Membership System Updates 2024
December 2024
County/division/district senior section adviser roles
These roles have now been changed to county/division/district Ranger adviser. Please check that these roles are still needed and appropriate.
Commonwealth award
The Commonwealth award is being withdrawn on 4 December. If you have girls who have started on this, please notify our county Commonwealth award lead volunteer on [email protected] so that badges and certificates can be bought while they are still available.
Digital DBS – be aware there are two parts to this process
Some people are not aware that there are two parts to the digital DBS process. There is the set up of the Digital ID and then they need to log back into the system to complete their personal information (the 5 years of address, any name changes etc). Please do make sure that when people say they have completed the process, that they have done both parts.
DBS not updating automatically on GO
DBS are still not updating automatically onto GO. If you can see that it has been completed please contact [email protected] and ask them to do this manually. A list of 26 from the county were sent last week and these have all now been update.
October 2024
New Disclosure and Barring service (DBS) process
A new method of completing a DBS has been introduced. The old method will remain in place for those who are unable to complete by the new method. The new process does not involve an ID Verifier and can be completed entirely by the individual concerned. This is a digital process and involves the downloading of an app to a phone or tablet, so may not be suitable for everyone. Anyone becoming due to complete a new DBS should receive an email with instructions on how to download the app, set up a login and complete their application.
Email the county membership systems coordinator for support on [email protected].
September 2024
Learning and development updates
The ‘doing our best’ webinar is now live as an e-learning on the learning platform. Girlguiding (HQ) are planning to launch the ‘managing unit accounts’ e-learning by the end of this year. You can book sessions run by other regions if their availability is more suitable.
Transitional ages
The upper age range for a young member will change to an individual’s 19th birthday rather than their 26th birthday. This change has been made in partnership with Girlguiding’s inclusion team and was discussed and agreed by the safer guiding working group.
The upper age for Rangers was previously amended to an individual’s 19th birthday but left the option for flexible transitions between sections for individuals who need more support, allowing them to remain in young member roles until their 26th birthday. This further change reflects the successful introduction of the supported volunteer role, which allows an adult who requires additional support to move into an adult role.
If anyone needs support in changing roles, please contact [email protected]
Starting a new unit - support pack
A document to support volunteers who are opening new units has been created by Girlguiding Anglia and is designed to complement the information on the Girlguiding website. They will send this out to units that open on GO and will offer support and the new region unit grant.
Senior Section adviser roles obsolete
Girlguiding are retiring the senior section adviser role on 30 September. We have a small handful of people with these roles in county and they and/or their commissioners will be contacted to decide which new role is most suitable.
Learning to fly – commissioner training
Learning to fly is the new programme for commissioner learning, development and support, open to commissioners and designates at all levels in Girlguiding Anglia.
A virtual topic will be offered each month on a rolling basis, starting with ‘Managing difficult meetings and conversations’ on Tuesday 17th September 7.30 to 9.00pm.
The aim of this session is to give you confidence and share top tips and best practice with other commissioners. To book your place, click on the link below.
Other sessions will include:
- Young leaders / young external volunteers DofE enquiries
- The leadership development programme
- RENS
- Succession planning
- Plus, lots more!
Also, there will be a face-to-face day event on Saturday 29th March 2025 at Ely College so save the date!
Four steps to recruitment success
Region’s ‘four steps to recruitment’ trainings are now live. It is suggested that when division or district teams come with two or more people, they get the most out of the day. The feedback from those who do attend is good. If you have areas with opportunities, or new teams and commissioners, they will benefit from attending.
There are face-to-face bookings or a series of three virtual sessions.
More information and bookings can be found here: https://www.girlguiding-anglia.org.uk/events/four-steps-to-recruitment-success
Please email [email protected] if you require support.
