As a member who has had this happen to our group, more than once, I can feel for the Consultants, the helper social team members, and the other members in this situation.
One Consultant I had couldn't make her group, but phoned around the Social Team members and asked us if we would mind doing a weigh-in as she couldn't organise another Consultant to take over the group for the night. As the person who would often take in the money or do the weigh-in part, I didn't mind doing the weighing-in bit in the Consultant's absence, but I didn't feel it was right to take money in from the members, without them getting a full group session, and I'm afraid I certainly didn't feel confident enough to take the group through a full "Image Therapy" session myself, but the Consultant had said not to worry about any of that .... she just wanted to make sure the members could see someone, get weighed and go WITHOUT PAYING! She didn't want any of her members to feel "abandoned" but she couldn't make it to group herself that night, so she took the scales into the group, set the room up as normal, and left a note for us all. When I arrived, and another Social Team Member, we explained to the group members as they arrived that our Consultant couldn't make the group and that we would be doing a weigh-and-go session, without any charge, and that they could call or e-mail the consultant if they had any queries in the meantime! The note the Consultant had left was in the form of a "letter to members" apologising for the situation and explaining what was happening.
This went down fine with everyone, although we were ALL a bit disappointed that we didn't get a proper Image Therapy, but some of us stayed for a while after weighing in, and we had a cuppa and a chat .... it was just as good as "Image Therapy" as a one-off! We just made the most of the situation!
However, I've also had another Consultant who couldn't make her group, couldn't get another Consultant to cover but expected the Social Team Members to weigh people AND take money from them, and to give an Image Therapy session ...... but we didn't feel comfortable with it at all!
I don't think the members would be too happy turning up to their usual group to be weighed-in, charged and talked to by someone who wasn't a trained Slimming World Consultant!
We all felt for the Consultant and realised that there may be times when a Consultant just CAN't make the group and CAN't get another Consultant to cover ....... but SURELY they can't expect members to pay? This all happened to me BEFORE the new computerised system was in place, so it may have been easier then for a Consultant not to charge members ...... Not really sure what Slimming World's rules are on this one at all though?