Most Partners across the Network use Charitylog in some way within their organisation. It has become a trusted provider of a CRM system for many over the last 10 years and continue to work closely with Age UK.
We are working with Partners who use the system and the provider Dizions to enhance the network’s use of the system, advocate for best practice, share learning and assist in the development of the system so that it can be used in the most effective way by the network.
Latest Update – 06/01/22
Book your place at the February 2023 Charitylog User Groups!
We are excited to announce that another set of Charitylog User Group sessions will be held in February 2023 for Partners who are using the system. The upcoming sessions will include discussions on Volunteering, Training, and Reporting, and will conclude with the Main User Group session, which will be attended by Dizions who run and manage Charitylog. Book your place at the sessions below.
These sessions will be an opportunity for knowledge sharing, discussions on challenges and experiences, and identifying high-impact/low-effort improvements with other users across the network.
Summaries of each user group will be available after the session on the Network Infrastructure Hub.
You can book your place at the sessions below:
- 20 February 2023 | 11 – 12 | Register here for the Age UK Volunteering Sub-Group.
- 21 February 2023 | 10 – 11 | Register here for the Age UK Reporting Sub-Group.
- 22 February 2023 | 11 – 12 | Register here for the Age UK Training Sub-Group.
- 23 February 2023 | 12 – 13:30 | Register here for the Age UK Main User Group.
New Charitylog Teams Channel
In the last user group session, the idea of a forum for Charitylog users across the Network was suggested. As a result, we have set up a new team channel for Charitylog users to interact, ask questions and share knowledge and experiences about the system. Please email elizabeth.adekanbi@ageuk.org.uk or networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk to be added to the channel.
If you are using Charitylog in a way that might be interesting to other Brand Partners or have something you would like to share at the session, please email networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk.
Events & Demos
Check back soon for upcoming events!
Previous Updates
> 17/11/22
Training Available
Dizions (the creators of Charitylog) are running a number of Charitylog training sessions in the coming months that are available for staff across the Age UK Network to book onto. These courses cover a range of topics such as Extension Databases, System Administration, and more. Take a look and book on to the sessions directly with Dizions here.
Summary of October 2022 CharityLog User Group Meetings
We held the latest round of User Group sessions in the second and third week of October, featuring sub-groups on Volunteering, Training, and Reporting. The main user group was held jointly with Dizions to discuss the latest updates and matters raised in the sub-groups.
Age UK: CharityLog Volunteering Subgroup | Friday, 14th October 2022
The October Volunteering Subgroup focused primarily on the Volunteer recruitment process and how this might support the longer term aims of each organisation.
Age UK: CharityLog Training Subgroup | Wednesday, 19th October 2022
The Training Subgroup discussed getting more training on new functionality of analytical data for reporting. Attendees were reminded of the wiki page updated by Dizions and videos of previous training sessions available on the Moodle platform.
For any questions about how to sign up for Moodle, please email the Network Infrastructure team, NetworkInfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk
Age UK: CharityLog Main User Group | Thursday, 20th October 2022
Dizions started the session by sharing the latest updates coming to the system. Matters highlighted throughout the weeks sub user groups discussed and upcoming system updates demoed. An update was provided around the organisations plans for the coming months as Matt Dyer takes up the role of CEO. Attendees then had space to ask questions.
The next round of user group sessions will be held in January 2023. To receive updates on CharityLog, and when the next user group sessions will be, sign up by contacting NetworkInfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk to be added to the mailing list.
> 06/10/22
The next Charitylog User Group sessions for local Age UKs using the system will run the third week of October. These will feature sub-groups on Volunteering, Training, and Reporting, ending with the Main user group session, which will be attended by the Dizions who run and manage Charitylog.
The upcoming sessions will focus on service delivery, primarily aimed at managers and frontline staff to discuss the experience and efficiency of using the system. This is an opportunity to share knowledge, discuss challenges with others from across the network and identify high-impact, low-effort improvements. Summaries of each user group will be available after the session on the Network Infrastructure Hub.
If you are using Charitylog in a way that might be interesting to other Brand Partners or have something you would like to share at the session, please email networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk.
You can register your place at the session below:
> 10/08/22
We held the latest round of User Group sessions in the second week of July, featuring sub-groups on Volunteering, Training, and Reporting. The main group was held jointly with Dizions to discuss matters raised in the sub-groups.
