Frequently Asked Questions

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Using Compass

What precautions should I take when using Compass in different places e.g. in a public place, the office, at home or at a campsite?

Compass is a web-based membership system. It is therefore possible to access the system at any location with an internet connection. The following guidance highlights some simple security points that must be followed when accessing Compass:

1 In public places

For example, an internet café or on public transport and at the campsite.

  • Avoid accessing Compass in a public place if possible.
  • ·If you have to access Compass, always consider the volume and sensitivity of personal information you will be accessing.
  • Do not access sensitive personal information in a public place.
  • Always try and position yourself where you cannot be overlooked by other people.
  • Always log out and lock the screen if you leave your device unattended for any period of time.
  • Use a privacy screen to reduce the likelihood of someone being able to view your screen.
2 In the office/your place of work
  • Consider the office layout. Ensure you cannot by overlooked by colleagues or guests from a public reception area, walkways or areas where staff congregate, such as a canteen or water cooler.
  • Always lock the screen if you leave your device unattended for any period of time.
3 At home
  • Always try and position yourself where you cannot be overlooked by family members or visitors.
  • Ideally you should access Compass when in a room or area of the house that is not in use by family or guests at the time.
  • Always log out and lock the screen if you leave your device unattended for any period of time.

Why is it important to register using a unique/your own email address?

To make sure that Compass matches your membership profile with the account you create by registering  you need to use an email address which is unique to you and not shared with any other Compass user. This is an important security feature of the registration process.

If you share an email address with someone else, for example another family member also in Scouting, you will need to use or create another email address to register, making sure this is on your Compass record beforehand. A number of free email providers will allow you to create an email account.

Once you have registered and logged in to Compass you can update your email address to reflect where you would like emails to be sent to, and this may be the same email as another member. Information on how to do this can be found here.

Further guidance on how to register for Compass can be found here.

Does the ‘Reports’ function of Compass work with all browsers?

The reports function works with all current major browsers, but it does not display well in Firefox and you will need to scroll across to find some buttons. It is also not fully responsive and may not work well on smaller screens, for example of mobiles and tablets.

There are also some known issues with trying to export or download reports if you are using Internet Explorer. These were reported in April 2018 and are being investigated.

We suggest you use Chrome on a computer for best results with reports. You can find further guidance on browser compatibility for reports here.

Who has access to data held on Compass?

Adults with a full appointment will have access to appropriate data within the hierarchy, i.e. their Group, District or County/Area/Region Scotland, for that role.  For example, a Section Leader will be able to see data relating to their section, and a District Commissioner will have access to those within their District only.

Who receives different emails and alerts from Compass, and what format are they sent in?

There are a number of different alerts and emails which are sent automatically by the system when certain processes are carried out in Compass. For example, when a new adult is added or a permit is granted. For each, the identified recipient will receive either an alert (which they can view when they log in to Compass) or an email, depending on what has been set up. They won’t receive both for the same message.

You can find details of which alerts and emails are sent, including what triggers them, who they’re sent to, what format they’re sent in and the outline content in this document. The content of the messages and who they are sent from is dependent upon their nature and the tasks they relate to.

Searching outside the UK button – what’s it for/how can it help me?

Clicking ‘search outside the UK’ when undertaking a search will return results for Members with non-UK postcodes as part of their current address. This feature is primarily aimed at supporting Members who are in British Scouting Overseas. It allows you to search for a postcode that is not in the standard UK format (e.g. E4 7QW.)

As part of my role as Deputy/Assistant Commissioner I am delegated tasks by my Commissioner, but I do not have these permissions on Compass, why is this?

Compass permissions can only be set up so that everyone with the same role has a certain permission or no one does, it cannot be  changed on an individual basis. With permissions such as Commissioner approvals, these are not available to Assistant or Deputy Commissioners. Where possible, and inline with POR, delegation can still take place, but the Commissioner will have to complete the parts of the process that involve Compass.

I am trying to send a SMS (text message) through Compass, but the person hasn’t received it?

When sending a SMS using Compass, it is really important that you make sure that person(s) you are trying to contact have their phone numbers set up correctly in Compass. In order for it to send, they must have a mobile number recorded on Compass and the ‘type’ of number (which you select using the dropdown box) must be set to either ‘Daytime Mobile’ or ‘Home Mobile’. If it is set as anything else, including ‘Scouting Enquiries’, it will not send so it’s really important to check this first.

If a mobile number needs to be added or amended on a Member’s record, if you have access to amend other people’s contact details you will be able to change this. If not, you will need to ask someone with the correct access to do this or ask the Member to change it themselves. You can find more guidance about editing contact details here.

I am trying to register for Compass but I have a non UK post code. What do I need to do?

When you are registering for Compass, you need to tick the box below the ‘Post code’ field titled ‘Tick this box if your postcode is outside the UK’ (see the image below.)

Non UK Post Code Image V2

You will then be able to enter your postal code or local equivalent into the ‘Post Code’ field (with a maximum of 10 characters.) Please note, this must be the same as that recorded on your record on Compass. If you are unsure what this is, the Scout Information Centre will be able to assist you.

I am receiving alerts I don’t think I should be, why is this?

There are a number of reasons why alerts may seem out of place and these include:

  • Alerts will appear for all of your roles, not just the role selected from the drop down list, or your primary role.
  • Where no District Commissioner is in place the alert will be passed one level above, for example to the County Commissioner, this is true for other role levels too.
  • Some alerts will be shown in duplicate, this is a known issue being looked into and does not need to be reported.

