English Chess Forum

Yes!

You will be able to take the ' Assistant Coach ' exam free online, as part of the package going into schools. 50 questions/90% pass . A command of the new Levels 1/2/3 will be required.

This will enable you to coach at only a very basic level, but it will ensure a good start for a LOT of kids. We will make sure a current list of AC's is always displayed at the ECF coaching website.


AC's will also receive an official pass certificate from the ECF.

The exam will be based on the new Certificate of Merit DVD, a copy of which will also be free in the package.

Further A/C exams can be taken at £5 per unit and extra DVD's will be £ 15 per unit.

There may be discounts for larger purchases, which will be advertised as and when the sets start rolling out.

Andrew

This is all a great idea, but £5?? Is this really going to pay for developing the exam and perhaps more importantly getting someone to check references and CRB clearances? This is destined to make the ECF a loss from the start. Let's be more realistic - please!

Matthew, Surely the responsibility for CRB checks lies with the School. My sons primary school are dealing with this side of things without the need for the ECF to get involved.

Andrew;
Thanks for the response, how many AC levels will there be?

Before awarding any coaching qualification the ECF should demand to see a 'current' CRB clearance (the original copy). The ECF would then take a photocopy for their records. There are very strict guidelines on how this information is handled, stored and used. All these procedures take time and money.

Matthew is of course correct about the CRB checks. It has been and I'm certain will continue to be ECF policy that all coaches must provide an original CRB check before they receive any ECF coaching qualification.

Claire Summerscale

I am not totally sure about the CRB checks - a better system might be with an initial check and then some sort of renewal process after set periods of time with further checks.

I don't fully understand the current system - it seems that you can be checked a number of times in a short space of time for different organisations (from memory I had 3 or 4 checks in one year) - and then nothing for years.

I think David has highlighted the major anomaly with CRB checks. In the past, and I believe currently, a CRB check is very specific to a particular situation so that a school may be very helpful and agree to process the CRB check for you BUT then it only refers to that particular school/situation. So even if you were to offer your services to another school a separate check would be required. Thus, I'm sure some coaches will confirm, you would have several checks in a short space of time. The CRB clearance is not transferable but on the other hand there is no requirement to have the checks renewed which makes as much sense as having, by law, to have a car MOT at 3 years of age and saying that it's OK now so will be for evermore. Some authorities have a policy of renewing checks every 3 years or so.

In the past BCF/ECF were an Umbrella Body for CRB checks and were able to process the checks thus it was possible to claim that the individual was an accredited BCF/ECF coach. An individual school doing the check is simply saying that person is cleared to work in their school. Hopefully I'm out of date with my information and that things are are much more sensible now. It certainly needs clarifying.

Responding to William's question there will only be one Assistant Coach level.

Andrew

Alas, you are not out of date, Peter Turner - not on CRB arrangements anyway. Matters remain as you describe. They are a vexing impediment to work with young people. CRB clearance remains context-specific and non-transferable. A local expert in the matter explained it all to me a year or so back. The reasoning has a furious logic to it - but is damn-all practical use to anyone. I'm cleared four times in various capacities - from college governor to prospective chess coach. But none of these clearances count for diddly in any fifth circumstance, nor in any of the other four. That is: my clearance as a college governor does not clear me as a chess coach, and never will as things stand.

I've given up bothering - me and countless others. After filling out the form, handing over yet more personal info to the state, getting a photograph, sending off my passport and generally 'demonstrating my innocence', I get the satisfaction of knowing that other people know for sure I'm not what I never was. But only for now. Another day, another voluntary chance to help, and it's back to the form-filling and so on. A ghastly disspiriting business, no matter the gravity of the offences the procedures seek to prevent. There has to be another way, or voluntary activity with the young will cease over time.

David
Atticus CC

Hi all.