> Click here to read about each of the User Group sessions!
Age UK: Charitylog Volunteering Subgroup
Monday, 11th July 2022
The July Volunteering Subgroup focused primarily around reporting on volunteers recorded in Charitylog, including the benefits and drawbacks of various reporting areas and how to note if a volunteer is active. Further discussed were the use of extension databases, the new client page layout, and the use of stages to manage volunteer onboarding.
Age UK: Charitylog Reporting Subgroup
Thursday, 12th July 2022
The Reporting Subgroup continued the conversation started in the Volunteering Subgroup around extension databases and reporting, particularly around how various forms of data extracted from Charitylog can be manipulated in Excel afterwards. Attendees also spent time discussing Information & Advice reporting, with a focus on benefit and enquiry code reports. Lastly, the group brainstormed ideas around managing reporting on historical data after processes have been updated.
Age UK: Charitylog Training Subgroup
Wednesday, 13th July 2022
The Training Subgroup dedicated time this month to share ideas around accessing training as a system administrator. Attendees were reminded of the existing help section and videos built into the system. The group also discussed what methods of training work best for their users, including approaches such as bite-sized videos and generating a testing environment. Furthermore, information was shared with members of the current training resources available on Charitylog, including the Charitylog Manual website, and recordings of last year’s training sessions which are now available on the Age UK e-learning platform. You can find these here. If you do not have an e-learning account, you can register for one here.
Age UK: Charitylog Main User Group
Tuesday, 19th April 2022
The Main User Group started with representatives from Dizions sharing the latest updates coming to the system, including improvements to user and password management, as well as changes to the ticketing system. The group discussed in detail one particular update around Charitylog moving to Amazon Web Services which will enable the system to run more reliably and quicker, making the backup process more straightforward. This update will not affect Age UK brand partners in terms of downtime or pricing. Further topics discussed include implementing data retention policies and training sessions. Lastly, Dizions requested Age UK brand partners to reach out if they have experience using speech detection software, as this is something they are looking to make available for Charitylog users.
During the groups, users requested to be informed of the cost of 1:1 support from Dizions. We have since been informed this can be arranged by contacting Charitylog support on 01333 222 5957 and a half day remote session with one of their Implementation Consultants is £275 Plus VAT.
Be the first to hear about Charitylog sessions by signing up for the Charitylog newsletter, along with other updates from Age UK, here.
> 15/07/22
Dizions (the creators of Charitylog) will be holding a variety of training sessions for Brand Partner teams over the course of August and September. These are a great opportunity to expand your knowledge of the CharityLog system. Following feedback from the last round of training, the topics covered this time around are slightly more advanced and designed to help you maximise your set up.
The topics covered include:
- Extension Database Setup
- Fundraising
- Extension Database Calculations
- Excel Report Templates
- System Administration
- Managing Staff and Volunteers
- Reporting
- Beginners Excel Skills
- Intermediate Excel Skills
- Advanced Excel Skills
These sessions are bookable directly with Dizions by using the links provided below in the Events and Demos section, or by reading this training brochure.
Do remember, the recordings from the previously held trainings are available on the Moodle E-Learning platform.
For more information, please contact Hayley Ross, Programme Manager- Case, Contact & Rostering, email: Hayley.Ross@ageuk.org.uk.
> 08/06/22
The next Charitylog User Group sessions for local Age UKs using the system will be run in the second week of July. These will feature sub-groups on Volunteering, Rostering, Training, and Reporting, following up the next week with a main user group which will be attended by Dizions who run and manage Charitylog. There will be an opportunity to discuss and ask questions about the June 2022 release.
The upcoming sessions will have a focus on service delivery, primarily aimed at managers and frontline staff to discuss the experience and efficiency of using the system. This is an opportunity to share knowledge, discuss challenges with others from across the network and identify high-impact, low-effort improvements. Summaries of each user group will be available after the session on the Network Infrastructure Hub.
If you are using Charitylog in a way that might be interesting to other Brand Partners or have something you would like to share at the session, please email networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk.
Book your place at a session in the Events & Demos section below – click here to head straight there.
June 2022 Charitylog Updates Release
The newest update to the Charitylog system has now been published – click here for full details from Dizions.
