As some of you may know I'm involved with Thrybergh fly fishing club. One aim of the club has been to encourage junior members, teaching them how to fish, tie flies etc.
However we now find "political correctness" has reared its ugly head and conscensus of opinion is that we shouldn't accept junior members.
We don't see how this will help the long term future of our sport but have reluctantly stopped admitting new junior members (at least until we have a viable solution or not).
Can anybody advise how we can resolve this without expensive training of an appointed person (i.e. firstaid, "STANIC" or equivalent, non-sex offender etc)

"http://www.thryberghflyfishing.co.uk"

our soloution was to let them join,but to have no training days unless parents were present.

jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

I have been involved in setting up a reptile club recently. The solution we have is to get members of the comittee to have the disclosure scotland checks. I think this is a background check on any previous convictions etc. until this is put in place there will be no unaccompanied juniors.

sign of the times im afraid

Wullie

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If its' no tied at hame, its no hametied

www.sunburstinternational.com

Certainly is... In England the system is to use the Criminal Records Bureau clearance papers. It is a faddle but it is about protecting yourselves I'm afraid. It is sad that such things should become a barrier to youngsters getting involved.

Jim's solution is a good compromise but some kids will miss out as parents wont be able to attend and the kids will want a bit of independence.

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"A homeward tramp thro' mist wrapped night,
With heart and creel in common light,
Complete content, the day has brought it,
They fished for pleasure - and they caught it"

P F Morgan
taken from the catch record book at Llanthony Hotel, Honddu Valley, Aug 1942

www.monnowlogue.com
www.monnow.org.uk

Technically speaking, at the moment you do NOT need to be STANIC/CCA/level 2 qualified to work with kids, only if the government/local authority are paying you to coach them.

As long as the parents are there, you don't need qualifications at all.

If the parents aren't there, and you are an assigned adult, then you do need to be CRB checked, and ideally child protection trained, and first aid trained. This is called the level 1 certificate, basically half of the level 2 without the lesson planning and casting elements. £220 quid I think. Expensive, and you need a one adult per two kids ratio, but worth it if you consider the consequences.

If the kids are own their own, then you don't need any qualifications, but check on your insurance if it's a private site. After all, do 12yr old kids fishing on the towpath need a level 2 instructor with them?

Personally, I'd say the minimum age for flycasting is 10 anyway due to strength, responsibility, co-ordination etc, but thats my opinion, not the law.

Till I'm king anyway..............

My own club (in Scotland) has a similar situation with junior members for fishing events, fly tieing, casting tuition etc. We are aware of the relevant regulations but the fees for 20 or so members to be checked for criminal convictions are prohibitive so we insist that junior members are accompanied by their parents. The onus is then on the parents. It works.

After all it is not too much to ask of parents that they are involved in supervising their kids. Any misbehaviour by the kids is in the presence of the parents so they cannot allege any undue actions by the club members who are tutoring their kids. For myself, the involvement of the parents, is only putting the responsibility back where it really lies - the parents.

It is unfortunate for the kids whose parents are unwilling/unable to commit themselves but it protects the club members who are giving freely of their time to advance kids knowledge of fishing.

We have had the exact same problem, result there is now no junior memberships. It seems that in todays society you have to prove you are innocent, or be assumed to be guilty. Safety for the kids is paramount, especially when the beasts are out there, instead of being where they belong, caged for life, like the animals they are.

Sam

You are correct in that you do not need a qualification to work with young people however any club would be taking an unacceptable risk if those concerned had not at least had a CRB check and should ideally have done the short child protection course. It is very unlikely that your club insurance would cover you unless you had done so.
Neither of the above are particularly onerous or expensive and do provide a level of protection for the club and reassurance for parents. Your local youth club or Social Services or the Sports Council should be able to tell you how and where to complete them.
Bill

BillyFlynn,

You may be lucky enough to have a member/members who are already first aid trained, CRB checked and been on the child protection course as I myself have. I am the county disability football team coach. Most of the courses cost between £40 and £50 and you may find if you speak to your local council that you can get a grant to take them. If you have someone already trained in first aid then that'd be cheaper.

If you are unlucky and a grant is not forth coming then why not concider a sponsored bag pack at one of your local supermarkets to raise the money, as my football club did.

Your local council should also be able to give the dates and locations of the required courses.

Get hold of a copy of your local authority's Vulnerable Adults/Children Policy. I'm not sure about Scotland, but unless your in receipt of public funding, or deliver a service designated as supporting vulnerable people, I don't think you nee CRB clearances.

Put it this way, I recently had a brouhaha with my daughter's brownie leader (fat owl) because she was taking brownies to her home to use her spa pool. The brownie staff (fat owl, dumpy owl or ugly owl) didn't have CRB clearance.