At H-265 Explorer Scout Unit, we use social media and email to share our adventures and keep our members informed. To protect both our young people and our adult volunteers, we operate under a strict Digital & Social Media Policy. This ensures that every digital interaction follows the same safeguarding principles we use in our face-to-face scouting.

Why we have this policy

Just as an adult in Scouting would never be alone in a room with a young person, we ensure no adult is ever alone in a "digital room" (such as a private message or email thread). This provides transparency and prevents any risk of one-to-one contact.

1. Approved Channels

• We Use: Facebook, Instagram, and Email.
• We Do NOT Use: X (Twitter), Snapchat, or TikTok.

We only use platforms that are consistent with our values and allow for oversight.

2. Management & The "Digital Buddy" System

• Two-Admin Minimum: Every account is managed by at least two registered Scout volunteers.
• Continuous Oversight: If one admin is unavailable, a temporary admin is appointed to ensure the "two-adult" oversight is never broken.
• Message Transparency: If a private message is received by an admin, they immediately notify the second admin. No conversation remains private between one adult and one young person.

3. Protecting Boundaries & Privacy

To respect the private digital lives of our members and maintain appropriate boundaries, we follow these rules:

• No Following Private Accounts: Our official accounts will never follow a private personal account, regardless of the age of the holder. Our channels should be a hub for news, not an intrusive presence in a young person's private life.
• No Tagging of Minors: We celebrate success, but we will never tag a young person’s personal handle in a post or story. This prevents a public link between a minor's scouting activity and their private profile.
• Personal Requests: Our leaders do not accept "Friend" or "Follow" requests from under-18s on their personal accounts. This remains the case even after a young person leaves the Unit, until they reach age 18.

4. Email Communication

If a leader needs to email a young person (or vice-versa):

• The reply will always include a parent/carer and a second leader.
• We encourage young people to CC their parents into any emails they send to us.