Managing Staff

Manage staff drivers, volunteer drivers, and passenger assistants who are assigned to bookings on your team's schedule.

View staff

1. Go to Operations.
2. Click Staff & Volunteers, or choose Staff driver, Volunteer driver, or Passenger Assistant from the dropdown to open that tab.
3. Review the list or open a tab:
   • All staff & volunteers
   • Staff driver
   • Volunteer driver
   • Trainer
   • Passenger Assistant

The Types column shows staff types. If they are also a transport member, a + appears followed by their member types.

When you open a staff record, the heading description shows all of their types as coloured badges. Member types appear after a +, matching the list.

Use the search box to find staff by name, email, or phone. Email is not shown in the list. Disabled staff are hidden from the list.

Use Filters to find staff. Filters are grouped by type: Status (including Wheelchair member, On the app, missing emergency contact, and Outside operational area when the operational area is on), Training and compliance (including Qualification issues for expired or expiring qualifications), and Consent (Marketing signup and Photo consent). A mobile icon next to the name means they are on the OpenCommute app. Pending OpenCommute app join requests also show as a compact alert here — click View join requests to approve or reject them. See Review app join requests. The dashboard Members widget also shows an On the app count for staff, and a qualifications issues badge that opens Staff & Volunteers with the Qualification issues filter on.

An example of the Staff list showing driver types and availability status.

Add a staff member or volunteer

1. Go to Operations.
2. Click Staff & Volunteers.
3. Click New staff driver, New volunteer driver, or New passenger assistant. The matching type is selected for you when you use New volunteer driver or New passenger assistant.
4. Enter Name and Email. The email cannot already belong to another member or staff person in this organisation.
5. Tick Staff driver, Volunteer driver, Trainer, and/or Passenger Assistant as needed.
6. Optionally tick member types in the Members section to add membership to this staff member (Non-Driver member, Group member, and/or Driver member). That also shows Billing (Subscription, Invoices, Payments, and Credits) on their record. If you change types on an existing record, save when asked so those tabs can update.
7. Optionally set a Home location: enter a House number / name and Postcode, click Search, or click Click on map. The house number or name is shown to drivers so they can find the property.
8. Optionally turn on Marketing signup and Photo consent in the Consent section.
9. Click Create.

• Staff driver — assigned to internal, open, and group bookings on your staff schedule
• Volunteer driver — assigned to One-to-One member trips
• Trainer — can be assigned to training bookings and sign off attendee pass or fail outcomes
• Passenger Assistant — optional extra people on Open, One-to-One, Group, and Internal bookings. A trip can include more than one passenger assistant, for example someone shadowing. Bookings still need a driver. Passenger assistants are not emailed volunteer requests.

Photo

Add an optional photo. Images are automatically resized to a maximum of 800px.

When creating a staff member:

1. Go to Operations > Staff & Volunteers > New staff driver.
2. Upload a JPEG, PNG, or WebP file in the Photo field to the left of Name.
3. Click Create.

On an existing staff member:

1. Open the staff member.
2. On Details, click Add photo or Change photo.
3. Upload a JPEG, PNG, or WebP file.
4. Click Save photo.

The photo is shown to the left of Name on the staff record. Only signed-in team members can open the stored file.

Contact details

Use the Contact section on the Details tab to store a phone number and driver notes.

1. Open the staff member (or enter these fields when creating a new staff member).
2. On Details, find the Contact section.
3. Enter Phone number and Driver notes as needed.
4. Click Save on the staff record.

Driver notes are shown on bookings when this person is assigned as a driver.

Who can see contact details

Only platform users, volunteer drivers, and staff drivers can view phone numbers and driver notes.

People on the OpenCommute app can add or change their phone number and home address under Settings → Phone and address. Saving updates the same phone, house number or name, and address on every organisation they belong to. The staff Activity log shows Phone and address updated from app. That entry does not include the phone or address — open Details on the staff record if you need to see them.

Consent

Use the Consent section on Details to record marketing signup and photo consent.

1. Open the staff member (or set these when creating a new staff member).
2. On Details, find the Consent section.
3. Turn on Marketing signup if they have opted in to marketing emails and updates.
4. Turn on Photo consent if they have consented to photos being taken and used.
5. Click Save on the staff record (or Create when adding a new staff member).

Both toggles start off. Use the Marketing signup and Photo consent filters on the staff list to find people who have opted in.

