COACH QUESTIONS
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GENERAL QUESTIONS
We encourage contact via email or the Contact Us facility on the website to enable us to respond to your comments as quickly as possible. However, we also welcome correspondence via telephone, post and fax.
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Email
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info@sportscoachfinder.co.uk
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Telephone
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0870 770 8891
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Fax
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0870 770 8892
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Address
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Sport Structures Ltd
Sportscoach Finder
PO Box 10710
Sutton Coldfield
B75 5YG
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Out of office mobile
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07917 769254
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Why do I have to be a registered member to use this website?
To protect the security of the website and its users. As part of our privacy policy and commitment to data security we need to be able to identify all individuals using the website at all times and prevent unauthorised access from individuals not entitled to access the website.
What is Sportscoach Finder’s background?
The Sportscoach Finder service was set up by Sport Structures Ltd to provide a supply on demand coaching service. We provide an inexpensive, easy solution to locating quality coaching staff and increasing their access to schools, clubs and camps that have coaching requirements. We encourage high coaching standards and continual professional development via our mentored based management. All coaches are interviewed and inducted into the company, CRB checked and insured before they can be deployed to work. We aim to contribute to the national campaign for increasing exercise interest and participant levels and to tackle health and inclusion issues amongst people of all ages via increasing the provision of quality coaching expertise.
The ideal of Sportscoach Finder has been developed throughout 2005 and the programme is being tested and piloted from October 2005. Sportscoach Finder was initially created in the West Midlands and the scheme will be developed nationwide during 2006.
Sports Structures Ltd is a sports management and development consultancy that was founded in 2002 by Simon Kirkland. Simon has a broad background of sporting experience from former posts as the Chief Executive of the British Basketball Association, Birmingham City Council’s Sports Development Officer for Young People, Physical Education teacher and facility Manager. For further details on the Sport Structures Ltd staff please visit www.sportstructures.co.uk and select the link ‘About Us’.
Our registered address is Sport Structures Ltd, Sportscoach Finder, PO Box 10710, Sutton Coldfield, B75 5YG. The Management Team is located in the West Midlands but the Sportscoach Finder service operates throughout the United Kingdom.
Sport Structures Ltd is a sports development and management company, the Sportscoach Finder programme is a product that Sport Structures Ltd has created and manages.
Sportscoach Finder are keen to hear from everyone with a National Governing Body coaching qualification.
You will need to be Level 2 standard or above to be eligible to apply for a Head Coach position and deliver coaching sessions by yourself (dependent on participant numbers).
If you are qualified to a Level 1 standard you are eligible to apply for an Assistant Coach position. You will gain vital coaching experience through assisting a Head Coach at coaching sessions and receive advice and guidance on how to work towards a Level 2 qualification.
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How do I become a Sportscoach Finder coach?
Easy! You can register online by entering the I am a Coach section of the website and clicking on the Register for Free icon.
Following your initial online registration a coach profile questionnaire will be sent to you to gather further information about you, your coaching qualifications and experience. When the questionnaire has been returned a member of the Sportscoach Finder team will contact you to welcome you to the service and to arrange an interview. All Sportscoach Finder coaches are interviewed as well as reference and CRB checked before being offered the relevant coach position.
If you are successful at interview you will be eligible to start work as a Sportscoach Finder coach once you have completed an induction to the company, produced two forms of identification, two references (preferably work related) and an enhanced CRB disclosure.
Alternatively if you would prefer to initially register over the phone please call 0870 770 8991.
Yes, you must be over 18 years old.
Why should I be a Sportscoach Finder coach?
We provide easy access to a wide variety of paid coaching work and experience. We offer mentored support to all our coaches, a website full of useful coach facilities and up-to-date sporting information, CPD opportunities and a flexible working environment where you can take on as much or as little available coaching work as you want.
Sportscoach Finder coaches are our most important asset so we are always keen to hear from you and will try to provide assistance with any enquiries, situations or problems you may have. We endeavour to provide an effective and friendly management service, support the development of all our coaches and provide an expert and quality coaching service to our customers.
One of Sportscoach Finder’s key visions is to help improve the standards and access in coaching. Therefore we are happy to help advise possible entry routes into coaching and if we cannot provide specific requested information we can signpost individuals to alternative information sources.
You are paid on an hourly basis for the number of coaching hours completed at the end of each calendar month provided you have completed any relevant tax forms, supplied your National Insurance number and returned a signed monthly timesheet to Sportscoach Finder. Your hourly rate depends on your qualifications and experience and starts at £9.60 per hour for Head Coaches (Level 2+) and £6 for Assistant coaches (Level 1).
