Child Protection - Child Protection Policy & Guidance
CHILD PROTECTION POLICY & GUIDANCE
Background
For the purpose of this document the term Young People will refer to those under the age of 18 years. The term "coaching staff' will refer to all team coaches, managers and parent helpers. This document should be used in conjunction with other Grimsby RUFC Policies including its Child Confidentiality Policy. This policy has been compiled with reference to the Working Together to Safeguard Children (DFE 2010) document and is to be used in conjunction with the "Policy and Procedures for the Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union' (RFU 2003) and "The Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union Guidance' (RFU 2003).
What is a Child Protection Concern
Defining what is or isn't a child protection concern can be complex. It should involve consideration of all the available information and take into account the Young Person's age and abilities before a decision can be reached. Child protection decisions should never be made in isolation and guidance should be sought from Grimsby RUFC Child Safeguarding Officer, a member of the management committee or in their absence North East Lincolnshire Child Care Services or the police. Concerns may be identified in many ways including direct observation of a Young Person. However issues are more likely to be identified through disclosure when working directly with Young People. These concerns may be defined as "abuse', which in relation to Grimsby RUFC falls under the following categories:
Physical Abuse
Any Young Person being physically hurt, including hitting, squeezing or shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm. By deliberately making a Young Person ill through giving them substances, including drugs or alcohol.
Neglect
Is when the carer of a Young Person persistently fails to meet their physical and/or emotional needs and is likely to result in the serious impairment of health and development. This can include failure to provide and maintain food, clothing, warmth, love and attention, personal hygiene, access to education and medical care etc, inadequate supervision and carers, not responding to emotional needs. Neglect is also the failure to protect Young People from physical and emotional harm. Neglect may also occur from abandonment or exclusion from the home.
Emotional Abuse
Relates to when a Young Persons basic need for love, security, praise or recognition is left unmet or deliberately undermined. This can include an adult behaving in an inconsistent, hostile or uncaring way towards a Young Person which can adversely effect their development. This may include behaving in way that leaves the Young Person feeling worthless, unloved and inadequate or valued, only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. This may include inappropriate expectations being imposed which are beyond a Young Persons development. Emotional harm can also be related to overprotection, limitations on development opportunities such as education and social opportunities, or being corrupted and/or exploited. It may also relate to witnessing harm to others causing feelings of fright and danger. Emotional harm can occur due to any other form of abuse and harm.
Sexual Abuse
When an adult engages a Young Person in any sexual activity to fulfil their own desires which the child may not understand, and to which they are not able to give informed consent. When there is consensual sex between a Young Person under 16 yrs and a person over 16 years. Any sexual activity, where there consent (informed or otherwise), is withheld. This can include enticing or using force to take part in sexual activity, including prostitution, whether the young person is aware or not. Sexual activity can be penetrative or non penetrative. It can also include non contact activity such as looking at or being involved in the production of pornographic material, witnessing sexual activity or being encouraged to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
Other considerations
Self-harm, suicide attempt or a Young Person being injected with or without consent may also be a concern. This again is complex and the available information should be considered in light of the Young Person's age and abilities. When these issues arise guidance should be sought from Grimsby RUFC Child Safeguarding Officer or in their absence North East Lincolnshire Child Care Services.
Policy statement
Grimsby RUFC Child Confidentiality Policy allows any member of the coaching staff to breach confidentiality if there is sufficient reason to believe a risk to a Young Person or other exists.
It is a Grimsby RUFC principle that the welfare of all Young People involved with our club is of paramount importance. In meeting this principle Grimsby RUFC will endeavour to act in the best interest of the Young Person and within our Confidentiality Policy. Therefore if the physical and mental wellbeing of the Young Person is improving as a result of our coaching and involvement, there may be no need to contact external agencies. However Grimsby RUFC has a duty where it believes "abuse' or "harm' has occurred or likely to occur to any Young Person to share information with and involve child protection agencies to improve Young Peoples welfare.
