Frequently asked questions on Safeguarding answered
The page is split into questions that cover the following areas:
- DBS
- Dealing With Concerns
- Safeguarding Courses
- First Aid Courses
- Social Media, Photography & Video
Requirements for roles
What are the safeguarding requirements for roles in basketball?
There are safeguarding requirements for anyone licensing to work/volunteer in basketball and for some roles outside of licencing.
The requirements differ, depending on the license you are applying for or the role you are undertaking. The link below explains what is required for each role.
Please note that Officials' licenses are transferrable, meaning that they can be used in Junior and Senior competition, and therefore the Safeguarding checks apply to all Official’s licenses.
Role by role information HERE
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
What is an Enhanced DBS Check?
An Enhanced DBS check searches the applicant’s criminal history for convictions, cautions, warnings, and reprimands with an option to check the applicant isn’t on any barred lists. It can be obtained for positions working with children or vulnerable groups.
This level of check shows full details of a criminal record, including Cautions, Warnings, Reprimands, spent and unspent convictions. It can also search the children and vulnerable adults ‘barred list’ to see if the applicant is prohibited from working with these groups. Local police can add any relevant information about the applicant.
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) have more information on their website.
Do I need a DBS?
All members who are qualified and licensed with Basketball England to work with or coach Under 18’s in regulated/unsupervised activity are required to hold a valid, clear and enhanced DBS that has been completed in the last 3 years.
Regulated activity is defined as anyone who has a role coaching, teaching, caring, supervising, advising, treating, or transporting anyone under the age of 18. It also includes working with Under 18’s once a week or more, four times or more in a single month and/or overnight between 2am – 6am.
It is good practice to request a DBS check of the correct level for all staff and volunteers, even if they are not in Regulated activity. If someone is supervising a staff member or volunteer who works in Regulated activity, they are also eligible for the same level of check.
I am 16 years old, do I need a DBS?
If you meet the criteria above and you are over 16 then yes, you will need to undergo a DBS. The government made changes to the law in 2012 that meant that 16 – 18 year olds must now undertake a DBS check. If you are under 16 years of age, you will not be required/will not be able to undergo a DBS check.
How do I get a DBS?
Basketball England uses Know Your People to complete DBS Checks.
If you need a DBS setting up, please email [email protected] with the following details:
• Full Name
• Membership Number
• Email Address
• Your role in basketball
• Whether this role is voluntary or paid
The Safeguarding team will set you up to receive an activation email and explain the next steps.
I didn’t receive the activation email, what should I do?
Check your spam/junk folders and filters as it may have landed in there, depending on your security settings. If you cannot see it there, contact our safeguarding team with the topic ‘DBS Activation Email – Missing’ and one of the Safeguarding team will be able to advise.
It may be down to your security settings, so we may need a new email address to get the activation email sent to so please have one handy in case we require it, this could be a relative’s email who you have been given permission to use.
I have received the activation email, what should I do next?
Please follow the steps below in order to complete the process:
- Complete your details on the application
- Choose the identity document verification method
- The digital route is preferred (£5.35), with the option to attend the post office (£6 + VAT).
- We would only recommend selecting verification by organisation is you know a verifier local to you. If you select this option without such knowledge, this could cause significant delays and you may have to withdraw your application and start again.
- The application will then automatically undergo police and DBS checks
- Once completed, if the DBS comes back clear the details of your certificate will be uploaded onto PLAYHQ automatically
- If the DBS has content, we will be in touch with further information
Save money on your DBS next time
When your DBS certificate is sent to you, remember to sign up to the DBS Update Service.
You must register with the DBS directly within 30 days of your certificate being issued.
For volunteers this is free - meaning you do not have to pay the admin cost (currently £10.80) when your DBS expires with us. For non-volunteers it costs £16.00 per year.
I have made a mistake on my DBS application, how do I rectify this?
If you make a mistake on your DBS application you should try and go back to amend the mistake.
If you have submitted your application and you become aware of a mistake, you need to contact Know Your People Online Disclosures immediately - 0115 9694600.
Basketball England cannot access your application to make any amendments, we can withdraw your application and send you a new activation email.
Is there a cost for DBS checks?
Yes, there is a small admin fee that Know Your People charge which is £10.80 per application for volunteers only.
If you are not a volunteer, the price for an Enhanced DBS check & administration fee is £60.30 from Monday 2 December 2024.