Mileage is reimbursed at 25p per mile (subject to distance checks by Sportscoach Finder) and other travel expenses will be refunded for a second class train or bus ticket, providing proof of purchase is supplied. Flights, taxi, first class travel, food allowance and photocopying/printing expenses will not be refunded. Please note it is the responsibility of all coaches to cover photocopying/printing charges involved with completing the required paperwork and electronic versions will also be accepted.
Paid coaching work, diverse coaching experience, mentored support, an interactive website with many useful features, information on coaching courses and other CPD opportunities, management by a reputable sports management company and an administration team to answer your questions and enquiries.
There is a small annual coach membership fee to cover some of the administration and management costs involved with placing you in coaching work. The prices vary from £15-35 per year dependent on whether you select a bronze, silver or gold membership. In return you may receive free clothing, access to sportscoach UK workshops and extra mentoring sessions (dependent on your level of membership) in addition to our coach management and deployment service. For further details on membership please read the introductory coach text.
We liaise with sport development officers from Local Authorities, County Sport Partnerships and National Governing Bodies as well as national sport organisations like Sport England and sportscoach UK in order to provide our coaches with comprehensive guidance to training opportunities in their area. Go to the Careers Centre of the website for further information or contact the Sportscoach Finder Team if you cannot find the specific information you are searching for.
We encourage our coaches to undertake CPD and provide a mentoring service to help advice a suitable career progression. Check out the online Careers Centre to see what is organised in your area or contact the Sportscoach Finder Team if you are having trouble finding the correct information or would like some advice.
Once you have completed a successful interview and induction you will be required to sign a legally binding employment contract as you will be employed by Sport Structures Ltd on a casual basis. (Sportscoach Finder is a product managed by Sport Structures Ltd.) A contract is necessary for both parties to agree on the conditions of your employment and, along with the Coaches Code of Conduct, is used to clarify expectations and suitable practice for an individual working as a Sportscoach Finder coach.
Sportscoach Finder do ask coaches to declare other forms of employment to help with their effective management and deployment. Declaration of other sources of employment will not affect your statutory rights.
In your employment contract it states that you must not attempt to make contact directly with customers that you have been introduced to by Sportscoach Finder. This includes giving your contact details to a customer so they can contact you directly in the future. Sportscoach Finder is able to provide a quality mentoring and development service to coaches by reinvesting customer funds into the scheme. Communication without Sportscoach Finder also means funds from the customer’s fee are not reinvested into community sport via Local Authorities (part of our Committed to Coaching pledge). Direct communication with a customer is a serious violation of your employment contract and will result in a disciplinary process and termination of future business with the involved customer.
Head coaches will be deployed singularly to some coaching sessions; this is dependent on the number of participants. Sportscoach Finder recommends a maximum of 20 participants per coach, this is dependent on the experience and individual decision of a coach. Assistant coaches will always be deployed with a suitable Head coach that can mentor and supervise their progress as they take the coaching session together.
Not always. In some cases the organiser or a suitable representative will be present at the start of the session. Alternatively you may be required to report to a reception dependent on the facility. For some coaching sessions there will not be a welcoming point of contact and in these situations you must ensure you know where the session is being held and that you have a register. If there are any problems you must contact the Sportscoach Finder Team with suitable notice and we will endeavour to locate or chase the necessary information.
If there are any problems at the coaching venue please contact the Sportscoach Finder office (0870 770 8991) or the out-of-office mobile (07917 769254). You should report any serious incidents or accidents immediately. If you have a matter that does not need to be urgently answered or reported during the session we ask that you contact Sportscoach Finder’s office after the session or the following working day if it is after 6pm.
The safety of our coaches is a high priority. In some situations you may be the only coach attending a coaching session and it is very important that you are aware of your own safety. Please read the police recommendations below and contact the Sportscoach Finder team if you have any concerns about your safety.
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Police Recommendations:
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Think ahead and plan your journey, avoiding deserted areas.
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Try to avoid walking alone at night, and keep to well-lit main roads where possible. You should try to avoid short cuts like alleyways, waste ground and wooded, bushy areas.
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Stay alert: be aware of what’s going on around you.
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It is always worth letting someone know where you are going, the route you intend to take and when you expect to return.
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Consider investing in a mobile phone. (But be very careful to use it only in safe environments).
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Try to avoid wearing headphones, your ability to hear traffic, strangers or potential trouble is severely restricted.