People on the OpenCommute app can also set these when they join, and later under Settings → Consent for the organisation currently selected in the app. A change in the app is stored on the same staff record. The staff Activity log shows Consent updated from app, with Changed by using the staff icon and a mobile icon.

Emergency contact

On the platform, emergency contact details are opened from Details and are protected by an access log.

Add emergency contact

You can add emergency contact details when creating a staff member, or later from the Emergency contact button on Details.

When creating a staff member:

1. Go to Operations > Staff & Volunteers > New staff driver.
2. Scroll to the Emergency contact section.
3. Enter Emergency contact name, Emergency contact phone, and Emergency contact relationship.
4. Click Create.

After the staff member exists:

1. Open the staff member.
2. On Details, click Emergency contact.
3. Click Add emergency contact.
4. Enter the contact name, phone, and relationship.
5. Click Save emergency contact.

View emergency contact

Existing emergency contact details are not shown until you confirm secure access.

1. Open the staff member.
2. On Details, click Emergency contact.
3. Click View emergency contact.
4. Read the notice, enter a Reason for access, and tick I understand this information must be kept secure.
5. Click Confirm and view.
6. Review the contact details in the modal. Personal details are on the left. When the staff member’s organisation has an emergency contact, it is on the right, with a line between the two. A contact that has not been set is left out.
7. Click Close when finished.

Your access is recorded in the staff member Activity log when the contact details are shown, including the reason you entered.

Only access when needed

Emergency contact details are sensitive. Only open them when you need to, and only share them when necessary. All access is logged.

Update emergency contact

1. Open the staff member.
2. On Details, click Emergency contact.
3. Click Update emergency contact.
4. Enter a Reason for access and confirm you will keep the information secure.
5. Click Continue.
6. Update the contact name, phone, or relationship.
7. Click Save emergency contact.

The change and your reason are recorded in the staff member Activity log.

People on the OpenCommute app can add or change these details under Settings → Emergency contact. Saving updates the same name, phone, and relationship on every organisation they belong to. The staff Activity log shows Emergency contact updated from app. That entry does not include the contact details — use View emergency contact if you need to see them.

Set a home location

You can set a home location when creating a staff member, or later from Details.

1. Open the staff member.
2. On Details, click Home location.
3. If an address is already set, click Change address. Enter the House number / name and Postcode (side by side), then click Search.
4. The matching street address is shown when there is one result. If more than one match appears, choose from the list, or click Click on map.
5. Click Save home location.

The house number or name is shown to drivers on open bookings when this person is picked up at home.

If no home location is saved, Details shows a warning. Use Set home location on the warning, or Home location on Details. To remove a saved address, click Clear home location. The warning is shown again.

People on the OpenCommute app can also set their home address, optional house number or name, and phone number under Settings → Phone and address. They enter a house number or name and postcode, then search. Saving copies those details to every organisation they belong to.

Driving licence and sign-off

Staff who drive need a valid licence and sign-off before they can be booked.

1. Open the staff member.
2. Open Driver and choose Driving licence.
3. Add or update licence details (including licence postcode and DVLA consent) and record licence checks. View or update the National Insurance number only after entering a reason.
4. Click Sign off for driving on Driving licence (or on the Options tab) when approved.

Staff drivers on the OpenCommute app can also submit a copy under Settings → Driving licence, including National Insurance number, licence postcode, and DVLA consent. You still need to record a licence check and sign off before they can be booked.

See Managing Members for the full licence workflow — the steps are the same on staff records. Staff with a licence and an email address are also emailed when the licence is due to expire or has expired, and asked to contact the team.

Licence checks expire after the period set on Settings → Members & Staff, so staff drivers need re-checking on the same cycle as members. A staff driver whose check has expired shows a Check expired status and cannot be assigned to bookings until a new check is recorded.

Staff compliance

For staff types that require checks, record them under Driver → Compliance:

1. Open the staff member.
2. Open Driver and choose Compliance.
3. Click Record DBS, Record Right to work, or Record First Aid for each check this person needs.
4. For DBS, view the certificate and enter the check and expiry dates. OpenCommute stores those dates only. For Right to work and First Aid, enter the dates and upload the PDF.
5. Save the record.

Which checks appear depends on Settings > Members & Staff > Staff compliance. Each check can be required for Staff driver, Volunteer driver, Trainer, and/or Passenger Assistant. For example, uncheck Volunteer driver under Right to work required for so volunteers do not need right to work, while staff drivers still do.

