Recruiting, registering and developing your coaches

This guide is linked from our core how-to guides on Organising Activities & Events and Raising, Spending & Managing Money.

The Union has over 400 clubs and societies covering a huge range of activities. All our groups are student-led – this means the elected student positions of president and treasurer are ultimately responsible for all the activities conducted, and for ensuring they are conducted in a safe and inclusive way. They receive training on Union policies and procedures and are responsible for ensuring they are followed.   

Many clubs and societies decide to contract professional support for one or more of their activities to ensure they are delivering high quality activity. Students' Union UCL welcomes professional coaches, instructors or trainers as a key way of ensuring our student members are getting the best possible opportunities through our student-led groups. 

Here are the steps to manage your club's coaching provision:

Step 1 - Coaching Review

• The outgoing committee should complete a review with all existing coaches using this template. This will provide the incoming committee with an overview of previous coaching and recommendations going forward.
• It is important to give and receive feedback with a coach and address any issues (or potential issues) from either side.  
• It’s vital to think about your coaching structure as a whole and where you think the most value is. 
  • Which teams/sessions require a coach or would be most enhanced with a coach?
  • How much coaching can you budget for? We have provided recommended pay ranges for each sport as a guide. If you wish to pay a coach outside of this range, you’ll need to justify why.
  • Have you got student members who are keen on becoming coaches? (see more on how we can support this)

Step 2 - Job Description and Promotion

• Once you have confirmed the positions you are recruiting for, you should create a job description. The template is on canva, please email TeamUCL to have a copy that you can edit.
• Make sure to promote your club and the opportunity – highlight the things that would make a coach want to work with you!
• Be clear and detailed about the role and responsibilities.
  • What are the required qualifications? (please see the appendix).
  • Do you want them at training and matches?
  • When and where are your training and matches?
• Be sure to include clear instructions of how to apply and a deadline.
• Some good places to promote your role:
  • BUCS
  • UK Sport
  • LinkedIn 
  • Charity Job

Step 3 - Selection

• At least 2 people should independently score applications based on required skills and experience in the Job Description; the highest scoring candidates will be invited for an interview/trial.
• Interviews/trials should have set tasks designed to assess required skills and experience based on the Job Description. All candidates for the role should undergo the same interview questions/trial assessment.
• Candidates should be asked if they require any adjustments for their interview/trial with notice to ensure the process is equitable.
• A panel of 2-3 people should assess the interviews/trials.The panel should be consistent across all the candidates  
• Each panel member should take independent notes and score each question/trial aspect. The highest scoring candidate should be offered the position. 
  • We recommend using a 0-3 scoring system. 0 = not met, 1 = partially met, 2 = fully met, 3 = exceeded.
  • The panel should be unanimous in their decision. Further assessments can be introduced if necessary.
• All interview/assessed candidates should be informed in writing (e.g. via email) of the outcome.

Step 4 - Registration and Contract

Once you’ve decided on a coach, you’ll need to make sure the following two stages are completed before they can do any work for the club.

Registration with the Students’ Union

• This is a process for the coach to register with us to become an approved coach.
• We will need to validate their qualifications, insurance and references. 
• This is an annual registration process for the coach to complete themselves. 

Club-Coach Agreement

• Using our template, the committee and coach are both required to sign a contract stating the exact terms and conditions. 
• Coaches will only be able to enter into a contract with a club once their registration with the Union has been approved. 

See the full how-to-guide for this section here.

Please note that after completing this process the coach is contracted for work but is not an employee of Students' Union UCL.

Step 5 - Coach Management and Developoment

• Once your coach is registered and has an approved contract, they are ready to start coaching. 
• We recommend doing the following to maintain a strong relationship:
  • Establish how you will communicate with your coach (regular check-ins, meetings with team captains, termly reviews).
  • Keep them updated on any news that may impact them (e.g. payment deadlines over university closures).
• Make sure your student coaches are aware of and utilise support TeamUCL provides. We can subsidise training and qualifications and offer mentoring support.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does the coach have to re-register every year?

Yes - regardless of how long your coach has been involved in your activities, they must re-register with the Union annually.

If your coach is returning and we have previously contacted your referees, we will seek a reference from last year's committee.

Must the coach hold a first aid qualification?

All club/society activity must have a first aid trained person present.

For some clubs this must be the coach. For other clubs, we will require the committee to name a first aider from among their who will be present at all sessions if the coach isn't qualified.

What Public Liability Insurance information must the coach provide?

During the registration process, we ask the coach to upload their Public Liability Insurance certificate.

The following details must be visible in the uploaded document:

• Type of Insurance (i.e. Public Liability Insurance)
• Coverage Amount (At least £1 Million)
• Policy number and issuing company
• Name of person insured
• Start and end date of insurance

Note that if the end date is during the academic year, your registration will expire at this point, unless we receive an updated insurance certificate via email ([email protected]).

How long is the coach registration valid for?

If approved, and unless otherwise stated, a coach registration is valid for the remainder of the current academic year.

We may specify an earlier registration end date. This will most likely be because the provided Public Liability Insurance expires on that date. 

If this is the case, the coach/instructor should email their renewed Public Liability Insurance certificate to [email protected]. We will then extend the registration of the coach/instructor until the end date of the renewed certificate, or the end of the current academic year - whichever is earliest.

Is the coach employed by the Students' Union?

No. Coaches must be registered and have an approved contract to carry out work as a coach, but they are not an employee of Students' Union UCL.