If you are interested in attending a personal safety workshop please contact the Sportscoach Finder team to register your interest.
Contact the Sportscoach Finder office immediately. If you feel unwell 48 hours before an arranged session please contact us so we know your current situation, even if you think you will be well enough to deliver the session. If a coach continually cancels sessions this may affect the quantity of work that is offered to them in the future.
Sportscoach Finder will contact you to inform you of any changes as soon as possible. If a coaching session is cancelled by the customer with less than 24 hours notice you will still be paid in full (excluding travel expenses).
The Coaches Code of Conduct handbook explains how to deal with the possible scenarios listed above. An electronic copy can be downloaded from the Download Area of the website if you have misplaced your original copy. It is extremely important that you are familiar with all its content and regularly read it to refresh your memory.
Once the situation has been resolved you must complete the necessary paperwork as indicated in the Coaches Code of Conduct ensuring copies are distributed to all the listed parties on the form. You must report all incidents to Sportscoach Finder as soon as possible. If you believe the incident to be severe you must contact us immediately at the office (0870 770 8991) or on the out-of-office mobile (07917 769254) if no one is available to take your call.
Yes, if no one can be reached on the normal office number 0870 770 8991, please contact us via the out-of-office mobile on 07917 769254. If the mobile is not answered for whatever reason, you must leave an answer phone message and we will endeavour to return your call as soon as we receive the message.
All preparatory information in clearly detailed in the Coaches Code of Conduct handbook. If you are asking this question you must reread and familiarise yourself with this information immediately. If you have any further questions please contact a member of our team on 0870 770 8991.
Travel expenses will be refunded providing proof of purchase is supplied (except mileage). Sportscoach Finder reimburses mileage at 25p per mile (subject to distance checks by Sportscoach Finder) or a second class train or bus ticket. Flights, taxi, first class travel, food allowance and photocopying/printing expenses will not be refunded. Please note it is the responsibility of the coach to cover photocopying/printing charges involved with completing the required paperwork. Printing and paper use can be reduced by sending electronic forms via email. A hard or electronic copy of all forms must be kept for your records.
We urge you to tell us if you are experiencing any problems related to working for Sportscoach Finder, including a situation where you have a complaint involving a member of the Sportscoach Finder staff. You can communicate any issues via the post-session evaluation forms, in a letter, email or fax. We strongly encourage you to express any concerns or complaints verbally to a member of the Sportscoach Finder team but we will also require a written copy of your grievance. In an event where you do not feel comfortable to approach Sportscoach Finder as your objection involves a member of staff, please address your problems in writing to Simon Kirkland, Managing Director, Sport Structures Ltd, PO Box 10710, Sutton Coldfield, B75 5YG.
Remain calm. If a person says they are going to make a complaint about you whilst you are still at the coaching session do not respond in an angry or aggressive manner. If they ask for Sportscoach Finder’s telephone number be helpful and give it to them. If you do not understand what has promoted this action enquire calmly what the problem is and if it can be resolved, but do not push the matter further than the individual is willing to discuss with you.
When a complaint is made the Sportscoach Finder team will gather information from the person making the complaint before contacting you to ask for your version of the events. Sportscoach Finder will try to resolve the problem in the most agreeable way for both parties and will feedback to both parties involved, including any further action that may need to be taken.
If Sportscoach Finder believe you may have breached the Coaches Code of Conduct disciplinary procedures may be brought against you (as listed in the Code of Conduct).
We strongly encourage you to express any concerns or complaints verbally to a member of the Sportscoach Finder team and we will also require a written copy of your grievance. In an event where you do not feel comfortable to approach Sportscoach Finder (for example your objection involves a member of staff) please address your problems in writing to Simon Kirkland, Managing Director, Sport Structures Ltd, PO Box 10710, Sutton Coldfield, B75 5YG.
No, you will be required to hold public liability insurance policy that provides cover for any negligent or wrongful act or omission while you are working as a sports coach in the sum of at least five million pounds. Many Level 2 qualifications awarded by National Governing Bodies also provide some form of insurance. Sport Structures hold employers liability insurance and the organisation you are working for are responsible for civil liability in the case of faulty equipment or facilities.
A risk assessment must be completed before every coaching session even if you are familiar with the venue to ensure a safe environment for participants. The situation should be constantly reassessed during the session as the coaching setting is subject to constant change for example the weather, equipment in a dangerous location, unknown people entering the coaching site.
