The Club makes use of ASA template application and reference forms, seeking two references where appropriate to the role. Experienced Club personnel and/or Head Coach meet with potential candidates to discuss the requirements of the role and expectations of the Club and candidate, when applicable.
The Club aims to treat every applicant in a fair and consistent manner and, during the recruitment process, consider:
- relevant qualifications and experience of the applicant;
- any factor that may affect the applicant’s suitability to work with children.
Coaches, Committee Members and Poolside Volunteers (Club Personnel) are required to:
- Be registered as members of the Club and the ASA.
- Agree to abide by Club rules and sign the Club’s Code of Conduct.
- Be DBS checked, if appropriate (as per the Wavepower definition of Regulated Activity).
- Attend a Safeguarding and Protection Children course within the first six months of appointment, where relevant.
The Club will make Club Personnel aware of and require them to sign up to:
- Club rules
- Club and ASA Child Safeguarding Policy and Procedures and Equality Policy, as outlined in Wavepower 2012/15.
- ASA Code of Ethics, Rules and Regulations.
The Club will also provide a copy of Section 4 of Wavepower 2012/15 for reference, along with the Club’s own `what to do in an emergency‘ documents:
- `What to do if concerned about a child’s welfare’ – if considered to be at immediate risk, but also covering advice in a non-emergency situation
- `What to do if a child is missing’
- `What to do if a child is not collected on time’
To ensure smooth transition for succession of and settling in to new roles, volunteers have the opportunity to `shadow’ experienced personnel and benefit from a period of mentoring for as long as is necessary for the new person to feel confident to take on the responsibility of the role concerned.
The Club endeavours to identify training needs on an ongoing basis, but will aim to establish a training plan in respect of Club requirements and the development needs of individuals to be evaluated annually.
SUCCESSION PLANNING
The majority of our volunteers are parents of Club swimmers and as a result we have a continual and regular turnover of our voluntary workforce. Wherever possible, we try to plan for succession to our key roles to ensure the smooth running of the Club for the benefit of its members. We ask that volunteers holding key roles remain in post for a minimum of one year and give a minimum of three months’ notice of their intention to `step down’ in order that we can start to train and DBS check any successors. To support our succession planning the Club aims to:
- Foster good relations with our parents in order to seek out possible replacements.
- Offer financially supported learning and development to enable volunteers to acquire the relevant skills from courses and workshops, such as ASA teaching and coaching levels; child safeguarding; disability awareness and various CPD seminars.
- Promote the benefit of voluntary roles.
