MBIHA Recruitment & Selection Policy

MBIHA will take all reasonable steps to ensure that adults working with young people are suitable and appropriately qualified. Recruitment and selection procedures will apply to all persons with substantial access to young people, whether paid or unpaid. A decision to appoint a Leader is the responsibility of the club / Branch / Association and not of any one individual within it. The relevant committees should ratify all recommendations for appointment.

Hockey will use the following as a suitable procedure:-

• The responsibilities of the role and the level of experience/qualifications required should be drawn up and clearly stated.
• Before taking on the role the leader should be made aware of the Code of Conduct as it relates to young people and any related guidelines within this document. Before being voted / nominated / appointed to a position which brings them in contact with young people, the leader should be made aware of the Code of Conduct as it relates to young people and any related guidelines within this document. This involves newly recruited volunteers, paid personnel and all volunteers assigned by the club / Branch / Association for that season.
• New leaders should fill in an information and self declaration form, giving names of two referees who will be contacted verbally and using the self-declaration questions.
  See sample forms:
  Appendix 4 – Application form for New Leaders
  Appendix 5 – Self Declaration/Vetting Permission Form)
  Appendix 6 – Confidential Reference Form

For a regulated position within NI a permission for a Protection of Children (NI) Service check must be completed (from late 2007 this service will be known as Access NI (Appendix 5 – Self Declaration/Vetting Permission Form)

• All new volunteers should undergo an induction; this can be done in an informal manner. Following this, a probationary period is advisable.
• New and existing Leaders will sign the appropriate Code of Conduct, including the self-declaration form,
  Appendix 7 – Existing Leaders Information and Declaration Form.
• Adequate supervision should always be provided; a leader should not have to work alone.

Every effort should be made to manage and support appointed Leaders. Coaching courses and workshops will be provided, Codes of Conduct will be made available and where possible, vetting will be implemented. In Northern Ireland those who will be working with children and young people in regulated positions (training, coaching, organisation of youth hockey, etc) will be asked to agree to the vetting procedures that are available in Northern Ireland, through the Protection of Children (NI) Service (POC(NI)), formally known as the Pre-Employment Consultancy Service (PECS now POCVA). MBIHA is committed to signing up to use any similar service when it becomes available in ROI.