Latest updates to our policies and procedures
Read about the changes and what you need to do
We’ve recently updated some of our policies and procedures as part of our regular policy review process.
Previous policy and procedure updates can also be found on this page.
Health, safety and welfare policy and procedures, and adventurous activities procedure
What are the policy and procedures used for?
The health, safety and welfare policy and procedures explain what we expect of our volunteers when it comes to health and safety, and how to maintain safe and healthy environments.
Key changes
- We want to make things as easy as possible for our volunteers. As such, we’ve retired the adventurous activities policy, and merged it into the health, safety and welfare policy.
- The adventurous activities procedure remains its own procedure, but now it falls under the health, safety and welfare policy.
What do I need to do?
- There’s nothing specific you need to do differently – the 2 policies covered similar ground. The health, safety and welfare policy now has sections about adventurous activities and insurance, and we’ve added in the expectations from the adventurous activities policy into the health, safety and welfare policy.
- Take a look at the policy and both procedures for how to maintain a safe environment, and how to carry out adventurous activities safely.
Managing concerns about adult volunteers policy and procedure
What's the policy and procedure used for?
The managing concerns about adult volunteers policy and procedure set out how and what we might need to do when a volunteer doesn’t meet our expectations.
Key changes
- We’ve clarified our investigation process, adding in some information about when we might do a safeguarding risk assessment, as well as our appeals process.
- We’ve added expectations for volunteers who are the subject of a concern, alongside our expectations for volunteers involved in managing a concern.
- The procedure includes more information about the ways HQ teams may need to mitigate risk during the course of an investigation.
- It also makes it clearer that support is available to anyone subject to an investigation.
What do I need to do?
- Take a look at the revised policy so you know what we expect, especially if you’re involved in a concern about a volunteer.
Speaking up policy
What's the policy used for?
The speaking up policy explains our commitment to speaking up and listening to those that do, whistleblowing, and how we promote a speaking up culture.
Key changes
- We've added sexual harassment to the list of things which, if you speak up about in the public interest, may be considered to be 'whistleblowing’.
What do I need to do?
- Volunteers don’t need do anything because of this change, but please remember that if you speak up about something that concerns you, we're here to help and support you.
Previous updates
14 January 2026
What are the policy and procedures used for?
Our safeguarding policy explains our commitment to safeguarding, our expectations and how we safeguard children and adults offline and online. Our safeguarding procedure explains how to report a concern and what happens next.
Key changes
- We have retired the digital safeguarding policy and merged it with the safeguarding policy.
- We’ve restructured the content that previously sat in the digital safeguarding procedure.
- We’ve also clarified some of our expectations around good safeguarding behaviours, like physical contact.
What do I need to do?
Take a look at the safeguarding policy and safeguarding procedure to find out how to recognise and report a safeguarding concern and how to stay safe online.
Key changes
The annual subscriptions policy has been retired, and the annual subscriptions procedure has been moved into the adult volunteers and adult members policy. The annual subscriptions procedure now includes some material that was in the annual subscriptions policy.
What are the policy and procedures used for?
They explain what it means to be an adult volunteer or member, and our general expectations, including for social media and annual subscriptions.
Key changes
- Information relating to social media that were previously found in the digital safeguarding policy and the digital safeguarding procedure can now be found in this policy, and the using social media procedure. The using social media procedure also now includes our existing social media community guidelines.
- Likewise, because the annual subscriptions policy has been retired, the annual subscriptions procedure now falls under this policy.
What do I need to do?
Take a look at the adult volunteers and adult members policy and the using social media procedure to understand our expectations around social media. Those involved in paying the annual subscription must follow our annual subscription procedure.
What are the policy and procedures used for?
They explain how we recruit and vet volunteers safely and what people can expect when applying for a volunteer role with Girlguiding.
Key changes
- We’ve clarified when people must renew their disclosure checks, and have clarified the disclosure process as a whole. This includes the different rules for Scotland, what happens when there's information on a certificate, and introduced a flowchart for young members becoming adult volunteers.
- We’ve added expectations for enquirers, those in a role or wanting to do a role requiring a disclosure check, all volunteers, and volunteers involved in recruiting and vetting.
What do I need to do?
- Review the new recruitment and vetting policy and recruitment and vetting procedure, especially if you're in a role requiring a disclosure check, involved in recruiting and vetting, and/or in Scotland.
- We recently launched our new volunteer recruitment tool. There have been no changes to the policy and procedure as a result of the launch of the tool, but when the tool went live to the public we made some updates to which level of guiding enquiries are directed within GO. For more information on the tool and what’s changed regarding enquiries see our updates for members page.
What are the policy and procedures used for?
They explain how we approach fundraising and how to fundraise.
Key changes
We’ve made some small changes following the new Code of Fundraising Practice. This includes what to do you if you get a complaint, and how to work with third party fundraisers and fundraising partners.
What do I need to do?
If you’re responsible for fundraising for Girlguiding it’s important you take a look at the fundraising policy and fundraising procedure so you can comply with the new Code of Fundraising Practice.
