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Safe Guarding
Wolves Touch Rugby Club acknowledges its’ responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults involved in Wolves Touch Rugby Club from harm.
A child or young person is anyone under the age of 18 engaged in any touch rugby activity. Where a 17 year old player is playing in the adult game every reasonable precaution will be taken to ensure their safety and wellbeing are also protected.
The Key Principles of our Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adults Policy are that:
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· The welfare of the child, young person or vulnerable adult is, and must always be, paramount to any other consideration
· All participants regardless of age, gender, ability or disability, race, faith, culture, size, shape, language or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse or harm
· All allegations or suspicions of abuse, neglect, harm and poor practice will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly, fairly and appropriately
· Working in partnership with other organisations, statutory agencies, parents, carers, children and young people is essential for the welfare of children and young people
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Wolves Touch Rugby Club recognises that all children and young people have the right to participate in sport in a safe, positive and enjoyable environment whilst at the same time being protected from abuse, neglect, harm and poor practice. Wolves Touch Rugby Club recognises that this is the responsibility of everyone involved, in whatever capacity, at the club.
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Incident Reporting
The Club Safeguarding Officer and Assistant Safeguarding Officers are published on the website. Anyone witnessing or aware of an incident where the welfare of a child, young person or vulnerable adult has been put at risk must in the first instance inform the Club Safeguarding Officer or an Assistant Safeguarding Officer. If an incident involves the Club Safeguarding Officer the Club Chairman should be informed.
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CRB/DBS Checking
All members of Wolves Touch Rugby Club who have a regular supervisory contact with children or a management responsibility for those working with children must undertake an Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
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Safeguarding Best Practice
Wolves Touch Rugby Club will ensure that all coaches, volunteers, and officials comply with this Safeguarding Best Practice Guidance. In summary, the following are NOT acceptable and will be treated seriously by the club and may result in disciplinary action being taken by the club.
· Working alone with a children or young people
· Consuming alcohol or smoking whilst working with children or young people
· Failing to comply with the Club’s guidelines on phone, email, messaging, internet and online contact with children or young people
· Providing alcohol to children or young people or allowing its supply
· Humiliating children or young people
· Inappropriate or unnecessary physical contact with a child, young person or vulnerable adult
· Participating in, or allowing, contact or physical games between adults and children or young people
· Having an intimate or sexual relationship with any child, young person or vulnerable adult developed as a result of being in a “position of trust‟
· Making sexually explicit comments or sharing sexually explicit material.
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Changing Facilities/Toilets
Wolves Touch Rugby Club ensures all its’ coaches, parents, officials and spectators are aware that adults must not use the changing facilities at the same time as children, young people or vulnerable adults.
· Adults must only enter changing rooms when absolutely necessary due to poor behaviour, injury or illness.
· Adults must only ever enter the changing rooms by themselves in an emergency and when waiting for another adult could result in harm to a child.
· If children need supervising in changing rooms, or coaches or managers need to carry out a range of tasks in that environment this must involve two DBS checked individuals of the same gender as the children.
· No pressure should be placed on young people who feel uncomfortable changing or showering with others, if this is the case they should be allowed to shower or change at home.
Events
Any events held on Wolves Touch Rugby Club premises must comply with this Policy and if appropriate a Safeguarding Plan specific to that event should be discussed and circulated to those affected.
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Policy Implementation
The welfare of children at Wolves Touch Rugby Club will only be protected properly if this policy is implemented effectively.