Frequently Asked Questions

The following are frequently asked questions in relation to Bucks Sport Coach Agency and it's practices. If the answer to your question is not below, please feel free to contact Bucks Sport Coach Agency by email at coachagency@buckssport.org, and we will endeavour to answer your queries.

For Coaches / Volunteers

What is Impact Sport Coaching and the Bucks Sport pilot?
Impact Sports Coaching, the coach agency pilot from Bucks Sport is a project funded by Sport England, Sports Coach UK and DCMS. Its brief is to create and online based coaching agency to handle the recruitment and deployment of coaches in Bucks and Milton Keynes , and in doing so create a career path to help professionalise coaching and increase the quality of the coaching delivered in Bucks & Milton Keynes.

Am I suitable to apply for positions at Bucks Sport Coach Agency?

If the answer to any of the following questions is yes, then you are someone the agency would love to hear from:
Do you want to develop your skills as a sports coach?
Do you enjoy helping others to improve their performance and their levels of fitness?
Are you considering a career in coaching?
Have you got the desire and commitment to be the best coach you can be?
Are you willing to learn and develop your skills?
Do you want to pass on your coaching skills to other coaches?

How do I access the benefits available through Bucks Sport Coach Agency?
Register and complete our online application form. Once that is done you need to request an advisory interview. Once the advisory interview is successfully completed you will have joined the agency subject to a completed CRB and satisfactory references.

What are the benefits available if registering with the Bucks Sport Coach Agency?
There are lots of coaching opportunities in Bucks and Milton Keynes, and working for an agency can give you more access to these opportunities. The agency can also help you to develop your coaching qualifications and equip you to be a better coach and to organise coaching employment.
Other benefits the agency can offer can be found at Benefits to the Coach page
Bucks Sport Coach Agency is a not for profit social enterprise agency, and therefore any money made is put back into the agency, and in turn back into you, the coach/volunteer.
We are a market leading organisation, in the fact that our agency is integrated into the existing delivery system for sport, and is endorsed and funded by partners such as Sport England, Sports Coach UK, and Bucks Sport, the County Sports Partnership

What services do you provide other than coaching?
Aside from coaching hours we provide opportunities to attend training courses, continuous professional development (CPD) courses and help and advice to all who need it.
We also provide an E-news service and news articles on the website to keep our users abreast of the latest developments in coaching and sports development.

What kinds of opportunities will be available / are available?
Types of employment/placement opportunities available:
None paid (voluntary) assistant coach: Suitable for someone just starting out on a their coaching career with only limited experience and either no qualifications or a level 1 in their chosen sport/s. This person would be assigned to a senior coach mentor to gain experience and would have a number of training needs to satisfy (eg a level 2 award) before being able to operate as a coach without supervision. Minimum age: 16 years.
Paid assistant coach: Suitable for someone who has some previous experience operating as an assistant coach, but will otherwise have a similar background to the voluntary coach described in number 1.
None paid (voluntary) coach: Suitable for a qualified level 2 coach who wishes to offer their services in a voluntary capacity. Most voluntary coaches will be providing their services to a voluntary sports club. Minimum Age 18 years.
Paid coach: Suitable for a qualified level 2 coach who wants paid work, which will be appropriate to their skills and experience. E.g. if the coach has the experience and ability to work in a school environment then they can be considered for this type of paid role. This assessment will be made during the screening process and by a process of continuous assessment. Minimum Age 18 years.
None paid (voluntary) senior coach / mentor: Suitable for an experienced level 2 coach or above whom has undergone a mentor training programme. This coach will be able to mentor assistant coaches in a supervisory capacity during coaching sessions. As a none paid mentor this coach will most likely providing their services to a voluntary club. Minimum age 18 years
Paid senior coach / mentor: Suitable for an experienced level 2 coach or above whom has undergone a mentor training programme. This coach will be able to mentor assistant coaches in a supervisory capacity during coaching sessions. Minimum Age 18 years.

Will I be coaching on my own or alone?
Either or both. Coaches will have the opportunity to work with a supervisory coach, as a stand alone coach, working in a team of coaches and working supervising/managing other coaches. This is dependant on your qualifications, experiences and in what field of coaching you wish to work in.

Will I have to sign an agreement with the agency? What will it mean?
The agreement outlines your responsibilities for safe and professional practices whilst working through the agency, and also our pledge to try and find appropriate placement and training opportunities and support you in your coaching.
We hope that this agreement will help drive up the level of support for coaches and the standards of coaching sessions delivered and help make coaching a recognised and quality profession.

