Overview
The proper screening and education of basketball sport leaders is a vital process for Basketball Nova Scotia (BNS) and its Member Clubs to achieve its unified goal in providing a safe and healthy sporting environment for all involved with the game.
BNS is responsible to take all reasonable precautions to provide a safe and secure environment for participants in its programs, activities, and events. Screening and educating sport leaders will allow BNS and Member Clubs to identify and preclude anyone who may pose a risk to ensuring a safe and healthy environment.
Application of this Policy
This policy applies to all organizational participants whose position is one of trust or authority which may relate to coaching, officiating, managing, staffing or Board or Executive work. To confirm, completing the screening process is mandatory for all positions as noted above as part of the province’ safe sport process and polices.
Not all individuals associated with BNS, and its membership will be required to submit screening documents because not all positions pose a significant risk of harm to BNS or its members.
Athletes are not required to completing screening.
Screening Guidelines
To assist with who will be subject to screening under this policy, the following guidelines have been developed with direction from the Province of Nova Scotia.
Level 1 - Low Risk - Organizational Participants involved in low-risk assignments who are not in a supervisory role, not directing others, not involved with finances, and/or do not have unsupervised access to vulnerable organizational participants.
Examples: Include parents, youth, or volunteers who are helping on a non-regular or informal basis and who do not have significant contact with Vulnerable Organizational Participants.
Level 2 - Medium Risk - Organizational Participants involved in medium risk assignments who may be in a supervisory role, may direct others, may be involved with finances, and/or who may have limited access to vulnerable organizational participants.
Examples: Athlete support personnel, non-coach employees or managers; Board of Directors; coaches who are typically under the supervision of another coach; and officials.
Level 3 - High Risk - Organizational Participants involved in high-risk assignments who occupy positions of trust and/or authority, have a supervisory role, direct others, are involved with finances, and who have frequent or unsupervised access to vulnerable organizational participants.
Examples: Coaches, and athlete support personnel who travel with athletes and could be alone with athletes.
Screening & Education Requirements
BNS requires that the identified categories of Organizational Participants in Appendix A complete the minimum requirements for screening and education.
It is the policy of BNS that when an individual is first engaged by BNS and/or Member Club or has a change in identified classification/role, they will complete the requirements as set out in Appendix A.
In addition to the requirements under Appendix A, the Screening Committee, at their discretion, may request additional information from individuals, such as:
If an individual receives a charge, conviction for, or is found guilty of an offense after completing their initial screening, they will report this circumstance immediately to BNS or their Member Club. Additionally, the individual will inform BNS or their Member Club of any changes in their circumstance that would alter their original responses in their screening. If BNS learns that an individual has provided false, inaccurate, or misleading information, the individual will immediately be removed from their position and may be subject to further discipline in accordance with the Discipline Policy.
Minor
For the purposes of this policy, BNS defines a Minor as someone who is younger than 19 years old. When screening Minors who are engaged in non-athlete roles and/or Positions of Authority such as a Community Coach/Instructor or Official, BNS will:
If the Minor is required to obtain a E-PIC, in these circumstances, BNS will be clear in its request that it is not asking for the Minor’s youth record. BNS understands that they may not request to see a Minor’s youth record.
Screening Committee
The implementation of this policy is the responsibility of the Screening Committee which is a committee comprised of between three (3) and five (5) members. BNS will ensure that members appointed to the Screening Committee possess the requisite skills, knowledge, and abilities to accurately screen documents and render decisions under this policy.
The Screening Committee is responsible for reviewing all documents that come back as ‘flagged’ or unclear.
In carrying out its duties, the Screening Committee may consult with independent experts including lawyers, police, risk management consultants, volunteer screening specialists, or any other person.
Nothing in this policy restricts or limits the Screening Committee from requesting that the individual attend an interview with the Screening Committee if the Screening Committee considers that an interview is appropriate and necessary to screen the individual’s application.
Nothing in this policy restricts or limits the Screening Committee from requesting the individual’s authorization to contact any professional, sporting, or other organization to assess the individual’s suitability for the position that they are seeking.
Nothing in this policy restricts or limits the Screening Committee from requesting further information from the individual on more than one occasion, subject to the individual’s right to insist that the Screening Committee decide based on the information before it.
The Screening Committee may, where appropriate, draw an adverse inference from an individual’s failure to provide information or answer queries.
When assessing an individual’s screening application, the Screening Committee shall determine whether there is reason to believe that the individual may pose a risk to BNS, its membership or to another individual.
An individual having been previously penalized for a prior offence shall not prevent the Screening Committee from considering that offence as part of the individual’s screening application.
If the Screening Committee determines based on the individual’s screening application, in addition to any further material received by it, that the individual does not pose a risk to the members of BNS, the Screening Committee shall approve the individual’s application, subject to the Screening Committee’s right to impose conditions.
In the case of a decision denying an application or approving an application with conditions, a copy of the decision shall be provided to the applicant and to the Board of Directors of BNS which may disseminate the decision as they see fit to best fulfill the mandate of BNS.
An Organizational Participant whose screening application has been denied or revoked may not re-apply to participate in the programs or activities of BNS for two (2) years from the date the rejected application was made.
