Intouch
The basics of "intouch"
The "intouch" system is used to manage communications at all events and activities within Scouting
It is a big subject on its own but has a few key points:
Decide How Leaders will communicate with participants and parents
Decide how parents will communicate with leaders and if they can communicate with participants
Decide how participants and responsible (but not present) Leaders will communicate (young people lead events)
Decide how participants and parent will communicate?
A few thoughts on storing contact details:
if you use OSM or another database - how will you access it if your phone is flat or no signal?
if you have a printed set of contact details, is it up to date?
if you print personal details out, how will you dispose of them after the event?
In touch – In practice
Q. How can I contact “little johnny’s” parents if he has a minor accident?
A. List of contact details for all participants and leaders
Q. If there is a problem at home who do parents, contact?
A. Give clear details to parents of person in charge and their contact details
Q. How can a group contact help if they require it?
A. Radio, Mobile phone, Phone box… Have they got contact details for activity leaders if separated?
Q. Will participants have phones etc, can they contact parents directly?
A. Have a policy on when they can and cannot communicate with “the outside world”.
Mobiles & music players
Are people paying attention to what is going on around them if they are using their phone, have earphones in etc? unlikely to be a problem on the water but could be when giving instructions before going on the water, or an extra trip hazard when walking around concentrating on their phone not where they are going!
If the young people have mobile phones and contact their parents about anything happening during the event, how will you know what the parents have been told?
In the event of an emergency or accident, NO one except the party leader or replacement in their incapacity should contact anyone outside the party.
This is important as in some cases information that causes more problems than it solves. i.e.
“Johnny falls over and cuts their head open, while the leader is dealing with the cut which is not serious, (lots of blood from head wounds) Jimmy rings Johnny’s girlfriend, who then rings Johnny’s mum to find out what’s happening and why there is so much blood, Johnny’s mum knows nothing of this and panics.”
Or someone takes a picture and puts in on facebook, etc etc.
