The 50 word space allows you to leave a short note and further information can be communicated outside of Compass. The Compass team are looking to increase this to a greater word limit as soon as possible. Regardless of the note left within Compass we would strongly recommend a conversation away from Compass to explain to the individual the reason for rejecting or revoking a permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Search the FAQs on the site:
Permits
I am using a completed ‘Assessment Checklist Form’ to add to Compass the details of a permit granted whilst Compass was unavailable locally. However, the granting Commissioner at the time is no longer in post. What should I do?
In order to proceed, you will need to enter the details of the new/current Commissioner as the granting Commissioner instead. Please ensure that you check with the relevant Commissioner first to confirm that they are happy for you to do this. Further guidance on requesting and approving/rejecting permits using Compass can be found here.
Why can I not type more than 500 characters when rejecting a permit?
As part of the security settings in Compass, some fields have had to be limited to 500 characters only. Further communications, for example about why a permit application has been rejected, will need to happen outside of Compass.
I have a permit, how do I get it recorded on Compass?
Your Commissioner can add your permit to your record or your District Administrator can add the recommendation on for your Commissioner to approve.
I have an assessor role on Compass, but it doesn’t give me access to make recommendations for permits.
This is likely to be due to your role not having a variant assigned to it, this would be the level to which you can assess within the activity. To correct this please contact your Manager of the Activity Permit Scheme (MAPS) or Commissioner who can arrange for this to be updated locally.
What happens when my nights away or activity permit expires?
When a permit expires a new recommendation from an assessor is required, this will be added to Compass as a new permit by either the Assessor or the Commissioner (with a paper recommendation from an Assessor).
Is it still taking a long time to load when I try and view a Member’s permit?
This issue has now been resolved and permits should load within a few seconds. If you do experience any further difficulties with this and loading is taking a long time, please contact the Scout Information Centre.
Why can I not type more than 500 characters in some places?
As part of the security settings in Compass some fields had to have limited to 500 characters only. Further communications, for example about why a permit application has been rejected, will need to happen outside of Compass.
I am a District Commissioner and I don’t appear in a member’s Commissioners list when trying to issue a permit. Why do I not appear?
This is due to the individuals primary role being at a different level, you can change their primary role and then issue the permit. You may want to change the primary role back afterwards.
Now that Compass is available locally is my permit still valid?
Yes, we will be encouraging local records to be transferred onto Compass during early 2016, during this period all permits will be valid regardless of them being recorded on Compass. If you are unsure about your permit please contact your local Activities team.
As a District or County/Area/Region Administrator why do I have access to add permits?
District and County/Area/Region Administrators have access to add permits for the sole purpose of helping Commissioners to get the data onto Compass. They should therefore only add a permit on to Compass if they have been expressly asked to by the relevant granting Commissioner. The granting Commissioner must provide the Administrator with the completed and authorised ‘Assessment Checklist Form’ to ensure that they have the correct details to record on Compass, including an assessor’s number or name. Further guidance on requesting and approving/rejecting permits using Compass can be found here.
Can I add an assessor recommendation if the assessor doesn’t have a membership number?
Yes, you can add the name of the assessor only, this can be used for external assessors or County Assessors where the membership number is not known.
The permit search only returns current permits, how do I view expired permits?
This function will be made available shortly.
A report is available for Districts, Counties, Countries etc. to report on permits, this will give the following options: current permits, all permits (including expired), expiring in the next 12 months, expired in the last 12 months.
How long does it take for a new adult or role to appear in the reports?
It can take up to 24 hours (usually overnight) for any changes and amendments made to records to appear on reports. If information is not displaying correctly on Compass is still not showing correctly in reports after this please contact the Information Centre.
A small number of permits which were started when Compass was available locally last year and are currently ‘in progress’ are not able to be completed. What should you do if this is the case?
In order to proceed you will need to start a new application. Please ensure that you make a note of any details you require from the original application before beginning the new one. Further guidance on requesting and approving/rejecting permits using Compass can be found here.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to delete the old permit request at present. We are currently working to develop a fix to remove the old requests and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause in the meantime.
Is there an option to bulk upload the permit records I have been keeping outside of Compass?
Sorry, this is not an option, permits need to be added to the system manually by a Commissioner, Administrator or Superuser.
Can I search for people by their previous surname?
In most searches, including basic and advanced, you can only search by a member’s current surname as they display it on Compass. If you think a member has changed their surname, for example because they are now married, you will need to search by other criteria and leave the surname field blank to ensure they come up in the search results.
When adding a member or searching for a permit holder/assessor, search results will include results for previous surnames.
Why can’t I add a permit to a network member?