To qualify for a volunteer check, the applicant must not:
- benefit financially from the position for which the application is being submitted
- receive any payment (except for travel and other approved out-of-pocket expenses)
You must confirm with your DBS verifier if you are eligible for a volunteer check.
If you register for a volunteer check, and then your income from Basketball increases to over and above out-of-pocket expenses, you must apply for a new check at the employee rate.
I am working with an adult team in an adult league. Do I need a DBS and Safeguarding Certificate?
No. When licensing or registering via PlayHQ for any role (other than player) these are automatic requirements; therefore, if you have no junior players within your team, your Club Welfare Officer will need to confirm this via email to the Basketball England safeguarding team who will override these requirements.
Please note, the CWO/club retain responsibility for ensuring appropriate checks are then put in place should an Under-18 join. You cannot use your senior license and move to coach or support a team with juniors. If you plan to run sessions with anyone under 18 or have Under-18s on an adult team, you will need to meet the requirements to work with juniors.
If you are working as an official, you will need to complete a DBS check because your license can be used in Senior and Junior leagues and competitions where U18s are participating.
I have a DBS with another organisation, do I need to do a new one through Basketball England?
If you have a DBS from another employer, if this is valid within the last three years and enhanced, with a check of the children’s barred list, this can be verified for licencing purposes.
Your original certificate must be shown in person to your BE registered Club Welfare Officer and they will email [email protected] with the required details.
I am a part of the Update Service, can this be used?
Yes, we accept the Update Service. In order to check the update service for you, we require the following information to be sent in an email to us with the subject title ‘DBS Update Service’:
- Full Disclosure Number on the certificate
- Date of Birth on the certificate
- Surname given on the certificate
- Your consent to complete the check
We must have seen the original certificate to which the update service check relates. If you are unable to provide the original certificate you will be require to complete a new check.
I am a foreign coach who hasn’t been in the country long enough to get an enhanced DBS, what do I need to do?
There is no minimum time you need to be in the UK to request a DBS check. Please be aware that if you have resided as an adult outside of the UK for any longer than six months in a rolling 12-month period, you will be required to provide a police check from the relevant countries upon registration as a licensed member. For any further detail on this contact the Safeguarding Team.
I need to verify my documents; how do I do this?
Once you reach Step 3 of your application, you will need to select the verification method you wish to use. The default method will be set to Post Office, however, you can change this to 'Organisation' if you wish to meet with a local verifier.
If you have chosen the Organisation method, you will need to contact a Basketball England verifier. You should have one within your club. This person is often your Club Welfare Officer, so if you contact them informing them that you need documents verifying they will be able to assist.
If you do not have a club verifier, you can view a list of verifiers on Step 3 of your application. They are listed by region and club.
You MUST verify documents in person and not via email as the verifier needs to confirm your identity and this can only be done in person.
If you have chosen the Post Office verification method, please follow these steps. There is an administration fee of £5.00+VAT (increasing to £6.85+VAT on 4th October 2021), so you should take a payment card with you, so that you can complete the application process.
If you are a 'volunteer' official and choose to have your documents verified at the Post Office, you should inform the Post Office that you are a volunteer, in order to be charged the lower rate.
What documents do I need to provide when I need them verifying?
You will select three documents at the end of your online application. If you are unsure, a verifier can confirm which documents you need to provide.
If you are unsure which documents to select, or want to know before you have to select them, the Disclosure and Barring Service have provided more information on the documents that can be verified.
I can’t contact a Basketball England verifier/there isn’t one in my area or club. What should I do?
If there isn’t a Basketball England verifier in your club but you have a Club Welfare Officer, you can encourage them to become one (see section on ‘Can I become a Basketball England verifier? If so, how do I do this?’).
Failing this, you can go to any Post Office branch and ask them to complete the verification for you. There is a £5.00+VAT fee for this service and you should take a payment card with you so that you can complete the application process.
Post Office Verification Step-by-Step Guide
If you are a 'volunteer' official and choose to have your documents verified at the Post Office, you should inform the Post Office that you are a volunteer, in order to be charged the lower rate.
Can the Post Office verify my documents?
Yes, the Post Office can verify your documents and complete the application. They will charge a £5.00+VAT (increasing to £6.85+VAT from 4th October 2021) administration fee.
Post Office Verification Step-by-Step Guide
If you are a 'volunteer' official and choose to have your documents verified at the Post Office, you should inform the Post Office that you are a volunteer, in order to be charged the lower rate.
