Accreditation

There are two main user groups that the Sport and Play Development Service target with gaining accreditation:

• Voluntary Sports Clubs

• Sports Businesses / Sole Traders

Please see information below on the types of accreditation for each user group.

Voluntary Sports Clubs:

There are a number of important issues for parents when choosing a sports club for their child to attend, such as:

• Will my child be safe?

• Will the coaches be qualified?

• If my child is good, will they have the chance to become better?
   

Accredited clubs can answer yes to all these questions! An accredited club is one who has worked towards a series of standards to prove that they can provide a safe, child friendly environment for young people.

There are a number of accreditation schemes for clubs to work towards, such as National Governing Body (NGB) Accreditation, Sport England's Clubmark Scheme, and the Council's own Club Accreditation Scheme (ERCAS) all of which are a quality standard for clubs.

ERCAS, run by the Sport and Play Development Service enables clubs to set and meet standards which will lead to better quality sports provision for young people in the East Riding. It's aims are to recognise the quality of services that clubs offer and to improve the quality and safety of the club's infrastructure. For more information about ERCAS, please click on the links below:

• Factsheet on ERCAS

  
  

Note: It is essential that voluntary sports clubs achieve a minimum of ERCAS level 1 in order to be able to:

1. Hire school facilities through the Directed Community Use of Schools (DCU) scheme

2. Book / hire East Riding Leisure/Sports Centre facilities

3. Apply for East Riding Sport and Active Recreation Grants

There are 3 levels to ERCAS accreditation:

• ERCAS Level 1 (administered by East Riding Voluntary Action Service, ERVAS)

• Level 2 - Administered by the Sport and Play Development Service

• Level 3 - Administered by the Sport and Play Development Service

For further information on Level 1 of ERCAS, please contact Paul Hamlett at ERVAS on 01482 871077 or email paul@ervas.org.uk

To download application forms for ERCAS Levels 2 and 3, please click the links below:

• ERCAS Level 2 application form

• ERCAS Level 3 application form

Club's can also quickly assess their readiness to apply for these levels by completing a checklist for each level. Please click on the links below:

• ERCAS Level 2 checklist

• ERCAS Level 3 checklist

National Governing Bodies of Sports (NGBs) also run their own schemes to ensure clubs reach a minimum operating standards and therefore the accreditation is tailored to suit each individual sport. A majority of governing bodies recognise the Sport England Clubmark accreditation and tailor their specific coaching needs to meet the set criteria.

Clubs who have achieved accreditation in line with ERCAS and/or Clubmark can demonstrate they have the following policies and procedures in place within their organisation:

• Qualified coaches

• Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosure checked coaches and volunteers

• First Aid requirements

• Health and Safety procedures

• Child Protection policy and procedures

• Skill and development progression

For a full list of all accredited clubs, please click the link below:

• East Riding Accredited Clubs 2010 [PDF: 254 KB]

Sports Businesses:

From September 2008, it was agreed that all sports businesses/sole traders would be required to meet certain minimum operating standards when:

1. Delivering coaching sessions within any East Riding School

2. Handing out publicity materials in schools to advertise club taster sessions/activities

3. Hiring school facilities through the Directed Community Use of Schools (DCU) scheme

4. Booking/hiring East Riding Leisure/Sports Centre facilities

All businesses/sole traders will have to demonstrate the following standards are in place in order to become approved by the Sport & Play Development Service:

• Constitution/Business Plan
• Health and Safety procedures
• Public Liability Insurance
• Child Protection policy and procedures
• Qualified coaches

To download a copy of the business agreement application form, please click the link below:

Business Agreement [PDF: 92 KB]

For a full list of all approved businesses that have met the standards, please click the link below:

Approved Businesses 2010 [PDF: 85 KB]

For further information on ERCAS or NGB accreditation schemes, please contact Adam Toes, Community Recreation Officer on 01482 392524 or email adam.toes@eastriding.gov.uk