Club commitments
Grimsby RUFC will:
1. Ensure there is a Club Safeguarding Officer who is the first point of contact for concerns about the welfare of young people (see Guidance Document, Appendix 2 for Terms of Reference).
2. Publish this Child Protection Policy within the Club. This will include reference to all details set out in paragraphs 1.4 to 4.2 of the Policy and Procedures for the Welfare of Young People in the Sport of Rugby Union.
3. Ensure that all coaching staff and committee members are aware of their responsibility in relation to Child Protection and Grimsby RUFC respond to any indication of poor practice or abuse in line with RFU/W Policy (see The Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union Guidance, sections 4 and 5).
4. Grimsby RUFC coaching staff will follow Best Practice for all adults working with young people as written within the Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union Guidance section 8, Appendix 3, and RFU Fair Play Codes
5. Grimsby RUFC committee will ensure that all relevant club members who enage with children and young people on the clubs behalf' (see ISA / CRB section below) undertake an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure (CRB) through the RFU and this will be renewed every three years.
6. Grimsby RUFC management committee will act as a disciplinary panel which, where necessary, mange all cases of poor practice as identified by Grimsby RFU Child Protection Officer (see The Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union Guidance Appendix 1).
Prohibited practices
Grimsby RUFC members / volunteers must never:
1. Take young people who are not their own children, to their own home or any other place where they will be alone with them.
2. Spend any amount of time alone with young people away from others.
3. Take young people alone on car journeys, however short.
4. If it should arise that any of the above situations are unavoidable they should only take place with the full knowledge and consent of either their teams head coach, Grimsby RUFC Child Safeguarding Officer or a person with parental responsibility for the young person. In exceptional circumstances where coaching staff cannot obtain the consent of their head coach, "Child Safeguarding Officer' or a person with parental responsibility for the young person and it is in the welfare interest of the young person, paragraphs 1 to 3 above do not have to be followed. If this occurs the relevant adult must record the event with the Grimsby RFU Child Safeguarding Officer at the earliest opportunity.
5. Engage in rough, physical games, sexually provocative games or horseplay with children/young people
6. Take part as a player in any dynamic contact games or training sessions with young people. If there is a need for an adult to facilitate learning within a coaching session this must be done through the use of coaching aids e.g. contact pads, this should be done with the utmost care and with due regard to the safety of the young players.
7. Share a room with a young person unless the individual is the parent/guardian of that young person.
8. Engage in any form of inappropriate sexual contact and/or behaviour.
9. Allow any form of inappropriate touching (see The Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union Guidance, Appendix 4).
10. Make sexually suggestive remarks to a young person even in fun;
11. Use inappropriate language or allow young people to use inappropriate language unchallenged.
12. Allow allegations by a young person to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon.
13. Do things of a personal nature for a young person that they can do for themselves unless you have been requested to do so by the parents/carer (it is recognised that some young people will always need help with things such as lace tying, adjustment of Tag belts, fitting head guards and it is also recognised that this does not preclude anyone attending to an injured/ill young person or rendering first aid).
14. Depart any rugby club (including Grimsby RUFC) or agreed rendezvous point until the safe dispersal of all young people is complete.
15. Cause an individual to lose self esteem by embarrassing, humiliating or undermining the individual.
16. Treat some young people more favourably than others.
17. Agree to meet a young person on their own on a one to one basis.
Principles
All adults who work with young people are in a position of trust which has been invested in them by the parents, the sport and the young person. This relationship can be described as one in which the adult is in a position of power and influence by virtue of their position.
Sexual intercourse or touching by an adult with a child under the age of 16 years is unlawful, even where there is apparent consent from the child.
A consensual sexual relationship between an adult in a position of trust within the rugby setting and a child over 16 years of age is contrary to the Policy and Procedures for the Welfare of Young People in the Sport of Rugby Union.
Adults must not encourage a physical or emotionally dependant relationship to develop between the person in a position of trust and the young person in their care.
All those within the organisation have a duty to raise concerns about the behaviour of coaching staff, all club members or anyone in attendance at the club which may be harmful to the children, young people in their care, without prejudice to their own position.
