THE THISTLE MARK Club Application Guidelines GOLD
The Thistle Mark - Club Application Guidelines Gold Level The following guidelines give clubs clarity on the application procedure and the information required in order to complete the application form. For further information and support with your application please contact your respective Netball Scotland Regional Development Manager (if known) or the Club and Competitions Development Manager at Netball Scotland on clubs@netballscotland.com or 0141 428 3464. CRITERIA The criteria is set out under the four main pillars, as referred to in Netball Scotland s 2015-19 Strategic Plan, Polaris. GOVERNANCE Supply the name and contact details for the main club contact or session facilitator. This should be correct & current for the season the club accreditation application is submitted. Affiliate all club members to Netball Scotland. Have a club constitution or working club guidelines. Have a club committee in place and positions filled. Hold a club treasurers bank account with 2 x signatories. Hold and record committee meetings. Have written and signed Role Descriptions for committee members to adhere to and ensure they are provided with an appropriate handover for their role. Have all the following club policies, procedures and documents in place. - Child Protection & Child Protection Officer in place (if players under 18 years of age) - Equality - Risk Assessment - Incident & Accident Form - Code of Conduct for players, coaches and parents. Hold and record Minutes of Annual General Meetings. If the club has a junior section, demonstrate that all the individuals who work with any junior members have a certified PVG through that club. Have a current club strategy or action plan. PROFILE PERFORMANCE Have a social media and/or online club presence that is easily accessible for new and current members. Have regular communication with club members. Welcome all new members into the club equally. Have a club identity. Demonstrate that the club has developed community engagement. Demonstrate that the club encourages players of all levels of experience and ability to be involved in the game. Demonstrate your involvement with current competition opportunities. Encourage appropriate player development by nominating players for trials for Netball Scotland development, representative and national squads.
EMPOWERMENT Demonstrate that the club supports the development of club members with their personal development aims. This can range from players to coaches, umpires and volunteers. Demonstrate that the club has a session(s) that caters for more than one specific target group(s) via a player pathway. Encourage and support the development of club members gaining coaching and officiating awards/qualifications by attending Netball Scotland Education courses. Clubs at this level should have at least the following registered umpires and coaches within their clubs: -1 x UKCC Level 1 coach per senior competitive team. -1 x UKCC Level 2 coach per senior competitive team. -1 x B-Umpire per senior competitive team. -The only exception to this requirement is for affiliated Junior only Clubs who require the minimum of 1 x UKCC Level 2 per Club and 1 x UKCC Level 1 per junior team, 1 x C-Umpire per team and 1 x B-Umpire per club. Demonstrate that those coaches who are qualified are being actively used within the club. Demonstrate that the club recognises all club volunteers & members. Demonstrate that the club committee gives club members the opportunity to input into the running of the club. Support and implement a coach development or mentor programme within the club. Support and or implement an officiating mentor programme. If an individual is named as the registered umpire for a club, they must be an affiliated member of that club. That individual is therefore linked exclusively to that club for the duration of their awarded Thistle Mark. Gold Level Accreditation Rewards Netball Scotland staff support Exclusive use of The Thistle Mark logo Educational course offers NS Conference special offers Early-bird access to all ticketed events Discounted Awards Dinner tickets Closed CPD opportunities with the National Technical Team Increased promotion and marketing support from NS And much more.. Title Page This page is a reference to the Club applying for their accreditation level. All information should be fully completed and accurate. The contact details are of the individual completing the application form only, this will be used internally by Netball Scotland staff to advise you on the status of the application. Content Name, Email and Contact number of individual completing the form. Club Name. Type of Club BBN, Junior only, senior only or Junior and Senior Club. Local Authority. Has your club achieved a local authority accreditation?
Governance Profile Content Main contact name, email and contact number for the club. Total number of individual active members within the club; this should include players, coaches, umpires and officials. All club members should be affiliated to Netball Scotland under the correct membership category. Copy of the Club s constitution or working guidelines. Details of the Club s committee structure. Details of the committee job descriptions and the induction process. Details of club committee meetings, including a copy of a recent meeting Minutes. Summary information on the club s bank account, including signatories. Copies of all club policies, procedures and/or documents. General information on the Club s Annual General Meeting supported by a copy of the most recent AGM Minutes. If the club has a junior section, all the individuals who work with any junior members must have a certified PVG through the club. A breakdown of those individuals names will be required. Copy of the club s Strategy or Action plan. Performance Social Media platforms used by the club and links to evidence this. Demonstrate regular communication to members within the club. Copy of the club s process for introducing and welcoming new members. Details of the club s current identity; colours, logo, kit. Details on how the club is involved in community engagement; such as give back policies, community partnerships and/or recognised community pathways. Player categories within the club, i.e. which of the following types of players: - No previous experience - Played at School - Ex or current District Players - Ex league players - Current league players - University players - National or ex national players - Other please provide detail Details of what competition(s) the team(s) in your club are currently involved in. Details of any nominations of members within your club for the following trials: - None - Junior Pathways - U15/U17 District - Development Centres - SSS Representation Squad - National
Empowerment Does your club support potential coaches/officials/players and volunteer to progress along their chosen pathway; this may be financial support or support of encouragement. This question is a statement of agreement you are required to sign in recognition that you agree. Detail the session types available within the club; Junior/youth, Senior, Bounce Back to Netball (BBN) etc. To complete this question up to date details of each session must be provided. Confirmation of the number of current coaches and umpires within the club. Details on how you recognise your club volunteers and club members. Details of a club member survey or feedback mechanism(s). Information about your club s coaching programme or structure. Copy of the club mentor programme for umpiring and coaching. This may be the club, a local authority or an association programme. Submission A signature is required from the individual completing the form to confirm all the details are correct and to verify that your club application has been submitted. The application form along with all the necessary evidence should then be saved onto the provided NS USB. This should then be submitted to Netball Scotland, either directly given to a Regional Development team member or posted to the NS Head Office via recorded delivery. All clubs must ensure submissions are with Netball Scotland within that cycle s deadline (dates given below). Netball Scotland Head Office Address: Netball Scotland Ltd 5th Floor, Emirates Arena, 1000 London Road, Glasgow, G40 3HY Granting Accreditation There are 3 submission deadlines in each season and clubs must submit their application prior to/on these dates in order to be considered for accreditation within that cycle. Submission deadlines are: - 31st October - 28th February - 31st May Applications will be processed by Netball Scotland RDMs or the Club and Competitions Development Manager (CCDM). A feedback form will be completed, detailing where a club has met or not yet met the criteria and will provide action points as appropriate. If a club is successful with their accreditation application they will be informed by Netball Scotland within 14 days of the submission deadline date of their success and the rewards for achieving this level of accreditation will be arranged. If a club is unsuccessful, they should use the feedback form detailing where criteria has not yet been met and where the club should consider areas for development to help them progress towards a successful accreditation in the future. If a club is unsuccessful they will be eligible to re-apply for the accreditation prior to/on the next submission date. However, they do not need to repeat the complete application process again. The club s re-application can be reviewed by way of a meeting with their respective RDM or the CCDM. The club must demonstrate how they have met the action points and can now meet the required criteria.