CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

Garioch Rugby Football Club is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children in its care. It recognises the responsibility to promote safe practice and to protect children from harm, abuse and exploitation.

For the purposes of this policy and associated procedures a child is someone under the age of 18 years.

Staff and volunteers will work together to embrace difference and diversity and respect the rights of children and young people.

The policy is based on the following principles:
The welfare of children is the primary concern.
All children, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, socio-economic status, religious belief and/or sexual identity have the right to protection from all forms of harm and abuse.
Child protection is everyone's responsibility.
Children have the right to express views on all matters which affect them, should they wish to do so.

Organisations shall work in partnership together with children and parents/carers to promote the welfare, health and development of children.

Garioch RFC will:
Promote the health and welfare of children by providing opportunities to take part in rugby safely.
Respect and promote the rights, wishes and feelings of children.
Promote and implement appropriate procedures to safeguard the well-being of children and protect them from abuse.
Recruit, train, support and supervise its staff, members and volunteers to adopt best practice to safeguard and protect children from abuse and to reduce risk to themselves.
Require staff, members and volunteers to adopt and abide by this Child Protection Policy and these procedures.
Respond to any allegations of misconduct or abuse of children in line with this Policy and these procedures as well as implementing, where appropriate, the relevant disciplinary and appeals procedures.
Observe guidelines issued by local Child Protection Committees for the protection of children.
Regularly monitor and evaluate the implementation of this Policy and these procedures.

Promoting good practice with children and young people:

All personnel will be encouraged to demonstrate exemplary behaviour in order to protect themselves from false allegation.
They should:
Always work in an open environment,( e.g. avoiding private or unobserved situations)
Treat children and young people equally, with respect and dignity
Put the welfare of each child or young person first, before winning or scoring points.
Maintain a safe and appropriate distance with players.
Build balanced relationships based on mutual trust which empowers children and young people to share in the decision making process.
Promote fair play.
Ensure that if any manual/physical support is required, it should be provided openly and according to guidelines provided.
Keep up to date with the technical skills, qualifications and insurance in the sport.
Involve parents/guardians wherever possible.
Ensure that at tournaments or residential events, adults should not enter children's or young people's rooms or invite children or young people to their rooms.
Give enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism.
Avoid excessive training.
Secure parental consent in writing to act in loco parentis, if the need arises to give permission for the administration of emergency first aid and/or other medical treatment.
Request written parental consent if club officials are required to transport young people in their cars.
Practices to be avoided
The following should be avoided except in EMERGENCIES. If cases arise where these situations are unavoidable they should occur with the full knowledge of someone in charge from the Youth Section of the club, the Child Protection Officer or the child's parent/guardians.
All club personnel should:
Avoid spending excessive amounts of time alone with children or young people away from other adults.
Avoid taking children or young people to their homes where they will be alone with the child or young person.
Practices never to be sanctioned
Personnel will never:
Engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay.
Share a room with a child or young person.
Allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching.
Allow children or young people to use inappropriate language unchallenged
Make sexually suggestive comments to a child or young person, even in so called fun.
Reduce a child to tears as a form of control.
Allow allegations made by a child to go unchallenged or unrecorded.
Do things of a personal nature for a child that they can do for themselves.
Invite or allow children or young people to stay with you at your home unsupervised.
If any of the following occur it will be reported immediately to a colleague and recorded and the child or young person's parents or guardian will be informed.
i. A child is accidentally hurt by a member of the coaching staff
ii. A child seems distressed in any way
iii. A child seems sexually aroused by a member of the coaching staff.
iv. A child misunderstands or misinterprets an action.
Recruitment and selection of Head Coaches and coaching volunteers
Garioch RFC recognises that anyone may have the potential to abuse children and young people and will endeavour to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to ensure unsuitable people are prevented from working with children and young people.
All volunteers/coaching staff will complete an application form and a self-disclosure about any criminal record.
Consent will be obtained from an application to seek information from the criminal record bureau.
Two confidential references, including one regarding previous work with children and young people will be taken up.
Applicants must provide the club with proof of identify (passport, photo ID or driving license with photo).
Responding to suspicious or allegations.
Garioch RFC will assure all coaches/volunteers that it will fully support and protect anyone, who in good faith reports his/her concerns that a fellow coach/volunteer may be abusing a child or young person.
The following actions will be taken if there are concerns:
Poor Practice.
If following consideration, the allegation is clearly about poor practice the club Child Protection Officer will deal with it as a misconduct issue.
If the allegation is about poor practice by the Child Protection Officer or if concerns remain, it will be reported to the relevant officer of the RFU who will decide how to deal with the allegation and whether or not to initiate disciplinary proceedings.
Any suspicions that a child or young person has been abused by a member of the coaching team/volunteer should be reported to the Child Protection Officer, who will take such steps as necessary as to ensure the safety of the child or young person.
The parent/guardian of the child will be informed as soon as possible following advice from the social services department.
The Child Protection Officer will notify the local RFU officer.
If the Child Protection Officer is the subject of the allegation, the report must be made to the appropriate manager.
Confidentiality
Every effort will be made to ensure that confidentiality is maintained for all concerned. Information will be handed and disseminated on a need to know basis only. This will include the following people.
The Child Protection Officer
The parents/guardians of the child or young person alleged to have been abused.
The person making the allegation
Social services/police
The RFU regional development manager and Child Protection Officer
The alleged abuser ( and parents if it is a child)
Information will be stored in a secure place with limited access to designated people, in line with data protection law.
Action if bullying is suspected
Garioch RFC Head Coaches and coaching volunteers will:
Take all signs of bullying very seriously
Encourage all children and young people to speak and share their concerns with someone in authority
Investigate all allegations and take actions to ensure victims are safe.
Speak with the alleged victim and bullies separately
Reassure the alleged victim that they will be helped
Document what is said
Report concerns to the Child Protection Officer
Talk with the alleged bully(ies) and aim to get them to understand the consequences of their actions
Seek an apology once proven
Inform all parents/guardians
Document all information
Use of Video, Film or Photography at Garioch RFC events
It is a requirement that any person wishing to engage in photography, filming or videoing at any match, training session or event connected with Garioch RFC must register their intent and gain permission before the event.
A registration form must be completed and validated by a Garioch RFC Club official. Officials to include head coaches and all committee members.
Proof of identity may be requested, and reasons sought.
Completed forms to be returned to a club official before commencement of the event.