Dizions advise that partners update the training systems before the live systems. To do this, you can log in to your training system and set the update to a date of your choosing. For instructions, click here.
> 21/04/22
We held the latest round of User Group sessions in the second week of April, featuring sub-groups on Volunteering, Rostering, Training, and Reporting. We came back after Easter with the main group held jointly with Dizions to discuss matters raised in the sub-groups and updates coming in June 2022.
Please click here to access the recordings for the Volunteering, Training, Reporting, and Main User Group sessions.
Click here to find out more about each of the User Group Sessions
Age UK: Charitylog Volunteering Subgroup
Monday, 11th April 2022
Age UKs can use Charitylog to onboard and manage their volunteers. April’s user group discussed best practices that came out from January’s volunteering workshop as well as the day-to-day experiences of attendees. Further topics included reporting, the recent layout changes, and the use of extension databases.
Age UK: Charitylog Rostering Subgroup
Tuesday, 12th April 2022
The April Rostering sub-group provided support to its attendees in determining whether the rostering module is the right solution for their service’s needs. Further updates were also provided by members on implementing the newest version of the Call Round app and the device requirements that come with it. Lastly, the group discussed strategies around accessing support from Dizions and other local Age UKs.
Age UK: Charitylog Training Subgroup
Wednesday, 13th April 2022
Attendees in April’s Training Subgroup presented various approaches to distributing training provision to new starters, including the role of system administrators and service managers. The group examined the benefits of project templates for reporting and the nuances of reviewing historical data and configuration. Furthermore, information was shared with members of the current training resources available on Charitylog, including the Charitylog Manual website, and recordings of last year’s training sessions which are now available on the Age UK e-learning platform here. If you do not have an e-learning account, you can register for one here.
Age UK: Charitylog Reporting Subgroup
Thursday, 14th April 2022
One of the Age UK Brand Partners demonstrated for the group Microsoft Power BI reports and dashboards which are tied to their live Charitylog data. Attendees discussed the benefits and drawbacks of using Power BI, including unexpected API changes to the system which requires further external support. The Reporting Subgroup then discussed alternative solutions for analysing reports, such as pulling reports into Excel templates with in-built formulas and using KPI reporting for extracting information held in extension databases.
Age UK: Charitylog Main User Group
Tuesday, 19th April 2022
The Main User Group held after Easter featured Mark Tomlinson, Senior Development Officer at Age UK who was looking for feedback on the implementation of an extension database for Information & Advice projects. After discussing various options, the group feedback was that an automatic implementation from Dizions’ side would be welcome. Following this, representatives from Dizions answered the questions that were collated during the subgroup meetings, including making referral summaries visible again and making it possible to report on extension databases with each row having full client data in it. Dizions also invited local Age UKs to get in touch if they are having issues with particular reports crashing due to data size.
Be the first to hear about Charitylog sessions and other Age UK news by signing up for the newsletter here.
> 29/03/22
We will be running Charitylog User Group sessions for local Age UKs using the system in the second week of April. We will feature sub-groups on Volunteering, Rostering, Training, and Reporting, following up the next week with a main user group which will be attended by the company running Charitylog.
> April 2022 User Group Details
The upcoming sessions will have a focus on service delivery, primarily aimed at managers and frontline staff to discuss the experience and efficiency of using the system. This is an opportunity to share knowledge, discuss challenges with others from across the network and identify high-impact, low-effort improvements. At the main user group session we will be welcoming Mark Tomlinson, Senior Development Officer at Age UK, who is looking for insight from Network Information and Advice CharityLog users. Further detail on this in the Information and Advice in Charitylog section below.
If you are using Charitylog in a way that might be interesting to other Brand Partners or have something you would like to share at the session, please email networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk
Summaries of each user group will be available after the session on the Network Infrastructure Hub.
You can register your interest in attending the upcoming user groups in our Events & Demos section below.
> Information and Advice in Charity log
All Age UKs are required to undertake the Age UK I&A Quality Programme. As part of the assessment against the quality programme a selection of an Age UK’s advice files are assessed for the quality of advice being given.
Because of the way Charitylog works it can be difficult for local Age UKs to identify the appropriate Charitylog ‘referrals’ to include in the list of files for the assessment. To support local Age UKs with this we have provided guidance on how to build an extension database for the purpose. They can also use it for selecting files for their in-house quality checks. This guidance has been available for a number of years, but it has not been mandatory that Age UKs use it, however we are soon to make some changes to the IAQP which will require Age UKs to use the extension database.