Due to the remote nature of Sportscoach Finder’s coaches work and their relationship with the Management Team it is extremely important for us to receive feedback from every session to ensure all parties involved are aware of the coaching progress and any matters that may have arisen.
There are no commitments involved with registering on the Sportscoach Finder website but you must be a registered user with a secure log-in to use the request a coach facility. This request process is free of charge; you only pay for coaching sessions that are ordered and delivered. (Please note a cancellation charge is involved if an arranged session is cancelled with less than a weeks notice.) All coaching sessions are ordered on a single basis so you do not have to commit to a minimum number of sessions.
A flexible coach finder and deployment service that can be arranged for a one-off session or an ongoing arrangement. All our coaches have been interviewed, inducted, CRB and reference checked and are insured. The online booking service has been designed to be simple and quick and all search facilities can be used free of charge. Each session is evaluated by Sportscoach Finder via the completion of evaluation forms by yourself and the coach and any additional incident forms submitted by the coach.
Sportscoach Finder can also be purchased as a tailor-made package designed to an organisation’s specific needs, as a franchised product. Possible features include:
Coach audit of the present coaching situation. This provides the basis for a development plan and performance comparison at later dates.
Coach recruitment guidelines, procedures and paperwork for taking on casual coaching staff.
Coach management directives into how to remotely manage a large number of employees including mentoring, evaluation, continual professional development and performance tracking.
Coach deployment system. An effective and tested system for dispatching coaches, collecting full coaching records and organising coach movements, salaries and amounts owed by customers.
For further information on a tailored Sportscoach Finder package please contact a member of our team on 0870 770 8991.
We charge per booked coaching session. The return of a completed booking form (once Sportscoach Finder has found a suitable coach) is taken as final confirmation of a booking and our cancellation policy applies from that point onwards: £10 cancellation fee if a coaching session is cancelled with less than a weeks notice; full session payment if cancelled with less than 24 hours notice (the coach will still be paid in full).
The price depends on the number of coaches required, the length of the session and the sport. Typically an hour session with one Head coach will cost in the region of £20 plus the coaches travel expenses and VAT. (This is negotiable dependent on an organisation's requirements.) Supplementary Assistant coaches are charged at £10 per hour and will only be deployed with a suitably matched Head coach to provide mentoring assistance.
Please view our interactive Customer Demo to learn how Sportscoach Finder operates. Click on the Find a Coach icon near the top of the screen and select the demo link.
The service was designed to provide an effective, fast and affordable solution to sports coach provision. We organise and manage all coach matters and all you have to arrange is a suitable venue and sports equipment, completion of the Sportscoach Finder participant register and a first aid box.
By submitting a coach request online or telephoning Sport Structures on 0870 770 8991. The coach request online form asks for a few details about a proposed coaching session to enable us to search for a suitable coach. This information includes the sport, age and ability of participants, venue location and time of session.
We guarantee the quality of our coaching through a rigorous recruitment process including qualification, reference and CRB checks and then continual professional development, performance monitoring and mentoring. All coaches have different delivery methods and may use a variety of techniques. Sportscoach Finder coaches all have a minimal standard of qualification but they may choose to adopt different styles of delivery.
Our coaches have a cancellation policy that includes advising Sportscoach Finder if they are feeling unwell 48 hours in advance of a coaching session (even if they believe their condition will have improved in time for the session). Coaches are contracted to arranged coaching sessions and last minute cancellations are acted upon strictly. If we are presented with a short notice cancellation we will try everything within our powers to find a suitable replacement coach. In the event that this is not possible, a form of compensation will be arranged and help provided to contact all participants advising them that the session has been cancelled.
By contacting the Sportscoach Finder office as soon as you realise you need to cancel a coaching session. If you are unable to speak to anyone either leave a message on the answer phone or contact the out-of-office mobile on 07917 769254 providing details of the arranged session. Our cancellation policy states that if a coaching session is cancelled with less than a week’s notice a £10 cancellation fee is incurred. If a session is cancelled with less than 24 hours notice the session must still be paid for in full and the coach will receive full pay as compensation.
To continue Sportscoach Finder’s aim of helping to improve the delivery and provision of coaching, we reinvest funds from every coaching session payment back into community sport via Local Authorities. Therefore the use of Sportscoach Finder coaches also supports your local sports services. This reward scheme is monitored and updates of its success are provided to all customers on an annual basis.
All coaches are required to undertake an enhanced disclosure CRB check before they are able to commence employment with Sportscoach Finder and at regular intervals after that. For further details about CRB checks please visit www.crb.gov.uk.
