This article provides an overview of the Branch Connection mechanism and sets out the process for how volunteer managers set up a Branch Connection for new service delivery volunteers/update the Branch Contact for a branch on GoAssemble.
Currently the Branch Connection is live for caseworkers and visitors within NDP areas and is set up as part of the migration process for non-NDP areas. The link is not live for Mentors, PIR or SCT volunteers yet, this will be reviewed in 2026.
Branch Connection Overview
We believe that to have a positive experience with SSAFA it is important that all our volunteers benefit from the support and sense of community that belonging to their local branch brings, even though their actual volunteering activity is managed from elsewhere in the organisation.
Where a volunteer role is managed outside of the branch (e.g. Caseworkers who work directly with their regional office) their details cannot automatically be seen by the local branch on GoAssemble. The Branch Connection ‘role’ is a mechanism on GoAssemble that enables an allocated member of the branch, the ‘Branch Contact’, to contact SSAFA volunteers in their area and invite them to be part of the branch community.
Due to the way the system works, the Branch Connection link will appear as a role on the volunteer’s profile, in the same way as their chosen volunteer role does. This is the same for the Branch Contact ‘role’. However, these are not roles, they are a means of connecting volunteers to branches, therefore Branch Connection/Branch Contact volunteers won’t require training or supervision but will be required to read the relevant guidance.
A volunteer may contact their service manager, the CEM or VDM for support in ending their connection. This can be done by the usual process for leaving a role on GoAssemble.
How the Branch Connection Team works (Branch Connection/Branch Contact volunteers)
- There will be a Branch Connection Team that sits parallel to each branch within GoAssemble eg.
- Derbyshire Branch – Team consists of all branch volunteers
- Derbyshire Branch Connection – Team consists of all non-branch volunteers within the local area (caseworkers, DMVs, Mentors etc)
- There will be one volunteer from the branch that will be allocated the Branch Contact role, which will make them part of the Branch Connection Team. This can be a branch exec or a CEV. This individual will be the only person in the branch able to invite Branch Connection volunteers to branch events, via the GoAssemble event invitation function.
- The Branch Contact will have permissions allowing them to:
- View all volunteers in the Branch Team and the Branch Connection Team
- Message all volunteers in the Branch Team and the Branch Connection Team
- Invite all volunteers in the Branch Team and the Branch Connection Team to social events
- If they are a Community Engagement volunteer they will not be able to see the Branch Connection volunteer’s personal details. However, due to fixed software parameters in GoAssemble, the Branch Contact will also be able to see a Branch Connection volunteer’s training record, skills and expenses (not in relation to approval, but the list of claimed expenses).
- If they are a Branch Exec, they will be able to see the Branch Connection volunteers full profile, including personal details.
- The CEM for each region will also have permissions to message the Branch Connection teams within their regions - acting as a contingency for branches who don't have a Branch Contact or for communicating relevant regional level events.
During NDP rollout, the NDP Team will facilitate the initial set up of the Branch Connection and Branch Contact 'role'. Future changes/updates will be facilitated by the 'role' manager.
Setting up service delivery volunteer’s local branch connection on GoAssemble – Recruitment Manager
Once a service delivery volunteer completes induction and becomes active the Volunteer Recruitment Manager will need to add the Branch Connection to their profile:
- Volunteer Recruitment Manager adds Branch Connection role to the volunteer’s profile:
- On the volunteers profile, go to the Roles and Responsibilities tab.
- Select 'Add Role'
- Set up the Branch Connection role:
- Select Role profile by typing in Branch Connection and select from the drop down list
- Set the team to be the Branch Connection Team in the county they live
- Set the Manager to be their service manager
- Set the start date
- Do not tick box that makes this the primary role
- Volunteer is sent a message (email template) by Volunteer Recruitment Manager CC’ing in the branch chair and CEM, letting them know they’ve been linked with a branch.
NB: Expenses incurred during branch connection social activities should be claimed via the volunteer’s service delivery role. If expenses are submitted via the Branch Connection role please reject them and request they be resubmitted via the volunteer's service delivery role.
Setting up Branch Contact on GoAssemble – Community Engagement Manager
Once the Branch Chair has selected the Branch Contact and the Branch Contact has read the guidance document the Chair will inform the CEM who will need to add the ‘role’ to the volunteer’s profile:
- CEM adds Branch Contact role to their profile:
- On the volunteers profile, go to the Roles and Responsibilities tab.
- Select 'Add Role'
- Set up the Branch Contact role:
- Select Role profile by typing in Branch Contact and select from the drop down list
- Set the team to be the Branch Connection Team parallel to their branch
- Set the Manager to be the CEM
- Set the start date
- Do not tick box that makes this the primary role
- Volunteer is sent a message by the CEM CC’ing in the branch chair, confirming the role has been added.
NB: Expenses incurred during branch connection social activities should be claimed via the volunteer’s branch role. If expenses are submitted via the Branch Contact role please reject them and request they be resubmitted via the volunteer's branch role.
Multiple Branch Contacts and Legitimate Interest
Initially one Branch Contact will be set up, during the migration process. Post migration, if there is legitimate interest, which is required due to GDPR considerations, we can add additional branch contacts. Branches can discuss this with their CEM who can action as appropriate. It is also possible to add a temporary Branch Contact to cover if a Branch Contact is unavailable for a period or time, plus the CEM has oversight of this and can support.
While the NDP project is running, please let the NDP team ([email protected]) know if branches have additional contacts added, so we can monitor demand.
Legitimate Interest:
We must only contact individuals based on the consents they’ve given. For volunteers, we can communicate about their role under legitimate interest, but not about unrelated topics like fundraising unless they’ve explicitly consented. Access to personal data must also be restricted to those who need it. To allow branch personnel to invite non-branch volunteers to social events, we need to grant access to volunteer records. Since volunteers are automatically linked to a branch without giving explicit consent for data sharing, we’re taking a cautious approach by restricting access to a small number of branch members.