SAFFRON WALDEN HOCKEY CLUB
CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
The Members of Saffron Walden Hockey Club believe that:-
1. The safety and welfare of children should always be of paramount importance whatever the circumstances.
2. Everyone with a role in working with children has a moral and arguably a legal responsibility to safeguard and promote a child’s welfare particularly when it comes to protecting children from abuse.
3. Special care is needed in dealing with children whose age, inexperience or physical state makes them particularly vulnerable to abuse.
The Members of Saffron Walden Hockey Club:-
- Have therefore adopted this Child Protection Policy to ensure that the welfare and safety of children in the care or custody of members of Saffron Walden Hockey Club or other adult volunteers is always the primary concern of the said members.
- Are committed to providing an environment in which children can learn about, participate in and enjoy hockey.
- Accept the moral and legal responsibility to implement procedures to discharge their duty of care to the young people in their care and control, to safeguard their well being and to protect them from abuse regardless of their age, ability, gender, racial origin, religious beliefs and sexual orientation.
- Will respond to any allegations appropriately and implement the necessary disciplinary and appeals procedures.
- Respect and promote the rights, wishes and feelings of young people.
- Will endeavour to ensure that all volunteers and members adopt best practice to safeguard and protect young people from abuse and themselves from the risk of false allegations.
- Require all volunteers and members to adopt and abide by the Club’s Conduct, Equity, Child Protection and Discipline Policies.
- This policy applies to all club members of and volunteers associated with Saffron Walden Hockey Club.
CHILD PROTECTION PROCEDURES
1. The Club shall appoint a suitably qualified member to act as the Club Welfare Officer. The individual chosen for this role shall be appointed taking into consideration the guidance issued from time to time by England Hockey and, in any event, should be a character of good moral standing. The name of the Club Welfare Officer and their contact telephone number are to be made available to all those who may require it.
2. The Club Welfare Officer shall maintain a register of all volunteers and members who come into regular contact with children during the normal activities of the Club and use their best endeavours to ensure that all such individuals are subject to a check by the Criminal Records Bureau [“CRB”].
3. All members and volunteers who come into regular contact with children during the normal activities of the Club agree to subject themselves to a CRB check when they initially start to work with children at the Club and thereafter every three years or at such intervals as may be recommended by England Hockey. It is recommend that this principle should apply to the captains of any senior teams in which children or junior members are likely to play.
4. If any member of the Club or any Parent/Carer/Guardian of a junior member or child suspects that a child has been or is being abused, whether by a member of the Club or any other person, then they should contact the Club Welfare Officer to discuss the matter.
5. Likewise, if any junior member or child believes that they have been abused, whether by a member of the Club or any other person, they should contact the Club Welfare Officer to discuss the matter.
6. It shall be the duty of the Club Welfare Officer to take such appropriate steps as are deemed both reasonable and appropriate to deal with the matter. This may include discussing the issue with the local social services office or police, contacting the welfare officer of England Hockey or calling a meeting of the Club’s Management Committee.
7. It is a recommendation of England Hockey that the Club Welfare Officer should be a member of the Club’s Management Committee. The Club adopts this recommendation.
8. The Management Committee is empowered to take whatever step , are deemed necessary, including implementing an appeal process, to ensure that any complaints or allegations are dealt with in a speedy and sensitive manner.
9. In the event that the Club Welfare Officer is unavailable then contact should be made with the Club Chairman to discuss the matter.
10. In the event of an allegation or disclosure being made the Club Welfare Officer or Club Chairman are to use the sample form attached hereto.
11. Useful telephone numbers are:-
Essex Social Services Out of Hours Duty Line: 0845 606 1212
Saffron Walden Police Station: 01376 551312
Brentwood Child Protection Unit: 01277 262412
Chelmsford Child Protection Unit: 01245 490608
England Hockey Welfare Officer: 01908 544644
12. Whilst the Club will endeavour to keep the identity of all individuals involved in any investigation confidential it has to be recognised by all those involved that the process of investigating any allegations of child abuse may require the matter to be brought to the attention of other Club members, parents and public authorities and that any subsequent disciplinary sanctions taken will inevitably result in the original allegations becoming common knowledge.
13. The Club recognises that child abuse allegations can ruin lives, both personal and professional, and that an allegation is precisely that until proven.
14. The Club accepts that the term “child abuse” is a phrase which has a wide and differing meaning according to the particular circumstances of the case. The Club therefore wishes to maintain a pragmatic and flexible approach to interpreting what the phrase means whilst understanding that “significant harm” is a technical term defined in the Children Act 1989 (as amended). The Club Welfare Officer is to keep him or herself appraised of any developments in this regard.
15. The Club Committee is empowered to discipline any members found guilty of abuse. The ultimate sanction is the power to expel a member from the Club.
16. The Club endorses the obvious point that prevention is better than cure and suggests that all members and volunteers involved with children and junior members adopt the following steps as a minimum level of good practice in order to safeguard themselves from any false allegations:-
(a) Never give a child a lift in your car without the consent of their parent, carer or guardian and then only when there are other persons present in the car;
(b) Never touch a child unless you need to do so for coaching or first aid purposes and then only do so after you have asked the child’s permission and explained to them what you are about to do and why;
(c) Do not enter changing rooms or toilets unless you have to and, if you do, use your best endeavours to ensure that there is another adult present with you and check that everyone is appropriately dressed before doing so;
(d) Beware unsuitable and age inappropriate humour. What you see as funny may not be seen that way by others;
(e) Remember that children can be very sensitive to criticism, personal comment and directive coaching techniques. Adapt your personal style to take into consideration the age and sex of the age group with which you are involved;
(f) Use common sense to prevent yourself being left alone with children in compromising situations; and
(g) If a disclosure is made to you by a child treat them carefully, offer re-assurance but do not make any promises about confidentiality and remember that it is not your role to investigate the matter. Keep a careful note of all that is said to you. The notes should be made as soon as possible after the disclosure has been made.
17. The list in the preceding paragraph is not intended to be exhaustive but merely illustrative. Volunteers and members will need to use their own common sense, judgement and experience to gauge what is appropriate to the circumstances in which they find themselves. Flexibility and pragmatism are the watch words.
18. It is important that members of the Club and volunteers are clear about their respective responsibilities when involved with any activity which includes working with children and that members who are also parents, which is the majority of us, do not confuse their roles when responsible for children other than their own.
19. It is recommend that all members and volunteers involved with children attend the Safeguarding and Protecting Children Course run by Living Sport in order to develop their personal understanding of the issues involved. There is also some useful guidance on the England Hockey website.
20. Child Protection is a collective responsibility. If you see something about which you are suspicious it is better to speak up and be shown to have been wrong rather than to do nothing and be proved right.
