Safe Recruitment

Any organisation can and should set up systems and guidance on how to check and vet volunteers. The same standards of good practice should apply as for paid staff. This means organisations need to check who volunteers are, where they live, what qualifications and experience they have and whether they have any convictions for violent or sexual offences and for offences against children.

Organisations should keep up-to-date records on people who act on their behalf and support local clubs to implement the guidance and recruitment effectively.

The Home Office has recognised the need to safeguard the welfare of children and has established the Criminal Records Bureau to help organisations make safer recruitment decisions.

By providing wider access to criminal record information, the CRB will help employers in the public, private and voluntary sectors identify candidates who may be unsuitable for certain work, especially that involving contact with children or other vulnerable members of the community. The CRB will provide relevant information about an individual’s background. For volunteers this service is free of charge.

The Child Protection in Sport Unit was established in 2001 as a partnership between the NSPCC and the home country sports councils to ensure young people and vulnerable adults have their welfare safeguarded in sport. For more information and guidance on this area please visit their website at www.thecpsu.org.uk The website includes useful documents including draft child protection policies, further guidance around safe recruitment and has links to National Governing Bodies of sport.

Who are the CRB and what do they do?

The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) is an agency of the Home Office which exists to help voluntary organisations and employers decide whether prospective candidates are suitable to work with children by providing access to relevant records and information. It does not matter whether the prospective candidates are being considered for a job as a paid employee, or a voluntary position; a CRB disclosure should be obtained to help ensure that the person being appointed is suitable to work with children. The important consideration is whether the person will be working with children.

What is a disclosure?

A disclosure is a document providing details of all convictions on the police national computer and other relevant information held by the police and government departments, such as cautions and warnings, as they apply to the individual person for whom the check is being sought.

Who should we make CRB checks on?

Clubs should seek enhanced CRB disclosures for anyone who regularly, as a normal part of their duties, trains, supervises or cares for children. A golf club may wish to obtain disclosures for the following people:

• Professional, trainee/assistant professional (This must be obtained through The PGA)

• Junior Organisers, Welfare Officer, Members of the Junior Committee

• Other volunteers involved with the operation of the junior section

• Secretary

CRB checks are only one part of a thorough recruitment process that should be used when taking on new staff or volunteers in positions involving contact with children.

References and self disclosures should also be obtained. See www.childreningolf.org for further information on the recruitment and selection of those working with children.

If you would like more help support or guidance about the volunteer strategy please contact: