Introduction

Safe recruitment requires safeguarding issues to be considered at every stage of the recruitment process when appointing to a position working or volunteering with children.

Although the vast majority of coaches, officials and unqualified assistants are committed and dedicated people who are motivated to work within the sport for commendable reasons, it is vital that all reasonable steps are taken to prevent unsuitable people, or people who may abuse children, from working with young people.

The following procedures have been adopted and applied consistently to help ensure that gymnastics organisations recruit individuals who share the organisation's values and approach to safeguarding. They also provide an effective deterrent to anyone seeking access to children for abusive purposes.

As people who want to abuse children may seek various avenues to gain access to them, robust recruitment procedures are required for both paid and voluntary positions.

These recruitment practices should be followed even where there is only one applicant for a position.

One-Off Volunteers

The exception to the full recruitment process is one-off volunteers who will only have supervised contact with children for a limited period of time.

This may include:

Parents or other volunteers helping at a club fundraiser or event.
Young people attending the club for work experience.

Sapphire Gymnastics Club operates an appropriate signing-in and signing-out system for volunteers and visitors using its dedicated facility.

Where one-off volunteering becomes more regular, for example more than once a month, the full recruitment procedures must be applied.

Parents

Recruitment procedures should not be applied to parents whose only role is to care for their own child. This may include, for example, the parent of a child with a disability who attends a gymnastics session to provide one-to-one support for their child.

However, where that individual wishes to take on a role within the club that brings responsibility for other children or young people, the full recruitment procedures apply.

Recruitment and selection procedures must be applied without unlawfully discriminating against candidates on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Safe Recruitment Process

The key elements of a robust safe recruitment process include:

Preparing Candidate Information

A job description that refers to the responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
A person specification that makes specific reference to suitability to work with children.
An application form containing appropriate safeguarding sections.

Scrutinising Applications

Application forms should be analysed when selecting a shortlist to identify any discrepancies or anomalies that may need to be addressed with the candidate at interview.

Obtaining References

References should specifically address the applicant's suitability to work with children. With the applicant's consent, references should ideally be obtained before interview so that any issues can be addressed at that stage.

Interview

In addition to assessing the candidate's suitability for the role, the interview process should investigate their suitability to work with children.

Verification

Relevant checks include verification of:

The applicant's identity.
Their right to work in the UK.
Relevant qualifications.
Required criminal record checks.

Induction

Successful candidates should be introduced to the organisation's safeguarding policies and procedures. Learning needs should be assessed and appropriate training, coaching and mentoring provided.

Monitoring & Appraisal

Employees and volunteers should receive regular performance reviews, particularly during any probationary period.

Candidate Information

Anyone who expresses an interest in a job or voluntary role should receive appropriate candidate information.

This should include:

Terms and conditions for the position.
An application form.
A job description.
A person specification.
Information about the organisation's safeguarding policy.
Information about the organisation's equality policy.

The job description should identify the key roles and responsibilities associated with the position. As safeguarding children is everyone's responsibility, it should include the responsibility the postholder has for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

The person specification should provide a profile of the ideal person for the role and a framework against which candidates can be assessed.

Factors may be identified as essential or desirable, together with how each aspect will be assessed. Suitability to work with children should be an essential factor for all roles involving young people.

Application Form

All applicants should complete a standard application form even where they have also provided a curriculum vitae (CV). This ensures that all required information is supplied and allows candidates to be compared consistently.

Where appropriate and relevant to the position, the recruitment process may require an appropriate criminal record check.

The applicant may be asked to provide:

Current and former names, address and other contact details.
Information required to confirm their right to work.
Relevant academic or vocational qualifications and details of the awarding body.
Current British Gymnastics membership number, where applicable.
A full chronological history of relevant paid or voluntary positions working with children, including start and end dates and reasons for leaving.
A statement outlining the personal qualities and experience demonstrating their suitability for the position and how they meet the person specification.
Contact details for at least two referees who are not relatives, including where appropriate a previous employer or club able to comment on their experience and suitability to work with children and young people.
Relevant information concerning convictions, cautions or other matters that are legally required to be disclosed for the position.

Successful applicants may be required to complete the appropriate criminal record check through British Gymnastics or the relevant Home Country Gymnastics governing body.

Attracting Candidates

Safeguarding should feature strongly in advertising for any position involving work with young people.

The recruiting organisation should prepare a safeguarding statement for use in publicity about the role and should advise candidates where an appropriate criminal record check forms part of the recruitment process.

Recruitment advertising should clearly communicate:

Details of the recruiting organisation.
The position and its main duties and responsibilities.
Salary, or whether expenses may be claimed for voluntary roles.
Required experience and qualifications.
The organisation's commitment to safeguarding children.
Any required criminal record checks.