CRB Disclosure
All adults who have regular contact with children and young people on the clubs behalf must undertake CRB disclosure. For a period eight weeks from their CRB application they must be supervised by a coach, who has a valid CRB, at all times. If their CRB is not completed within the 8 weeks, the Club Safeguarding Officer must be informed.
In addition Grimsby RUFC, define the following roles within the club as requiring a CRB disclosure:
• Club administrators
• Members of senior and junior committee who are not included above
CRB disclosures must be conducted through the RFU Child Protection Department who have jurisdiction to deal with any matter arising from any such disclosure. No person should work unsupervised until their CRB check has been received and verified by Grimsby RUFC Child Welfare Officer.
Ad Hoc support
At times a coach may singularly or occasionally enlist the support of a parent or carer of a young person to assist training or facilitate matches with other teams. The coach in such circumstances should use their own initiative to risk manage this and take into consideration the following in relation to the parent / carer:
• Their knowledge and experience of rugby and age appropriate health and safety issues.
• There is no direct physical contact with players.
• They are aware of Grimsby RUFC Child Protection Policy.
• If Ad Hoc support becomes regular the Child safeguarding Officer should be informed for the purpose of carrying out a CRB check.
• Any parent / carer with no CRB through the RFU are supervised at all times by the team coach.
References
Policy and Procedures for the Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union (RFU2003)
http://www.community-rugby.com/communityrugby/index.cfm/fuseaction/Home.Download_Counter/downloadId/1155/filename/policy.pdfm
The Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union Guidance (RFU2003)
http://www.community-rugby.com/communityrugby/index.cfm/fuseaction/Home.Download_Counter/downloadId/1156/filename/Policy Guidelines.pdf
Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfES 2006)
http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/WT2006 Working_together.pdf
Grimsby RUFC Child Safeguarding Officer:
Kim MacDermid 01472 822008; Mobile: 0773001492 Email: kim.macdermid@googlemail.com
Grimsby RUFC Assistant Safeguarding Officer
Mrs Jo Moore 07507 558711 Email: jomoore2001@aol.com
Background
For the purpose of this document the term Young People will refer to those under the age of 18 years. The term "coaching staff' will refer to all team coaches, managers and parent helpers. This document should be used in conjunction with other Grimsby RUFC Policies including its Child Confidentiality Policy. This policy has been compiled with reference to the Working Together to Safeguard Children (DFE 2010) document and is to be used in conjunction with the "Policy and Procedures for the Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union' (RFU 2003) and "The Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union Guidance' (RFU 2003).
What is a Child Protection Concern
Defining what is or isn't a child protection concern can be complex. It should involve consideration of all the available information and take into account the Young Person's age and abilities before a decision can be reached. Child protection decisions should never be made in isolation and guidance should be sought from Grimsby RUFC Child Safeguarding Officer, a member of the management committee or in their absence North East Lincolnshire Child Care Services or the police. Concerns may be identified in many ways including direct observation of a Young Person. However issues are more likely to be identified through disclosure when working directly with Young People. These concerns may be defined as "abuse', which in relation to Grimsby RUFC falls under the following categories:
Physical Abuse
Any Young Person being physically hurt, including hitting, squeezing or shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm. By deliberately making a Young Person ill through giving them substances, including drugs or alcohol.
Neglect
Is when the carer of a Young Person persistently fails to meet their physical and/or emotional needs and is likely to result in the serious impairment of health and development. This can include failure to provide and maintain food, clothing, warmth, love and attention, personal hygiene, access to education and medical care etc, inadequate supervision and carers, not responding to emotional needs. Neglect is also the failure to protect Young People from physical and emotional harm. Neglect may also occur from abandonment or exclusion from the home.
Emotional Abuse
Relates to when a Young Persons basic need for love, security, praise or recognition is left unmet or deliberately undermined. This can include an adult behaving in an inconsistent, hostile or uncaring way towards a Young Person which can adversely effect their development. This may include behaving in way that leaves the Young Person feeling worthless, unloved and inadequate or valued, only insofar as they meet the needs of another person. This may include inappropriate expectations being imposed which are beyond a Young Persons development. Emotional harm can also be related to overprotection, limitations on development opportunities such as education and social opportunities, or being corrupted and/or exploited. It may also relate to witnessing harm to others causing feelings of fright and danger. Emotional harm can occur due to any other form of abuse and harm.
