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Scottish Rowing's Child Protection Officer is Robin Collings. Contact details are on the left and also on the contacts page.
What's New? Since Previous Update on 1 July 2011?
New CRBS Guides to completing PVGS Application Forms.
About the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme
In setting up this Scheme, minimising bureaucracy has been a priority and the new arrangements make matters much simpler. Of particular importance are the definitions of 'regulated work' for which Scheme membership is recommended, and other 'work' with children or protected adults for which membership is not required. A new concept is the 'principle of incidentallity' which exempts clubs from requiring Scheme membership for work with children or protected adults when their presence at the club is 'incidental' - ie they have not been targeted in any way and form only a small minority of the participants; this particularly affects our University clubs which are intended as organisations for adults but may have the occasional under-18.
Your Board member has produced a short Guide (4 pages) which has been distributed to club contacts. Also available on request are Scottish Government guides to the PVG Scheme (136 pages) and to Child Protection in Scotland (draft for consultation purposes - 159 pages). Scottish Rowing will organise Scheme membership applications, disclosures and updates for those clubs who currently work through us.
Clubs registered with CRBS must contact them to request a supply of PVGS application forms which are rather limited in availability. The new forms ask some new questions. B83 to 87 require particular care and require reference to the Guidance Notes before completion.
Safeguarding in Sport Materials
The Safeguarding in Sport service has sent to Scottish governing bodies a DVD presenting case studies (using child actors) of child 'abuse' in a sporting context. This is being copied and distributed to clubs. All club managers and coaches are encouraged to view the DVD.
Scottish Rowing Policy
In October 2009 your Board has reviewed the Scottish Rowing Child Protection Policy. The main changes are a simplification of the policy on photographing children (page 14) and an insertion at the request of Children 1st (on page 16) of material on communicating with children by means of mobile phones.
Photography
Scottish Rowing supports the principle of photographers working at regattas and other events applying for accreditation. This is, of course, impossible to enforce. However, a few of our regulars have now gone through this process and have ID badges which should be visible when they are operating. If you too think you ought to be participating in this scheme, please download the application form, complete it and return it to Tom Hewitt at the address on the form along with the other bits and pieces requested.
Are Your Coaches OK to Work with Under-18s?
It is a criminal offence for anyone whose name is on the Barred from Working with Children List to carry out 'regulated work' with under-18s. It is also a criminal offence for an organisation to 'employ' such a person to do regulated work. The only way to find out if a person is Listed is via a Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVGS) Membership Record application.
Coaches already checked via the old PoCSA scheme need not rush to apply for PVGS membership. Disclosure Scotland will tell us when we can 'refresh' our existing coaches; they have a plan, which may involve a wait of up to 4 years, so that the Scheme administration will not be overloaded.
Clubs which are already registered with the Central Registered Body in Scotland (CRBS) can continue to organise checks for themselves via CRBS and the PVGS. Those not so registered can do so via Scottish Rowing's Child Protection Officer. Registering with CRBS is very straightforward. It is free, as is PVGS Membership for volunteers when requested via CRBS. All clubs with a substantial junior presence ought to be pursuing this option.
Coaches and others working with under-18s for Scottish Rowing need to have an up-to-date PVGS Membership Record organised either by Scottish Rowing or by their clubs. In the latter case the Scottish Rowing Child Protection Officer will require to see their Scheme Membership Records. Existing Disclosures organised by Scottish Rowing will continue to be valid until we are instructed to transfer all coaches to the PVGS..
Training for Coaches and Child Protection Officers
is offered by CRBS, Children 1st, and sportscotland / sportscoachUK. Locations countrywide are used. We strongly recommend that all coaches working with under-18s attend a Safeguarding and Protecting Children workshop and all child protection officers attend an In Safe Hands workshop.
Resources:
From Scottish Government
From Scottish Rowing
Contact Information
CRBS, www.crbs.org.uk, 01786 849777
Children 1st, www.children1st.org.uk, 0131 446 2300 (local numbers on web site)
Child Protection in Sport Service, www.childprotectioninsport.org.uk, 0141 418 5674
Sportscotland, www.sportscotland.org.uk, 0131 317 7200
sportscoachUK, www.sportscoach.org, 0113 274 4802
Scottish Rowing, governance@scottish-rowing.org.uk, 01698 458480
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