Up until now we have requested local Age UKs to provide us with a ‘long list’ of files from which we would then select those to be assessed. In future we intend to select the files ourselves from the Age UK’s Charitylog system. We are doing this for two reasons. Firstly, it reduces the assessment preparation admin burden on the local Age UK and secondly it will create a fairer assessment of I&A services as it will reduce the opportunity for them to be able to pre-select the files that are submitted for assessment.
We are considering the best way to introduce this to local Age UKs. Should we continue with the guidance so they can build the extension database themselves or should we ask Dizion’s to add the extension database to every Age UK’s Charitylog system? We’d be very keen to hear your views on what the best way would be to implement this change.
If you are not able to attend the main user group session but would like to provide some feedback on this please do email us at networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk.
> 28/01/22
To kick off the year, we ran a full week of User Group sessions in the second week of January featuring sub-groups on Volunteering, Rostering, Training, and Reporting. We finished the week with the main group held jointly with Dizions to discuss the past year and updates coming in 2022. Find out full details below:
> January 2022 Charitylog User Group Summaries
Age UK: Charitylog Volunteering Subgroup – Monday, 10th January 2022
Age UKs can use Charitylog to onboard and manage their volunteers. January’s Volunteering subgroup discussed alternative features that can be used to manage volunteer information such as extension databases, project templates, and job cards. Members expressed they would feel lost without Charitylog keeping all volunteer data in one place and providing a seamless transition from registration to participation in services. The group also discussed strategies for managing the deactivation of volunteers.
Age UK: Charitylog Rostering Subgroup – Tuesday, 11th January 2022
January’s Rostering Subgroup offered an in-depth discussion on new features that are being developed and released in the coming months. The Matching Criteria in the system will now be able compare the availabilities of clients and volunteers to streamline scheduling in work. The group also explored the various calendar options offered by the system, which allows users to view the appointments of only specific clients, volunteers, or services in a specific timeframe. Dizions also provided an update on the newest rostering app, Call Round 2, through which workers are able to directly communicate with office coordinators.
More and more partners are considering adding the Rostering module to their Charitylog system as staff are increasingly managed remotely due to COVID. A representative from Dizions held a quick demo session of the module for new partners joining the group and explained the benefits and challenges of its use. Partners can use the module for a variety of services including domiciliary care and telephone befriending and use the Call Round app avoid using timesheets for their workers. The group then discussed possible improvements to the module and working with Dizions to realise these.
Age UK: Charitylog Training Subgroup – Wednesday, 12 th January 2022
Mark Norris from Age UK National presented the newly released Charitylog Information & Advice User Guide. With input from Dizions, the guide covers topics such as Background to Charitylog Implementation or project status flows. The group discussed the recently held training sessions ran by Dizions – one of their representatives confirmed that a suite of regular training sessions are planned from 2022 onwards.
Age UK: Charitylog Reporting Subgroup – Thursday, 13 th January 2022
One of the Age UK Brand Partners demonstrated for the group Microsoft Power BI reports and dashboards which are tied to their live Charitylog data. Attendees discussed alternative solutions for analysing reports, such as pulling reports into Excel templates with in-built formulas. A representative from Dizions also taught the group how to use the Analytics feature within Charitylog which supports two-dimensional visualisation. On suggestion from the group’s members, a new article will be written for the Charitylog Manual, providing an overview of the various reporting options in the system.
Age UK: Charitylog Main User Group – Friday, 14th January 2022
The main user group meeting concluded the week. Attendees heard feedback and learning from all the preceding subgroups. Dizions’ Operations Director presented all updates that will come to the system in February and attendees had the opportunity to provide input for the developments. The group discussed future plans for the format of the groups and options to improve engagement with the network. Participants were able to sign up a workshop held in January on volunteering best practices, the outcomes of which will be shared in a future update.
> Charitylog User Guide
A reminder that the Information & Advice team at Age UK has updated the comprehensive Charitylog User Guide in collaboration with Dizions, containing universally applicable sections on implementation, data management, extension databases, and letter templates.
See the recent post from the I&A team for further details. You can find the guide here on the Loop .