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.

Will Network members be visible on Compass?

All full members of the organisation aged 18-25 are members of the Scout Network. For the full list of roles this applies to please visit – https://members.scouts.org.uk/supportresoumembers.scouts.org.uk/ member’s records have been updated to record this membership, this is what drives and allows access to the Scout Network platform. Member records have been updated to add the role of Scout Network member and if the eligible member holds a role in a Group or District have been added to that District Scout Network. Those who are eligible and hold County or above roles have been added to the UK Scout Network.

Do I need to ‘select location’ at each level to do a search?

When doing an advanced search choosing a location at each level will automatically populate the level below with options (eg. when selecting a County the District drop-down box below will turn from grey to white so that you can select an option). You only need to select down to the level of the hierarchy you want to search for and not below (e.g if searching for a County role you can leave the District drop down as the default ‘select location’ and still search).

Does Compass work with all browsers?

Compass is functional across all current major browsers, these being Microsoft Internet Explorer, FireFox and Google Chrome for PCs and Apple Safari, FireFox and Google Chrome for Macs. It is not supported on some smaller browsers including Opera. It is not fully responsive and may not work well on smaller screens, for example of mobiles and tablets. You can find full details and guidance about the compatibility of Compass with different browsers here.

Why have I received multiple emails with the same message?

An issue was discovered with the email system which sends the email messages and reference requests through Compass, which has now been resolved. However, during the fixing of this issue, multiple emails may have been sent in error and we apologize for this. Any remaining emails which have not been received will be sent over the next 2-3 days.

I have sent a email through Compass to multiple Members and one or more person(s) haven’t received it. Why is this?

This is likely to be because the Member(s) in question has an error in the format of their email address on their Compass record. Common errors include a comma where there should be a full stop or missing out the @ symbol. Please correct this, or ask someone with access to amend the Member’s record, to update the email address accordingly.

If this does not the resolve the problem and the Member is still unable to receive emails through Compass, please contact the Scout Information Centre.

I’m trying to reset my Compass password but it says that some of the information entered is incorrect?

If you are having trouble resetting your password, it may be because you are entering your membership number with the leading zeros (e.g. 00012345.) Please enter your membership number without the leading zeros instead (e.g. 12345) and this should allow you to proceed.

We are currently working to resolve this issue so that membership numbers can be entered in either format.

Please make sure that when you are entering your personal details to reset your password, that they match those held on your Compass record. If you are unsure what any of these details are, please ask someone locally with access to Compass or contact the Scout Information Centre who will be happy to help you.

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.

What format of user name/password should I use?

Your user name needs to be unique, no one else has it, and the password will need 9 characters and include a lowercase and uppercase letter, a number and a special character (*?!& for instance).  Please be aware that once you have selected a user name, you will not be able to change it.

How can I retrieve my username?

If you have forgotten your user name, you can request that it be sent to you using the ‘Forgotten User Name’ button.  A reminder will be sent to you.

Why do I need a Security Question?

It helps with ensuring the security of the site, and is an important part or the verification processes for when you change your password.  It is also a requirement to meet our aim of complying with a nationally recognised standard (ISO 27001).

When exporting data to a CSV, why is the address is shown twice?

The address information is produced in two different format. The first is the whole address in one line which might be helpful for creating certain documents such as a list of contact addresses for a directory.

The second address is listed in different fields line by line. This allows you to use the data in a mail merge for the creation of letters and the like.

How can I reset my password?

If you have forgotten your Password then click on the link and answer the questions listed.  If these details are correct you will be given the opportunity to change your password.  You will also receive an email advising you of the request, which will ensure that no one can change the password without your knowledge.

I have forgotten my password. What do I do?

Click on the ‘forgotten password’ button, and complete the form that appears. Once this is done additional fields will appear inviting you to select a new password and confirm the details.  Once done an email will be sent to your account for your information.  This will help you check if someone has done this without your knowledge.

Why can’t I log in?

You may not have registered, or you may be using an incorrect password.  You can check if you have previously registered by trying to register again.  If you have done so the system will tell you so.

Why can’t I see much information and do searches?

If your role on Compass is not Full (ie. it is showing as Provisional or Pre-provisional), you will have limited access rights. You will be able to see and amend your own personal info but nothing else. Once your role is full you will be given full access rights for the role.

Why can’t I carry out certain processes?

Some purposes/functions are the responsibility of specific roles.  If you do not hold that role, then you will not be able to undertake that process.  If you do hold the role, as one of several, it is possible that you need to change the role identified at the top of the Compass page to get the access rights for that role.  If you do not hold the role, but have been asked to complete a process, you will need to be appointed into that role as we cannot amend individual access rights.

Why is the password so long?

Compass holds personal information and it is important that passwords are of a suitable standard.  The Scout Association is aiming to comply with a nationally recognised standard, (ISO 27001)

How do I remove/delete an email address from Compass?

The following steps will help to remove an email address from a member’s Compass record:

1) Search for the member and navigate to their personal details page

2) Under the Contact Details heading click “Edit”

3) Change the type of the email address (e.g. Home, Work, Scouting etc) to be the “—Select—” option

4) When you go to change the type of email address again a new option will now be available called “No Current Email Address”.

5) Select the “No Current Email Address” option and click save

By removing a members email address they will no longer receive any email  communications from Scouting HQ. Therefore, the member may prefer to update their email address to a correct one rather than delete their email address.