July 2024
Programme records for girls moving units within the same section
Improvements have been made to programme recording to make it easier when someone moves to a new unit within the same section (e.g. from 1st …. Brownie unit to 2nd …. Brownie unit). The original theme awards they started in their old unit will now automatically move across to the new unit. You will no longer need to manually add any UMAs, skills builders or interest badges they completed whilst in their old unit.
‘Underage’ column being removed from waiting lists
Over the next few weeks changes will be made to simplify the waiting list views to make it easier to find the information you need. For now, you may notice the ‘underage’ column has been removed from some of the views. This should fix issues caused by this field not updating correctly – you can still check if someone is underage by using the ‘age’ or ‘allowed to start’ columns.
June 2024
Leaders returning after 3+ years
If a leader has qualified as leader via the leadership qualification (LQ) or the leader development programme (LDP), but they have been away from guiding for 3+ years, their qualification will have expired.
They should speak to an LDP mentor who can help identify any learning needs to complete. The top up elearning course on the learning platform is recommended, and the programme overview and moving sections courses might be appropriate. Once mentor and commissioner are happy, the leader role can be reinstated. For their commissioner to add the leader role, they will first need to add the new ‘Returning leader after 3+ years’ course onto GO.
However, please be aware that there is currently a problem with the ‘Returning leader after 3+ years’ course and it is not currently available to add on to GO. If you have someone in this situation and you cannot add a new leader role for them, please contact the county membership systems coordinator.
Changes and eventual removal of ‘individuals’ tab in GO
Changes are happening which will hopefully make it easier for leaders to find details for people in their unit. Information found under the current Individuals tab will be moved to other areas.
The ‘Individuals’ list will be moved to a new tab called ‘Contact this unit’. This will make it easier to view and download email addresses for people in your unit, in a single step.
The information about previous members will move to a new stand-alone ‘previous members’ tab.
The new tabs are expected to be available in GO by the end of May. The existing Individuals tab will be kept for a short time, with a message explaining how to get the information via the new tabs. The Individuals tab will be removed in the next few months, once the new tabs are up and running.
This change will also affect those with commissioner and level support access who can currently see the Individuals tab, but all the information will continue to be available via other tabs.
Young leaders with Ranger roles not appearing on Letter of Commendation list
There is a known error affecting girls turning 18 not appearing on the letter of commendation list but showing as requiring references. This appears to affect those who also hold a Ranger role (until age 19). HQ are investigating.
May 2024
Email the county membership systems coordinator
Young leaders (YLs) and young external volunteers (YEVs) with no email
Please ensure that all young leaders and young external volunteers have a valid email address. When their role is created their record is split off from any parent record and in the process the email address for the parent is removed. Commissioners must then add the young volunteers own email address. Without an email address they will not be able to create their logins to GO and the learning platform, and without which they will not be able to do their a safe space training.
GO login problems
There have been a lot of problems with the introduction of the new login system for GO and the learning platform. Hopefully these have been rectified now. Please, do let the county membership systems coordinator know if you are still experiencing problems.
April 2024
Old leadership qualification (LQ) roles to be deactivated
Please be aware that leader in training roles will be being deactivated from 12 April, and the volunteer given a unit helper role, if they were originally following the old LQ course and are not now enrolled on the newer leader development programme (LDP) course.
LQ mentor and LQ coordinator roles will also be deactivated from this date if not done already. This does not affect LDP mentor roles.
New process for returning leaders
From 12 April, there will be a new process for returning leaders after 3+ years. Once the learning identified by a mentor (changing section training, programme update, leader top-up e-learning etc.) has been completed, commissioners add the new ‘Returning leader after 3+ years’ course on GO to reinstate a person’s leader role.
Commissioner training
If any commissioners would like to have a one-to-one (or two where roles are joint) GO training please contact the county membership systems coordinator on [email protected]. Please give suggestions as to the best days/times for you.
February 2024
Email Membership Systems for support on [email protected] only.
Commissioner Training
If any commissioners would like to have a one-to-one (or two where roles are joint) GO training please contact Sheila on membership@girlguiding