> Videos of Past Training Sessions
Charitylog’s provider, Dizions, held a series of training sessions at the end of 2021 on highly requested areas such as reporting, letter templates, and project set up.
Recordings of the sessions are now available on the Age UK e-learning platform. You can find them here. If you do not have an e-learning account, you can register for one here.
Please note: If you get an error message while trying to view the course, please follow the instructions in the error message to request access – our team will be able to give you access.
> Communication Preferences
If you would like to hear from Dizions directly about new training opportunities and upcoming system updates, please make sure to update your communication preferences within your Charitylog User Details page.
This Charitylog Manual article explains how to find this.
> Get in Touch
If you have any questions about the above or anything you’d like to share in our next Charitylog newsletter, please get in touch with networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk.
Please feel free to share this with your team members and ask them to sign up for the Charitylog newsletter via our signup form.
> 26/11/21
January 2022 Charitylog User Groups
Following the success of the Charitylog User Groups held this September, we will be running a full week of User Group sessions in the second week of January. This will feature sub-groups on Volunteering, Rostering, Training, and Reporting, closing the week with the main group held jointly with Dizions to discuss the past year.
The upcoming sessions will have a strong focus on service delivery, primarily aimed at managers and frontline staff to discuss the experience and efficiency of using the system. This is an opportunity to share knowledge across the network and identify high-impact, low-effort improvements.
If you are using Charitylog in a way that might be interesting to other Brand Partners or have something you would like to share at the session, please email networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk
Summaries of each user group will be available after the session on the Network Infrastructure Hub.
Register your interest in attending the upcoming user groups in the Events and Demos section below.
Charitylog User Guide
The Information & Advice team at Age UK updated the comprehensive Charitylog User Guide in collaboration with Dizions. While aimed at Information & Advice services across the network, the guidance contains sections that are universally applicable for charities using the system such as system and data maintenance, case management setup, extension databases, and letter templates.
See the recent post from the I&A team for further details. You can find the guide here on the Loop
If you have any questions or comments about the Guide, please email networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk.
Charitylog User Guide
The Information & Advice team at Age UK updated the comprehensive Charitylog User Guide in collaboration with Dizions. While aimed at Information & Advice services across the network, the guidance contains sections that are universally applicable for charities using the system such as system and data maintenance, case management setup, extension databases, and letter templates.
See the recent post from the I&A team for further details. You can find the guide here on the Loop
If you have any questions or comments about the Guide, please email networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk.
> 01/11/21
Thanks to those that attended the Volunteering in Charitylog session on the 4th October. It was great to hear how Partners are using the system to manage volunteers and discuss potential ways to optimise the process. We will be following up on the areas discussed with Dizions and will provide an update with next steps shortly.
Don’t miss out!
Tickets are still available for the Charitylog training sessions being held by Dizions. There are several areas that training is available for. Sessions are £18 and can be booked by following the links below.
> 04/10/21
We held Charitylog User Group meetings this September with the participation of Brand Partners and Dizions to share knowledge and improve the use of the system across the network. Alongside the main user group, we had two sub-groups on Reporting and Rostering. The Training sub-group has been postponed in order to be able to review the first round of online training sessions from Dizions that run this autumn.
Reporting sub-group
The Reporting sub-group provided a space to discuss common questions and possible training areas. One example was being able to record reception calls quickly as staff have to record a high-volume of anonymous calls every day. As using templates and the ‘Create Anonymous’ feature provide an efficient solution for this, a training session will be planned by Dizions covering this area in the next month. Participants highlighted questions around the data cleansing process – a Charitylog Manual page has step-by-step instructions and videos for this topic.
Rostering sub-group
The Rostering sub-group discussed the upcoming release of the Call Round version 2 app which home support workers can use to report on their work. Dizions held a short demo of the rostering module, explaining how it connects with the app. Notably, the new release will improve communication between office workers and frontline staff through notes attached to each home visit.
Our next round of User group sessions will be held in January and will look at how we can support users to using Charitylog in new ways to support their roles.
Additional Charitylog Training Dates
Due to the popularity of the initial training sessions offered by Dizions, we are pleased to announce new dates have been added to the offering.
Please find the Eventbrite pages for these linked below in the Events & Demos section.
