Hertfordshire County Council has recommended that schools should appoint only sports coaches who meet the standards of the CoachMark scheme administered by Herts Sports Partnership. This guide sets out what the CoachMark scheme is and what it means for coaches and the schools they coach in.
What is CoachMark?
CoachMark is a scheme supported by both Herts Sports Partnership and Hertfordshire County Council that establishes standards for the coaching of sport and physical activity in schools and helps to safeguard young people who participate in school. A coach accredited by CoachMark meets the minimum standards set out by sports coach UK, the governing body for sports coaching.
A CoachMark coach meets the required criteria in the following areas:
• Age
• Coaching qualifications
• Insurance
• Welfare safety
• Child protection training
• Code of conduct
• References
(You can click on any of these to find out more.)
What is the aim of CoachMark?
The CoachMark scheme will help to ensure that the standard of coaches involved in coaching sport in Hertfordshire meets some basic requirements (the minimum standards referred to above). It will also help to ensure the safety of children in our local schools, and reassure teachers and parents alike about the individuals coaching their children.
CoachMark will also mean that access to schools for coaches is more consistent. With one CRB check from Hertfordshire County Council, the need for multiple checks can be avoided.
How will CoachMark coaches be identified?
Coaches that meet the CoachMark standard will appear on the Coaching Herts website at this address:
http://www.coachingherts.org.uk/links/coachmark_coaches
CoachMark coaches will carry a CoachMark photo ID card and will have a CoachMark certificate. However, in isolation these are not proof that the coach is part of the scheme. The most current information available will be reflected on the CoachMark website.
How do coaches register with CoachMark?
The first step is to register on the Coaching Herts database – www.coachingherts.org.uk.
After that, Herts Sports Partnership will validate the information entered – this can be done by appointment, or at a CoachMark validation session.
Once that has happened, the coach’s name will appear on the Coaching Herts website (see the link above). The coach will also be issued with a CoachMark photo ID card and a CoachMark certificate.
What if a coach does not meet the CoachMark standard?
If a school is already working with a coach and the coach’s name does not appear on the list of CoachMark coaches, the school should discuss why with the coach. It may be that they have yet to register, or it may be that the coach does not currently meet the required standards for CoachMark. In either case, the school should (as a matter of urgency!) agree a timescale with the coach to complete the CoachMark process.
Any new coaching appointments should meet the CoachMark standard.
Herts Sports Partnership does not recommend any discretion on the age and qualification elements of CoachMark.
Coaches may already have a CRB disclosure from their own sport’s governing body – if they need a Hertfordshire County Council CRB check, the Herts Sports Partnership can arrange that.
Herts Sports Partnership also runs Safeguarding & Protecting Children workshops – click here to link to the Workshops and Courses section of the website. There are other providers, including governing bodies and Hertfordshire County Council.
A number of governing bodies for sports offer insurance schemes for their coaches. Also, full membership of sports coach UK offers insurance for qualified sports coaches.
Is there more information on CoachMark?
Yes – there is a page about CoachMark on the main website of the Herts Sports Partnership:
http://www.sportinherts.org.uk/coaching/coachmark
Additional information on CoachMark standards
Age
Lead coach or independent deliverer: 18+ years.
As the lead coach has a significant level of responsibility, it is important that he or she is a minimum age of 18 and is, therefore, an adult. This recommendation is supported by the major sporting bodies in the UK.
Assistant coach: 16+ years
An assistant coach works under the direction/supervision of a lead coach. As such, the minimum age recommendation is 16. This age recommendation is also in line with the entry criteria for most Level 1 coaching award courses.
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Coaching qualifications
Lead coach or independent deliverer: Level 2 or above
Assistant coach: Level 1
Within the UK Coaching Framework, the level of coaching award reflects the technical competence of the coach. Guidance on the appropriateness of certain qualifications can be sought from your local School Sports Partnership, the Herts Sports Partnership or the specific governing body of the sport.
Please note that coaches should only coach those sports in which they are qualified. Unqualified coaches should not be used. In general terms, a level 2 qualification in one sport does not mean that a coach is qualified to act as a lead coach in another sport.
(There is much more information on coaching awards on the sports coach UK website. For guidance on Level 1 coaching awards in a range of sports, click here.)
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Insurance
An appropriate insurance policy that covers the coach for the duties to be undertaken ensures that both the coach and the participants are covered. The cover required depends upon the nature of the role being undertaken.
Many governing bodies of sports offer insurance schemes to their coaches – some include insurance cover as part of their coaching awards. Failing that, full membership of sports coach UK offers coaches specialist insurance cover.
A minimum of £5 million cover for professional and public liability is recommended, although some governing bodies of sport are increasing this sum to £10 million cover, which is anticipated as becoming the norm in the future.
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Welfare safety
All coaches working in Hertfordshire schools require an enhanced CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check. This check must have been carried out within three years of the date of the coaching activity.
This CRB check must be carried out by Hertfordshire County Council. Volunteer coaches can get this check for free; paid coaches will need to pay a fee (currently £44).
Hertfordshire County Council is willing to recognise CRB checks carried out by sports’ governing bodies (NGBs), provided that the NGB is willing to apply the same criteria and to share information. As of 18 April 2011, the county council recognises CRBs from the Lawn Tennis Association and UK Athletics - thus tennis and athletics coaches who are part of the CoachMark scheme do not require CRB checks from Hertfordshire County Council.
n.b. In February 2011, following a review of the existing system of CRB checks, the government announced proposals to reduce the number of people requiring CRB checks and to improve CRB portability between posts. Any proposals requiring changes to legislation are unlikely to be introduced until late 2012.
Child protection training
As part of CoachMark, all coaches should have attended a Safeguarding & Protecting Children workshop within the last three years. Suitable workshops are run by some governing bodies of sport, Herts Sports Partnership and Hertfordshire County Council.
We have added this requirement to the core minimum standards that sports coach UK recommend because of the context in which CoachMark coaches will operate, i.e. in a school environment with children.
It is, we believe, good practice for all coaches to attend Safeguarding & Protecting Children workshops as they may encounter children or vulnerable adults in almost any coaching situation.
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Code of conduct
Coaches should subscribe to either (or both) their sport’s governing body’s code of conduct for coaches, or to sports coach UK’s Code of Practice for Sports Coaches.
To learn more about a code of conduct for sports coaches, and to download sports coach UK’s Code of Practice, click here.
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References
To be part of the CoachMark scheme, a coach has to provide the names of two referees. Herts Sports Partnership will ask those two people to confirm their coaching pedigree.
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