Background Check Policy

Background Check Policy for Staff and Volunteers

Background Check Policy Updated 2021

Approved by the Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association Board of Directors on April 13, 2021

Background Check Policy for Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association Inc.

In accordance with He-C 4004.04, The Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association Inc., to ensure that no school staff member, Board of Director or volunteer that will work with children has a criminal conviction for any offenses for causing or threatening direct physical injury to any individual or causing or threatening harm of any nature to any child, The Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association Inc., will conduct background checks according to the state laws and rules for this policy. The background check policy will require all school staff, Board of Directors or volunteer who might be left alone with a child or children to be subject to an annual background check prior to being left alone with a child or children, and prohibit any staff member, Board of Director or volunteer who has not been subject to the required background check from working directly with any youth unless a staff member for whom the background check has been completed is also present. The school’s background check policy will be reviewed and updated annually. The sailing school will make the policy available to NHDHHS and the public upon request, and post this policy to Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association Inc., website and social media.

The Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association Inc., will submit a completed certification form, background check policy and $25 fee to NHDHHS prior to any youth arriving at the school in each calendar year the school operates. Once The Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association In., certifies compliance with the background check requirements, the department will post the school’s information on the NH Youth Skills Camp Program website. The Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association Inc., will utilize Paychex Inc. to conduct background checks under this policy and will include checking the National Sex Offender registry for any staff member, Board of Director or volunteer that would be left alone with a child or children.

Not less than once in each calendar year, The Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association Inc., Board of Directors will review the results of all of the personnel background checks and certifications for compliance with the established school policy, RSA 170-E:53 & 54 and He-C 4004.05. The Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association will also review any references, employment history, and volunteer history submitted by or for each staff member to determine whether to allow each individual to work directly with youths at The Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association Inc., school.

The Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association Inc., maintain an up-to-date listing of all school staff, volunteers and the Board of Directors in a position to be left with children, together with the status of their background check.

Background Check Policy Established 2015

To ensure the safety of our sailing-school students under the age of 18 and to comply with NH RSA 485-A: 24, II and NHDES administrative rules Env-Wq 909 the Lake Winnipesaukee Sailing Association, Inc. (“LWSA”) adopts this policy for all staff members (including unpaid volunteers) who might be left alone with a child or children (anyone under 18 years of age). This policy will verify that no such staff member has a criminal conviction for causing or threatening direct physical injury to any individual; or causing or threatening harm of any nature to any child or children.

The procedure will be:

The LWSA will perform background check—as described in RSA 485-A:24, II and NHDES Env-Wq 909—on each staff member before he or she will be left alone with a child or children. All future employment offer letters will describe this and indicate that a satisfactory background check is a condition of employment.
Any staff member who has not had a satisfactory background check is prohibited from working with any child or children unless a staff member for whom the satisfactory background check has been completed is also present.
In lieu of a criminal background check, staff members who are under the age of 18 are required to provide a minimum of two written references to the LWSA, at least one of which is from a non-relative. These recommendations must attest to the signer’s knowledge of the staff member’s character as it relates to whether the minor has caused or threatened to cause direct physical injury to any individual or harm of any nature to any child or children and their opinion on whether the minor is a good candidate to work directly with those under 18. All future employment offer letters will describe this and indicate that each employee under age 18 must provide such letters of recommendation before the beginning of camp.
Sources of background checks may include services provided by the LWSA’s current payroll provider, police databases, and recommendation letters provided for staff members under the age of 18. For staff members over the age of 18, background checks will include a criminal conviction check for each state the staff member has ever lived in (even temporarily) since turning 18 and a check of the national sex offender public registry.
To determine if a staff member will be allowed to work with children, the Sailing School Director or the Treasurer will review the results of the staff member’s background check for compliance with this policy and the law as well as any available references, employment history, and volunteer history. No applicant who has such conviction or is on the sex offender registry will be employed in a position that would put that person in a situation where they could be left alone with a child.
A new background check will be performed at least once per calendar year on all staff members who might be alone with a child or children.
The LWSA will treat the results of background checks and recommendation letters as confidential information. All such information will be kept in the files of the Treasurer.
The LWSA will disclose to any parent or guardian of a student who so requests that a background check has been performed on camp staff, but not the results of any background check.
The Treasurer will keep an up-to-date listing of each staff member whose position makes it possible that he or she might be left alone with a child or children, along with the status of his or her background check. The LWSA will provide a copy such listing to the NHDES upon request.
This policy will be posted on the LWSA’s website. The LWSA will provide hardcopy of this policy to NHDES and to the public upon request.
Before the opening of the sailing school each year, the LWSA will review this policy and the law and certify to NHDES that the policy in place meets or exceeds the requirements set forth in Env-Wq 909.

This policy is hereby adopted by vote the LWSA Board of Directors on 30 May 2015.