SportSafe Policy

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• What is Public Liability insurance and why is it so important?
• Public Liability insurance covers you if someone in your care, or a member of the public, suffers an injury that is held by law to be your fault. If, for instance, you erect a goalpost incorrectly and it falls over and injures someone, or if you fail to ensure that the area on which you are playing is free from hazards (e.g. syringes, obscured water taps, etc) and an injury results, then your group could be held legally liable. You need Public Liability insurance to protect you against such lawsuits.
• What is Employers' Liability insurance?
• If you employ anyone you are required by law to take out Employers' Liability cover. It is similar to Public Liability insurance, but relates specifically to injuries suffered by your employees. Recent examples have included an employee injured when a cupboard fell off the wall and an employee injured following a fall from a ladder.
• What is the difference between Liability and Personal Accident insurance?
• Liability insurance covers you for damages and costs that may be awarded against you in a Court of Law, when you have been found to be at fault. The Personal Accident section provides an agreed amount of compensation in the event of an injury, such as loss of a limb or an eye, suffered by a group official or group child in an accident, irrespective of who may have been at fault. A full list of injuries for which compensation would be payable is stated on page 9 of this summary.
• What sports and activities are included?
• Badminton, basketball, bowls, cricket, croquet, dancing (other than break dancing), football, golf, hockey, ice skating, netball, non-contact martial arts, roller skating (excludes roller blading and skate boarding), rounders, squash, swimming, table tennis, tag rugby, tennis, track athletics and volleyball are all included automatically.
  Please note that other sports and activities may be included, but these will need to be approved in writing by Morton Michel before cover can be given.
• Do we have to register under the Childcare Act 2006 to take out the policy?
• If your group is required to be registered under the terms of the Act, then you must obtain registration and adhere to its terms in order for the insurance to be valid. If your group is exempt from the Children Act, then you do not require registration to obtain the insurance cover. Please contact Ofsted or your registering authority to find out if you need to be registered.
• Are voluntary workers covered under Public Liability or Employers' Liability?
• Regular voluntary workers are regarded as employees for the purposes of the Public Liability and Employers' Liability insurances. Your legal liability for bodily injury to regular voluntary helpers is covered under the Employers' Liability Section.
• Can we take on young people for work experience?
• Yes, provided that they are on a Government or otherwise authorised work experience, training, study, exchange or similar scheme. They must always work under the supervision of experienced group officials and be of an appropriate age for the duties being performed. If in any doubt, please contact Morton Michel. If you are asked to sign a document from an authority concerning young people doing work experience, please let Morton Michel see this document.
• Are we covered for giving medication?
• The administration of non-prescribed drugs or medicines, prescribed oral medication or asthma inhalers and the administration of other medication is covered strictly in accordance with conditions stated in the policy. (See also the FAQ relating to children with special needs.)
• Does the policy cover children with special needs?
• Yes, the SportSafe policy covers your legal liability to any child with special needs in your care arising out of the activities of your group and in respect of any injuries they may sustain as a result of defects at your premises. It also covers your legal liability for the administration/provision of first aid treatment, drugs/medicines, oxygen, gastro feeding, nasogastric tube feeding, cleaning and changing of feeding and tracheostomy/tracheotomy tubes and emptying/changing of stoma bags, strictly in accordance with conditions stated in the policy. You must ensure that you are complying with all Ofsted or your registering authority requirements and that appropriate supervision ratios apply.
• What age group does this insurance cover us for?
• Children between the ages of 3 and 18 are automatically covered under the policy. Wider age ranges are not eligible for SportSafe.
• Does the cover include sheds and contents of sheds?
• Yes, within certain limits, providing it is either a timber or metal shed. Please refer to the Group Equipment section on page 7 for details of the cover. If the limits are insufficient for your needs or if you have a shed that is not timber or metal, please contact Morton Michel.
• Do my staff require any qualifications?
• Staff should have at least a level 1 qualification in the sport being coached. In the case of multisports, staff should have level 1 qualification in at least two of the sports being coached.
• What is the difference between member to member liability and participant to participant liability?
• Participant to participant liability is the liability of one participant to another, in respect of injuries caused in the course of play and the injured participant brings a claim against the other. This is not covered by your insurance. There is no cover for injuries caused by one participant to another in the course of play. Member to member liability is the liability of one member to another, in respect of injuries (or damage to property) occurring other than in the course of play but in the course of normally attending the club (e.g. leaving a sports bag in a hazardous place, resulting in a fall of another member. This is covered by your insurance, provided you can be held legally liable.
• What is an ERN Number and why do I need to disclose it
• If you are employing an assistant or someone to help you with your business, and you are paying them above the current threshold, then you are required to register with HMRC as an employer. The reason we are requesting the ERN Number is that Insurers are required to provide this information on a monthly basis for the Employers' Liability Database in connection with all new and renewed policies. Click here for further information