Authorized pickups: adding, editing, and verifying

Why the authorised pickup list matters

An authorised pickup list is your primary safeguarding tool at gate time. It answers the question: "Is this person allowed to collect this child?" Without a complete and current list, your gate staff are guessing, which is not acceptable. A well-maintained list with photos makes the collection process fast, safe, and defensible.

The Authorized Pickups module

Authorized Pickups is a standalone module in the main navigation, not a tab on the student profile. It has four sections:

• Authorized Persons, the master list of all people allowed to collect children, showing name, child, relationship, contact number, ID number, and status
• Pickup Records, a log of completed pickups by date
• QR Scanner, a gate-facing scanner for verifying pickups by QR code at collection time
• Security Settings, school-level security configuration for the pickup process

Adding an authorised pickup

1. Go to Authorized Pickups from the main navigation.
2. Click Add Person.
3. Select the student this person is authorised to collect.
4. Enter the person's full name.
5. Select their relationship to the child from the dropdown (e.g. Mother, Father, Aunt, Grandmother, Nanny, Older Sibling).
6. Enter their contact number, used if the gate officer needs to call them for verification.
7. Optionally enter their ID number (driver's licence, passport, or national ID) for identity verification at the gate.
8. Tick This person is an emergency contact if applicable.
9. Add any notes or special instructions (e.g. "Only authorised on Fridays", "Must show ID").
10. Click Add Person. They now appear on the Authorized Persons list for that student.

How parents add pickups from the portal

Parents can manage their own child's authorised pickups from the parent portal:

1. Parent logs in and opens their child's profile.
2. They click Manage Pickups → Add New Pickup.
3. They fill in the name, relationship, phone number, and upload a photo.
4. The request is sent to the school admin for approval before it becomes active, parents cannot add pickups that immediately bypass your gate without your review.
5. You receive an in-app notification. Go to Students → Pending Pickup Approvals, review the request, and click Approve or Decline.

Editing or removing a pickup person

• To edit: click their name in the list, update any field, and save.
• To remove: click the remove icon. The person is removed from the list immediately. Any check-outs already recorded with them as collector are not affected.

At the gate: verifying with QR Scanner

1. When someone arrives to collect a child, go to Authorized Pickups → QR Scanner.
2. Scan the parent or guardian's QR code (generated from the student record, article 3.2) to pull up their authorisation status instantly.
3. Alternatively, look up the person by name in the Authorized Persons list, verify their ID number against what is recorded, and check-out via the check-out screen (article 3.5).
4. If the person is not on the list at all, do not release the child. Follow your school's protocol for unrecognised collection attempts.

Common mistakes

• Looking for an Authorised Pickups tab on a student's profile — it does not exist. The module is accessed directly from the main navigation under "Authorized Pickups".
• Not entering an ID number for known pickup persons. The ID Number field is the only objective verification tool at the gate when someone cannot be visually recognised or does not have a QR code.
• Not removing a pickup person after a family situation changes (e.g. following a separation). Outdated pickup lists can be a serious safeguarding risk — review the list at the start of each term.
• Approving permanent parent-submitted pickups without checking with the class teacher. Some family situations require special care around who can collect a child.