User permissions and personal data
Discover who can access different features within the digital system, and who your personal details are shared with
To make volunteering easier and more enjoyable we've adopted a new set of teams, roles and accreditations.
Most of these come with certain digital permissions, which determine what you can see and any impact you have on the membership records of others. To help explain these permissions, we're making this resource available to all volunteers because we appreciate that its not easy to know who should be able to see and action different areas of My Membership, and we want to make it easier for volunteers to follow.
On the Permissions Dashboard linked below, you'll find a series of dashboards which show the permissions held by all roles, accreditations and teams within My Membership. These have been grouped by theme:
- Teams
- Personal Information
- Safe Scouting
- Awards, HQ Services, Grants
- Permits & Nights Away
- Joining Journey
- Data Explorer
About this resource
- It's an overview of My Membership permissions held by the different teams, roles and accreditations.
- It does not show the combined permissions where someone holds multiple roles and/or accreditations.
- This is intended to offer guidance and insight, rather than full answers, to many of the queries we are hearing.
- Permission information may be updated over time. Key updates will be noted within this resource.
- We also recommend checking the Digital Updates page.
- We use different descriptions and wording to explain permissions. Some of these are included in the dashboards, but a full explanation of each is provided below.
Additional heading explanations
View permits (Permit Search or Full Details) = Permit search only shows those who hold the permit, but not any details about the permit. Full details shows all information about current and historical permits.
- View Suspension history - This permission allows for the member to view (a) Previous suspensions, and (b) Basic details of the reason a member has been suspended. Only Lead Volunteers and the relevant Team Leader can see the full detail of the suspension
- Request suspensions - This is for Lead Volunteers and those with the Suspension Lead accreditation. As the Suspension Authority, they are able to recommend that someone is suspended.
- Record suspension investigation - This is the recording of the investigation into the suspension. It allows the member to record their recommendation after the investigation. It can be the same person who requested the suspension or someone else. The person who investigates the suspension locally doesn’t have to be the person who records the suspension.
- Resolve suspensions - This is the member who can lift the suspension. It is likely to be the same person as the Approver of the suspension
- View and request Criminal record checks (Disclosure) - Ability to view criminal record check details and request criminal record check in the portal. If someone has the ability to carry out the criminal record check, they can can see all the details of the person.
- Validate local check - Ability to process a local or non-UK criminal record check.
- Complete HQ return - Complete the criminal record check return (which may contain a minor offence), and a decision has been passed from HQ back to local Scouting for discussion, review and approval.
- Hold reviews (sign off online review form) - complete the sign off of the Review Form in the membership system
- Update the role appointment audit requirements - 'Read only' permission allows seeing which requirements still remain, but it doesn't allow any actions)
- Basic Contact Card - Ability to search for a member but not to see anything about them when viewing their profile. It will only show the member's name, membership number, roles and accreditations. (It will also show any information the member has chosen to share out of hierarchy.)
- Full Contact Card - Ability to search for a member and view relevant information on their group, team or hierarchy. It will show the contact card, which contains the name, telephone number, communication email, postal address, roles, accreditations, permits, qualifications, awards. (It will not show medical or EDI information.)
- Line Manager view (Team Leaders, Leadership Team Members, Lead Volunteers) - Ability to see full contact card, and additionally the registered address and date of birth. They cannot see EDI information
- Data explorer reports - medical info, etc. - View their team or everyone below their team/ accreditation - Medical info includes: allergies, dietary needs, NHS-number, other medical details, emergency contact info, and doctor’s surgery info. Access information is also visible.
This in an overview of what each piece of personal information in My membership is used for and who can see it. Note that some roles do not require a criminal record check.
The First name is used for internal checks and to confirm your identity for criminal record checks and must match your legal name. It's visible to anyone who can see you in My Membership unless you have a preferred name.
The Middle name is used for internal checks and to confirm your identity for criminal record checks and must match your legal name. It is only visible to people doing criminal record checks and people that can manage your membership.
The Surname (last name) is used for internal checks and to confirm your identity for criminal record checks and must match your legal name. It is visible to anyone who can see you in My Membership.
The Preferred name is what you would like to be addressed by, other than your first name. It is visible to anyone who can see you in My Membership.
The date of birth (DOB) is used for identity-checking. Your date of birth is only visible to people who can manage your criminal record check.
The Phone number (contact) is used so that you can be contacted by local scouting or HQ. It is visible in data explorer and on your My Profile page.
The Phone number (alternate) is used in an emergency if you are not reachable on your contact number. It's visible to your line manager, Leadership Team and anyone with line manager access in the hierarchy above.
The Registered address is used for criminal record checks and must match your legal address. It's only visible to your line manager, Leadership Team and anyone with line manager access in the hierarchy above.
The Postal address is the address we send communications to. It's visible to anyone who can see you in the My Membership.
The Login email address is used to access Scouts online services. It is visible to everyone who can see you in My Membership. If you’d prefer our communications to be sent to a different email address, add a Communications email address. Your login email address will then only be visible to your line manager, Leadership Team and anyone with line manager access in the hierarchy above.
The Communication email address is the email address we will send all our communications to. It is visible to everyone who can see you in My Membership.
The Medical details are visible to members of your team so they can help you in an emergency. Visible to your line manager, Leadership Team and anyone with line manager access in the hierarchy above. The information includes: Allergies, Dietary needs, NHS number, Any other medical info, Emergency contact, Alternative emergency contact and GP surgery details.