A&H

DBS

A&H International
Yes - or anyone else at your county FA if you're one of those people who struggles to get hold of their RDO.

My county FA are running DBS drop in sessions where anyone can just turn up with their documentation to get their DBS processed.

Also edit: Happy birthday too 😆
 
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Yes. Start with RDO.

Also worth asking what the policy is for refereeing in the interim, without one.

Edit: Happy Birthday too 🥳
 
Thanks all! My RDO is (generally) brilliant at responding to emails so I’ll get in touch
 
A quick question:

If ALL referees need a DBS to referee why do 18+ age players not need a DBS if players in their open age teams are aged 16 or 17?

Players have far more "access" to tese child players in their own team than referees do.
 
Kent Ref said:
A quick question:

If ALL referees need a DBS to referee why do 18+ age players not need a DBS if players in their open age teams are aged 16 or 17?

Players have far more "access" to tese child players in their own team than referees do.
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Think this has been raised at senior levels. Realistically it would mean that every footballer would need a DBS and would at best overload the system and at worst kill football. The counter argument is that 16 and 17 year old players won't be left alone with 18+ year olds as there will always be multiple other players and coaches in the changing room. Whereas it is much more likely that an adult referee will be on their own in a changing room with a youth referee. Team of 3 vs team of at least 11, probability says the former is much more likely to be alone with a child than the latter.
 
RustyRef said:
Think this has been raised at senior levels. Realistically it would mean that every footballer would need a DBS and would at best overload the system and at worst kill football. The counter argument is that 16 and 17 year old players won't be left alone with 18+ year olds as there will always be multiple other players and coaches in the changing room. Whereas it is much more likely that an adult referee will be on their own in a changing room with a youth referee. Team of 3 vs team of at least 11, probability says the former is much more likely to be alone with a child than the latter.
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Plus team mates don't actually have authority over youths, while a referee has authority/control.
 
RustyRef said:
Think this has been raised at senior levels. Realistically it would mean that every footballer would need a DBS and would at best overload the system and at worst kill football. The counter argument is that 16 and 17 year old players won't be left alone with 18+ year olds as there will always be multiple other players and coaches in the changing room. Whereas it is much more likely that an adult referee will be on their own in a changing room with a youth referee. Team of 3 vs team of at least 11, probability says the former is much more likely to be alone with a child than the latter.
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I thought the MAIN purpose of referees having a DBS was to protect youth players from referees. I didn't think it's MAIN purpose was to protect youth referees from adult referees.

Your point about changing rooms doesn't ring true. It only takes seconds to commit an offence. Secluded areas are MORE likely to be the area where those bad people look to strike.

Now i think of it why would a referee be alone with a child unsupervised? I hardly ever use a changing area as i go prepared for the match (already changed) and a lot of the venues i go to have NO changing facilities (mainly youth).

I do agree that getting players a DBS would be difficult.
 
Kent Ref said:
A quick question:

If ALL referees need a DBS to referee why do 18+ age players not need a DBS if players in their open age teams are aged 16 or 17?

Players have far more "access" to tese child players in their own team than referees do.
Click to expand...
I think it's on it's way...but they're doing each sector of the game, bit by bit
 
Kent Ref said:
I thought the MAIN purpose of referees having a DBS was to protect youth players from referees. I didn't think it's MAIN purpose was to protect youth referees from adult referees.

Your point about changing rooms doesn't ring true. It only takes seconds to commit an offence. Secluded areas are MORE likely to be the area where those bad people look to strike.

Now i think of it why would a referee be alone with a child unsupervised? I hardly ever use a changing area as i go prepared for the match (already changed) and a lot of the venues i go to have NO changing facilities (mainly youth).

I do agree that getting players a DBS would be difficult.
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The purpose is to protect juveniles from everyone, be that players, coaches, parents, referees, etc.

You might rarely use a changing room, but some leagues, such as step 5/6/7 leagues, will have teams of 3 where one of the ARs will be under 18. In those circumstances steps need to be taken to make sure that such under 18 year olds aren't left alone with an adult in the changing room. Although the lines are crossing here somewhat between DBS and safeguarding. DBS is there to make sure that those with criminal records relating to children can't participate in activities involving children, whereas safeguarding is about educating around best practices and taking action when there are issues.

I've played in and managed teams with under 18 year olds, I cannot recall a single situation where they would have been left alone with an adult player. Whereas I can think of many occasions where under 18s referees have been in changing rooms alone with adult referees, indeed back in the days of mandated joint travel the referee was effectively forced to pick up the young referee.
 
RustyRef said:
The purpose is to protect juveniles from everyone, be that players, coaches, parents, referees, etc.

You might rarely use a changing room, but some leagues, such as step 5/6/7 leagues, will have teams of 3 where one of the ARs will be under 18. In those circumstances steps need to be taken to make sure that such under 18 year olds aren't left alone with an adult in the changing room. Although the lines are crossing here somewhat between DBS and safeguarding. DBS is there to make sure that those with criminal records relating to children can't participate in activities involving children, whereas safeguarding is about educating around best practices and taking action when there are issues.

I've played in and managed teams with under 18 year olds, I cannot recall a single situation where they would have been left alone with an adult player. Whereas I can think of many occasions where under 18s referees have been in changing rooms alone with adult referees, indeed back in the days of mandated joint travel the referee was effectively forced to pick up the young referee.
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Your making some good points but MOST games have one referee. A 16 or 17 year old is surrounded by 14 players or more.

The referee is checked by DBS to stop sex offenders reffing but what is there to stop sex offenders playing? Nothing.

In an ideal world all participants age 18+ would be "DBS"'d.
 
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