1) Getting involved
We always need volunteers to help young people achieve an Award. If you want to help run the DofE you can talk to the person at your centre who’s responsible for the DofE. If you’re not involved with somewhere that runs it,
please contact your nearest Operating Authority.
2) Record Books
Where do I get my Record Book?
When you ask your DofE Leader on how to do the DofE programme you will normally be handed an application form and asked to pay the requested fee. You will send the details and payment to the stated address on the form OR hand it back to the DofE Leader. Once they have processed your application form, you will be either be handed or posted the appropriate Record Book Pack.
Please see here for more information on your Record Book pack.
How much does it cost to take part?
To do a DofE programme, you will pay a nominal fee to the DofE Charity. This cost includes your Record Book pack.
See current fees here.
Please note that many OAs and centres add on administration costs to this basic fee (to cover postage, organising expeditions, admin etc). If you have a query about any additional costs then ask them directly what the stated fee covers.
I have paid but I have not received my Record Book.
If you have paid and not yet received your Record Book, then ask whoever you gave the money to about what has happened to your order. You should be given the Record Book before you begin. The Record Book is where you record your achievements and where your Assessors/Supervisors make their statements and reports.
I want to start my DofE programme but they have no Record Books left.
If you’ve paid and have to wait for a Record Book to arrive, then you can still begin – follow these pointers:
-
Ensure you understand the rules before starting! Without your Record Book it can be hard to understand what needs to be done. Ask your DofE Leader,
or have a look around our website.
-
-
If you have no DofE leader or are no longer in contact with them, then contact your
Operating Authority.
DofE Offices cannot issue Record Books.
3) Starting your programme
Once you receive your Record Book, fill in your personal details on page 3. Your DofE Leader will answer any queries (usually a teacher, youth leader etc, this is the person who is in charge of running your DofE group). If you are not part of a DofE group and are doing your DofE programme on your own, then you should make contact with your Operating Authority (their address is in your Record Book) to identify a DofE Leader who you can contact for advice and answer your questions.
Choosing activities
You will need to decide on your choice of activity for a section. You must then find a DofE Assessor and possibly a Supervisor and decide how long you want to do each section.
Find out more about choosing activities here
I can't find an activity
If you can’t find an activity under the listing of your Activity Log or on our website then:
-
Look for it under a different name (e.g. shooting is actually under the name marksmanship, gym work would come under fitness activities).
-
If your subject is not listed then maybe it’s a new activity (see below) which you would need permission from your DofE Leader/Co-ordinator and Operating Authority to do.
I want to do an activity which is not listed
If you have checked that the activity is not listed anywhere in the Record Book or the DofE website, then you need to speak to your DofE Leader or Operating Authority to discuss using the new activity. You MUST have permission from them before you start doing your activity.
You will need to plan your programme for this activity (sometimes with additional input from an experienced/skilled person who understands the activity). Use our programme planners to help you do this.
Residential (Gold only) – If you have an idea for a residential and you are checking to see if it would be permitted, then you should get approval from your DofE Leader/Co-ordinator and Operating Authority.
How long do I have to do activities for?
Look in your Record Book (page 6) or
view timescales by each level here to see how long you need to do each section for and you can then decide which one you wish to work on for a shorter or longer period.
The DofE’s not about a quick burst of enthusiasm – you can’t just do your activities over just a few days/weeks. You’ll need to do each activity regularly over the required number of months.
Useful note: You cannot total up the hours so it adds up to the months required. To successfully complete your DofE programme we check your hours spread over the period of months.
4) Assessors and Supervisors
You need to enlist the help of an Assessor for every activity for each section. This role is to train, check and assess what you are doing for an activity. They are normally skilled, qualified or experienced people for a specific activity. You may possibly need a Supervisor as well.
Click here for more information on each of these roles.
-
Safe to work with? You must ensure that the nominated person with the role of Assessor/Supervisor is safe to work with. DofE Leaders/Co-ordinators and OAs are responsible for checking adult volunteers if it is for an activity directly managed by your group, centre or OA. If you’re organising the activity yourself and you’re under 18, then it is the responsibility for safeguarding lies with your parent/carer/guardian – they must ensure the activity is appropriately managed and insured. Your DofE Leader will check the Assessor’s experience/qualifications for your activity.
-
What are they for? To ensure you have been properly taught, supervised and to agree that you’ve met the DofE’s requirements for each section.
