Some Fellows have received an email from the email address [email protected], dated 3 January 2020, welcoming them to the Society. This email also addresses Fellows by their first and second names.

This email was sent by the Society and was an invitation to sign up to our new Fellows’ platform as part of our extensive IT upgrade. Regrettably the text of the email was automatically generated by the secure IT platform but was unfortunately sent without the proper scrutiny.

We apologise for the wording of the email which was both inappropriate and unnecessarily informal. We are working as hard as possible to correct these teething issues and will do our utmost to ensure that this does not happen again. However, once the new system and website are operating, we are sure Fellows will see a marked improvement over the present arrangements.

The reasons for the upgrade are two-fold. The first being the advancement of technology has forced us to upgrade our systems to ensure that our systems remain functional and secure. Secondly, the upgrade has assisted us to comply with the change in the law regarding personal data and GDPR regulations. The new Fellows platform gives Fellows control over their own data, ensuring it is up to date and correct. Fellows can update their privacy settings, choosing the data they would like to share with others, and also allows them to choose their communication preferences with the Society.

We have already had a third of the Fellowship register on the new platform and make use of its advantages. The new system includes a better search functionality: Fellows are now also able to search by profession or area of expertise which can facilitate networking and research within our Fellowship. Another advantage is that Fellows can check the status of their Fellowship subscription via the platform with the ability to pay their subscription online which many Fellows have been requesting and are already making use of. We are also able to accept American Express payments which gives another payment option to Fellows.

We are confident in the new platform and what it offers the Society. We do understand that, as with all new systems, some teething issues can happen but we are working hard through this initial period to make the platform as easy to use and as useful as possible to all Fellows. We are reading all feedback to ascertain what features can be changed, removed or added to make the system work for all its users so please feel free to use the feedback link on the platform.

To register on the system for the first time, you will need to click on a link sent to you in an invitation email. This email will be sent from the email address [email protected]

This has been emailed to all Fellows, however if you think that you have not received this and wish to register then please do contact us at this email address and we can send out an invitation link to you.

Please note that the new web address for the Fellows Platform is https://www.connect.sal.org.uk

Unfortunately, due to the nature of the upgrade, Fellows are asked to sign in separately to the balloting area of the website and the new platform.

If you wish to take part in elections and the balloting process, including nominating possible future Fellows, you will need to sign in to the balloting area of the website to take part in these activities. This remains on our website and can be accessed as before. The new platform has replaced the Fellows Area completely and should be used going forward to make changes to your profile, search the Fellows’ directory, pay your subscription online and so on.

We apologise for the inconvenience that this may cause but as our balloting system is technologically complex we have been unable to move it to the new platform at this moment in time. We are hoping that this can be revised in the future. In the meantime, you will need to retain your old login details as well as your new ones for each system, however you may choose to use the same details for both should you wish.

We understand and appreciate that some of our Fellows may not wish to use the new platform and make use of the advantages mentioned above. If this is the case, we request that any changes to your personal details be sent to us via email or post so that these are kept up to date. We currently do offer a range of payment methods for Fellowship fees to ensure that all are able to make use of the method that is most convenience for them.

Many Fellows have concurrently contacted us regarding their SALON subscription. Please note that this upgrade has no impact on SALON as it is sent through a different online mailing provider which is not linked to the new platform. If you are not receiving SALON please check the details on our website which outlines the steps you may need to take to solve this. If you believe that you have not received SALON for quite a while, then it is probable that you were removed from the mailing list following GDPR implementation. All Fellows were contacted about this in 2018. We had no choice but to follow protocol and remove those who did not respond from this list. This happened on 4 June 2018. If you wish to sign up to SALON you can do so through our website here sal.org.uk/salon/

 

If you have any questions or queries, please contact us using the details below.