Sexual Abuse
When an adult engages a Young Person in any sexual activity to fulfil their own desires which the child may not understand, and to which they are not able to give informed consent. When there is consensual sex between a Young Person under 16 yrs and a person over 16 years. Any sexual activity, where there consent (informed or otherwise), is withheld. This can include enticing or using force to take part in sexual activity, including prostitution, whether the young person is aware or not. Sexual activity can be penetrative or non penetrative. It can also include non contact activity such as looking at or being involved in the production of pornographic material, witnessing sexual activity or being encouraged to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
Other considerations
Self-harm, suicide attempt or a Young Person being injected with or without consent may also be a concern. This again is complex and the available information should be considered in light of the Young Person's age and abilities. When these issues arise guidance should be sought from Grimsby RUFC Child Safeguarding Officer or in their absence North East Lincolnshire Child Care Services.
Policy statement
Grimsby RUFC Child Confidentiality Policy allows any member of the coaching staff to breach confidentiality if there is sufficient reason to believe a risk to a Young Person or other exists.
It is a Grimsby RUFC principle that the welfare of all Young People involved with our club is of paramount importance. In meeting this principle Grimsby RUFC will endeavour to act in the best interest of the Young Person and within our Confidentiality Policy. Therefore if the physical and mental wellbeing of the Young Person is improving as a result of our coaching and involvement, there may be no need to contact external agencies. However Grimsby RUFC has a duty where it believes "abuse' or "harm' has occurred or likely to occur to any Young Person to share information with and involve child protection agencies to improve Young Peoples welfare.
Club commitments
Grimsby RUFC will:
1. Ensure there is a Club Safeguarding Officer who is the first point of contact for concerns about the welfare of young people (see Guidance Document, Appendix 2 for Terms of Reference).
2. Publish this Child Protection Policy within the Club. This will include reference to all details set out in paragraphs 1.4 to 4.2 of the Policy and Procedures for the Welfare of Young People in the Sport of Rugby Union.
3. Ensure that all coaching staff and committee members are aware of their responsibility in relation to Child Protection and Grimsby RUFC respond to any indication of poor practice or abuse in line with RFU/W Policy (see The Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union Guidance, sections 4 and 5).
4. Grimsby RUFC coaching staff will follow Best Practice for all adults working with young people as written within the Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union Guidance section 8, Appendix 3, and RFU Fair Play Codes
5. Grimsby RUFC committee will ensure that all relevant club members who enage with children and young people on the clubs behalf' (see ISA / CRB section below) undertake an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure (CRB) through the RFU and this will be renewed every three years.
6. Grimsby RUFC management committee will act as a disciplinary panel which, where necessary, mange all cases of poor practice as identified by Grimsby RFU Child Protection Officer (see The Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union Guidance Appendix 1).
Prohibited practices
Grimsby RUFC members / volunteers must never:
1. Take young people who are not their own children, to their own home or any other place where they will be alone with them.
2. Spend any amount of time alone with young people away from others.
3. Take young people alone on car journeys, however short.
4. If it should arise that any of the above situations are unavoidable they should only take place with the full knowledge and consent of either their teams head coach, Grimsby RUFC Child Safeguarding Officer or a person with parental responsibility for the young person. In exceptional circumstances where coaching staff cannot obtain the consent of their head coach, "Child Safeguarding Officer' or a person with parental responsibility for the young person and it is in the welfare interest of the young person, paragraphs 1 to 3 above do not have to be followed. If this occurs the relevant adult must record the event with the Grimsby RFU Child Safeguarding Officer at the earliest opportunity.