Network roles are not set up to allow for permits as the role does not require a valid disclosure. To add a permit to a Network member you can change their primary role to another adult role if they have one, or appoint them as a ‘Skills Instructor’. Other adult roles that requires a valid disclosure may also be appropriate.
I have access to recommend/grant permits though Compass, but I can’t see the ‘Add Permit’ button?
If you role means that you should have access to recommend or grant a permit using Compass, you may find that you need to scroll down to the bottom of the Member’s ‘Permits’ page to be able to view the ‘Add Permit’ button.
You can find more guidance on recommending and granting permits here, along with who has access to do what in Compass here.
I have searched for a permit holder and it has returned more results than expected, why is this?
For some activities there is a non-linear hierarchy, in these cases Compass search will show a linear set of results which may still need to be filtered when choosing the right person to support the activity. More information on this is available here.
When are Compass alerts sent to recipients?
Alerts are generated by Compass when specific tasks have been undertaken, i.e completion of training, new permit added etc. The alerts are sent automatically throughout the day and will appear on the recipient’s home page.
You can find more information about automatic alerts and emails, including who they are sent to, here.
I am trying to grant a permit, but the Granting Commissioner I want to select isn’t showing as an option?
There are a few reasons why the Granting Commissioner is not available when adding a permit.
- When granting a permit, you need to make sure that the Member you are granting it to has their primary role set in the same location as the granting Commissioner and that it is at or below the Commissioner’s level in the hierarchy. For example, if a District Commissioner is trying to grant a permit to a Member they must make sure that that Member’s primary role is one within their District.
- If a different role is set as their primary role, this will affect who will appear as option for the granting Commissioner. For example, if they have a County role as primary the County and Regional (England) Commissioners will show but not the District Commissioner. Their primary role must be at the right level and in the same location as the person who is trying to grant their permit. You can find guidance on how to change and set a role as primary here.
- The Granting Commissioner will not be available to select if the member gaining the permit only holds a pre-provisional or provisional role, once the member’s role is full on Compass having completed the Appointments Process this field will become available.
Why has my assessor title changed?
This has not changed the remit of the role, if there is an issue this will be with the old role and so the Commissioner needs to add the appropriate role.
Why has the title of my permit changed?
Only current permit types are now available on Compass, anyone who was showing with an old permit title has been transferred across to the new titles. At B1 level this has no change to the remit, at B2 upwards this may have changed the remit. If this is wrong members will need to contact the the Scout Information Centre or their Commissioner to have the correct permit added.
Can I record young people with permits on Compass?
At the moment youth records are not being held within Compass and permits held by young people (under 18’s) need to be recorded locally.
Who gets notified if my permit is rejected?
If a Commissioner chooses to not complete the permit as they feel someone is not suitable they can reject the permit application. They can also revoke existing permits if an individual is no longer suitable for one. In both cases the person with the permit will be notified when the Commissioner actions this.
Previously I had a personal permit on my record, but it is no longer displayed?
Personal permits are for under 18’s only. All personal permits issued to adult members have been removed from Compass. You will need to be assessed by an Assessor for a Leadership or Supervisory permit. Please speak to your County Activities team to arrange this.
How do I know if my permit is valid?
If the permit is listed on Compass, then it is valid as long as it is in date and has not been revoked. Due to Compass being unavailable locally throughout 2015 we are recognising locally recorded permits, allowing Compass to be updated during 2016. If you are unsure about your permit please speak to your local Activities team.
Why has my list of permits been reduced – I used to have more listed?
Permits are hierarchical so where we have found a member with all permit types (e.g. Leadership and Supervisory) listed we have removed the lower level permits as the highest permit issued covers all levels below.
How does a permit get added onto Compass?
Having gone through the assessment process (see How do I get a permit?), an Assessor will make a recommendation on Compass which the Commissioner will approve. A Commissioner can also add the permit to Compass based on the paper recommendation from an assessor.
I can’t find an option for recording shooting permits?
Shooting is not managed through the permit scheme and therefore not recorded on Compass within the permit area. If you wish to record shooting qualifications this can be done in the training record of an individual.
Can I find a permit holder in an area other than where I do my Scouting?
You can do an advanced search (by clicking on the magnifying glass in the top right hand corner of the Compass screen). This will identify those who have an appropriate permit for the activity you have searched for. There will be a button in the bottom left hand corner of your Compass screen marked ‘Messaging’. This will allow you to send a message to those individuals you select by email or by alert.
I have run a report/performed a search for permit holders but cannot see the contact details for them, how do I get in touch?
When searching for permit holders and Activity Assessors/Nights Away Advisers you will receive results including all adult members, but will only be able to see the contact details of those in your hierarchy, or outside your hierarchy if their visibility settings allow this. To get in touch you can try searching for their Commissioner via the Member Search and ask them to put you in contact, or you can use the messaging function at the bottom of the screen.