A lot of the routine chasing and confirming, Scoutworks does for you — reminding a parent their payment is due, confirming an RSVP the moment it comes in, nudging someone whose kit is overdue. This article is a map of everything that goes out on its own, so you always know what lands in a parent's inbox or a leader's notification bell without you lifting a finger.
It's a reference, not a to-do list — there's nothing to set up here. If you want to change which of these you personally receive, see Notifications.
The two ways Scoutworks reaches people
Almost everything below arrives through one of two channels:
- Email — lands in the person's normal inbox. Used for the things people need a record of, or might act on later: invitations, reminders, receipts, consent requests.
- In-app notification — the bell in the top navigation, with the same alert mirrored to push (your phone or laptop) if that person has turned it on. Used for lighter, in-the-moment updates: an RSVP changed, a payment came in, kit is overdue.
Most events use only one of the two, by design — so people aren't told the same thing twice. A few important ones (like a failed payment) send an email so it can't be missed.
Every email follows the same clean layout: what's happened, the key details in a summary block, and any actions as one-tap buttons. Here's a real example — the RSVP reminder a parent receives:
To see what each individual email looks like — the welcome, consent requests, payment reminders and receipts, waiting list offers, and more — browse the full gallery in What Scoutworks emails look like.
Accounts and joining
| What happens | Who's emailed | When |
|---|---|---|
| Someone is invited to join (parent, leader, young leader) | The person invited | When you send or resend the invitation |
| A new parent, leader, or admin signs in for the first time | That person | Automatically, as a welcome |
| You add a child to a parent's account | The parent | When the child is linked |
| You ask a parent to complete missing details for their child | The parent | When you send the request |
| Sign-in links, password resets, two-factor codes, email-address changes | The account holder | When they request it |
Account security emails (sign-in links, password resets, two-factor codes) always send — they can't be switched off.
Events and RSVPs
| What happens | Who's told | How |
|---|---|---|
| A new event is published | Everyone in the group | In-app |
| A parent RSVPs Yes or Maybe | The parent (a confirmation) | |
| A parent changes an RSVP | Group admins, the event creator, and leaders of that child's section | In-app |
| A parent hasn't responded as the deadline nears | The parent | Email — a gentle reminder that gets more urgent at 7, 4, and 2 days out |
| An RSVP deadline passes | The event creator, admins, and section leaders | In-app |
| A helper accepts or declines a request to help at an event | The leader who asked |
Event notifications are scoped to the sections you look after, so the bell stays useful. For exactly who hears about what, see Event notifications for leaders.
Consent and permission slips
| What happens | Who's emailed | When |
|---|---|---|
| A child is signed up to an event that needs consent | Every parent or guardian of that child | As soon as the place is confirmed |
| You add a new consent requirement to an event people have already joined | Every parent who still needs to respond | When you add it |
Payments and money
What parents receive
| What happens | How | When |
|---|---|---|
| A subscription or payment is coming up | 7 days before, then again the day before | |
| You ask a parent to set up a Direct Debit | When you send it, with reminders if it's still not set up | |
| You request a one-off payment | When you create the request | |
| You ask a parent to approve a new subscription | When you send the request | |
| A Direct Debit is collected successfully | Email + in-app | When the payment confirms |
| A payment fails, or an automatic retry is scheduled | Straight away — so the parent can sort it out | |
| A refund is issued | When the refund is processed | |
| You invite a parent to add Gift Aid | When you send the invitation |
When a Direct Debit fails, Scoutworks emails the parent immediately and — for the most common cause, not enough funds — automatically tries again up to three times over the following fortnight. You don't need to chase it by hand. For more, see Payment and Direct Debit issues.
What you and your finance team see
| What happens | Who's told | How |
|---|---|---|
| A budget passes 80%, then 100%, of its limit | Admins and anyone with treasurer access | In-app |
| A failed payment is later reversed and the money is taken back from your group's bank account | A group admin | |
| A parent cancels an RSVP that had payments attached | Admins and that section's leaders | In-app |
| A member submits an expense claim | Your treasurer or admins | |
| You approve, reject, or pay an expense claim | The person who claimed | |
| A supplier payment is overdue | Your treasurer |
Failed payments also show up, flagged, on your finance dashboard, so you can see at a glance which collections need attention. Related reading: Collecting subscriptions from parents and Reviewing and paying expense claims.
