Running the Safe Scouting premises audit

The Scouts ask trustees to review how safely each premises is managed at least once a year, using the Safe Scouting premises audit tool. Scoutworks puts that tool on screen: you answer each question, note what is in place, and every gap becomes an action with an owner and a date — so nothing found on the walk-round gets forgotten.

This feature is currently in beta. Turn it on in Settings → Beta Programme.

Where to find it#

Click Premises audits in the trustee section of the sidebar. Trustees and group admins can see it; leaders and parents can't.

If your group hasn't scheduled an audit yet, click Schedule yearly audit to add it to the trustee duties with a due date and reminders.

Starting an audit#

Click Start an audit and fill in the details:

Answering the questions#

The audit is split into a tab for each part of the tool, with one card for each section (for example, A5 Fire risk management). For each question:

1. Choose Yes, Partly, No or N/A.
2. Write what is in place under Process and controls in place — who checks it, how often, and where the records are kept.
3. Click Evidence to attach certificates, service reports or photos.

Your answers save as you go, so you can do the audit over several evenings, or on your phone while you walk round the building. Where Scoutworks already holds useful figures — risk assessments due for review, incidents in the last year, equipment that needs repair, last year’s open actions — you’ll see them in a blue note under the question.

Turning gaps into actions#

Every Partly or No needs an action. Click Add action…, say what needs doing, choose an owner and a target date, and click Add action.

The action goes on the trustee board as a card, with the same reminders as other trustee duties, and it shows in the board pack until it is done. Move the card along the board to show progress.

If a finding is serious enough for the board to track, click Add to risk register… on that question. It creates an entry on the strategic risk register, linked back to the audit.

Completing the audit#

When every question is answered and every gap has an action, click Complete audit. Scoutworks ticks off this year’s audit duty and adds next year’s to the trustee duties.

To share the audit with your board, district or landlord, open the More menu and choose Download PDF. If you need to change an answer after completing it, choose Reopen to make changes from the same menu.

What's next#

• Managing trustee duties and calendar — where the yearly audit and its actions appear
• Managing the strategic risk register — reviewing the risks an audit raised
• Getting started as a trustee — the other trustee tools