Volunteers

Volunteers lists everybody who carries the Volunteer role, and what stands between each of them and a shift. Its reason for being is the volunteer who signed up weeks ago and still cannot take anything, because nobody has approved them. The page has no row of its own in the sidebar. Find it by typing Volunteers into search (see Finding your way). It opens for anyone whose role can See Shifts, but the list itself shows only for someone whose role can also See People: it is a list of other people’s approvals. Approving somebody is done on their own record, not here. Every name on this page links to that record.

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Who is on the list

Everybody whose person record has the Volunteer role (see the person record). The role is added by hand on the record, and it is added for them when they sign up for a shift or come along on somebody else’s sign-up.

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Where they are

Each volunteer is at one of three stages. Hover over the badge in the list to read what it means. A shift counts as taken when they signed up for it, or came along on somebody else’s sign-up, and it was not given up.

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The list

Waiting volunteers come first, the ones who have been on the books longest at the top, then those ready but not started, then those taking shifts. The rail beside the list filters by Where they are, with a count for each stage. Name searches by name. Clear filters puts both back.

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Approving a volunteer for a role

A role that needs approval can only be taken by somebody approved for it. You approve people on their record: Approving needs Change on Shifts and See on People. The roles offered are the ones your rescue is currently scheduling (see Volunteer roles and rules). Approving somebody again for a role (and location) they already hold renews that approval with the new expiry date, rather than adding a second one. When somebody is approved for a role they do not already hold, any workflow set to start when they are approved as a volunteer starts for them (see Workflows). Renewing an approval does not start it again.

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Choosing the location

A per-location approval covers shifts at exactly that location and no other. A shift’s location is always one of the sites on your housing map, so approve people at the site itself, which is the first choice in each group of the Location box, rather than at a building or room inside it. A shift with no location cannot be taken under a role that needs approval separately at each location, by anybody.

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What the Approved to do card shows

Each approval the person has ever had is listed, including the ones that no longer count, because the question a coordinator usually brings is why can’t she sign up for that? Under each is the date it was approved, and when it expires, expired or was withdrawn. An approval is good for the whole of its expiry day. A person with no approvals shows Not approved for anything yet. Roles that need no approval can still be signed up for.

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Withdrawing an approval

Press Withdraw beside an approval. It happens at once, with no second question, and the approval stays on the list marked Withdrawn. Shifts the volunteer has already signed up for stay booked; withdrawing stops new sign-ups for that role. To clear them again, approve them again.

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Preferred locations

Below Approved to do, the Preferred locations card records where the volunteer would rather work: any of your sites, and Remote for work that is not at a site. It is a preference, not an approval. It decides who to ask, not what they may sign up for. Press Edit, tick or untick places (each tick is saved as you make it), and press Done. Changing it needs Change on Shifts and See on People.

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Their hours so far

The Volunteering card in the same section shows Lifetime hours (every hour recorded for them, signed off or not), Sessions (the shifts they have taken) and Events (how many different schedules those shifts belong to). Hours are recorded and signed off on the Roster.