Waiting list administration
City of Portsmouth District Scouts operates a centralised waiting list.
Here's how we manage the waiting list...
Registration
Parent/Carer
Parents/cares go to join.portsmouthscouts.org.uk where they self-register their interest in a child joining Scouts. Registration has two steps.
Register in OSM
Parents complete a simple form in OSM. On completion, OSM send instructions to request the next step: Parent Preferences.Parent Preferences (optional)
Parents follow the link in the confirmation email from OSM and complete a short preferences questionnaire. This collects information OSM isn't able to request.
Join The Adventure
Team leaders and membership coordinators
Use the JOIN THE ADVENTURE self-service app to monitor and interact with the District Waiting List.
Use the app to manage candidates through identification, offering and accepting a place. In app features tell you if the candidate has been approached before and any preferences for joining (a particular group or day). Leaders can add notes to help themselves and others best support the application.
Young People with potential parent volunteers are clearly flagged.
REMEMBER: There is no "top of the waiting list". Places are allocated by Groups/Unit using their local waiting list criteria. In general neither District Admin nor Groups/Units can give updates to parents/carers about waiting list progress or expected start dates.
Identify a new member
Leaders and membership coordinators
Got a space now or in the near future?
Use JOIN THE ADVENTURE app to find your next members
Add NOTES to any candidate to help track progress and contacts made.
Ready to join? Trigger TRANSFER of the candidate to your Group/Unit in OSM.
Not for your Group/Unit? HIDE the candidate from your future searches - they stay on the main waiting list for others to consider.
No longer interested in Scouting? Help keep the list up-to-date - DELETE the candidate from the waiting list.
Need help or got a question? Email membership@portsmouthscouts.org.uk
BE FAIR BUT ALSO FIRM
Limited volunteer time means we must keep the new member process simple. In most cases, if the offer of an available place is declined, the candidate should be DELETED from the waiting list.
The following explains the principles we should all use:
Everyone should be offered a place, when a suitable place is available.
Groups/Unit apply their locally agreed prioritisation criteria.
Parents/carers should be encouraged to accept the place offered.
If the place is declined do one of the following:
if no longer interested in joining scouts - DELETE the record in Join The Adventure.
if "not now, maybe later" or "we want to wait for Johnny's friend to start" or similar - explain that this place is available now, not later and invite them to reconsider. If still declined, notify them that their current enquiry will be closed (please DELETE the record in Join The Adventure) and they are welcome to resubmit a new enquiry when their circumstances are better suited to membership.
if declined because of distance or availability on the meeting day, HIDE the candidate from your searches in Join The Adventure. They remain available to others. Remember to add a NOTE to record the reason/s.
Contact membership@portsmouthscouts.org.uk for more details.
Access the waiting list
The Waiting List can be accessed using the JOIN THE ADVENTURE app. To protect the data entrusted to us by prospective members, access to the app is restricted to those with a valid need.
Request access by sending an email to membership@portsmouthscouts.org.uk .
An @portmsouthscouts.org.uk address will be required. This can be requested at the same time.