Working with Children Check
Posted
August 27, 2008 
Comments(6)
Comments(6)
As most of you are probably aware, I quite like children and tend to give them my time and attention. It’s no different on the jiu-jitsu mats, which has the possibility of being misconstrued by someone that doesn’t know me as well. What would you think about a 28 year old man that is always happy to train with the kids?
I wonder if it’s worthwhile me completing a Working with Children Check, or if that sends an even worse message. Would I be considered a “volunteer who works with children ages 0-12 years” when I’m training at the club with children I wonder?
By the looks of it you become a “volunteer” mostly if you have a child involved in the activity.
Meanwhile I think the check is mostly for a stranger to identify you as being safe to entrust their kids with. If you are always with kids whos parents you know then they trust you.
If you find yourself being the authority figure in a situation where you have kids you don’t know that well then that’s like a teacher with a class and hence that’s where the check mostly is about covering your ass etc.
Not sending a bad image at all. It’s all about covering your ass. Pretty much anyone who comes into schools, sporting clubs etc… has one.
I don’t think you’d be considered a volunteer if this is a one off thing. If you were doing it on a regular basis or even semi-regular basis then, yes, I think you should definitely get one. Just to keep in your wallet, if for anything. I read your last post. If you think that you might train with the kids again, then it would be wise to have one. Just to cover your ass. But I don’t know whether you would be able to apply for one as a volunteer. You might have to look that one up. I think it would be, but you would have to check it out.
In my opinion you should get one. And then when I get my own classroom you should come in and be on my “parent” roster ;) You can come play for a morning :)
Hehehe.
As suspected, if you intend to train with him for more than 5 days in a calendar year then you need one to cover your ass. :)
I suspect Adam would definitely need the check, but because he’s always there if I’m around the kids I might be covered? He’s always supervising the classes, so I’m not really the teacher, I’m a participant in the class too, like any children that might be training.
I think it’s something I should investigate. I wonder if that means that anyone who’s training on the mats would need the check then if they come into contact with the kids (and with BJJ it’s going to be close contact).
You should start your own class – for the kids!
We’ve already got Stan who runs the kids classes, and to be honest it’d be too much work for me to tackle something like that. Maybe at a later stage, whn I’ve got more time (and also a darker belt, though you can teach once you have your blue).