Scrutinising Applications

All applications should be scrutinised to ensure that the required information has been provided and to identify anything that may give rise to concern.

This includes discrepancies in the information provided or unexplained gaps in an applicant's involvement in the sport or employment history.

Candidates should be assessed equally against the criteria contained in the person specification, and a shortlist should be prepared.

Any concerns identified from an application should be addressed with the applicant during the interview.

Obtaining References

Subject to the applicant's consent, references should preferably be obtained before interview. Where appropriate, relevant qualifications and previous experience should also be confirmed.

Where an applicant has previous qualifications or experience in gymnastics, the recruiting organisation may seek appropriate confirmation from British Gymnastics.

This may include confirmation of:

British Gymnastics membership.
The date of the most recent relevant criminal record check.
British Gymnastics qualifications or awards.
Any known reason why the individual should not be employed or appointed.

References should also be sought, where appropriate, from organisations where the applicant previously worked with children in either a paid or voluntary capacity.

Interview

Where a position involves significant contact with young people, a formal interview should be held using appropriate procedures and protocols.

The purpose of the interview is to assess candidates against the requirements of the role and determine their suitability to work with children.

A face-to-face interview should be conducted even where there is only one candidate.

The interview may also be used to clarify information supplied in the application, address relevant information disclosed during recruitment checks and explore any discrepancies identified during pre-interview checks.

For posts involving work with children, it is preferable for there to be at least two interviewers. Those involved should have appropriate safeguarding awareness and the authority to make the recruitment decision.

Interview questions should be agreed in advance and should include questions specifically designed to assess suitability to work with children.

Verification

Candidates should be asked to provide the appropriate documentation required to verify their identity, qualifications and eligibility for the position.

Original identity documents should be checked in the presence of the applicant where required as part of the relevant criminal record checking process.

Candidates should also provide relevant qualification and award certificates where these are required for the position.

Confirming the Appointment

Once a decision has been made to employ someone or invite them to take a voluntary role within Sapphire Gymnastics Club, an offer letter should be issued.

The letter should provide full details and requirements of the position and any probationary period, where appropriate.

The applicant should also be informed where their appointment is subject to satisfactory references and relevant criminal record checks.

Criminal Record Checks

Appropriate criminal record checks form an important part of safe recruitment for roles involving regulated activity or work with children.

Organisations must not knowingly allow a barred person to work in regulated activity and must comply with applicable safeguarding and referral requirements.

British Gymnastics members undertaking regulated activity may be required to complete the relevant enhanced criminal record and barred-list checks in accordance with British Gymnastics policy and guidance.

The affiliated organisation is responsible for assessing the role and determining whether a criminal record check is required and the appropriate level of check.

Where an applicant already holds an appropriate and sufficiently recent British Gymnastics disclosure or is registered with an applicable update service, the recruiting organisation should follow the relevant British Gymnastics requirements before confirming an appointment.

Where an individual is permitted to undertake duties while an appropriate criminal record check is being processed, any such arrangement must comply with the applicable British Gymnastics safeguarding requirements and supervision rules.

Overseas Candidates

A UK criminal record check may not provide a complete picture of the criminal history of an applicant who has lived in another country.

Different countries operate different systems for background checks and not all countries are able to provide equivalent information.

Appropriate overseas vetting should therefore be considered where an applicant has lived abroad, in accordance with the applicable safeguarding and recruitment requirements.

Induction

Although pre-recruitment checks are important, the successful candidate's induction during the initial months of their appointment is also a significant part of the safe recruitment process.

A successful induction should take account of the individual needs of each new recruit and may include:

An explanation of Sapphire Gymnastics Club and British Gymnastics safeguarding and child protection policies.
Formal agreement to relevant club policies, codes of ethics and codes of conduct.
Clarification of roles, responsibilities and expectations.
An assessment of learning needs, including safeguarding, coaching, first aid, equality and diversity and any relevant communication needs.
Appropriate coaching and mentoring.

A good induction programme should support new employees and volunteers and help them integrate successfully into the club.

The induction period may also help identify poor-practice concerns at an early stage and allow the club to take appropriate remedial action.

Monitoring & Appraisal

All staff and volunteers should have opportunities to receive feedback, whether through formal appraisal or more informal mentoring.

Although this represents good practice for all paid and voluntary positions, appraisal is particularly important for positions involving significant contact with young people.

Appraisals should be offered at appropriate intervals, including following a probationary period and thereafter at regular intervals.

The appraisal process can be used to establish learning needs, review objectives and discuss any concerns.