Renewal
Individuals must complete the EPIC screening requirements as identified under Appendix A every three (3) years unless determined by BNS. Safe Sport Training is only required to be taken once.
At any time, including after either the submission of an individual’s application or its approval (with or without conditions), BNS may re-open an individual’s file for additional screening if it is advised of new information that, in the discretion of BNS could affect the assessment of the individual’s suitability for participation in the programs or activities of BNS or the individual’s interactions with other individuals involved with BNS.
Orientation, Training, and Monitoring
Subject to the minimum standards of Appendix A, the type and amount of additional education and monitoring will be at the discretion of BNS.
Training/orientation may include, but is not limited to certification courses, online learning, mentoring, workshop sessions, webinars, on-site demonstrations, and peer feedback.
At the conclusion of training/orientation, the individual may be required to acknowledge, in written form, that they have received and completed the orientation and training.
Monitoring may include, but is not limited to, written or oral reports, observations, tracking, electronic surveillance (e.g., facility security cameras), and site visits.
How to Obtain an E-PIC
An E-PIC may be obtained online via http://www.backcheck.net/e-pic.htm.
For clubs or organizations using the RAMP registration system, E-PIC can also be obtained through this means. Fees for E-PIC’s are the responsibility of the club or individual coach.
How to Obtain Safe Sport Training
Safe sport training is available through The Locker and the Coaching Association of Canada. Coaches must sign up for an account and have access to their NCCP number. If not known, NCCP numbers can be requested once logged into the Locker.
Procedure
Screening documents must be submitted to BNS through the designated mechanism.
An individual who refuses or fails to provide the necessary screening documents will be ineligible to volunteer or apply for the position sought. The individual will be informed that their application and/or position will not proceed until such time as the screening documents are submitted.
BNS understands that there may be delays in the screening process depending on the information required. At the discretion of BNS per extraordinary circumstances, an individual may be permitted to participate in the role during any delay. This permission may be withdrawn at any time and for any reason.
BNS recognizes that different information will be available depending on the type of screening document that the individual has submitted. The Screening Committee will use its expertise and discretion when making decisions based on the screening documents that have been submitted.
Following the review of the screening documents, the Screening Committee will decide:
In making its decision, the Screening Committee will consider the type of offense, date of offense, and relevance of the offense to the position sought.
The Screening Committee may decide that an individual has not passed screening if the screening documentation reveals any of the following:
a) if imposed in the last three years:
b) if imposed at any time:
Conditions and Monitoring
Excluding the incidents above which, if revealed, would cause the individual to not pass screening, the Screening Committee may determine that incidents revealed on an individual’s screening documents may allow the individual to pass the screening process and participate in a desired position with conditions imposed.
The Screening Committee shall have the sole and unfettered discretion to apply and remove conditions, determine the length of time for the imposition of conditions, and determine how adherence to conditions may be monitored.
Records
All records will be maintained by BNS in a confidential manner. Records related to the screening process will be disclosed on an as-needed basis. Further, these records will not be disclosed to others except as required by law, for use in legal, quasi-legal, or disciplinary proceedings.
The records kept as part of the screening process include but are not limited to:
Appendix A - Screening and Education Requirements Matrix
The following are the minimum screening and education requirements as mandated by Sport Nova Scotia.
BNS currently requires completion of REQUIREMENTS 1 AND 2.
BNS may impose additional requirements.
| Sport Leader Role | Requirement 1 | Requirement 2 | Requirement 3 | Requirement 4 | Requirement 5 | Requirement 6 |
| Community Coach/Instructor | Complete an E-PIC | NCCP - Safe Sport Training | NCCP - Making Ethical Decision Training | NCCP - Making Headway in Sport | NCCP Compliance | Additional PSO requirements
|
| Competition Coach | Complete an E-PIC | NCCP - Safe Sport Training | NCCP - Making Ethical Decision training plus evaluation | NCCP - Making Headway in Sport | NCCP Compliance | Additional PSO requirements |
| PSO/CSO Staff (None coaching) | Complete an E-PIC | NCCP - Safe Sport Training | Additional PSO requirements | |||
| PSO/CSO Staff (Coaching) | Complete an E-PIC | NCCP - Safe Sport Training | NCCP - Making Ethical Decision training plus evaluation | NCCP - Making Headway in Sport | NCCP Compliance | Additional PSO requirements |
| Team/Group Manager/Chaperone | Complete an E-PIC | NCCP - Safe Sport Training | Parent/Athlete online concussion module | Additional PSO requirements | ||
| Athletic Trainers | Complete an E-PIC | NCCP - Safe Sport Training |
| NCCP - Making Headway in Sport |
| Additional PSO requirements |
| Official/Judge | Complete an E-PIC | NCCP - Safe Sport Training | NCCP - Making Headway in Sport | Additional PSO requirements | ||
| PSO/CSO Board Committee Member | Complete an E-PIC | NCCP - Safe Sport Training |
|
|
| Additional PSO requirements |
| PSO/CSO Volunteer | Complete an E-PIC |
|
|
|
| Additional PSO requirements |
Approved by the BNS Board of Directors on October 11, 2024.