognise that there may be times when you're not able to meet the timescales. For example, because an opportunity arises that doesn't give quite enough notice. If your commissioner is satisfied that you can get all your planning in place and safely do the residential, you might be able to go ahead. This is called exceptional circumstances and is at the discretion of your commissioner.

What should you include in the draft risk assessment and activity plan for part one of the form?

A draft risk assessment must include any immediate risks you're aware of from experience or that you noticed when visiting the location. It doesn't need to include any member- or girl-specific items. The draft risk assessment is a working document and doesn't need to be completed in full for this stage. 

You might be able to use the risk assessment from the venue or site, or have a risk assessment you used for a previous event that you can use as a starting point. 

The draft activity plan should be an outline that shows the activities you're considering doing on your residential, or what's available as part of the programme. It can be used to look at what else you may need in order to deliver your planned programme. For example, if you're planning a walk, do you need a walking qualification? More information about the qualifications or safety requirements of any planned activities can be found on the adventure for girls pages.

This is a fluid document and can change up to submitting the final REN form.

What happens if your REN form is returned due to queries?

Before you submit the form make sure you've read the guidance notes and you've included all the attachments that the form asks for at the right stage.

If your REN form is returned, your commissioner or adviser will explain the reasons why and help you make the steps needed to move forward with your planning.

The most common reason for REN forms being returned by commissioners is because the risk assessment isn't satisfactory. Be sure to read our guidance on how to complete risk assessments. Safer guiding training covers risk assessments, and there might be local risk assessment training or webinar you can attend to support you.

What if I need to make a change to the REN form after part two has been approved?

If there are any changes after part two is signed off by the authorising commissioner, for example there's been a change of venue or a leader has had to withdraw and a replacement has stepped in, the form must be edited and resubmitted for approval.

If you're using the REN form on GO, you should ask the authorising commissioner to move your form back to the finalising stage. You can then make the changes and resubmit your form.

You must not hold an event unless you have received this reapproval.

Can I book a venue before submitting my form?

You'll need authorisation from your commissioner before you start to formalise plans for  a residential or large-scale event. You should submit your permission to plan form (for international events) or part one of your REN form to your commissioner and get authorisation before you pay a deposit for your venue.

If you need insurance, it will only cover payments made after you've taken out the policy, so you should make insurance arrangements at the same time as, or before, making a booking.

Why might I need insurance for a residential in the UK?

Girlguiding has arranged some insurance that covers members, or anyone acting on behalf of Girlguiding, when they're involved in a recognised guiding activity. However, our insurance does not cover cancellation or curtailment, travel issues, hiring a vehicle or using your own, or damage to personal belongings.

There is further guidance to help you to see if, or what, insurance you may need for your trip on the travel and trips insurance page.

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Informing parents and carers

Involve young members and parents and carers in the planning for your residential including planning for sleeping, showering and toileting arrangements. This will give each young person the chance to explore their individual needs and allow suitable accommodation to be chosen.

Explain to parents and carers that the leadership team is available for conversations around anything sensitive. This could be something personal, medical or developmental. It might be something you’ve not been aware of before, so it’s important to make time to talk.

Take a case-by-case approach when assessing the needs of young members in the unit. Girlguiding can support volunteers to do this, balancing the needs of the group and making sure everyone feels comfortable. This may include organising separate facilities for anyone who wants or needs them.

Parents and carers should have the opportunity to meet the leaders prior to the event and have all plans explained to them.  

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Event leadership team

It's important you have a supportive team of volunteers to help you run a residential event. You'll need the following people:

  • Licence holder – responsible for planning the event, including appointing teams for catering, health and first aid.
  • First aider – must have attended a suitable and valid first aid course such as 1st response or a professional similar or higher level course. There must be at least one other adult present with first aid knowledge. If the first aider is a man, a woman must be present when a member is being treated. A woman should deal with girls’ personal hygiene queries and needs.
  • Caterer – responsible for supplying food and equipment, and all food hygiene. Anyone over 18 who's familiar with food hygiene requirements can be a caterer. A qualification isn't required for this role but those wishing to increase their knowledge can complete the Girlguiding catering scheme.

