Managing joining enquiries
Make joining Scouts as easy as possible for young people, and simplify the process for your current volunteers.
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A joining enquiry is often the first interaction a young person and their adult have with Scouts, so we want to make sure it’s handled in a positive and efficient way. We also want to make life as easy as possible for our current volunteers when dealing with joining enquiries.
Here are some ideas you could use to streamline your joining enquiries process:
Check scouts.org.uk, your District website, Group website, social media and anywhere else you might advertise to make sure your enquiries are coming through to the correct place.
Contact the Scout Support Centre to change where your joining enquiries from scouts.org.uk are sent to.
If joining enquiries and waiting lists are managed at District-level then they can make sure young people aren’t on multiple waiting lists, and they can spread the load across the Groups.
This approach can be very beneficial if managed well but it doesn’t work for everyone, so find out what works best for your District first.
The task could be as simple as acknowledging their enquiry and forwarding it onto the relevant GSL, Section Leader or other member.
You could give this person a name; they could be the “Joining In Coordinator”, “Enquiries Administrator”, or “Waiting List Manager”, for example.
Having a designated person who just focuses on joining enquiries means they could have more time to gather all of the required information about the young person before passing them on, and it gives other volunteers one less thing to think about!
Why not offer an immediate space in your Group for a young person if they have an adult who can volunteer?
It’s a win/win; they get to jump the queue and you get an extra pair of hands!
Speed up the process by sending a link to your waiting list or members’ details system, so that they can sign up themselves. This will save time and eliminate your volunteers re-entering details.
When someone has successfully joined the Group, or waiting list, email or message them to let them know they’re in, and give details of what happens next.
Regularly email or message everyone on the waiting list to let them know they’re still on the system and they’ll be contacted when a space becomes available.
Joining Scouts for the first time can be like jumping into the unknown for someone who has never been involved before.
Be prepared to send a new parent or carer to the What do Scouts do? pages as soon as you accept a new young person into your Group, so they know what exciting things are to come!
Managing a waiting list can seem like a difficult task. Use our top tips to help you find ways to make life easier and make the most of your waiting list.