Is there any age restriction for working with Bucks Sport Coach Agency?
Yes, due to employment regulations the agency will only be inviting people over 16 to apply and join. There is no upper age limit for joining to agency and we welcome people from a wide range of sports, ages and backgrounds.

What are the implications if I have a criminal record?
Each disclosure of a criminal caution or conviction (from self-disclosure of a criminal record check) will be dealt with on a case by case basis by a team of Bucks Sport staff.
At all times Bucks Sport Coach Agency recognises that the safety and well being of participants is of paramount importance.

How can I get answers to any questions I may have?
If the above explanations do not answer your queries on the agency, please contact Bucks Sport Coach Agency by either emailing your query to coachagency@buckssport.org or by phoning 01296 585569 / 585580.

For Placement Providers

What are the benefits of hiring coaches through Bucks Sport Coach Agency?

The potential benefits for a placement provider from joining the agency include:
Access to quality sports coaches
Guarantee of minimum standards. All coaches will have:
Been police checked
Gained the minimum level qualification required by the governing body
Received specialist training (eg working in schools, first aid)
Had two references
Undergone a screening interview
Undergone an observation session with a trained observer
Will be insured
You will have a named contact with the agency who will be responsible for meeting your needs
You will have the opportunity of viewing profiles and CVs from a number of coaches (if available) before making a final selection
You will be able to provide feedback about the coach online
If employing the coach you will not be liable if the coach has to cancel a session at short notice and where possible the agency will find a replacement
By accessing the services of the agency you are accessing the only service being supported by Sport England, Sports Coach UK and the County Sports Partnership.
How can the quality of coaches on offer be guaranteed?

All coaches deployed through the agency will have to have met a set of minimum standards to ensure the quality of our coaches. Our minimum standards are as below:
NGB level 2 qualification (level 1 working as an apprentice coach with a more senior coach)
Emergency first aid qualification
Enhanced CRB check
Specialist training e.g. working with people with a disability/multi skill
Minimum age: 18 years (16 for an apprentice)
Satisfactory interview and induction with the agency
Sign agency agreement
Sign up to the professional code of practice
Insurance
References

For a coach to be able to perform a supervisory role for the agency, they would need all the above and a satisfactory completion of agency supervisory training.
Ongoing requirements
Satisfactory placement provider evaluations
Annually updated CRB
Satisfy CPD requirements of the sport
Periodically observed sessions

What is the procedure if a coach is ill or cannot attend a session?
If a coach is ill or unable to attend a session, the coach will be responsible for letting the agency and the placement provider know, and wherever possible the agency will provide a suitable replacement and liaise with the placement provider.

What happens if a coach does not turn up to a session?
Our key contact from the placement provider will have the contact details of someone at Coaching North West, and will be able to contact us in the instance of a coach not turning up to deliver a session they are contracted to do. Wherever possible Coaching North West will try and find another coach/time for the session to be taken, and will follow the appropriate procedures (as necessary) in dealing with the coach concerned.

How do I cancel a session if I no longer need a coach. What are the implications if I cancel a session?
It is the responsibility of the placement provider to let both the agency and the coach know if they choose to cancel a session if it is no longer needed. If sufficient time is given then penalties should not have to be issued as the agency can look at finding other work for the coach. The penalties for late cancellation will include a percentage of the coach fee being paid even if the session is cancelled

How will you ensure that the coach is suitable?
When a Recruiter requests a coach, a search is conducted of the screening interview and applicant information, and the website brings up a list of coaches with suitable qualifications, experiences and personalities to suit recruitment at your organisation, ensuring we find the right people for the right coaching opportunities.

What will it cost us to register with the agency?
NOTHING!! In the pilot phase of this project, registering with the agency will be free, and payments will only commence once you obtain a coach for paid sessions through the agency or wish us to collect data on sessions led on behalf of your organisation

What will a coach require when they turn up to lead a session?
This will be dependant on the sport and the participants in the session that the coach is leading. Normally they will require someone to meet them when they arrive for the session, a list of those participating in the session, and the necessary equipment (that the coach doesn't have themselves) to deliver the session.

What will Bucks Sport Coach Agency require before / during or after a session?
Bucks Sport Coach Agency will require a Recruiter to have a completed application form on the website (including addresses and key contact information of all sites) before a coach can be placed. During the placement there should be a link for the coach to have direct contact with at your organisation, and after the session we require someone who observed the session to complete an evaluation on the coach online, which will provide us with valuable feedback.
N.B. The coach will also be asked to provide an evaluation on their recruiter, which will allow a good employer to build up a portfolio of positive comments, which will attract good quality coaches to work there.