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AMENDMENT:  Amendments resulting from review of Nights Away Permit Scheme Sept 2007.

1. There are four categories of permit:

   • Indoor - for staying in a building that has toilets plumbed into a waste disposal system (i.e. a cess pit, storage tank or mains drains) and access to running drinking water;

   • Camp Site - for staying at a site that has toilets plumbed into a waste disposal system (eg. a cess pit, storage tank or mains drains) and access to running drinking water;

   • Green Field - for staying at any site where any of the above facilities do not exist - for example, a summer camp on a farmer's field;

   • Lightweight Expedition - for staying at any site for not more than one night before moving on. The core activity is a form of expedition, not residential, and all the equipment is transported with the participants. eg. QSA/DofE hikes, expedition hikes, canoe expeditions.

2. Those holding a Green Field Permit may lead residential events in the other three categories.

3. Those holding a Camp Site Permit may also run indoor residential events.

4. Those holding a Hillwalking Permit that includes lightweight camping in remote areas may also run Lightweight Expedition events.

5. Nights Away Permits are not Section specific and Districts and Counties must not operate a policy of issuing only Section specific permits.

6. A permit holder may operate with Members from another District or County (subject to the normal approval of the District/County Commissioner of the Members concerned).

7. Permit holders proposing to work outside their usual Section should obtain guidance from the Nights Away Adviser before the event takes place.

8. There is no maximum age limit to gaining a Nights Away Permit.

9. Permits must be renewed at intervals of not more than five years.

10. Permits will expire automatically if they are not renewed.

11. Assessment:

    1. An applicant will be assessed by a Nights Away Adviser appointed by the District or County Commissioner, who will recommend a level of permit to be granted;

    2. Assessments will be carried out in accordance with the process and content of the appropriate factsheet.

12. Notification:

    1. The relevant home Commissioner (or their nominee) must be notified before any camping or residential event takes place. Seven days notice should be given;

    2. Where a camp or residential event takes place using facilities not owned or operated by Scouting, for example a youth hostel, a public (commercial) campsite, or a farmer's field, the host District Commissioner must be notified beforehand. 14 days notice should be given;

    3. Where a camp, expedition or residential event involves facilities not owned or operated by Scouting spread across a number of Districts, the permit holder must notify the County Secretary(s), who in turn should notify the respective host District Commissioners. (For expeditions, see Rule 9.63.)

    4. The notification must include all the information required in the Nights Away Notification Form (NAN).

    Nights Away Notification Forms (NAN), District, County Commissioners and County Secretary's addresses are available from the Scout Information Centre.