> 07/09/21
Thank you for your interest in the Charitylog training available from Dizions this autumn! The sessions are now fully booked and we are in the process of finalising further dates. If you would like to attend future training, please join the waitlist for each training session on their respective Eventbrite pages. You can do this by clicking ‘Tickets’, then ‘Join Waitlist’, and filling in your contact details.
Please check the Events and Demos Section below to find the links for the Eventbrite training session pages.
> 18/08/21
Charitylog user groups
We will be holding two user subgroups in September and are interested to hear from any Brand Partners who would like to join the discussion. These subgroups will be followed by the main user group session where highlights from each subgroup will be reviewed and discussed. The user groups are an opportunity for Brand Partners and Dizions to share knowledge and improve the use of the system across the network.
If you are using Charitylog in a way that might be interesting to other Brand Partners or have something you would like to share at the session, please email networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk.
Summaries of each user group will be available after the session on the Network Infrastructure Hub.
Register your interest in attending the upcoming user groups below:
Age UK: Charitylog Reporting Subgroup
8th September 11.00am to 12.00pm
Age UK: Charitylog Rostering Subgroup
9th September 11.00am to 12.00pm
Age UK: Charitylog Main User Group
16th September 2.00pm to 4.00pm
Charitylog training sessions
In response to the Charitylog training survey completed by Brand Partners in recent months, Dizions are holding a number of training sessions in September and October. Click on the links below for further information on each session and to book your place.
Each attendee will be charged £18 to join the 1 hour session. Spaces are limited, but depending on demand, these training sessions may be repeated.
Should you wish to attend a session that is fully booked please record your future interest by emailing networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk
Introduction to Reporting
10am – 11am, 21 September 2021
KPI Reporting
10am – 11am, 28 September 2021
Letter / email templates
10am – 11am, 5 October 2021
Ladder outcomes and classification codes
10am – 11am, 12 October 2021
Assessments with scoring and forms using extension databases
10am – 11am, 19 October 2021
> 13/07/21
Results from the Charitylog training survey
Please find below the results from the Charitylog training survey including the most requested areas for training such as General Reporting, Letter Templates, and Outcomes. Look out for more information on upcoming training dates over the next couple of months.
Please click here to download the report: Charitylog Training Survey Report
Charitylog User Groups
We held Charitylog User Group meetings in April with the participation of Brand Partners and Dizions to share knowledge and improve the use of the system across the network. Alongside the main user group, we had five sub-groups on volunteering, invoicing, reporting, rostering, and training. If you would like to view a video recording for some of these sessions, please click here.
Volunteering
Brand partners use Charitylog in a variety of ways to monitor and match their volunteers. This includes employing a large number of detailed extension databases to record matches between befrienders and their clients. The sub-group is currently working on mapping requirements for the volunteering module and had a brainstorming session in April around needs such as covering recruitment, induction, monitoring, improving log-in, and linking with other systems.
Training
Improving training is a huge opportunity for everyone in the network. While larger partners had the benefit of dedicated team members who could be trained or dedicate time to learning, for many smaller partners the Charitylog lead has this role as one of many they have to carry out. This has led to a wide diversity of users. Some are super-users but others admitted they either dread using it or only use it as little as possible and only use it as a simple data base for contact details. The lack of common training is a consequence of the ways in which many have modified the system for their own local needs. The impact is that most partners systems “look” different or have alternative ways of using extension data bases. The group in April discussed various training options with a representative from Dizions, highlighting that online courses will make the sessions more accessible than ever before. The group agreed that there is a need for offering separate support for beginner, intermediate, and advanced users, and agreed that Age UK will coordinate the training options and access between the network and Dizions. The first step in this will be a Training survey among Brand Partners on their interests.
Reporting
One of the Age UK Brand Partners has been working with a consultant to connect Microsoft Power BI reports to their Charitylog data. The April User Group featured a demonstration of the finished product which includes interactive filtering and cross-filtering of data, interactive user-friendly display, hotlinks to Charitylog pages, and pre-saved reports tracking specific KPIs. The group discussed the benefits of this solution, such as freeing up management resources and being able to share report templates across the network.
