OSM

The Online Scout Manager (OSM) Parent Portal is the parental front end to the online administration system that Fforestfach Scout Group uses to reduce the time leaders have to spend on administration tasks. It allows you access to more information about your child’s Scouting and means that all of the information you need about activities or events is secure and accessible at any time.   

​Because the system also sends out emails about activities and events to your registered email address, it means that we can cut down on the amount of paper letters and printing that we do, which will save significant sums of money every year that we will be able to spend on our young people instead.

​The Parent Portal gives you access to:

• The programme for the current term

• A list of upcoming events and the ability to indicate attendance

• The badge status for their your child along with an image indicating where they should be sewn onto the uniform

• Review a list of emails that you should have already received

• The ability to make a Gift Aid declaration (when requested via email)

• The ability to provide census information (when requested via email)

• Access to your child’s personal details (via an additional layer of security)

Security

​The Parent Portal is a part of OSM which is used by most Scout Groups in the UK.  The system has been designed from the start to be as secure as possible – and uses the same encryption and security methods as major banks and other secure websites.

Logging in to the Parent Portal 

Once you have registered with the Group you will be added to the OSM system and you should then receive an introductory email – if you haven’t had this please let a leader know.

​The introductory email will give you a direct link to the OSM Parent Portal system, and you will be able to set your password and login there.

​You can also access the Parent Portal from any device connected to the internet. Simply click the Login button at https://www.onlinescoutmanager.co.uk/

If this is the first time you are logging in then you will need to Create an account using the email address you gave us when you registered your child. 

​You will receive a welcome email. When you receive it, follow the instructions and click on the ‘click here’ link. Once you click the link in the email, you will see the Reset Password screen in your web browser. Enter your chosen password, and enter it again to confirm. 

​Using the Parent Portal

​Once you have logged in to the Parent Portal please remember to bookmark the address on your PC or Mac for easy access. If you mainly use a tablet or mobile phone to access the internet, once you are in the portal, you can add it as an icon to your screen.

​If you have more than one child in the group, use the same email address when creating the account will allow you to manage them all from one login. Each child will be presented in the list on the right hand side of the portal. 

​Your child may be listed multiple times; once for the section they are in currently and also in the “Group Section”. We use the Group Section for activities that span across sections. When your child transitions from one section to another, they will appear in this list an additional time also.

​Clicking on any item from the left panel will give you various options. 

​Payments

​We do not currently use OSM Parent Portal for payments.

​We no longer accept cash or cheques as banking these is challenging, so we encourage the use of bank transfers or Standing Orders. Please speak to a leader if you are unable to use any of these or have any other issues regarding payments – we will always try to find some solution.

​Events

​Shows you any upcoming events which are not part of the weekly programme, or past events if you click on ‘Past’ tab at the top.

​When we launch an Event, you should receive an email invite containing a link to the portal. Follow this link and use the buttons to accept the invitation. If you receive an invitation to an event, we would appreciate it if you could use the Parent Portal to inform us whether your child will be attending or not.

​If you do not respond, you will receive one or more reminder emails. Unfortunately some activities have limited space and when this is the case, you will not be able to sign your child up after that number has been reached. All events will have a closing date by when attendance needs to be confirmed. If you miss this deadline then you will need to contact the Section Leader directly.

​For some activities you can use the portal to change the initial response provided but only up to the deadline date shown after with you will also need to speak directly to a Section Leader.

 Clicking on an Event brings up additional details and access to any downloadable files.

​Programme

​Shows you the planned programme for the upcoming term. This area also includes any requests for Parent Helpers for specific sessions.

​Please note that the programme is subject to change and may not fully reflect the leader’s plan.

​You can use the portal to let us know if your child will not be attending on a particular day.

​Badges

​Shows the badges that have been started or completed by your child. Clicking on the ‘Uniform’ tab at the top brings up a picture of where the badges should go on the uniform.

​Personal Details

​The Parent Portal allows you to view and edit the personal details we have for your child and also the contact details we have for you and for emergencies. This requires an additional security check each time you access it. We ask you to keep this up to date especially if you change your email, telephone numbers or if any of the medical details of your child changes. 

​You should have completed this information when we registered your child but if not then please do so now.

Gift Aid

​If your tax circumstances change, please return here and adjust accordingly. This allows you to sign a declaration giving us permission to claim Gift Aid on any payments you make to the group. This brings in an additional 25p for every £1 spent on subscriptions and events.

Access

​Shows you who has access to your Parent Portal account – if you notice any discrepancies with this, please let us know as soon as possible.

​Calendar Feeds

​The Parent Portal allows you to link the Programme and Events to your Google Calendar or iCal. This automatically places these events on your calendar. You will see in the Programme and Events a button “Calendar Feed”. Click these to get the link.

​How do I add the Calendar to Google?

​You can add your calendar feeds to Google Calendars by opening up your Google Calendar in a web-browser (it cannot be done via the mobile app).

​Currently, about half-way down the page, you may see “Other Calendars” where you can add a friend or co-worker’s calendar – use this option to paste in the URL.

​If you cannot see this, go to the calendar settings and find “Browse interesting calendars” and paste the URL into the “Add by URL” option.

​How do I add the Calendar to Apple iCal?

​You can add your calendar feeds to Apple iCal by opening up your Apple Calendar in a web-browser (it cannot be done via the mobile app).

Data Protection

We comply with our obligations under GDPR by keeping personal data up to date; by storing and destroying it securely; by not collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data; by protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure and by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data.

​A full copy of our Privacy Policy can be found on our website here or by request.

In addition to the Privacy Policy, if your child moves from the Fforestfach Scout Group to another Scout Group or Explorer Scout Unit we will transfer your personal information to them (either electronically if that Group or Unit uses OSM, or via paper copy if not).