BEAVERS CLUB - Safety issues or 90s approach to childhood?

[Alelou]

Hi 👋 my 6 year old son recently joined Beavers and is having a brilliant time. But I can’t help but feel uneasy about the approach to safety during the sessions. It seems the gate outside the hut is left open and the front door to the hut is also open so anyone can walk in at any time although I’m sure the leaders would notice if a kid walked out. At the end of the session kids just scramble and run around, running outside to go and play in the playground but no one is checking if the right parents are taking the right kids.

I don’t know if I’m being affected by too many scary headlines but I find it hard to relax when he’s in the club.

For those have kids in beavers is this all normal?

My friend said her rainbows is the same and my husband thinks I’m being ridiculous. He thinks it’s ‘relaxed’ but really good for DS. It does seem like a time warp of 90s childhood activities at Beavers which is great but the 90s approach to safety issues worry me a bit!

Am I overreacting? Thanks! X

90s 😂, you mean the kind of childhood most of us had for decades/centuries before for some reason everyone got scared of day to day life. It's not unique to one decade

Totally normal when my children belonged to those kinds of groups

I think that's a bit slack for that age group Tbh. Our local Brownies unit (7-10) are signed in and out by a parent or nominated person. Open/unlocked door not so unusual but depends on where the building is. In a local school where there are grounds without the public in might be ok, by a park or road, then I wouldn't be happy either.

They're 6-8 not 3, I think this is OK - you wait outside before they finish, don't you? So they are old enough to know not to just run away. And usually when DC have been going to these things for a while, you get to know the other parents so there is a sort of community sense of who is collecting who.

I know the headlines are scary but the chances of somebody coming in who wanted to do harm to children are absolutely miniscule and arguably overpreparation against such a deranged individual would do more harm than good.

Beavers will have risk assessments. Why don’t you ask to see them since they will be specific to your concerns. They also have an adult ratio for the number of children there to ensure safety.

My DS goes and they have an internal door which I believe is locked, no idea about the external. I’ve never really thought about it tbh, he seems safe and happy enough. It is very 90s, I love it though for that reason.

all of these are run by volunteers aren’t they? You could volunteer to be on the door I guess if you’re worried.

I would have the gate closed. Schools are usually secure. It’s also trying to avoid a RTA. Dc should be accounted for. So yes, lax.

Not ok and against all their policies.

When I was a leader we kept the kids in the hall and parents came in to collect them. I can't honestly say we had a formal checking adult and child but we knew the parents and they'd say hi when they came in and I honestly think we'd have noticed if they took the wrong child.

We met in a church hall and the door wasn't locked so someone could walk in but no one ever did. The doors were a bit heavy for young kids to open but they might have been able to but there were three of us and usually a couple of scouts helping so we did carefully supervise.

I'm glad your son is enjoying himself.

I remember having similar thoughts when mine went to beavers. I helped out when it was my turn on the rota and it was a bit mayhem / no one counting kids etc. Luckily I'm not an anxious person so it didn't bother me too much, but I do know what you mean!

Forgot we also had a parent on duty, parents expected to do one session a term so sometimes two.

DS2 was a runner, I wouldn't have let him join if the Beavers hadn't moved into a new building with double entry doors and a gated garden area around the back door - which they didn't have when DS1 went. However when they went off site I would either go as a volunteer or keep him home. The leaders kept saying they could cope and had seen it all before but it always seemed like chaos and they did briefly lose him once. My risk assessment was a bit tougher than theirs.

Thank you so much this is all so interesting. Maybe I will volunteer to be doorman 😂 it’s not within a school but a dedicated hut with a small play area with an open gate onto the street.

Can someone tell me, are the volunteers who run it DBS checked? I understand that I sound like a total helicopter mum at this point but I feel embarrassed to ask the volunteers themselves 🙈

I am a rainbow and a brownie leader. In our unit, the gate is closed all session (but not locked for fire safety reasons to be able to meet in the muster point), the hut door is left unlocked (open in the summer if we are using the garden), all girls are signed in and signed out by a parent to a leader (and parents arent allowed to leave unless two leaders are present). The layout of the meeting place does mean that a leader would see straight away if anyone wandered in. After I had my own DC (and after the Stockport attack) I did feel worried about it myself. But really our only option would be to move venue to one with a door buzzer system and there wasnt one locally that was appropriate. So id say the door / gate is fairly common (especially if its older style scout hut without a buzzer system) but it sounds a bit lax on checking who is leaving with who. I used to always ask on drop off who would be collecting so that we knew who to expect.

Yes to DBS although it was CRB I think when mine was done. It's the other parents who weren't checked, might have changed, but they were never left alone with a child. Actually the only time any of us were alone with a child was if a parent was very late picking up and some people had to go. St George's day parade was a classic For this so if you don't want to be that parent try not to turn up 90 minutes late. We have families and other things to do as well.

You shouldn't feel embarrassed at all! In Girlguiding all unit volunteers have an enhanced dbs check, complete first aid and safeguarding training and have to provide two references. I imagine beavers / scouts is very similar. I would gladly talk any parent through all the training / checks we do.

Lots of children at that age running around always seems a bit chaotic but they have great fun.
At our beavers/cubs etc they have recently started locking the external door. I think sadly an updated risk assessment after Southport.
At the end of the session parents wait outside and once leader/child spots parents they go (same as school)
I think you should volunteer flr a few sessions and realise they have session plans, risk assessments etc

I don’t remember having to be dbs checked as a parent helper at brownies. We were never alone with the kids. To join any brownie/scouts in my area, I assume as waiting lists are long, you had to volunteer on a rota basis.

Ours are strict about handing over to a parent, the doors used to be just shut but they've been locked ever since the Southport attack - its the same for cubs scouts etc

I think Guides/Brownies if you help regularly you must have a DBS check. If you're volunteering regularly and haven't had one they're in breach of rules.

I know Southport well and I now feel very aware of where exits are / if doors are shut properly at children's activities. Unfortunately I wouldn't be happy with the doors all being open.

There was a rule change a little while ago (i can't remember exactly when - some time since covid!) that parent helpers who help less than twice a term didnt need a dbs but had to be supervised at all times by someone with a dbs and never left alone with a child. Otherwise, if parents were helping multiple times a term, they did need a dbs and effectively to become a sort of occasional helper role. Now the rule is twice a term or more needs dbs and to sign the unit safeguarding guidelines. Before that, i think it was more relaxed about parent helpers.

I’m a beaver leader in Scotland and we are all PVG checked (I think this is DBS in England?). We also sign every child in and out in my group and ensure they are with the correct adult. We also watch the door for the occasional runner, though in our group that has been rare.

our beavers group has doors locked once all arrived, children signed in on arrival, no parents go in with children unless volunteering and at the end children signed out. Just because an activity is run by volunteers the children still have to be kept safe.

That’s interesting. A funny rule though, cos if you’re a baddy, you only need the once. But I do get it, because otherwise you’ll just get parents thinking ‘fuck that (re dbs) - another thing to do to add to my list.’