Rostering, Call Round and Telecoms
More and more partners are considering adding the Rostering module to their Charitylog system as staff are increasingly managed remotely due to COVID. A representative from Dizions held a quick demo session of the module for new partners joining the group and explained the benefits and challenges of its use. Partners can use the module for a variety of services including domiciliary care and telephone befriending and use the Call Round app avoid using timesheets for their workers. The group then discussed possible improvements to the module and working with Dizions to realise these.
Invoicing and account systems interactions
About half of users invoice in Charitylog and then have to find ways of transferring data to their accounts and the other half invoice in the finance system but again need to transfer data in. There are a number of ways of doing this depending on the accounting system being used and the experience of the finance teams. Some are duplicating data entry, some transfer summary data and others transfer full transactional information. Consultants working on the Power BI tool came along to the group in April to discuss the developments needed for efficient data transfer and whether this work had sufficient commercial benefit for the network.
We are planning to run the next set of sessions in September 2021. If you would like to join any of the user groups or have a question, please contact us at networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk
> 07/06/21
Thank you to everyone who completed the Charitylog training survey! We are currently reviewing your responses and will share results and next steps here shortly.
The survey is now closed however if you want to share anything further on your Charitylog training needs please contact our team on networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk
> 11/05/21
As an outcome from the Charitylog User Groups, Age UK are working with Dizions (the creators of Charitylog) to understand the potential for making training on Charitylog more available and easy to access for Age UK users of the system. We would like to hear from Partner staff who use Charitylog about what training would be helpful to you via this survey. A link to this survey will also be available through the log in page to Charitylog.
We would ask that you send this information to all users across your organisation as we want to ensure we get as large a response as possible to inform the training that is made available.
The survey will close on 31st May, and the findings and next steps will be shared shortly after.
If you have any questions please contact networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk.
> 09/03/21
The work we have done with the Charitylog user groups in the last 6 months has given us a lot of food for thought. We have listened to the observations from the partners and started to follow up on the points that have been raised, more on which below.
However, this has led us to consider how best to take the Charitylog relation forwards. We recognise that this is an important system for many partners, therefore Age UK has talked to both Charitylog and the AEA and, in discussion with the Network Infrastructure Steering Group, agreed that the Network Infrastructure Programme needs to lean into the relationship. This will let us work with partners in a more joined up way to improve both the system and more importantly, our collective and effective use of it.
Age UK has agreed to identify resources that will enable continued working with the user groups and the development of our relationship with Charitylog. This will allow us to drive forward the changes we have identified from the user groups and also to help to make better use of the system across the whole network.
In January the Training sub-group meeting identified a number of ways in which we could work together and Charitylog will come to the next meeting to allow us to plan a training programme for the next 12 months.
The Reporting sub-group heard how one of our partners is exploring the use of Power BI reports developed with a consultant to provide insight into their activities and the next session will look at how these are now being used. Another partner is also looking at this way of working and this has the potential to materially improve our use of Charitylog.
The Volunteering sub-group spent two hours sharing working practices. Charitylog are looking at how the whole volunteering module works and want to work with us to see how they can improve this.
Finally, the Accounting System sub-group looked at the potential to build a link between Charitylog and Sage. The consultants working on the Power BI tool have experience of these links and are looking for a group of partners to develop this with. If you would be prepared to be involved in that please let us know at networkinfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk.
> 01/12/20
If you haven’t already, please check out the latest Charitylog Blog (or Clog Blog for short!)
We have continued to work with partners in the network and with Charitylog, to look at how we can work better both by sharing knowledge and also looking for ways either we or Charitylog can improve our systems.
We held full Charitylog user group meetings and sub-groups meetings to look at invoicing, interactions with accounting systems, volunteering, call round and reporting in both October and November.
We were joined by Charitylog in a number of the meetings and we had a very productive two hour meeting looking at many aspects of the system and how we use it and requests for improvements.
In order to keep the momentum we plan to hold 5 more sub group meetings in January, having decided to set up a new group to look specifically at training, both as a need from us but also at what Charitylog can provide and to think about how we can work better together to share knowledge. Take a look at the Events & Demos section below to see the events that will now take place in January.
If you or any of your colleagues would like to get involved in any of these meetings, please let us know as all are welcome. Charitylog will give us a further update at the full meeting and may also attend some of the sub group meetings to which they will be invited.
> 09/11/20
We have continued to work with partners in the network and with Charitylog, to look at how we can work better both by sharing knowledge and also looking for ways either we or Charitylog can improve our systems.
