Compass FAQs

Who has access to the data?

Only members with suitable authorisation will have access to member data. For example, a section leader will only be able to see the data for the young people in their section. A District Commissioner does not have access to youth data as their role is the managment of adults, but a District Explorer Scout Commmissioner or Administrator would have access(Scout age only).

Will data in Compass be secure?

Yes. Compass has been designed to be compliant with the UK's data protection requirements and undergone tough security testing. The Scout Association currently holds the ISO27001:2013 standard for the administration of recreational activities and support for young people in the UK. Information Security and Data Protection experts have also engaged in the testing and development of Compass to ensure it meets all relevant legislation.

How long will The Scout Association keep personal information for?

In line with Data Protection requirements, The Scout Association will only retain personal data for as long as it is required for membership purposes. The retention period will need to take into consideration any official statutory guideline/requirements deemed applicable. At present, The Scout Association is in the process of consulting with a number of agencies with regard to the relevant guidelines in order to finalise its retention policy in this regard. However, it is important to note that when a person's membership ends (whether a young or adult member), their role will be closed on Compass and their data archived so that it will no longer be accessible on-line. This data will only be accessible by a few authorised members of staff.

If a person re-joins Scouting in the future, their membership data will be reactivated and again be accessible in accordance with the hierarchy settings set on Compass.

Do all young people's data need to be entered onto Compass?

POR requires people to ensure that the basic information is held in Compass. There are many positive aspects of having the data logged in Compass for both the Group, District and County as well as HQ.

What do I need to do now?

Nothing, we have most of the mandatory information required to put your son / daughters information into the Compass database.

As it is just being rolled out not all fields are mandatory and can be bypassed this term, however once the system is fully operational these fields will need to be filled in to complete registration of your son / daughter.

Will I need to do anything in the future?

From next term, we will be sending out an updated version of our contact information form to ensure we gather all the relevant information from parents / guardians that will be required by Compass. This form will now have mandatory fields that will need to be filled in.

What if I change my phone number or move house during scouting year?

Please inform us immediately of any change of contact details and / or address so it can be updated immediately.

Can I access my son / daughters information on Compass?

In the future the plan is for parents to have access to their childs information and update the information every term, therefore eliminating the need for us to send out contact forms. This is not applicable at the moment.

Who has Access to the information on compass?

Only members with suitable authorisation will have access to member data. For example, a section leader will only be able to see the data for the young people in their section, a parent will only be able to see their information and their child's (when implemented).

A District Commissioner does not have access to youth data as their role is the managment of adults, but a District Explorer Scout Commmissioner or Administrator would have access (only applies to older scouts 13+).