To become a Sportscoach Finder coach an individual must:
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be a minimum of 18 years old,
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hold a Level 1 National Governing Body qualification to apply for an Assistant coach position or a minimum of a Level 2 National Governing Body qualification to apply for a Head coach position,
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complete a successful interview and induction,
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submit an enhanced disclosure CRB check,
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submit two references.
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If there are any issues with the service provided by Sportscoach Finder we ask that you inform us so we can work on resolving any problems and improve the quality of our service.
If there is concern towards a coaches manner or techniques during a coaching session we would encourage you to discuss this in a polite, calm and discrete manner with the individual to try and rectify the situation immediately. Afterwards you should report the concern and any subsequent outcomes achieved on the evaluation form. If this is not possible, or you are made aware of it at a later date, we ask that you contact Sportscoach Finder by phone to discuss the problem and note the main details in an email, fax or letter for our records. Under no circumstances should you become aggressive or threatening towards a coach and you should respect their individual coaching methods. Once Sportscoach Finder has been notified, we will gather information from both parties involved and try to determine a suitable solution that is constructive for both parties.
If you have a complaint with a member of our management or administration team and feel that you cannot approach the Sportscoach Finder office directly, please direct a letter clearly expressing your concerns to Simon Kirkland, Managing Director, Sport Structures Ltd, PO Box 10710, Sutton Coldfield, B75 5YG. We would encourage you to try approaching the Sportscoach Finder team initially.
For health and safety reasons a coach must always have a participant register in case of an evacuation from the sporting venue and we require an emergency contact name and number and any relevant medical information. This is particularly important for children under the age of 18 where the coach has a duty of care responsibility. To ensure a coach is provided with all this information, we ask that the Sportscoach Finder register is used and you will be sent a copy via email during the booking process.
It is your responsibility to ensure the coach receives a completed register. You can return a completed register to Sportscoach Finder a minimum of a week before the session and we will forward it to the coach, otherwise you must give it to the coach on arrival at the venue. Failure to supply a completed register will reduce the length of the coaching session as a coach cannot begin until they have the described information.
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A booked venue
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Completed participant register
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Adequate sporting equipment for the size of the group
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Fully equipped first aid box.
It is preferable but we understand that some coaching sessions will be running out of normal working hours and this may not always be possible, either way you should ensure that all the session requirements have been meet (see above). If you will not be attending the session you should try and arrange suitable feedback from another colleague or source to enable you to fully complete the Sportscoach Finder evaluation form.
The evaluation forms provide an important source of feedback to monitor the service and standards provided by the deployed coach and Sportscoach Finder team. We welcome additional feedback via email, telephone or fax but do ask that you complete an evaluation form after every coaching session (even if it is part of an on-going arrangement with a particular coach) as we continually monitor performance.
If you will not be attending a coaching session you should try and arrange suitable feedback from another colleague or source to enable you to fully complete the Sportscoach Finder evaluation form.
All coaches and customers sign a legal agreement document agreeing to comply to certain regulations when using the Sportscoach Finder service. These include that you must not attempt to contact any coach directly who was introduced to you or your organisation by Sportscoach Finder. It is also forbidden for coaches to give you any of their contact details directly. Sportscoach Finder is able to provide a quality mentoring and development service to coaches by reinvesting customer funds into the scheme. Communication without Sportscoach Finder also means funds from every customer’s fee are not reinvested into community sport through our Committed to Coaching pledge*. Direct communication with a customer is a serious violation of a coach’s employment contract and will result in a disciplinary process for the coach and termination of further business with the involved customer and Sportscoach Finder.
*To continue Sportscoach Finder’s aim of helping to improve the delivery and provision of coaching, we reinvest funds from every coaching session payment back into community sport via Local Authorities.
Sportscoach Finder can be purchased as a tailor-made package designed to an organisation’s specific needs. Possible features include:
Coach audit of the present coaching situation. This provides the basis for a development plan and performance comparison at later dates.
Coach recruitment guidelines, procedures and paperwork for taking on casual coaching staff.
Coach management directives into how to remotely manage a large number of employees including mentoring, evaluation, continual professional development and performance tracking.
Coach deployment system. An effective and tested system for dispatching coaches, collecting full coaching records and organising coach movements, salaries and amounts owed by customers.
For request further information on a tailored Sportscoach Finder package please contact Amy Warren on 0870 770 5143, 07917 388169 or amy@sportstructures.com.
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