-
Agreeing your aims and goals They will help you ensure you’ve set yourself enough of a challenge for each of your activities. If you are looking to earn a qualification in an activity as your aim/goal, then this would be agreed with your Assessor/Supervisor.
-
Who finds them? Normally it’s up to you or your parent/carer/guardian. Sometimes your DofE Leader can be involved in this search.
Volunteering, Physical, Skills, and Residential sections
For these sections you’ll choose your Assessors and Supervisors, for example, asking your art teacher at school to be your Assessor so you can do art and design for your Skills section.
The DofE Charity does not manage or have responsibility for these people. They are not accredited or nationally recognised by the DofE Charity. The only exception is the Expedition section (see below).
5) Sections
Useful note: Can’t find what you’re looking for – check a different section. What you believe to be a Skills activity could actually be a Volunteering or Physical activity. For example, playing football is a physical activity, learning to be a football coach is a Skill while coaching others for free is volunteering.
The Expedition section
The Expedition section raises the most queries. Look at the
requirements here for clarification.
Choosing an Assessor and Supervisor
The Assessor/Supervisor are normally selected by the expedition organisers i.e. your DofE Leader, Co-ordinator or Manager.
Expeditions for people in a group (in a school, youth club, ATC, Scouts etc)
The expedition is usually organised by your DofE Leader or centre’s Co-ordinator. They will be able to help you find out what will be happening on the training, practice and qualifying parts of the expedition.
-
Become part of another DofE centre/group who’s arranging their expedition. Your OA will provide you with details if this option is available in your area.
-
Join an open expedition which are organised by the DofE Assessor Networks (these are normally events aimed at other independent DofE participants who wish to complete this section).
Available opportunities are advertised here.
6) Completing your programme
When you have decided on an activity, decided how long you want to do it for, identified your DofE Assessor/Supervisor for each activity and planned your expedition:
-
Fill in the sections – you need to fill in the title and the start date of the activity in the relevant section of your Record Book.
-
Sign your Activity Log – After every session on that activity, ask your DofE Assessor/Supervisor to sign and date the appropriate Activities Log.
-
Completing the Volunteering, Physical and Skills sections – when you have done your chosen activity for the required timescale and met your agreed aims with your DofE Assessor then they should fill in their comments and sign/date the appropriate page of your Record Book.
-
Completing the Expedition section – After completing your training, practice(s) and qualifying expeditions, your DofE Assessor will sign and fill in their comments in your Record Book.
-
Completing the Residential section (Gold only) – At the end of your residential activity, your Assessor must sign your Record Book, adding their comments.
Check all the Sections
Once you have done the work for the required months for each section, you must complete the Record Book and the fill in the end date. Both yours and your Assessor’s part of each section must be filled in and signed.
Who do I send my Record Book to?
You should either hand your completed Record Book to your DofE Leader/Co-ordinator or sometimes directly to your Operating Authority. If no-one has informed you on what to do then speak with your DofE Leader.
There is no address or number for my Operating Authority in my Record Book.
If there isn't enough infomrtion on page 2 of your Record Book for you to find your OA, ask the people that you got the Record Book. They will know who to contact. If you have lost contact with these people then contact your DofE Regional/Country Office, stating where you did your DofE programme. Do NOT send your Record Book to the DofE Head Office or the DofE Regional/Country Offices as they cannot process Record Books.
Who approves my Record Book?
Your DofE Leader/Co-ordinator will check your Record Book. Then your Operating Authority will check it, approve it (if correct) and sign it.
-
If it is approved – a DofE Badge and Certificate will be produced by your OA and given to you (see item 7). Your signed Record Book with either be posted back or handed to you.
-
If it is not approved – your DofE Leader/Operating Authority will contact you if there is a problem with a section(s). You will be asked to explain or correct a problem.
Useful Note: There many reasons for why the Record Book is not approved, for example: if you've done the wrong activity for a section (e.g. trying to use football as a Skill, it comes under Physical), did not spend enough time on a section, haven't got a signature from a DofE Assessor, wrong dates, expedition details incorrect, not meeting the minimum age requirements etc. Make sure your DofE Leader approves your choices before you start!
I cannot finish all the sections to achieve a full Award.
If for whatever reason you cannot complete all the sections of your DofE programme then you can still be recognised for that work in the completed section(s). Your DofE Leader may arrange to use sectional certificates. Remember, you can still finish your whole prpgramme if you complete all your activities in each section before your 25th birthday (even if you started them when you were 14!)