Should I be charged a fee to have my documents verified?
Through Basketball England verifiers, you are not required to pay a fee. Basketball England does not recommend or encourage verifiers to charge DBS applicants to verify their documents.
If a verifier asks you for payment, please note that you have the right to refuse and go to another verifier.
The Post Office do charge a £6.85+VAT administration fee.
Can I become a Basketball England verifier? If so, how do I do this?
If you are a Welfare Officer with a clear enhanced DBS check done in the past 3 years then, yes, you can become a Basketball England verifier. If you are a Referee Coordinator with an Enhanced DBS, you can also become a verifier.
The Basketball England verifier will be able to send out activation links to members who require a new DBS check.
To do so, please contact the safeguarding team with the subject title ‘New Basketball England Verifier’. Please include;
- Your full name
- An email address which you are happy for applicants to see
- Name of the club you are affiliated with
- The address where you will conduct checks from
- Your telephone number (if you want this to be on the system visible to all applicants)
- Detail of whether you hold a current DBS certificate or need a new application submitting. We contact you for proof of DBS certificate.
Please note: When becoming a Basketball England verifier, the email assigned to your verifier's account will be advertised on the Know Your People Online Disclosures website and Basketball England DBS applicants will be able to see it at the end of the application process.
What does a Basketball England verifier do?
Your role as a Basketball England verifier consists of:
- Verifying documents for DBS checks
A Verifier’s Guide can be found HERE.
I am a Basketball England Verifier, how can I set someone up for a new DBS?
To set up a new DBS applicant, you need to log into your verifier account on Know Your People's Online Disclosure System.
Once on there, navigate to the organisation tabs and click 'organisation actions'. Here you will be able to create a new applicant.
A document explaining the process more, with photos, can be found below:
As a Basketball England verifier, what is the verification process?
The verifying process on the Online Disclosure System can be found HERE.
How often do I need to renew a DBS?
Basketball England need to see your DBS status every 3 years, either through a new certificate being issued, or by checking the update service. This means you should apply for a new DBS check 2.5 years after it's issue to ensure you get the check processed in time.
Even though DBS' do not have expiry dates, Basketball England's policy is to request a status check every three years. This ensures that we have regular up to date information on people working with Under 18's in basketball, making the environment safer for children.
My DBS has cleared and gone through, what happens next?
Your PlayHQ membership will automatically be updated with any clear DBS results.
I filled out a DBS application online more than 6 months ago, can I still use this, or do I need to start a new application?
You will most likely need to start a new application. DBS applications usually are active for around 6 months before they go out of date.
Further to this, due to Data Protection laws in force from May 2018, First Advantage will now start to delete applications that are six months or older.
If your application is withdrawn you will receive an email informing you of this.
I have received a request from Basketball England to send in my DBS, why is this?
If a DBS comes through on the online disclosure system saying, ‘See Paper Disclosure’, Basketball England has an obligation to risk assess and go through a process of due diligence.
If you receive a letter requesting you to send in your DBS then please send it in the post (we cannot accept scanned copies) your recent paper disclosure as Regulation 4.1.1 of the Model Regulations requires us to risk assess your DBS.
The sooner you do this, the sooner we can get you licensed and out working within the basketball community. If you delay on this process, we may take action and suspend you until this has been completed.
You must send your DBS certificate through 'Signed For' Recorded delivery, and address it to the Basketball England Safeguarding Team.
You also have the option of presenting your certificate to one of our appointed Regional Welfare Officers (availability depending). Please contact the team if you want to request this option.
I think my DBS will come back with content on, what should I do?
Please be open and honest if you have any convictions or think you will have content on your DBS. Please complete a self-declaration form and submit it to the team as soon as possible. You could choose to write a letter explaining the conviction(s), so we can handle your DBS risk assessment process more quickly when it is issued.
My DBS has content on, will this stop me from working with Under-18s?
Not necessarily.
We assess each application on merit, and look at a range of factors such as types of convictions, age at the time of the offences and any rehabilitation completed. We also consider how your circumstances may have changed since the offences happened.
We may put in place some temporary or permanent measures such as training, a probationary period or supervision, or other necessary restrictions.
However, if you are on the Children’s Barred List, we will not be able to permit you to license in any roles where you may come into contact with Under-18s.
I have been asked to provide a ‘Letter of Explanation’, what does this mean?
