Basketball England Safer Recruitment of Staff and Volunteers
Guidance for clubs, leagues, and associations on safer recruitment of staff and volunteers.
Updated: May 2021
The intentions of most people who work in basketball are good, but when recruiting new staff or volunteers it is essential that safer recruitment and selection procedures are implemented. Whether a role is paid or unpaid, part-time or full-time, organisations must take all reasonable steps to create a safe environment for children and adults at risk.
Effective recruitment and selection procedures make sure staff and volunteers have clearly defined roles and responsibilities, as well as assuring parents/carers that you take Safeguarding seriously and prevent unsuitable people from working in your organisation.
This guidance applies to the recruitment of all staff and volunteers in Basketball England affiliated clubs, leagues, associations and events.
For those licensing with Basketball England in roles working with children, the licensing process has in place a series of mandatory checks but these do not negate the need for organisations to carry out their own procedures. By following the steps below, you will help to ensure the right people are in our Sport.
Key steps to ensure safer recruitment
1. Job Role/Description
- A job role/description should be written which describes the full range of tasks, duties and responsibilities relating to the role. The description should help everyone to understand the extent and nature of the role.
2. Person Specification
- There should be a person specification which describes the skills, experience and attributes the role requires. These can include specific experience of working with children, being child-centred and necessary sport, or other, qualifications.
3. Advertising
- Adverts for paid jobs or volunteer roles should be placed to attract the widest audience and ensure an open recruitment process is demonstrated. Areas could include newsletters, noticeboards (including online), the club’s or Basketball England’s website etc. The advert should indicate that the post involves working with children and/or adults at risk and where appropriate, that a self-declaration, references and a DBS check to the correct level are required. See Appendix 1 – Sample Advertisement
4. Application form
- All candidates should fill out an application form, which should then be used to inform a subsequent interview/meeting with the applicant and identify any gaps in employment/volunteering history.
- The form should capture relevant information about the candidate’s experience, qualifications and employment history (paid or voluntary).
- Where appropriate, the form should include a section allowing the individual to self-declare relevant convictions or whether they are currently under investigation and allow them to give their consent for a criminal record check to be undertaken. See Appendix 3 & 4 Basketball England’s Self-Declaration Forms; SG1 & SG2 as a guide.
- The form should state that failure to disclose any relevant information may result in their exclusion from the club, organisation or event. See Appendix 2 – Sample Application Form
- You should also ask applicants to complete an Equal Opportunities Monitoring form which should be separated from the application form, before consideration for the role. This form will assist your organisation in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion monitoring. See Appendix 5 – Sample Equalities Monitoring Form
5. Meeting/Interview
- Ensure staff or volunteers participate in an interview or have a meeting with at least two representatives of the club/organisation.
- Check any gaps in the application form and ensure the applicant meets the standards required to adhere to the club’s/Basketball England’s Safeguarding policy.
- For roles that will be working with children or adults at risk, ask questions that gauge the applicant’s knowledge of safeguarding to assess their suitability for the role. See Appendix 6 – Interview Assessment Record
6. Written References
- Obtain at least two written references, ideally including their last employer/club (paid or voluntary). Include someone who can provide information on the applicant’s previous work with children or adults at risk. The references should ideally be sought for all short-listed candidates and obtained before an interview.
- It is best practice to directly contact the references via telephone to confirm they provided the reference and that it is an accurate reflection of the candidate. It also gives them the opportunity to raise any concerns. • All references should be provided to those with responsibility for deciding on the individual’s suitability for the role.
- If any concerns are raised by the references, please contact [email protected]
Identity and qualification checks
Ensure the candidate’s identity and qualifications are checked prior to appointment. For example, request photographic identification, qualifications, experience and evidence of their right to work in the UK.
Criminal record checks
Ensure a DBS check of the correct level is carried out through Basketball England if a person is selected for a role. Most roles in basketball will qualify for a DBS check, and the level of check will depend on the individual’s role. Your Club Welfare Officer should be the main point of contact for this. Where there is content on someone’s DBS certificate, the Basketball England Safeguarding Team should be contacted so that a risk assessment can be completed where necessary.
Recruitment decisions
Consider all of the information you have received via;
The application form
- Confirmation of identity
- Response from references
- Whether their DBS check is approved by Basketball England
- Notes from meeting/interview
This information can help you to make an informed decision about whether to accept a person to work or volunteer for your organisation.
Appointments to roles should not be made by just one individual. Depending on the size of your organisation, decisions can be made by a panel, committee, or executive committee. This ensures the process is fair and unbiased.
Once in post
Carry out an induction as soon as possible to introduce the individual to the club/organisation and to familiarise them with safeguarding policies and procedures, other key policies as well as the responsibilities of the post.
Ensure the individual completes adequate safeguarding training and any other relevant training before they commence their role. New coaches must have face-to-face or virtual classroom Safeguarding and Protecting Children training as their introduction to Safeguarding.
Have in place a contract of employment and job description for all employees and role description for volunteers, which include all safeguarding and other requirements.
Ensure all employees and volunteers read and understand Basketball England’s Safeguarding Policy and Code of Ethics and Conduct.
Require new employees/volunteers to sign the club/organisation’s constitution and any other relevant policies such as codes of conduct, Data Protection policy, Health and Safety Policy/risk assessments, Equal Opportunities policy and Duty of Care Charter.
Set a probationary/trial period if necessary and review the performance of the post-holder against the job description after this time.
Consider appointing someone to mentor/support the individual during the first few months of the role. One-to-one meetings could be organised to allow the individual access to support. Safeguarding should be raised in each meeting to allow the individual to share concerns and ideas.
Encourage them to attend further training specific to their role.
Appointing Under 18s
If you appoint a child as a volunteer or employee, there are additional legal considerations and an enhanced duty of care to that person. They should be given the contact details for your Club Welfare Officer and the Basketball England Safeguarding Team.
Basketball England encourages its clubs, Club Welfare Officers and others to share best practice and their experience of safer recruitment with other clubs/organisations, as well as our Safeguarding Team: [email protected]