7) Certificates & Badges
Badges
When you achieve your Bronze or Silver Award you will be given a DofE badge by your OA/centre. At Gold you can choose between a badge or a brooch. Many uniformed organisations have their own cloth badges which you will also be presented with locally.
Certificates for Bronze, Silver and Gold
Bronze and Silver: When you achieve your DofE badge you will be given a DofE certificate from your OA or centre.
Gold: When you achieve your Gold badge or brooch, you will be invited to a presentation at one of the Royal palaces to receive your certificate. Please note this takes around 8-12 months at present.
Lost/incorrect/damaged badge and certificates
You must apply to your OA for any replacement of Bronze & Silver badges and certificates. Your DofE Leader may do this for you.
Your DofE Regional/Country Office will deal with any Gold badge or certificate replacements, for which there is a small charge. You will have to provide evidence you hold a Gold Award.
8) Award presentations
-
Bronze & Silver – In many cases your DofE Leader (or OA) will arrange a presentation for your badge & certificate – ask them if this is happening.
-
Gold – In some cases your DofE Leader (or OA) will arrange a presentation for your Gold badge. You will be invited to a national presentation at one of the Royal palaces to receive your certificate.
9) Running the DofE
DofE programmes are delivered under licence by over 400 Operating Authorities throughout the UK (e.g. local authorities, uniformed organisations, charities, YOIs, businesses). They are responsible for the administration of the DofE in their area and for authorisation of Awards. Each Operating Authority has a number of DofE centres, managed by a DofE Co-ordinator. In each DofE centre there can be one or more DofE groups, each run by a DofE Leader.
All DofE centres have to be authorised by a licensed Operating Authority to ensure they meet specific standards of safety, child protection, training etc. If you want to set up a centre or run a group,
please contact your local Operating Authority
What kind of qualifications/training is needed?
Your Operating Authority will state what qualifications and training are required to run a DofE centre/group as they differ. However, it's a good idea to make sure that you've done our induction course.
As a DofE Leader - how do I order Record Books?
You can only order Record Book Packs from your Operating Authority.
10) Materials
You can order the materials and merchandise from our trading arm: Award Scheme Limited (ASL). Click here to
visit our shop pages.
They can be contacted as follows:
The Award Scheme Ltd
Unit 18/19 Stewartfield Industrial Estate
Off Newhaven Road
Edinburgh EH6 5RQ
Tel: 0131 553 5280
Fax: 0131 553 5776
Email:
asl@DofE.org
Useful note: Record Books can only be ordered by a licensed Operating Authority.
11) Insurance
Operating Authorities Insurance
As a condition of their Operating Licence, each Operating Authority must arrange Public Liability Insurance, which will provide an indemnity in respect of their legal liability (and that of participants and adult helpers) for bodily injury or damage to property arising in connection with a DofE activity.
Volunteering, Physical, Skills and Residential sections
You will need to ask the deliverer/provider of each activity what training and insurance cover is in place or required to be taken.
Expedition section
The provider (e.g. your school, Operating Authority, youth group etc) of the training, practices and qualifying expedition should have in place the insurance to deliver this section. Ask them if you have any questions.
12) Complaints
How to make a complaint to The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The DofE recognises that there will be occasions when things go wrong, when you want to voice your concerns about our programme or services, or the services of one of our delivery partners. Your complaint is the first step in helping us put matters right.
We prefer to receive this via our website for monitoring purposes. However, if you would rather, you can send it to: The Support Officer, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Gulliver House, Madeira Walk, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 1EU.
-
The DofE will designate a named member of staff to coordinate the response and ensure resolution.
-
If the complaint involves one of the DofE's delivery partners it will be passed on to them for resolution.
-
We aim to acknowledge the complaint in writing within 3 working days, with an outline of how and when the issue will be resolved.
-
We will deal with it quickly and fairly, normally within 15 working days, and will keep you informed on progress.
-
Where relevant, information will be treated in confidence.
-
Any outcome or decision should be shared with you in writing.
-
The complaint will be used to review and improve our services.
Is there an appeal?
If the complaint is against The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Charity then any final decision rests with the relevant DofE Director in consultation with the Chief Executive and Trustees.
13) eDofE
This is a new online interactive Record Book for DofE participants, which will also help DofE Leaders and OAs administer DofE centres and groups. A pilot of eDofE will start in autumn 2008. Further details will be available on the DofE website as the pilot progresses.
14) Glossary
There are some terms and roles that are unique to the DofE – please click here to download a copy of our glossary of terms. THIS DOWNLOAD WILL BE AVAILIABLE SOON.