CLUB CRITERIA
BJJKO Clubs are Safe Clubs.
Our Criteria for running a BJJKO Club in the UK.
BJJKO Criteria for all Member Clubs
Student Membership
In order for us to be able to register student grades and provide certificates and belts for Kyu grades and DAN grades, as well as provide Safeguarding Support, student membership is essential, club instructors are responsible for registering students with us. Students that are not registered will not have access to grading certification or grading registration, safeguarding interventions or with any financial support in the case of legal action.
Instructor Insurance
We provide Professional Indemnity Insurance for Club Instructors; it is the responsibility of the club instructor to make sure their PI Cover is up to date (although we will always notify you when it is about to expire). Instructors can purchase this from us or from another provider if they wish, however, for instructors to meet the criteria for registered clubs, they must notify us when purchasing insurance from another provider.
Instructor Registration and Safe recruitment
All assistant instructor promotions and applications will need to be backed up by our safe recruitment for instructors form (available to download via the instructor’s area of our website)
Please follow the Safe Recruitment Process when appointing Assistant Instructors.
DBS
Instructors must apply for DBS checks with us (via their club instructor) DBS Certificates obtained through an employer or other body will not be acceptable by law. Please complete the relevant form to start the process.
Safeguarding and Child Protection Training
We offer free Safeguarding Training via e-Learning, simply go to the Login tab of the BJJKO website, request a login and start your training, we can then provide proof of participation for insurance purposes.
Instructors teaching children will need to comply by law, you can of course use a Safeguarding Certificate obtained by training completed with another organisation, providing you share a valid and equivalent course certificate with us as proof, failure to comply will void your insurance with us (and other providers).
Please Note: It is illegal for a club instructor to teach without insurance, a DBS Certificate and proof of Safeguarding Training, authorities have powers to close a club, either temporarily or permanently, and following an incident where authorities are involved, legal action will almost certainly follow, which can in some circumstances result in a custodial sentence for the instructor.
Club Welfare Officers (CWO’s)
Although there are no regulations that stipulate the need for a club to nominate a Club Welfare Officer, CWO’s are a useful Safeguarding tool for club instructors.
Nominate a CWO as soon as possible and provide us with their details.
We can provide a poster for your club with your CWO’s contact details clearly visible so that students can contact them independently.
Students should also be made aware of who your CWO is and how to contact them.
When choosing a CWO you should be sure that they are available to students and should be impartial, they don’t need to be at the club every week and they don’t need to be an instructor, just someone who is known to students.
They also provide your club with an important Safeguarding contact within the club, the CWO will be able to speak to our DSL to get advice, log a complaint or safeguarding case and if needed, arrange a club visit or meeting away from the club.
There is no official form for appointing a CWO, just get in touch and we will get things started.
Club Gradings for Kyu grade students
Kyu Grade and DAN grade Certification and Registration can only be provided for students with BJJKO membership. Club instructors that do not want purchase certificates through the BJJKO should provide dates for student gradings so that we can register the grade and provide a credible route to Black Belt Grades, Black Belt grading may be refused if we don’t have evidence of grading dates and time between gradings.
DAN Grades
DAN Grades need to be registered using the relevant application form, students need to meet the criteria and hold current up-to-date membership.
Club Registration
There is no charge to register a club with the BJJKO.
Clubs will need to re-register their club each year, again there is no cost to renewing your club registration, it is simply a matter of confirming your details in line with iCO guidance.
Lesley Morris
DSL Level 3 Lead Safeguarding OfficerDPO (Data Protection Officer)
Lesley can be contacted by email should you have any questions relating to a BJJKO Club or for help and advice for new or existing students.
Most correspondence is conducted by email, however in some cases by phone, a face to face meeting can also be arranged at your club in complete confidence.
safeguarding@bjjko.co.uk