As managing waiting lists are becoming more important, we’re creating a series of updates to help you through the process on GO. This month, we’re looking at Young Member enquiries and moving them through the enquiry process.
Managing waiting lists is important for good GDPR practice, for ensuring others could easily take over if needed, and in allowing the data to be analysed at higher levels to inform strategic work.
This series will also highlight the answers to some of the common questions we get to the member support team at the Anglia region office. More detailed information on all these processes is available in the Help Zone on your volunteer login on GO and you can always contact the Anglia team using the Contact Us form if you can’t find the answer to your question.
Received an enquiry for a space in your unit?
The unit’s main contact will receive an automated notification email about an enquiry for the unit. Log on to GO and navigate to your relevant unit.
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Click on the ‘Young Member Enquiries’ tab. This shows all new enquiries including those transferring and those brand new to guiding. Leave the enquiry status at ‘New Enquiry’ only until any action is taken, changing the status lets your commissioner know it’s being actioned.
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Email or phone the parent of the new enquiry to either offer a start date, a trial visit or inform them of your waiting list. Change the status to ‘Contacted’ and ‘Add a note’ to the enquiries record by selecting the ‘Edit Contact’ option.
By adding a note it means if the parent misses your message and contacts region office, county office or your commissioner they can see your action and point the parent in the right direction.
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Not heard anything back? The general rule to follow is that if you’ve tried twice, ideally by two different methods, and you’ve not heard anything in 28 days since trying, make a note using the ‘Edit Contact’ action and then select ‘Decided not to join’.
This removes them from your list. If the enquirer was a previous member (i.e transferring or transitioning) and then gets in contact the record can always be reinstated.
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Need to add to a waiting list due to unit numbers or age of enquirer? Before you move the record from ‘Contacted’ to ‘Waiting List’ make sure you’ve had confirmation from the parent (if not follow the not heard back point above).
Ensure the enquirer knows how long they can expect to wait and when they can expect to hear from you again. Use the ‘Edit Contact’ action to record this as a note before selecting the ‘Add to Waiting List’ option.
If the enquirer comes back and asks to transfer to another unit you can use the ‘Refer to Another Unit’ action to then select the relevant unit or ask your commissioner to assist as they can view waiting lists and unit capacities in a much larger area. Enquirers can also log in themselves and update their unit choices.
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You have space and they’ve contacted you back? Once you’ve organised the date of their first meeting, select the action ‘Meeting Arranged’, this will prompt you to add the date of the meeting.
You can then send out the starter form for them to bring with them on the first night.
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Following the meeting you can select ‘Decided not to join’ if it wasn’t for them, select ‘Refer to Another Unit’ if they’d prefer to try somewhere else or ‘Confirm Role’ to add them to your Young Member Roles.
You can then update their details from the new starter form and they’ll appear in your downloadable register and your downloadable emergency contact list.
We’ll have another topic on managing GO next month. If you have a request for a topic or would like some individual support please contact the member support team at the Anglia region office.
Celebrating Guiding Through the Summer Together
When I became as County Commissioner in April things were just starting to open up a little. I have been overwhelmed by the way units have risen to the challenge and created ways in meeting together whether on Zoom, in parks, green areas and latterly inside. It has been great to visit units on Zoom and hear about all the things they have been up to and share my experiences of doing Rainbows, Brownies and Guides virtually.
We have looked at new ways of spreading the message of guiding in Lincolnshire South to try and recruit new girls and leaders. We have had some great responses and feedback from the various events we have held, and we have given each of our divisions a recruitment box with merchandise to use at their own events.
Through the summer Lincoln has hosted an Imp Trail. Logos of some of the charities, specifically those who have supported young people in Lincolnshire have been used along with iconic symbols such as the Red Arrows, Lancaster Bomber, and the mighty Lincoln Imps football team. Girlguiding Lincolnshire South joined together with our friends from Lincolnshire North to sponsor our own Imp. Guiding groups, individual leaders and families have taken part in the Imp Trail had a fabulous time.
The photos below show our lovely Imp at our Guiding Properties, Parva House and the Nellie Doubleday Centre together with Hautbois. We hoped to be able to get groups of girls all over the county with the Imp but sadly due to Covid-19 he had to travel alone.
As a County Team we have worked to celebrate our leaders and a card and badge has been sent to all our volunteers.
Website
Hi Everyone
Welcome to this month’s edition of Signpost. The days are getting shorter and its beginning to feel autumnal, as the seasons change so do the activities and opportunities we offer our members. I don’t know about you, but it’s been lovely to get back to unit meetings, seeing our young members face to face and feel that buzz of excitement a new term brings.
One of the first activities the Brownie unit I volunteer with did was to make a birthday card to celebrate Anglia’s 50th Birthday and take part in the Region wide birthday card swap, where units send and receive a birthday card, as part of the Amazzzing Anglia Birthday.
It has been a delight to be able to start visiting events around the Region again after so many have had to be cancelled or postponed over the last 18 months. A couple of weeks ago I was invited to the launch of the Shuttleworth Quest. A brilliant collaboration between Shuttleworth and Girlguiding Bedfordshire. The Quest is set around the different aspects of the Shuttleworth Collection and suitable for all ages, I would encourage anyone who can to pay a visit.
I also had the pleasure of attending Girlguiding Buckinghamshire’s Thanks and Recognition Dinner. An opportunity to meet with volunteers from across Buckinghamshire, share stories and thank them for all they do to provide wonderful opportunities for our younger members. I was particularly interested to hear from a couple of members of Inspire, their local group is going from strength to strength and have organized all sorts of events both virtual and face to face. If you want to find out more about Inspire in your local area contact your County Champion.
Tracy and I are both looking forward to meeting adult volunteers and young members around the Region in the coming months.
Whatever your plans for this autumn have fun!
Andrea Oughton
Deputy Chief Commissioner
One thing that I pride myself on is that I lead by example. I never expect someone to take on a role or task that I would not or have not at least tried myself when it falls within my capabilities or offers a challenge for me to rise to. At Wellies and Wristbands in 2016 the then Chief Guide challenged us all to do something for the first time, so I climbed up and jumped off of the trapeze at Foxlease…I was really scared of the jump but there were guides watching, so I jumped and of course, loved it, if only there had been time to go again.
During September and October, the theme for the Buzz about Anglia challenge is ‘Bee a Leading light’ so, here’s my chance to lead by example again. I am always encouraging others to step out of their comfort zone, to challenge themselves, to give something new ago, so, I’m running 2 half marathons. 1 reason it’s a big challenge for me is that I only started running in Feb 2019 with a very slow couch 2 5K.
I’m telling you because I’m doing it for Girlguiding Anglia to raise awareness and funds. We all need to shout out about the brilliant work Girlguiding does and by that, I mean you and I. We are the organisation and more than ever we need to tell people how wonderful we are and encourage more people to get involved.
On Sunday 17th October I’ll be running the Oxford half marathon, this is mostly a flat course and on roads I know really well as I live here. On Sunday 21st November I’m running the Conwy half marathon which is far from flat as it includes running up the Great Orm, I have been there before but way before I was running anywhere; I went up on the tram and I suspect the weather will be far from the sunny day I had for that tram ride.
I love running, I love Girlguiding so putting these 2 things together just makes sense and I hope you’ll share with others what I am doing, perhaps they and you can add a few pennies and pounds to my fundraising total.
