Sarnia Girls Soccer Club
Volunteer Screening Policy
The attached procedures for Volunteer Screening are a mandatory requirement from the OSA and have been introduced to assure that clubs are providing a “Duty of Care” in assuring that our many volunteers have a reasonable level of assessment before having access to vulnerable people, ie our youth players.
Sarnia Girls Soccer Club – Club Screening Policy – upgrade to current procedure 17.
Records Checks Coaches
This policy is to be compliance with the OSA Section 13.0 – Harrassment - Policy 15.0. “POSITION AND RISK ASSESSMENT REQUIRED BY CLUB”. It is also to assure that applicants for coaches and similar positions.
10.3.1 Definition of Risk:
The first principle of screening is risk management, which simply means “What could go wrong here” and “How do we avoid it?” Risk management involves looking at the possibilities of loss or injury that might arise in programs, activities and services and taking steps to stop, minimize, prevent or eliminate them all together. This includes the Club’s obligation to take all reasonable measures to care for and protect their participants from harm. The need to screen an applicant is dictated by the nature of the position and its inherent level of risk. When determining risk consider such factors as the participant, the environment, the nature of the activity, the level of supervision and the nature of the relationship.
For example, a high risk position is defined as a position in which staff members, volunteers, or Board members are in direct contact with, or provide direct service to, vulnerable individuals, and in particular when the applicant will be in a position of trust, power or influence and whose contact is unsupervised and/or takes place off site.
A review committee shall be formed that consists of The President/Chairperson, the Club Representative Coordinator and the Club Recreational Coordinator. They may co-opt others as required – for specialist technical knowledge or to assure there is balance where one or more of them may have some direct interest in a particular coach’s selection for a particular team due to family or other close connections.
The Committee shall complete a risk assessment on club officials in accordance with OSA and includes
High Risk
1. Competitive Team Officials
2. All-star team officials
3. Select team official
Medium Risk
1. Recreational Team Officials U14-U19
2. Employees or volunteers handling money
Low Risk
1. Other recreational team officials
2. All other league Officials
3. Mini-soccer officials
Screening Measures
High Risk
1. Application Form (with references)
2. Interview by Selection Committee
3. References checked out
4. Police Record Check (PRC)
5. Evaluation by Club
Medium Risk
1. Application Form (References check optional)
2. Police Records Check
Low Risk
1. Application Form (References check optional)
The following procedure shall be followed to address PRC and personal records checks:
a) All persons involved with reviewing records will sign an OSA Oath of Confidentiality.
b) The President/Chairperson will assure a secure filing system for personal records checks and information cannot be made available to any persons other than the Board of Directors on an “as need basis” at the direction of the President/Chairperson.
c) The records will be forwarded to the Club Representative Coordinator for travel, the Recreation Coordinator for house-league and the President for all others.
d) The Volunteer Screening Committee will provide the PRC forms to all coaches and managers that require them on an annual basis.
e) PRC’s will be reviewed by only one of the three Volunteer Screening Committee members to maintain confidentiality
f) A list of prospective Travel coaches, assistant coaches, managers and House League coaches required to submit a yearly PRC shall be forwarded to the Board of Directors for approval. Preliminary approval can be sought subject to completion of Police record checks once the volunteer screening has been done.
g) Police Record Checks are the personal property of the person it pertains to. Once we have seen it and documented the results in the coaching field the PRC MUST be returned to the owner.
Screening Interview
The interview will be in 2 parts. The Club Representative or Recreational Coordinator is responsible to assure the technical credentials of the applicant. The overall review committee is responsible for assuring that the Coach will be a good role model and is at minimal risk for not providing an environment in the spirit of the “Club Code of Conduct” and the attributes highlighted in the OSA Boundaries and Limitations. These are;
7. Shall embrace club values, principle, and policy per Club policy as per Club Constitution
8. Shall demonstrate the ability to set and maintain standards for players ie respect, self
-discipline, fair play
The OSA definition of Conflict of Interest “is a situation in which a Director of a governing organization has, in relation to any matter coming before that governing organization, a personal interest, sufficient to influence or to appear to influence the objective, and open-minded, loyal exercise of his or her function as a Director.