Chats - how to

Create private conversations at scale with Parent Hub Chats – an exciting new way to communicate with parents.

Every chat you create contains private ‘threads’ with each student-contact you’ve included.

So, whether you’re recruiting volunteers to help out at the summer fair, or want to find out what time mum can come and collect her poorly child from reception, or you need a quick conversation about the progress a student is making, Parent Hub Chats helps you get the answers you need, instantly.

How to start a chat

1. To start a chat, click MESSAGES > Chats. Please note: your school will need to be linked to an MIS and have access to the Chats feature set to use Chats
2. Add one or more students. Each student-contact will have their own thread to keep conversations private, but you can reply in bulk to save time.
3. Write your opening message and click Send. You can even personalise them using Merge Tags

Parents receive a notification and can reply instantly in the Parent Hub app.

When new messages come in, no matter where you are in Parent Hub, you’ll see a red dot appear on the new Chats notification button. Simply click the button to head straight to your chats.

Mark replies you receive as read, to help you track what’s new. And because you can share management of a chat with your colleagues, it’ll help them know where you’re up to.

To send the same response to more than one person, select the threads you need and click Send Message. You can select threads individually, in bulk, or use a quick-action from the drop-down menu.

When the conversation's over, just close the thread. You can even close it together with your last reply using the Send & Close button.

Or to close all the threads in this chat, simply close the chat.

Chats is an additional way to communicate with parents: it complements Channels, Direct Messages and Slips, meaning you’re always in control.

To help keep things clear, we’ve renamed your regular direct messages “One-way Messages”.

We believe Chats is a powerful new addition to your communication toolbox and we can’t wait to hear what you think of it.

Frequently asked questions

Below we’ve provided answers to the most frequently asked questions, but if you’d like more information or just want to share your feedback, we’d love to hear from you on support@parenthub.co.uk

• Are all my messages now two-way?
  No – there is no change to Channels, and the only change to ordinary Direct Messages is that they’re now called One-ways.

• Can parents start a chat with school?
  No – only school users can start a chat. Parents can reply while a thread is open.

• Which of our staff can use Chats?
  All staff can use Chats. To control how much access each staff member has, be sure to check out our new Staff Permissions options in Admin > Staff Accounts. We cover this in more detail over in our Managing Staff Permissions help guide. Please note: your school will need to be linked to an MIS and have access to the Chats feature set to use Chats

• Can parents chat via SMS or email?
  No – Chats requires the Parent Hub app. You’ll only be able to start a chat with a parent who is registered on the app.

• Can parents see each other’s replies?
  No – each chat thread is a private conversation with one parent about one child.

Related

Managing Staff Permissions

How to check which features your school account has