An alliance of Sports Governing Bodies are challenging the new definition of Regulated Activity that is emerging from study of the Protection of Freedoms Bill. Some of the proposed details are open to interpretation and will have significant impact on established practice and policies.   For instance :

• Regulated Activity will no longer include any supervised teaching, training or instruction. In a sporting context, this requires clear definition. as the environment is so different to a school.  The Faith sector are also likely to be unhappy with the implications of this change.
• Current proposals are that only the applicant will receive the CRB disclosure. Clarity is needed on how National Sports Governing Bodies, and other professional regulators will receive this
• There will be a charge for the updating service. How this will work for volunteers and whether they will still be able to get checks for free is not clear.

The NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit and the Sport and Recreation Alliance have been involved in developing recommendations which will feature in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport Regulatory Burdens Review, which is due to report wc 21st March.  These will stress the specific needs of different sports, the need for sport to regulate itself and to make its own risk assessments in relation to CRB checks.  

The Sport and Recreation Alliance is part of a coalition of organisations, including Action for Children, Barnardos, Children’s Society, Fairplay for Children, the National Childminding Association, The FA and the Scouts, that have been working together to influence the Government’s review of the Vetting and Barring Scheme.  More information

We are producing a guide to the impact of the new definition of Regulated Activity, register here to receive it