Permission to add to waiting list

[Tawnyowl51]

When a parent rings me, to put her daughter's name on the waiting list I take name age DOB address etc
As there is no form to fill in I do not get any signature.

Unless I specifically ask the question,(and even then it is only a verbal consent) how can I have permission to put the details on Go?

And since half the girls on my list end up going to other packs, it seems a lot of time spent for nothing.

Thanks

TA

[Fox]

Verbal consent is usually legally binding, if they email you obviously it's easier! I thought there was a specific waiting list form however for Go! but I can't find it.

Can you get someone from District to run a District waiting list, the girls on the waiting list have a "preferred day" specified so if they are thinking about coming to your pack, they can put your day, otherwise whichever days they can make.

I do think that is a bit of an odd preference, though, as girls are much more likely to change after-school activities than to move house/school during their time in Guiding, and there's no space to specify distance from their house/area of town they'd prefer to Guide in.

[casoline]

There is a template letter for this. Go to downloads.:D

[Fox]

Downloads on here or downloads on GO!?

(I have to say, I'm not convinced that I see the need to get a signed form from parents who've emailed me all the information or given it all to me over the phone and from whom I've asked permission to put their information on the waiting list database. There's no explicit permission in the Starting... forms, at least, they don't sign a box saying "yes you may put my information on a database", it's just part of the general permission. If there was a separate box we'd be stuffed, frankly, as there would always be a few who would forget to sign or refuse to sign, and we wouldn't even be able to keep their information on paper, as legally this is the same...)

[Cazbly]

The form is located on GO and it is worth using it. If a parent refuses to sign that or grant permission for the details to be entered on the database, then it is likely that they would refuse permission once a unit place was offered. So you may as well find out their feelings early on and if they are so anti databases, perhaps they need to look for a different youth organisation? Seriously though, one thing I have been pointing out is that many organisations are now maintaining lists on computers with a lot less security than our system offers, so would they rather have a properly controlled, secure database or "??? from the local cheerleaders with the details on a memory stick which then gets lost?"

[lisaanne]

On the new Starting... forms, there is actually a clause that says girl data will be placed on a national database. But I see what you mean, I would just take verbal permission and put their info on GO!

[Squirrel-Nutkin]

if you had to post consent form it would cost a lot in postage over course of year...

[Fox]

if you had to post consent form it would cost a lot in postage over course of year...

I was going to say that, I rarely see waiting list parents in person, it's usually all phone or email (and mainly phone, not email, plus loads of the parents I email claim they haven't got a printer/any ink).

[missq]

surely if you say you are going to add them to the waiting list on line database and if they have any objections let you know, then this would cover it by phone or email.

[tali1981uk]

I quite often don't actually have any contact with the actual child's parent until such times as I am updating the waiting list or offering places. It is usually (but not always) a parent of an existing Rainbow who brings in a piece of paper with a child's name, date of birth, address and phone number on and says "Can you put my daughter's friend on your waiting list please". I also get quite a few where the details are emailed through from the division Rainbow commissioner so again I don't speak to the parents myself - I am rarely at home at what I would consider a reasonable time to phone a house where I know there is at least one child around the age of 5 so only tend to phone people in school holidays when I can do so in the daytime and leave a message or try again in the early evening!

[Squirrel-Nutkin]

I haven't been on any GO trainings (yet - although managed with everyone's help on here to enter all my girls details)

but do have a question: do we definitely have to use the waiting list part of GO... because the obtaining permission to put girls name/dob on a database (before they've started and we've got them to complete starting forms) is I think going to become an issue at some point?

[trouble is, if we don't use it we wouldn't know if girl's were on more than one unit's waiting list... and stats on numbers on waiting lists wouldn't be correct...]

[Squirrel-Nutkin]

does anyone know, is the waiting list part of GO optional or are we definitely supposed to use it?

[lisaanne]

I think we really are supposed to use it, because paper census used to ask how many we have on our waiting list, so I suppose it is replaced by GO. Or else they wont know how many girls are on waiting lists.
And they like to know that. So they can tell everyone. But I would like to know where they are, as one of my Brownie units has closed and one is on the brink, due to a lack of girls (sorry, mini rant over!!)

[twitchy]

There all in Cheshire!! Our waiting list is massive (40+) and we have already opened a new unit anthoher due to open in Jan, every timewe do the numbers shoot up again!!
Rainbows is just as bad with 2 units but no adults willing to open another!

[twitchy]

Though back to the original post, we have a joint waiting list (for the three units) but having trouble getting the detail on as the lady with the list apparently doesnt exist.....its with DC and taking a while to sort. So untill it is we electronically have 0 girls on the waiting list!

[Squirrel-Nutkin]

I have a few on my "waiting list" that I haven't enterred into GO yet... looks like I will need to

when someone joins from my waiting list - do I have to update the entry on waiting list to inactive, or does enterring girl as a "rainbow" do that automatically?


also sometimes when girl does join I realise that name is down incorrectly or DOB written down slightly wrong (either has middle name or I mis-heard name a bit on phone or once even had them being year younger than they were!) ... presumably system allows us to amend name/dob if this is the case?

[lisaanne]

To amend name or DOB you have to contact CHQ, but it is possible

[Squirrel-Nutkin]

To amend name or DOB you have to contact CHQ, but it is possible

what even to add a "middle" name... or to change spelling from McDonald to say MacDonald or from Smith to say Smythe???? sounds like rainbow leaders have a rougher deal then, as we will forever be contacting CHQ for details to be updated! at least a larger percentage on brownie and guide waiting lists will already be in the system!!!

ps> can anyone confirm the chq contact email address we need to use (so that I can store it in readiness?) if its being done by chq because of child protection type issues... do chq just amend the details without needing to see "proof"???? [if that is the case, why does it need to be done by chq?]

[Fox]

The form is located on GO and it is worth using it.

I can't find the waiting list form on GO! - only instructions about adding girls to waiting lists, and letter templates for girls on waiting lists.

Can anyone point me in the direction of the form?

thanks

[Cazbly]

Just to help everybody on GO:

If you go in to "Download Help Files" then Main Download/Communication and Templates then select Unit Templates - you will see two forms in there:
Template U05 Waiting to join letter for under age girl. Collecting data for girls too young to join the unit
and
Template U06 Waiting to join letter when a unit is full. Collecting data for girls when the unit is full.

They have a tear off at the bottom which is the application or waiting list form - get them to complete and return those to you and you can then go ahead and add them to the waiting list.

I don't seem to be able to upload anything to this site at the moment, so can only point you to the right area of GO, but if anybody is still struggling to find them, please do let me know and I will email them out if necessary to anybody who is having problems.

[Cazbly]

Should have said as well, it worth having a good look around that section of GO because there actually quite a lot of other templates and things which you may find useful.