Comment


their courses in order to help out, a lot of children could lose their lifts to the grounds and parents may wish to spend the day with their children elsewhere. The systems that have been put in place by these governing bodies to safeguard the vulnerable, are actually having the adverse effect.


So to the DBS checks, as I find it very hard to understand how one, single-page document, with information accurate only to the day that the check was done, and with information only on police records, qualifies somebody as safe to look after children and vulnerable adults.


Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks (previously CRB checks)


The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) have merged to become the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). CRB checks are now called DBS checks.


A DBS check may be needed for certain jobs or voluntary work, e.g. working with children or in healthcare.


There are different rules for getting a criminal record check in Scotland and Northern Ireland.


DBS eligibility guidance lists most roles that are eligible for a check. However, the guidance isn’t comprehensive so contact DBS if unsure.


A DBS check has no official expiry date. Any information included will be accurate at the time the check was carried out. It is up to an employer or club to decide if and when a new check is needed.


Applicants and employers can use the DBS update service to keep a certificate up to date or carry out checks on a potential employee’s certificate.


There are three types of check. The employer or organisation running the check should provide the applicant with more information about the level of check required.


Costs range from £26 for a ‘standard’ check to £44 for the ‘advanced’ check and may take up to four weeks to complete.


Further details are available at: www.gov.uk/ disclosure-barring- service-check/ overview


I agree completely that a DBS check is a very important check to do, but I think that those all-knowing governing bodies are missing the point entirely with their safeguarding laws. Surely, the best thing for children is to have experienced members, with a connection to them and the club, who are known by the locals and respected by those around them, coaching and mentoring them? Surely, if the clubs themselves were allowed to implement their own procedures for safety and child welfare, with the help of those volunteers who are so invaluable, this would be a more thorough and effective way of doing things?


This would be a case for the club committee members; another dying breed. It is becoming increasingly difficult to attract new people to administrative roles in club sport and, more


often than


not, the poor souls


that have sat in the


same chair for many a


year, are having to keep sitting


there. Could this be because of all


the extra work that is required now? The newly arduous roles require a lot more paperwork, and a lot more red tape to negotiate. The full time job of organising a training session without being allowed to text the players to find out if they can play, and without being able to arrange lifts for those without them, whilst also finding the least expensive coach/two coaches, does seem a


14 I PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 bit much to fit in with a day job.


I just want to touch on another vital volunteer job role here. It is common knowledge amongst Pitchcare readers that the grounds maintenance staff of this country are criminally overlooked. Volunteers who work tirelessly seven days a week; these are the people who keep the pitch/court/green in tip top condition for us all to play on when we please. The love for their work and their club is what keeps them enjoying their role, but now, with the added pressure of the clubs to make more money, they are having to do more than just their own jobs. As well as this, they are having to stay in the role until, as one cricket groundsman recently told me, “they take me out of here in my coffin”.


Encouraging the next generation of volunteer grounds staff is something that has to be addressed in the not too distant future. The appeal of doing what is essentially a nine to five job for no pay is something that the younger generations would scoff at, especially when confronted with the lack of respect that grounds staff suffer on a regular basis.


So, whose job is it to rectify the problem? I doubt that parents and club members fully understand the amount of work that goes into their sports facilities. I know I didn’t before becoming a part of the industry.


So to the county institutes and


councils, will they come up with a scheme? Perhaps one which involves a salary for the main grounds person of a bigger club, with volunteer grounds people to assist. This, I know, would put more financial strain on our clubs, but then surely this is better than having no grounds person at all.


I am aware that the problems with sports club participation are not solely to do with the bureaucracy I have been talking about in this article. Community spirit is not what it used to be (I hear), and with technology forming such a huge part of our children’s lives, leading to shorter concentration spans, these things also have an impact on community sport.


What I think clubs need back is some autonomy. Certainly, coaching qualifications are a good idea, but let’s not make them so expensive and time consuming. Let’s make it easier for somebody with experience, who wants to help out at their local club, do so.


With regards to DBS checks, I am not sure what to suggest. The system is flawed, that much is certain, but the checks need to be done. A more thorough and free original check, followed by the club’s own systems that enable them to have people around who will nurture their children and club members, would be a good place to start.


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