Configure default DBS and First Aid validity on the same Members & Staff settings page.

Turn staff availability on or off

Under Settings > Members & Staff, use Track staff availability for bookings?

• On (default) — weekly hours and extras on each staff record can block assigning that person as a driver, trainer, or passenger assistant. The Available column on Staff & Volunteers, the Availability tab on staff records, and the Staff Availability report are shown.
• Off — saved hours and extras are kept but do not block assignment. The Available column, Availability tab, and Staff Availability report are hidden until you turn tracking back on. Other checks (licence, compliance, training, and already being on another booking) still apply.

Set availability

When Track staff availability for bookings? is on, staff drivers, volunteer drivers, trainers, and passenger assistants can have regular weekly hours and one-off exceptions.

1. Open the staff member.
2. Go to the Availability tab.
3. Set Normal availability for each day of the week.
4. Use Extras to add exceptions such as holiday or extra shifts. Click Add extra, choose Type (Unavailable or Extra Availability), and enter From and To (date, plus a time when All day is off). Extras stay on the page until you click Save availability.
5. Click Save availability.

Quick actions for common changes

Use Quick actions on the Availability tab for shortcuts such as Report sick today or Add on holiday this week. The new extras row scrolls into view and highlights once so you can review it.

If saving would clash with existing bookings, a confirmation appears so you can review affected trips before continuing. Saving then opens Drivers removed from bookings on the Dashboard, calendar, or bookings list, where you can replace the driver, request volunteers and/or staff drivers (volunteers listed first), leave the booking driverless, or cancel it. Clearing the driver on a booking and saving opens Drivers removed from bookings only, not the separate Send driver request emails prompt on save. When you request drivers and volunteers or staff were already emailed for that trip, confirm the resend toggle so they receive another email and OpenCommute app notification with fresh accept and decline links. Locked or finished bookings are not included. Cancelling asks for a reason, records it on the booking Activity log, and emails the usual booking recipients, including the organisation’s invoice emails on Group bookings. Members who use the OpenCommute app also get a device notification that opens their bookings. Choose Apply decisions when you have chosen what to do for each booking. That prompt stays until you save a decision, including after you sign out and back in.

Complete training

When training is required, complete checklists under Driver → Training — the same as for members. See Managing Checklists.

Connect or disconnect Direct Debit

Staff use the same Options tab as members. If GoCardless is connected and the staff record has no active mandate, use Connect Direct Debit to search existing mandates and link one. If a mandate is already linked, use Disconnect Direct Debit to cancel it. See Managing Members.

OpenCommute app

Staff who are on the OpenCommute app show a mobile icon next to their name on the list and at the top of the record. On the Options tab, use Show devices to see device type, device ID, and last used, or Disconnect app to unlink them. See Managing Members.

Disable staff

1. Open the staff member.
2. Go to the Options tab.
3. Click Disable member.

Disabled staff stay on record but cannot be assigned to bookings. If they were on the OpenCommute app, they are also disconnected from this organisation. See Managing Members.

Qualifications

Staff drivers, volunteer drivers, trainers, and passenger assistants can hold qualifications you set up in Settings.

1. Open the staff member.
2. Open the Qualifications tab.
3. Click Add qualification.
4. Choose the type. If Settings has a typical validity for that type, the expiry date is filled for you. Change it if needed, and optionally upload a document.
5. Save.

The table shows the expiry date and whether it is valid, expiring within 30 days, or expired. Edit a row to change the expiry or document. Expired qualifications warn on Details and in Alerts. They do not block booking assignment.

See Managing Qualifications to create types, and Reports Overview for the Staff Qualifications report.

List columns

These are the columns available and a small description of each one.

Column	Description
Types	Staff driver, volunteer driver, trainer, and/or passenger assistant.
Available	Whether the driver is marked available this week.
Training	Training checklist completion status.
Compliance	DBS, right to work, and First Aid status for the checks required for that person’s staff types.
Licence	Driving licence status and check history.
Sign-off	Whether the driver is signed off to drive.

Related guides

• Managing Members — non-driver and driver members
• Managing Qualifications — qualification types, staff records, and expiry alerts
• Audit Log — team-wide history including emergency contact access
• Internal Bookings — staff driver assignment
• One-to-One Bookings — volunteer driver assignment
• Group Bookings — staff driver on the Drivers schedule calendar