Basketball England asks for a letter of explanation when the content on a DBS is recent or the type of content is concerning. We ask that the circumstances and surroundings behind each conviction are explained in detail to ensure we understand the full picture. You should also identify any rehabilitation attended since the offense(s), age at time of offense(s) and character references from individuals not related to basketball or education.
I have an enhanced DBS through Basketball England, but I have been convicted since it was issued, do I need to do anything?
If you have gone through an enhance DBS check and it came back clear but since the issue date you have had a conviction or been reprimanded, you should inform the Safeguarding team immediately.
You must also inform your team if you are under investigation for Safeguarding reasons by another employer, the police or Children's Social Care. We will speak to you about the situation and whether your circumstances impact on your role in basketball.
This is to ensure that we have the most accurate and up to date records for anyone working within basketball.
Safeguarding courses ****problem here
I currently don’t have a safeguarding certificate/my certificate has expired, where should I go to get one done?
I have done a previous safeguarding course through another organisation, will it be accepted?
Basketball England do not accept any other training courses as part of licensing requirements. The only accepted course is the Basketball England Safeguarding Course. Further information HERE.
I am a coach/official who has/does safeguarding through my employer, can I use this to meet the safeguarding requirements?
Basketball England do not accept any other training courses as part of licensing requirements. The only accepted course is the Basketball England Safeguarding Course. Further information HERE.
I have done an online course; do you accept them?
Basketball England do not accept any other training courses as part of licensing requirements. The only accepted course is the Basketball England Safeguarding Course. Further information HERE.
I am under 18, do I need to undergo safeguarding training?
We don’t require under-18s to undergo safeguarding training as there are very few courses that accommodate and provide the knowledge for young volunteers in sport.
UK Coaching is one organisation that does provide an age appropriate course for 13-17-year olds which provides young coaches, officials, volunteers, and sports leaders, with age-appropriate safeguarding information. It’s the ideal environment for them to develop their confidence in how to identify what abuse of a child in sport may look like, how they should act in line with their age and status, and how to keep themselves safe in sport.
More information HERE.
I am a coach who has undergone a Safeguarding Course, but I am still getting a block on the registration form, what do I need to do?
If you have already submitted your safeguarding certificate and your records are up to date but there is still a block showing on your registration form, this may be down to our DBS records not being up to date for you so you may have to send in a scanned copy of your DBS to the safeguarding team.
For more information on DBS checks, please see above for more information.
Social media, photography and video
I don't have consent or I am not aware if I have consent to use or take a person's image, can I still use it?
No. If you do not have the consent from the person or their parent/guardian, you do not have the right to use that photo. This encompasses posting on social media, filming games/events and photos by official photographers. In doing so you may face sanctions by Basketball England.
Should I use a player's personal social media page in posts to advertise the club?
If the player is under the age of 18, then no. The reason for this is that this can identify the player not only online but also offline and potentially lead to that player being identified and contacted by unwanted or dangerous individuals.
If the player is over the age of 18, you should ask for permission to do so and they should be made aware of where and when it may be posted. Some players have professional pages that they have set up to advertise themselves, it would be more appropriate to use these instead of their personal pages.
More information can be found through our social media policy.
We are keen to advertise our squad lists; how can we do this correctly?
Identifying players within squad lists and photos is a great way to give players a sense of togetherness and belonging within a club, but you need to be careful as to what information is provided alongside a post on social media.
You should not be posting the names of players under the age of 18 alongside, photos, personal details, which includes, personal social media accounts, email addresses and dates of birth. The reason for this is that this can identify the player not only online but also offline and potentially lead to that player being identified and contacted by unwanted or dangerous individuals.
I have seen some comments/posts on social media that are negative towards, basketball, a player or club, what can I do?
If comments on social media seem threatening, obscene, bullying/abuse or defamatory these should be reported to Basketball England for further investigation. Messages which are defamatory, libellous or obscene are prohibited at all times and may require the intervention and/or investigation by Basketball England.
We encourage, where necessary, that you take screenshots of the posts and comments on social media as this will mean that Basketball England can take action if necessary.
All concerns should be reported to [email protected].
I am unsure if I should post something, what should I do?
You should always 'think before you post'.
You should consider any messages, photos, videos or information and if they do comply with existing policies within your club, team or organisation. If you are unsure, it is best not to post it, hold off and check with someone who will know.
The Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) provides more information and templates for good practice in social media in sport.