Karate Issues - Safe Recruitment and Selection Procedures

The majority of people who want to work or volunteer with children within sport are well motivated, and without them sports clubs and organisations could not operate.

Unfortunately some individuals will try to use voluntary and community organisations to gain access to children for inappropriate motives. Therefore it is essential that you have effective recruitment and selection procedures to help screen out and discourage those who are not suitable from joining your club/organisation.
Effective recruitment and selection procedures benefit everyone. They ensure that staff and volunteers will have clearly defined roles and responsibilities, which will have a positive impact on children.
Parents will be assured that all possible measures are being taken to ensure only suitable people will be recruited to work with children and organisations will reduce the risk to their reputation.

The organisation should ensure effective recruitment and selection procedures by:

  • Providing a job/role description for each post that describes the range of duties the role will involve, and a person specification that describes the type of attributes you require the post-holder to have (e.g. their experience, qualifications and other requirements). This helps staff, volunteers and others in the club/organisation to have clarity about their role.
  • Advertising jobs/volunteer roles in local papers, local newsagents, church bulletins etc. Include an indication that the post involves working with children, and (if appropriate) that a vetting check will be undertaken.
  • Ensuring that any person applying for a post within the club/organisation completes that organisation’s own application form which should include a section allowing the individual to self declare any convictions or relevant information. Affiliated clubs should contact their relevant national governing body (NGB) for sport specific proforma.
  • Obtaining two references in writing (the request for references should only be sought for preferred applicants). These should preferably include their last employer or person who deployed them.
  • Obtaining an enhanced level vetting check on all new recruits. This will also require the organisation to have in place a system for confirming the individual’s forms of identification. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland all newly appointed staff, coaches or volunteers in a “regulated activity” from July 2010 will have the opportunity to register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) and this
    will be a legal requirement from November 2010. Scotland will be introducing a similar scheme. Clubs should be contacting their NGB for further information on accessing this process.
  • NGB having a case management group in place to risk assess information returned from any of the above sources and not employing or deploying the individual until this is done.
  • Ensuring staff or volunteers are interviewed or have a meeting with at least two representatives of the organisation. You should check out any gaps in the application form and ensure the applicant has the ability and commitment to meet the standards required to put the child protection policy into practice. For example, you may want to explore the applicant’s attitude to power, authority and discipline
    and ask for a response to a problem faced in your group/organisation to assess their commitment to promoting good practice and their ability to communicate with children and young people.
  • Verify qualifications, experience and clarify any apparent gaps in employment.
  • Setting a probationary/trial period (usually 6 months). Every new post should be reviewed within an agreed period of time. The length of time will vary depending on the nature of the post. It is good practice to have a review at conclusion of the probationary/trial period.
  • Ensuring all appointments are made by the Executive Committee and not by any individual member/s of the organisation/club.

Induction

  • Ensuring all new recruits go through an induction process as soon as possible so that they are familiar with the club’s policies and procedures and the responsibilities of the post.
  • Ensuring all new recruits are familiar with and sign up to the Club/Organisation’s Constitution and Rules and any guidelines, codes of behaviour, regulations and policies of that sport.
  • Ensuring all new recruits register as a member of the club if not already a member.
  • Ensuring all new recruits have either recently undertaken adequate training in safeguarding (if appropriate in line with any relevant NGB requirements) or now do so as soon as possible and no later than six months after taking up their post.

Sign up now to the CPSU E-Newsletter - They can email you the latest information about child protection in sport, simply e-mail the word subscribe to cpsu@nspcc.org.uk
(August 2009)

  • A vetting check may be undertaken using any of the following organisations
    • Criminal Records Bureau (England & Wales)
    • AccessNI (Northern Ireland)
    • Disclosure Scotland (Scotland)
    • Garda Central Vetting Unit (Republic of Ireland). (Note that the Garda Central Vetting Unit will only disclose conviction information).
  • For more information on the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) visit www.isa-gov.org.uk
  • Your organisation’s management/executive committee should ratify all recommendations for
    appointment. The decision to appoint staff or volunteers is the responsibility of an organisation, not any one individual within it.

Ø Back to top