This note has been designed to help answer questions raised by captains, coaches and managers ("Club Helpers") as an aid to the induction process for all volunteer and paid Club Helpers.

Pre season requirements

All Club Helpers must:

be registered as members of the Club
have signed and returned the attached form agreeing to accept the role and comply with the associated requirements
have been DBS checked (managers and coaches only)

Membership

All Club Helpers must be Club members and England Hockey members. Non playing Club Helpers get free Social membership. Playing Club Helpers get half price membership. Full details about membership fees can be found here.

The Membership Database is on the Club website (only available to authorised users) and registration and payment is all online.

Consent form

England Hockey have asked us to introduce a form to be signed by all Club Helpers on which they agree to carry out the role and agree to comply with the Club's policies. Please sign the Role Acceptance Form and return it to the Club office.

Safeguarding checks

All managers and coaches working with children must be DBS checked. Please provide the documents requested of you to Cindy Falconer (Club welfare officer) when asked to do so.

Use of website

Permissions

Once registered as a member please let the Club Office or Club website coordinator know if you need to have permissions to use the website for specific purposes.

Most Club Helpers will be given the additional permissions for use of the website to enable them to:

make team selections
record results and file match reports
add photos to the gallery
use the website email tool

Identification

Please add a picture of yourselves on the Club website so that members and parents can identify you (please check with a parent first if you are under 18).

Squad for the new season

Every team squad has its own web page in the Teams section of the website (see the dark purple banner at the top of the page).

Your team's page may be out of date. Please add text and a photo by navigating to the Teams dashboard and then selecting your team and then Homepage. Help is available here, or speak to Simon Beckley.

Squad members

All current colt members have been assigned to the right age group squads for the new season based on their registered dates of birth. Adult squads may still reflect last year's players.

Please let Anita Berkeley know where you think changes are required.

Pictures

There is a Photo Gallery page for each team on the website. Please add as many pictures as possible.

New members and Eligibility

If you have any new starters please refer them to the Membership Information on the website. Please provide the Membership Secretary with the player's name, date of birth and email address then we can add him/her as a member and ask him/her to register. Nobody must of course play unless and until they are registered. It is not just a breach of competition rules but a real safeguarding issue. Anyone who is not a member will not be subject to the Club's insurance and please simply must not be selected or allowed to play whatever the circumstances.

If in any doubt who is a member please look at the Membership Database on the website or ask the Membership Secretary.

Data Protection

With the new Data Protection legislation it is very important that Club Helpers do not use personal data other than in accordance with the Club's privacy policy. Please therefore avoid (in so far as possible) keeping personal data on your phone or home computer. Please just use the website as much as possible. It is not always possible but we obviously do not want personal details kept where they cannot be deleted once a player leaves.

The privacy policy is on the Policies page of the website

All of the other policies (including Safeguarding, Code of Conduct, Colts playing adult hockey, Expectations) are also on that page.

If you are taking over from another Club Helper please ask them for the information they had and ask them then to delete it from their personal devices. Use the information on the website which members have provided with their explicit consent rather than what was held previously unless members specifically agree otherwise.

Website training

If you are in any doubt about how to use the website please speak to Jane Blake who has volunteered to give demonstrations to those who are using the website for the first time and those who would like a refresher course.

Training and coaching

Please liaise with

Lee Ible or Mark Menear (adults)
Chris Gladman, Jay Fox and John Wright (youth)
Jane Blake (mini section)

on all aspects of coaching.

Day to day help

Please ask John Wright for help on anything related to the use of pitches, the clubhouse or other administrative issues.

Thank you and please

Thank you for volunteering. The Club could not function without its volunteers.

Please work closely with other Club Helpers and do not be tempted to "do your own thing". Please familiarise yourself with the Club Policies in particular the Club Expectations policy which starts:

"Our club has a long history of inclusivity, support and camaraderie. We are one club (not a series of individual teams) and that ethos is core to our identity and success."

Please instil that in all your players and #BeMorePurple.