Badges and recognition
| What happens | Who's told | How |
|---|---|---|
| An event ends and there are badges to award | The event creator (a reminder) | In-app |
| You sign off a Young Leader module or mission | The young leader | In-app |
| A young person completes their full Young Leader Award | The young leader | In-app |
| A young person is given a recognition award | The child's parents | In-app |
Leaders can also choose to get an email for every piece of badge evidence as it's submitted — it's off to start with, since most prefer the weekly summary. See Notifications to switch it on. More on the badge flow: Awarding badges.
Section moves
| What happens | Who's emailed | When |
|---|---|---|
| A young person moves section | Every parent of that child | Five minutes after the move — or 9am on the day, for a move that ran on its own |
| You undo a section move and ask for the family to be told | Every parent of that child | Straight away |
A parent whose children all move up at the end of term gets one email listing them, not one each.
The two work in opposite directions on purpose. The welcome email goes out unless you switch it off on the confirmation. The undo email only goes when you ask for it, because most leaders undo a move after a parent has already been in touch.
For what each one says, see Letting parents know when a member moves sections.
Waiting list
The waiting list keeps parents in the loop at every step, so you're not fielding "where am I on the list?" emails.
| What happens | Who's emailed |
|---|---|
| A child is added to the waiting list | Their parent (a confirmation) |
| You make a place offer | The parent being offered |
| A parent accepts, declines, defers, or withdraws | The parent (a confirmation), plus others on the list whose position shifts |
| You check whether someone's still interested | The parent |
For the full process, see Processing waiting list applications.
Equipment
| What happens | Who's told | How |
|---|---|---|
| Someone requests equipment | The requester, plus quartermasters or admins if it needs approval | In-app |
| You approve or decline a request | The person who requested it | In-app |
| Borrowed kit is overdue | The borrower, then quartermasters if it's 3+ days late | In-app — a daily nudge |
| Kit is returned in poor or damaged condition | Quartermasters and admins | In-app |
More on the kit cupboard: Equipment requests and approvals.
Other updates
| What happens | Who's told | How |
|---|---|---|
| Your district invites your group to share data | Group admins | In-app |
| A survey is sent out | Leaders, trustees, and young leaders | In-app |
| You get a reply on a support request, or a reported bug is fixed | The person who raised it | In-app |
| Another group invites yours to a shared event, or changes one you've joined | Your admins and the relevant section leaders | In-app |
| A hire customer books, pays, or cancels a facility booking | The customer, and your hire approver |
Choosing what you receive
You're in control of what reaches you personally:
- Email preferences — switch whole categories of email on or off from your Profile. Turn one off and you'll still see everything in the bell, so nothing is lost.
- The bell and push — always there in-app; turn on push per device to be reached on your phone or laptop.
A short list of emails always send and can't be turned off: account security, safeguarding and consent messages, and anything about a payment that's failed or needs attention.
Full details are in Notifications.
What's next
- What Scoutworks emails look like — a visual preview of every email parents receive.
- Notifications — manage your bell, push, and email preferences.
- Sending emails to parents — compose and send your own messages.
- Event notifications for leaders — exactly who hears about each RSVP and why.
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What's next?
Related guidesWhat Scoutworks emails look like
A visual gallery of the automatic emails parents receive — welcome, RSVPs, consent, payments, and waiting list — so you know exactly what lands in their inbox.
Read articleNotifications
How to view and manage your notifications in Scoutworks — the notification bell, push notifications to your phone or laptop, and choosing which emails you receive.
Read articleSending Emails to Parents
How to compose and send emails to parents from Scoutworks, including recipient selection and access points.
Read articleEvent notifications for leaders
Who gets notified when an RSVP changes or a new event is published, and why notifications are scoped to your section.
Read article