5. Engage in rough, physical games, sexually provocative games or horseplay with children/young people
6. Take part as a player in any dynamic contact games or training sessions with young people. If there is a need for an adult to facilitate learning within a coaching session this must be done through the use of coaching aids e.g. contact pads, this should be done with the utmost care and with due regard to the safety of the young players.
7. Share a room with a young person unless the individual is the parent/guardian of that young person.
8. Engage in any form of inappropriate sexual contact and/or behaviour.
9. Allow any form of inappropriate touching (see The Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union Guidance, Appendix 4).
10. Make sexually suggestive remarks to a young person even in fun;
11. Use inappropriate language or allow young people to use inappropriate language unchallenged.
12. Allow allegations by a young person to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon.
13. Do things of a personal nature for a young person that they can do for themselves unless you have been requested to do so by the parents/carer (it is recognised that some young people will always need help with things such as lace tying, adjustment of Tag belts, fitting head guards and it is also recognised that this does not preclude anyone attending to an injured/ill young person or rendering first aid).
14. Depart any rugby club (including Grimsby RUFC) or agreed rendezvous point until the safe dispersal of all young people is complete.
15. Cause an individual to lose self esteem by embarrassing, humiliating or undermining the individual.
16. Treat some young people more favourably than others.
17. Agree to meet a young person on their own on a one to one basis.
Principles
All adults who work with young people are in a position of trust which has been invested in them by the parents, the sport and the young person. This relationship can be described as one in which the adult is in a position of power and influence by virtue of their position.
Sexual intercourse or touching by an adult with a child under the age of 16 years is unlawful, even where there is apparent consent from the child.
A consensual sexual relationship between an adult in a position of trust within the rugby setting and a child over 16 years of age is contrary to the Policy and Procedures for the Welfare of Young People in the Sport of Rugby Union.
Adults must not encourage a physical or emotionally dependant relationship to develop between the person in a position of trust and the young person in their care.
All those within the organisation have a duty to raise concerns about the behaviour of coaching staff, all club members or anyone in attendance at the club which may be harmful to the children, young people in their care, without prejudice to their own position.
CRB Disclosure
All adults who have regular contact with children and young people on the clubs behalf must undertake CRB disclosure. For a period eight weeks from their CRB application they must be supervised by a coach, who has a valid CRB, at all times. If their CRB is not completed within the 8 weeks, the Club Safeguarding Officer must be informed.
In addition Grimsby RUFC, define the following roles within the club as requiring a CRB disclosure:
• Club administrators
• Members of senior and junior committee who are not included above
CRB disclosures must be conducted through the RFU Child Protection Department who have jurisdiction to deal with any matter arising from any such disclosure. No person should work unsupervised until their CRB check has been received and verified by Grimsby RUFC Child Welfare Officer.
Ad Hoc support
At times a coach may singularly or occasionally enlist the support of a parent or carer of a young person to assist training or facilitate matches with other teams. The coach in such circumstances should use their own initiative to risk manage this and take into consideration the following in relation to the parent / carer:
• Their knowledge and experience of rugby and age appropriate health and safety issues.
• There is no direct physical contact with players.
• They are aware of Grimsby RUFC Child Protection Policy.
• If Ad Hoc support becomes regular the Child safeguarding Officer should be informed for the purpose of carrying out a CRB check.
• Any parent / carer with no CRB through the RFU are supervised at all times by the team coach.
References
Policy and Procedures for the Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union (RFU2003)
http://www.community-rugby.com/communityrugby/index.cfm/fuseaction/Home.Download_Counter/downloadId/1155/filename/policy.pdfm
The Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union Guidance (RFU2003)
http://www.community-rugby.com/communityrugby/index.cfm/fuseaction/Home.Download_Counter/downloadId/1156/filename/Policy Guidelines.pdf
Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfES 2006)
http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/WT2006 Working_together.pdf
Grimsby RUFC Child Safeguarding Officer:
Kim MacDermid 01472 822008; Mobile: 0773001492 Email: kim.macdermid@googlemail.com
Grimsby RUFC Assistant Safeguarding Officer
Mrs Jo Moore 07507 558711 Email: jomoore2001@aol.com
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