All swimming clubs have a variety of volunteers and staff who assist with the overall running of the Club. Whilst it is vital to keep the issues of wellbeing & protection in proportion, Scottish Swimming affiliated clubs must have implemented a safer recruitment policy.
The Recruitment and Selection of Volunteers and Staff
Abusers of children tend to gravitate to situations where little vetting or checking takes place. It is impossible to know who could abuse children. Therefore, it is important that all reasonable steps be taken to ensure unsuitable people are prevented from working with children.
It is also important that standard procedures are used, whether people are paid or unpaid, part-time or full-time.
For all volunteers / staff working within the Club who have regular contact with young people the following steps are required:
PVG Scheme Membership
A PVG Scheme application must be processed for everyone carrying out a regulated role involved in your club. The role cannot be commenced before a PVG is in place. The Club WPO will assist a member complete the PVG application as appropriate. PVGs check an individual’s suitability to work with Children and young people and vulnerable Adults. Scottish Swimming will assess the individual’s suitability for carrying out the regulated role based on the information on the disclosure certificate and will inform the Club WPO of the outcome.
ID checks
As part of the process for applying for a PVG the club will need to confirm the identity of the member through an ID check as per the Club’s ID checker contract. ID checks must be carried out in accordance with the Disclosure Scotland Code of Practice.
Self-Declaration
Everyone applying for a regulated role within a club must complete a self-declaration form for the club to review.
For all other roles completion of a self-declaration form is recommended.
The completion of a volunteer self-declaration form allows the individual to disclose any criminal convictions and investigations to support the recruitment decision. The club will retain the form in accordance with their secure handling policy.
Reference Checks
Everyone applying for a regulated role within a club must provide two individual references for the club to review.
For all other roles provision of references is recommended.
References are required from at least two people (not relatives) who have known the applicant for at least 2 years. Referees must be able to comment confidentially on the person’s suitability for the role being applied for and experience at working with children and young people and/or vulnerable Adults.
Interviews
There may be occasions when an interview is required to support the recruitment of a volunteer. A simple, informal interview to assess the applicant and attempt to verify all information given can be held for voluntary posts.
Where a club is looking to employ/contract an individual, then employment law governs recruitment processes and a full recruitment process including an interview would be required.
Induction
An induction procedure for all new starts is recommended. New starts should be made aware of their responsibilities and are made aware of the relevant club policies. They are also required to sign the appropriate Codes of Conduct. A period of probation is advisable.
Training
The completion of the Child Wellbeing & Protection in Sport (CWPS) workshop is mandatory for all individuals in a regulated role within the club. This must be renewed every 3 years.
The completion of the Child Wellbeing & Protection in Sport (CWPS) workshop is recommended for all other roles working within the club.
Membership
All volunteers and staff active within the club must become members of Scottish Swimming under the rules and regulations of the Constitution.
C3.3.9 – A club failing to ensure that all volunteers that assist a club, no matter how irregularly, are members of the SASA, will be deemed to be operating outside the Associations remit. As this remit forms the basis of the Company Insurance Policy the insurance cover for the club may be affected.