Young volunteers (Rainbow helpers, Brownie helpers, external young volunteers  and young leaders) are also great to have as part of your team on residentials – they can help run games and activities, support others, and be a brilliant addition to the team. 

You must make sure:

  • You have enough adults in your team to maintain section ratios as outlined below and that they are familiar with this residential guidance.
  • You take any families and children of volunteers at residential events into account.
  • Rainbow and Brownie helpers and 13-year-old young external volunteers should be counted as Guides in the adult-to-child ratio.
  • Young leaders and 14+ young external volunteers are not included in the adult to child ratios. They should still be included as volunteers on the REN form. 

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Safer guiding

Remember it is important to make sure that any volunteers or adults on the residential have completed the relevant safer guiding training and recruitment and vetting procedures.

  • All adult volunteers must complete the recruitment and vetting procedure if you’re staying overnight with girls under 18. This includes references and a disclosure check being carried out.
  • The leader in charge must complete safer guiding or a safe space level 3.
  • All other volunteers should have completed safer guiding or at least a safe space levels 1 and 2 (excluding any supported volunteers).
  • Young volunteers should complete a safe space for 14-17 year olds.
  • All non-member volunteers must be assigned the role of district/division/county helper on GO.
  • If a young volunteer turns 18 during or in the 3 days after a residential they will need to apply for a disclosure check before the residential.
  • Safer guiding training cannot be accessed by those under 18, therefore as long as a young volunteer has completed a safe space for 14-17 year olds, this is acceptable for those who turn 18 during a residential.  

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Accommodation and venue requirements

When choosing a venue, you should consider how it will meet the diverse and inclusive needs of the group.

The guidance may vary for specific sections or age groups. Please check the section-specific guidance for more. 

Venue safety

The venue must be approved by the relevant host adviser. If the venue hasn't already been approved, notify the adviser in plenty of time for the venue to be inspected before you make firm plans. You should also follow this guidance: 

  • If the venue isn't normally used for overnight accommodation, for example a church or school hall, the local police and fire service need to be informed that the sleepover is taking place.
  • If you're planning on hosted hospitality you must follow our guidance.
  • If you're using a caravan for a residential on a site that's not Girlguiding or Scout run and doesn't have a caravan licence, please contact [email protected] at least 2 months in advance of the planned event.
  • If you're planning to use a tented village, please see our guidance on tented villages(PDF, 435KB). 

Sleeping arrangements

Planning sleeping arrangements in advance will help everyone to feel comfortable and safe. If anyone feels uncomfortable sharing accommodation for any reason this should be approached on a case-by-case basis and where possible, alternative options should be provided. 

  • Wherever possible, adult volunteers should sleep in a separate room. For example, if you’re hiring a church hall and there’s a smaller meeting room available, this could be for volunteers.
  • If adults are sharing a sleeping space with under 18s, for example in a museum, there must be at least two adult volunteers present, and volunteers should have a separate area. This could involve sleeping at the opposite end of the room or in a tent.
  • Young volunteers aged 10-15 can share a sleeping area with other young members if this is appropriate and they're happy to do so. For example, an 11-year-old Brownie helper could share with the Brownies.
  • Young volunteers aged 10-15 can also share a sleeping area with each other or at least 2 adult volunteers. For example, 3 young leaders aged 14, 15 and 16 could share a room or a tent.
  • As young volunteers aged 16-17 don’t have disclosure checks, they should sleep separately from Rainbows, Brownies and Guides, unless everyone is sleeping in the same space (such as at a museum). They can share sleeping areas with either other young volunteers (aged 14+) or with at least 2 adult volunteers. For example, a 16-year-old young leader could share with 3 adult leaders.
  • If any boys or men are going on the residential, they must sleep in a separate room.
  • Water lilos, and sun loungers shouldn’t be used as beds.
  • When planning sleeping arrangements, consider differences in age, how well girls know each other and friendship groups. You may want to talk to girls about who they share with. 

Getting changed

  • Everyone needs privacy when getting changed.  Where single cubicle changing spaces are not available, using sheets as screens or staggering changing times can be a practical way to give everyone more privacy.
  • Volunteers shouldn’t be present when young members are changing. If you do need to enter a changing space for safety or behaviour reasons, announce clearly that you’re coming in and why, and where possible ask another volunteer to join you.
  • Volunteers, and boys and men should each have their own separate changing areas.

Showers and toilets

  • It is important that everyone has access to basics like toilets and showers.
  • Where possible, provide at least one single-occupancy or private toilet and shower facility to support the privacy of those who need or want it.
  • Where shower or toilet blocks are shared, for example on campsites, separate times should be allocated for volunteers, and boys and men.
  • Volunteers shouldn’t be present while young members are showering.  

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Personal care

Planned personal care of a young member

  • Make sure you’ve already completed an adjustment plan with the parents or carers, and young member.
  • Planned personal care must only be carried out by a dedicated individual support unit helper (PDF, 71KB) or an external carer. This person must have been approved by the parent or carer.  

Unexpected personal care of a young member

  • If unexpected personal care is needed, you must contact the parent or carer of the young member first if possible. In an emergency, contact the parent or carer as soon as practically possible.
  • As far as possible ask the young person to clean themselves up.
  • Avoid physical contact where possible, and have at least 1 volunteer who is a woman and a second volunteer present with the young member.
  • Make sure you listen to the young person and explain what’s happening.
  • Scenarios where unexpected personal care might be needed include:
    • Illness. For example, a Brownie comes down with diarrhoea and vomiting and needs help cleaning herself up while you wait for her parent or carer to collect her.
    • Accident. For example, a Guide injures herself and needs medical care in an area that would normally be covered.
    • Mishap. For example, a Rainbow finds the deepest, muddiest puddle while out on a walk and needs cleaning off.

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Alcohol on residentials

In line with our health, safety and welfare procedure, adults must not drink alcohol when they are directly responsible for supervising or caring for girls and young women. This applies to all guiding activities - from unit meetings and trips to residentials and large-scale events.

We know there are times, like on a residential, where you might not be directly supervising or caring for young members. In these cases, it’s at the discretion of the leadership team whether volunteers may consume alcohol during a residential.

To keep everyone safe, please follow these simple rules:

  • Under 18s must not drink alcohol under any circumstances.
  • Anyone responsible for driving or transporting young members must be completely alcohol-free.
  • Any alcohol consumption during designated off-duty time must be coordinated with the leadership team in advance. This ensures sober adults remain available to respond to duties or emergencies at any hour and everyone is ready to lead safely when back on duty.
  • Consider the appropriateness of offering alcohol, as it may exclude some individuals based on personal, cultural, or religious beliefs.

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Section-specific guidance

  • Maintain adult to child ratios of 1:4 (not including the event coordinator). There must be at least 3 adults present at all times.
  • Rainbow overnight events must not exceed 1 night and 2 days, including travel, from when care of the girls is transferred to the leader.
  • Rainbows must not travel abroad for overnight events.
  • Rainbows may attend a sleepover with other sections.
  • All Rainbows must be accompanied by a leader from their own unit, and the volunteers coming as part of the accompanying leadership team must be known to the unit leader. 
  • If the licence holder is not a Rainbow leader, a Rainbow leader should be involved in planning and be present at the event.
  • If Rainbows are staying in a youth hostel or hotel, the sleeping, washing and toilet facilities must be self-contained, and girls must sleep in rooms close to those occupied by the leaders.
  • If camping, in case there's bad weather, the licence holder must make sure that there's solid shelter available or make prior arrangements with parents or carers to take girls home.
  • If Rainbows need support with showers it should be discussed in advance with parents as part of the planning and 2 volunteers should be present who are women. 
  • The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents recommends that no child under the age of 6 sleeps in the top bunk. Seek parental permission if younger girls will need to sleep in top bunks.
  • The venue should be close enough for a parent or carer to collect their child should the need arise.

