1. Home
  2. Members Area
  3. How we work
  4. Permission to Teach

How to obtain your "Permission to Teach"

 

Process - For anyone to teach unsupervised on the mat formal permission is needed before stepping onto the mat. This is part of our recruitment process. (This is not needed for visiting instructors that our Head of Association is aware of).

The steps/requirements to coach detailed on our Coaching page are additional to the process described below and are started first.

 

Form Description

P-1

Disclosure Consent Form to be completed when submitting a DBS disclosure (if needed #)

P-2

Application Form for Permission to Teach - for new applicants

P-5

Checklist Form for Renewal of Permission to Teach

 

 

Click below to expand

A. First time application (New Applicants)

First time Application for Permission to Teach

The steps in applying:


1. You should apply to your Club Leader on what is known as Form P-2. This form includes Guidance notes on completion on page 2. The Form and it's Guidance note covers the procedure in detail.

The applicant needs to understand their role and responsibility through the job descriptions.

The applicant completes sections 1 and 5 of Form P-2.

The documents required by Section 2 of the form should be gathered together and then all should be passed to the Club Leader.

If the applicant is a Club Leader then the Principal handles as if he is the Club Leader in this instance.


2. The Club Leader checks the certificates provided and writes on the form in section 2 details of the certificates that have been presented. The Club Leader also takes copies of these which should be retained as part of a possible verification procedure should the need arise. The original certificates can then be returned to the applicant.

If the DBS Check at Section 3 on the Form is not needed then it's just Form P-2 that the Club Leaders sends to the Principal of the Association who will follow Step 3. Whether the DBS Check is needed is covered in the next item B. "Is DBS required?"


3. Permission will be granted as the Head of Association sees fit and record on it any restrictions.

The intention is that the expiry date on the "Permission to Teach" will now be the expiry of the applicant's First Aid certificate. (adopted late 2022)

Assuming permission is granted the Principal will retain Form P-2 and will issue an appropriate permission on form P-3 format directly to the Club Leader for them to pass on to the applicant. At the same time the Principal will arrange for details of this permission to be published on the Aikikai website. Where no DBS check has been made the entry will show permission is restricted to coaching "Adults only"

B. Is a DBS check required?

Is a DBS check required?

If your club doesn't have anyone under 18yrs and no vulnerable adults then you don't need a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. If your club may alter who it teaches or have other reasons it may be appropriate to seek DBS clearance.

DBS checks will commonly be used for Coaches and Club Welfare Officers but others may be involved where it is gauged that they undertake regular supervisory conduct with those under 18 years of age. Click here for more details about the DBS check and how to make it.

1. A if a DBS check is needed as the first step. For more details on the procedure, the completed check and the action then needed follow this link.

Contact your Club's Welfare Officer to start this or the Aikikai's Child Protection Officer. {This is not required if your Club doesn't teach young people (< 18yrs) or vulnerable adults - in which case skip this first step and go to step 3.}

The definition of who needs a DBS check comes down to whether you are in a regulated activity. The BAB issued the following guidance

2. On receipt of your DBS disclosure certificate results:-
  • you will complete Form P-1 - but this is only needed if you are a new applicant.
  • for new applicants (first time) the ACPO should receive from the Club Leader Form P-2 - so Section 3 may be completed provided the check is clear and then passed to the Principal with Form P-2 - for new applicants and any associated documents.
  • First time applicants should join the DBS Update Service within 19 days from the issue date of your disclosure certificate. (It's free as you a volunteer and eases future checks)
  • For renewing applicants Club Leaders need to ask the ACPO to use the DBS Update Service to see if new information has been added or whether nothing has changed to the original DBS certificate. This is accomplished simply by emailing our Association CPO who will email the Club Leader back the result. If the renewing applicant has never had a DBS check then one needs to be obtained as if they are a First time applicant. Form P-1 will be needed

C. Renewal of Permission to Teach

Renewal of Permission to Teach

See Checklist formP-5 to be used when reapplying for Permission to Teach for a second or subsequent time.

This Form is a checklist for Club Leaders to use to help them decide when the criteria have been fully met for Permission to Teach to be renewed. This simplification to the process removes the need to duplicate and send off certificates as long as all conditions have been met i.e. membership, insurance, First Aid, etc.

The checklist is purely for your admin and aids you to cover the requirements. Club Leaders retain this information within their Club records.

If you or your Instructor is teaching young people / vulnerable adults you need to ask the ACPO to use the DBS Update Service to see if new information has been added or whether nothing has changed to the original DBS certificate. This is accomplished simply by emailing our Association CPO who will email the Club Leader back the result. It might be that our ACPO and the BAB will need consider any change - advice will be given.

Once the Club Leader is satisfied that all the requirements have been met, an email should be sent to the Principal with a request for Permission to teach be issued. The Club Leader should provide in the email:-

  • the Instructor's name,
  • the expiry of their current First Aid certificate. The intention is that the expiry date on the "Permission to Teach" will be the expiry of the First Aid certificate as well.
  • and whether DBS approval has been been given

Form P-5 is a work aid for Club Leaders - the form is not emailed to others.

It's suggested that Club Leaders develop a reminder system to prompt them when the expiry date of the previous Permission approaches to ensure continuity of approval.

Assuming that the permission is granted the Principal will issue an appropriate permission on form P-3 format directly to the Club Leader for them to pass on to the applicant. At the same time the Principal will arrange for details of this permission to be published on the Aikikai website. Where no DBS check has been made the entry will show permission is restricted to dealing with "Adults only".

 

 

Summary - The Aikikai believes all Instructors taking classes unsupervised should hold a Governing Body coaching award, be a Dan Grade in Aikido, be First Aid qualified, hold appropriate insurance, be DBS checked in accordance with Child Protection policy where they teach under 18s and finally be authorised to take classes by our Head of Association.

DBS Checking - Guidance and policy by the BAB clarified DBS checking should be considered proportionate to the risk. The Aikikai focused on the criteria of "regular supervisory contact" and decided DBS checks are not needed for Coaches who teach at their club, which only takes students over 18 years of age, provided they don't teach regularly at other clubs.

The Lancashire Aikikai considers our Permission process is important as best practise and control so it is aware of who teaches in its name and is effectively a detailed recruitment process. Job descriptions have been published so that any role & its responsibilities are understood by the applicant and those involved with the permission process.