The majority of National Governing Bodies set out minimum ratios for coaches/leaders to young people for coaching young people under the age of 18 years. The following circumstances should be considered for adjusting the ratio’s of children per coach:
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The nature of the activities
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The sex, age, attitudes, disability, behaviour and competence of the young people
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The extent to which people with special needs are included within the group
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The competence, experience and expertise of the coaches
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The duration and nature of the travel to and from the activity
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The type of venue
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The weather conditions
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The need to maintain a complete programme of supervision
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The risk assessment for each activity – high, medium or low risk
Providers of open access activity (as defined in The Children Act 1989) should use the ratio of 1:8 as a guideline for all activities involving 4.5 to 8 year old children. Therefore the club must ensure adequate numbers of staff to organise these activities. A ratio of 1:10 is recommended for children aged 8 years plus.
In any club situation it is highly recommended that TWO ADULTS SHOULD BE PRESENT AT ALL TIMES with a group of children. This protects the children and also the coach from difficult situations or false allegations and should form part of your child protection procedures. Whenever possible ensure that there is a balance of MALE AND FEMALE SUPERVISORS for all activities regardless of whether the group of children are boys, girls or mixed. For all activities at least one adult should be a qualified first aider.
For sport specific information on coaching ratios refer to your National Governing Body who should be able to provide guidelines. This is largely determined by the coaching qualification held by the coach.
The responsibility delegated to all accompanying adults (coaches, instructors, leaders or helpers) should be clearly understood by all, including the children under their care. Thorough briefings for accompanying adults are vital. When a volunteer assumes the role of instructor it is essential that he/she is appropriately approved for the activity and relevant insurance’s are in place.
People with special needs
The safety of people with special needs requires more consideration and planning, as what may be a low risk activity for most individuals, could be a high risk activity for those with special needs. Attention should be given to:
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Access to the site and its facilities
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Security Arrangements
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Medical needs
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Additional support staff and carers
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Dietary requirements
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Emergency procedures and specialist advice in an emergency