  • Maintain an adult to child ratio of 1:6, with at least 3 adults present, or 2 at the commissioner's discretion.
  • If going away without their own leader, each Brownie must have met at least 1 member of the leadership team prior to the event.
  • If Brownies are staying in separate buildings (such as chalets or static caravans), there must be at least 2 leaders, helpers or young leaders present in each building.
  • If Brownies are staying in a youth hostel or hotel, the sleeping, washing and toilet facilities must be self-contained, and girls must sleep in rooms close to those occupied by the leaders.
  • If camping, in case there's bad weather, the licence holder must make sure that there's solid shelter available or make prior arrangements with parents or carers to take girls home. 
  • A maximum of 4 Brownies aged 9 or over may visit a Guide residential, as long as 4 adults are present.

  • Maintain an adult to child ratio of 1:12, with at least 3 adults present, or 2 at the commissioner's discretion.
  • If camping, in case there's bad weather, the licence holder must make sure that there's alternative shelter available (this could be a solid shelter or temporary structure, such as a mess tent or marquee) or make prior arrangements with parents or carers to take girls home. 

  • There's no required adult-to-child ratio for a Rangers residential, but there must be at least 2 adults present, or 1 at the commissioner's discretion.
  • Rangers may share sleeping areas with other Rangers if they're all attending as young members. If attending in a leadership role, for example leader or unit helper, they should follow the sleeping arrangements for adult volunteers. If you need advice regarding Rangers aged 18 years old, please contact [email protected].
  • Where all members of a Rangers trip are aged 18, please follow the all adult residential procedure. Volunteers should still carry out effective and detailed planning.
  • If 18-year-old Rangers aren't in a leadership role, they don't need to complete disclosure checks (DBS, PVG, Access NI) as they're being supervised by adult volunteers.
  • If camping, in case there's bad weather, the licence holder must make sure that there's alternative shelter available (this could be a solid shelter or temporary structure, such as a mess tent or marquee) or make prior arrangements with parents or carers to take girls home.

Young volunteers are those aged 10-17 who volunteer with a unit. They may also be Guides, or Rangers, but they don’t have to be, they could just be young leaders or young external volunteers.

If you’re running a residential event for young volunteers where they’re attending as participants, rather than volunteering with young members (such as a training or social weekend) follow this guidance:

  • There’s no required adult-to-child ratio for young volunteers aged 14-17, but there must be at least 2 adults present at the event, or 1 at the commissioners’ discretion.
  • If you’re including Rainbow and Brownie helpers or young external volunteers aged 13 in your event you should follow the adult to child ratio for Guide events. 
  • If someone turns 18 at a young leader-only event, they can still attend, but should have their disclosure check completed in advance via the compliance team. More details on this can be found in our recruitment and vetting procedure. In this event, they can continue to use the Ranger guidance and can share a room with 16-17 year old participants.
  • For events where adults and young members attend as participants, those under and over the age of 18 will have to sleep in separate sleeping areas. Anyone over the age of 18 should have a disclosure check and complete safety and safeguarding training. This includes anyone turning 18 during the event.

  • For joint or multi-section residentials, at least 1 leader from all participating sections must be present, and the correct ratio for each section must be observed.
  • If you have 'spare' places from the younger section ratio, you can use girls from the older section to count in the ratio of volunteers to girls, but you must follow the youngest section ratio. For example, if you were taking 9 Rainbows and 8 Brownies away, you would need: 
    • 1 event coordinator who doesn't count in the ratio (as this is the policy for Rainbow residentials).
    • 3 volunteers for the 9 Rainbows (1 of whom must be a Rainbow leader). The Rainbow residential ratio of 1:4 means you need 2 adults with 4  Rainbows each, and 1 leader with 1 Rainbow and 3 'spare' places.
    • Then you'd need 1 Brownie leader to take 6 Brownies, as the Brownie residential ratio is 1:6. The remaining 3 Brownies would count under the adult with the ninth Rainbow, as children in older sections can count in younger sections' ratios (but younger sections cannot be counted in older sections' ratios).

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Support

If you have any questions about running residentials, speak to your commissioner, or contact [email protected].

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