We had a full Charitylog user group meeting in September and then 5 sub-groups meetings took place in mid-October to look at Invoicing, interactions with accounting systems, volunteering, call round and reporting.
On 28 October the user group met again when we were joined by Charitylog. We had a very productive two hour meeting looking at many aspects of the system and how we use it and requests for improvements.
In order to keep the momentum we plan to hold 4 more sub group meetings (having decided to merge the invoicing and accounting system groups into one) and the following meetings will now take place in November
- Volunteering – 17th November 10.30 -11.30
- Invoicing and accounting systems interactions – 17th November 2.30 – 3.30
- Reporting – 18th November 10.30 – 11.30
- Call Round and Telecoms – 18th November 2.00 – 3.00
- Full user group – 25th November 10.30 to 12.30
If you wish to be included in any of these meetings please let us know as all are welcome. Charitylog will give us a further update at the full meeting and will also attend the invoicing group as this is a particularly important group where we have identified there is a real need for us to develop the process and interfaces between Charitylog and our various accounting systems.
> 29/09/20
A virtual Charitylog user group meeting took place on 23 September with attendees from the Nations, Brand Partners and Age UK.
They discussed many of the common issues and it was agreed that a further meeting would be held in October which Charitylog would attend to update everyone on progress they are making on new developments.
A number of common themes were identified and it was agreed that a number of smaller working groups would be established to enable these topics to be explored in more detail. We will share the learnings and developments here on the Network Infrastructure Hub. We would welcome anyone who is interested in joining any of these groups to contact us. See below for more details:
Use of the volunteering module
We rely heavily on the fantastic help we receive from over 25,000 volunteers. However volunteers are not free; they take time to recruit, train and support and many partners use Charitylog for that. It is clear that this is used in different ways so this group will look at how this is being done and suggest best practice use of Charitylog.
Interaction with accounting systems
It is notoriously difficult for non-financial systems to interface with accounting systems and for many this means they have to rely on spreadsheets or even re inputting data into their accounts. This group will look at how we currently work and seek to improve this starting with the linkage with the Sage accounting system as this is the one many (but not all) Partners currently use.
Use of the Call Round system and interactions with mobile staff
We have seen an increasing move to distance working and the use of mobile telephony has become more important. We learnt that one of the group has been able to work with a provider which can deliver a mobile app for staff and know of other Partners using differing telecoms providers.
This group will review the current use of Call Round and also how best to link this with mobile technology options.
Reporting templates
We rely heavily on the analysis of the information held within the Charitylog system for evidencing our impact and reporting outcomes to many parties. We know that this is an area that frustrates many and takes up a considerable amount of time. We learnt about one partner who has developed some reporting based on Microsoft Power BI.
Given the importance of reporting it was agreed that a sub-group would be established to look at this and to work towards creating some standard reporting tools with partners and Charitylog.
Invoicing Module
Some partners make use of the invoicing module whilst others clearly have issues with this and some have to re-post invoices even if created in the system. It was agreed that a group should look at this to identify best practice and also lessons for others who use this module.
Further meetings
The group will meet again in October and Charitylog will be asked to attend to update us on their progress.
We are also planning to hold the first meeting for each of the sub-groups in mid-October.
If you are interested in being involved with any of these sub groups please would you send a note to NetworkInfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk indicating which group you would like to join.
> 07/09/20
We are writing to the existing Charitylog user group members to restart it. The plan is to have a virtual meeting on 23 September to discuss how we are currently using the system and look at ways in which we can improve our use of the system.
We plan to establish some smaller user groups working with Charitylog to help with cross training and development. If you have an interest in participating in a Charitylog user group, please let us know.
> 13/08/20
We have had a meeting with Charitylog to discuss future actions. They have offered to make available some training videos they have developed. We need to re-establish the user group at a national level and also to encourage and assist in the establishment of more local groups.
Governance and User Groups
There is a main User Group which covers all areas and enables Partners to hear from Dizions on the latest updates to Charitylog.
Sub-Groups on areas such as reporting, volunteering and others take place alongside the main user group for interested partners.
The user groups take place on a quarterly basis.
How can I get involved?
All Charitylog users can sign up to join the main user group and sub user groups. Email NetworkInfrastructure@ageuk.org.uk.