Interesting debate but a debate that happened 5 years ago in the Education arena. PITO (The Police Information Technology Organisation) put CRBs in place as an interim/reactive measure until the real secure and proactive checking system was up and running. This new system is called ISA and will cost £85-ish (a one of payment I believe) for an organisation to register a person. As I understand this system once registered yours details of any criminal offence will be passed on to the organisation in question if the registered person commits a crime. This was always the intended system and should be up and running by March 2009, details can be gotten from your local Council for Voluntary Services (CVS). CRB will them be fazed out in a process that will start with Social Services and end with Employers. I don't know if there has been any delays in this yet but my academy has been invited to subscribe to this system in August 2009.

I hope this helps, and the ECF will be looking at this change over the beginning of 2009 I'm sure.

I don't think there are any plans to phase out CRB checks but there is to be clarification of the links to other checking/record databases. As a result of these improved links there will be very important changes, in the New Year, to the wording on the Enhanced Disclosure certificates (goto the CRB website and download the November news letter).

Changes to Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) Checks
As from 2009, a new independent body, the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) will start a new system for carrying out checks on people who work with children and vulnerable adults.
Individuals will be assessed on a case by case basis as to whether they pose a risk of harming vulnerable groups. A list of people who are not allowed to work with these groups of people will also be maintained.A one off fee of £64 for a CRB enhanced disclosure and for ISA's own checks will need to be paid by anyone intending to undertake paid employment with children or vulnerable adults. However volunteers will not need to pay the fee. Under this system it will also become illegal to employ someone to work with children or vulnerable adults who has not been checked by the ISA.
For more details please go to the ISA's website at http://www.isa-gov.org.uk/

Am I right in thinking that the ECF is planning to endorse Assistant Chess Coaches who have taken an online exam. Am I also correct in thinking that the ECF do not intend to insist upon meeting this person to assess their suitability for working with children or train them in the skills necessary to work with children. Have I got this right?

Nick Thomas wrote:Am I right in thinking that the ECF is planning to endorse Assistant Chess Coaches who have taken an online exam. Am I also correct in thinking that the ECF do not intend to insist upon meeting this person to assess their suitability for working with children or train them in the skills necessary to work with children. Have I got this right?

They do not do this for chess coaches so I would not expect them to do it for assistant chess coaches

There are currently no qualified ECF Chess Coaches only Accredited Chess Coaches but at least it is necessary for the current "coaches" to supply references (although I imagine there are plenty of people on the list who have never done so). And anyway the current system is wholly inadequate so we shouldn't compare the new system to the cobbled together old one. Also don't be fooled by the "assistant" title. These assistants will not be assisting anyone they will be solely in charge of children.

Can someone explain how these checks are done, like with any check people appear to slip through the gap in the past. I do think people are not checked properly still in the grounds of am I right in assuming its done by a specific police officer who is specialised in certain issues. I guess this why they are relatively cheap. But there are social workers who work on the Lord Chancellors panel who would be more accurate? but a lot more expensive.

Why dont the ECF have like a star scheme were coaches get stars on how reliable they are and how well they are deemed to be with children. This would be a good scheme. Like I can name some coaches who can hardly play who are better primary coaches than some Grandmasters would ever be. I think its a bit of a farce that some titled players charge triple or more than some coaches. Obviously you have some titled players who are also very good coaches , and they get the deserved best jobs(Millfield ). But lets take other forum members like Nick Thomas and Ill put him in with Russell James , Sarah my girlfriend on the latter said he was one of the best coaches(Russ) shed seen in Torquay(Devon Congress) and yet I doubt he can charge near what a GM can charge. I think a star system which is on teaching standard by the ECF would be a good scheme. The Coaches can have like sit-ins to try and increase there star rating.

However I do think this would cost money. The information would also have to be easily access to schools. Does anyone remember those coaching sheets? You got them in the ECF "yearbooks" they had titled players with 1-8 on what services they could provide, nearly 100% of them were titled. Something like a large list of them would be cool, you could even send a copy sheet out with these chess sets which everyone talks about.


Anyway I do think there needs to be some sort of award scheme for coaches based on people skills as chess standard already has its title scheme.

Ben Purton

Buca Sharks