I've just received this email from the RFU and thought it would be useful to share. Bottom line is that refs no longer have to be CRB cleared to do mini & junior games.
Please note this is for your information -
A recent Government review, carried out by Sunita Mason, into the CRB and vetting processes in place throughout England recommended that CRB checks were scaled back to common sense levels. As such, the CRB themselves have monitored and assessed many of the roles declared on applications submitted.
The CRB have been working with several sports, including the RFU, on the role of match officials/referees. As a result the CRB Policy Team have confirmed that the role of a match official or referee does not meet the eligibility criteria for enhanced CRB clearance. In order to be eligible for enhanced CRB clearance the role itself must be a Regulated Activity. The definition of Regulated Activity is as follows –
“Any activity which involves contact with children or vulnerable adults and is of a specified nature (e.g. teaching, training, care, supervision, advice, treatment or transport) frequently, intensively and/or overnight.”
To meet the threshold for “frequent” or “intensive” the individual must carry out the role at least once a week or more, or four times in a month or more.
CRB checks are not required for adults who are simply “around” children in a club environment – only for those who hold a role that meets the Regulated Activity threshold set out above.
The role carried out by a Society Referee would be to ensure that the laws of rugby are adhered to. The supervision of players and vulnerable persons would be the responsibility of the respective team coaches/managers. This would mean that even if a referee or match official meets the frequency test, he or she would not meet the eligibility test as they would not be deemed to be in a "supervisory" role for these purposes. If the individual is a Club Referee, they may also hold another role within the club e.g. coach, assistant coach etc. If this is the case they can be CRB checked so long as this role meets the Regulated Activity definition. In this scenario the eligible position must be used on the CRB application.
The RFU’s full CRB eligibility guidance can be viewed on the following link –
http://clubs.rfu.com/Clubs/portals/RUSafe/CRBEligibilityGuidance.aspx
Please note this is for your information -
A recent Government review, carried out by Sunita Mason, into the CRB and vetting processes in place throughout England recommended that CRB checks were scaled back to common sense levels. As such, the CRB themselves have monitored and assessed many of the roles declared on applications submitted.
The CRB have been working with several sports, including the RFU, on the role of match officials/referees. As a result the CRB Policy Team have confirmed that the role of a match official or referee does not meet the eligibility criteria for enhanced CRB clearance. In order to be eligible for enhanced CRB clearance the role itself must be a Regulated Activity. The definition of Regulated Activity is as follows –
“Any activity which involves contact with children or vulnerable adults and is of a specified nature (e.g. teaching, training, care, supervision, advice, treatment or transport) frequently, intensively and/or overnight.”
To meet the threshold for “frequent” or “intensive” the individual must carry out the role at least once a week or more, or four times in a month or more.
CRB checks are not required for adults who are simply “around” children in a club environment – only for those who hold a role that meets the Regulated Activity threshold set out above.
The role carried out by a Society Referee would be to ensure that the laws of rugby are adhered to. The supervision of players and vulnerable persons would be the responsibility of the respective team coaches/managers. This would mean that even if a referee or match official meets the frequency test, he or she would not meet the eligibility test as they would not be deemed to be in a "supervisory" role for these purposes. If the individual is a Club Referee, they may also hold another role within the club e.g. coach, assistant coach etc. If this is the case they can be CRB checked so long as this role meets the Regulated Activity definition. In this scenario the eligible position must be used on the CRB application.
The RFU’s full CRB eligibility guidance can be viewed on the following link –
http://clubs.rfu.com/Clubs/portals/RUSafe/CRBEligibilityGuidance.aspx
