The welfare of young people comes before everything else we do. If something is worrying you, tell someone. You do not need proof, you do not need to be sure, and you will never be in trouble for raising a concern.
If a Child Is in Immediate Danger
Call 999 and ask for the police. Do that first. Then tell the Scouts UK Safeguarding Team that you have done it, using the details below.
Reporting a Concern About Scouting
Report it directly to the Scouts UK Safeguarding Team. Not to your section leader, not to the Group Lead Volunteer, and not to the district. That is not a rule about going over anyone’s head - it is so the team hears it first-hand, and it is what the Yellow Card requires of every adult in Scouting.
| How | Details |
|---|---|
| Online | Safeguarding reporting form - the quickest way |
| Phone | 020 8433 7164, 9am to 5pm weekdays |
| safeguarding@scouts.org.uk | |
| Out of hours, in an emergency | Scouts Support Centre on 0345 300 1818 |
- Report within 24 hours, whether you saw it yourself or were told about it.
- Report it even if you have told someone else. If you tell another member, you both have to report it directly.
- Report it however small it seems, whenever it happened, and whether or not it happened at Scouts.
- If you are not sure, ring them anyway. They will tell you what to do. Being unsure is not a reason to wait.
The Yellow Card
The Yellow Card is the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults - the rules every adult in Scouting works to, covering how we behave around young people and what to do about a concern. Every volunteer is given one, and it is worth keeping in your pocket rather than a drawer.
Read or download the Yellow Card
Concerns That Are Not About Scouting
If you are worried about a child and it has nothing to do with Scouts, you do not need us - contact the people who can act.
| Who | When and how |
|---|---|
| Police | 999 if a child is at immediate risk |
| Highland Council social work | During office hours, through their child protection page |
| Highland emergency social work | 0808 175 3646 - weekday evenings and nights, and around the clock at weekends and on public holidays |
| NSPCC | 0808 800 5000 or help@nspcc.org.uk, any time, including if you just want to talk it through |
If You Were Harmed in Scouting in the Past
It is never too late to report abuse you experienced as a child in Scouting, however long ago it happened. The Safeguarding Team will listen and can help you find support. The contacts above are the right ones, and Scouts have guidance on reporting non-recent abuse.
What We Do to Keep Young People Safe
- Every adult volunteer is appointed through a process that includes references and a disclosure check.
- Safeguarding training is mandatory, and has to be renewed.
- Every adult works to the Yellow Card, and every section works to national rules on supervision, activities and nights away.
- Photographs of young people are used only where consent has been recorded - see our privacy notice.
The contact details on this page were checked in September 2026 against Scouts UK and Highland Council. If you find one that is wrong or out of date, please tell us at info@scoutsinverness.org.uk so we can put it right straight away.