Review
This Policy will be regularly reviewed:
In accordance with changes in legislation and guidance on the protection of children or following any changes within Scottish Rugby.
Following any issues or concerns raised about the protection of children within Scottish Rugby
In all other circumstances, at least every three years.
KEY CONTACTS
In line with its obligations under the Scottish Rugby Participation agreement a child protection officer (CPO) has been appointed to coordinate child protection and welfare on behalf of Garioch RFC and to provide a main point of contact for staff and volunteers, parents and children in need of support, advice or training or if they need to report a concern.
Contact Details:
Debbie Paterson | Child Protection Officer| Garioch RFC | Email: cpo@gariochrfc.org

Although matters relating to the welfare of children at Garioch RFC should ordinarily be referred in the first instance to the club CPO the Scottish Rugby Lead officer for Child Protection and Welfare may also be contacted for support and advice on any child protection matter by any CPO, child, parent, staff member or volunteer at any time.
Contact Details:
Karen Burnett| Lead officer Child Protection and Welfare| Scottish Rugby | Murrayfield Stadium | Edinburgh | EH12 5PJ | Tel: 0131 346 5000 | DL: 0131 346 5168 Mob: 07764 772245| email: Karen.Burnett@sru.org.uk

Faye Henderson (Safeguarding Administrator) - 0131 346 5056

For any queries, advice or guidance, please don’t hesitate to email the SRU at safeguarding@sru.org.uk or call on 0131 346 5000 and ask to speak to the Child Protection Team.

Scottish Rugby acts as the umbrella body for the purposes of processing applications for the disclosure check of volunteers working with children at rugby clubs in Scotland. Accordingly a PVG administrator has been appointed to process applications for club volunteers and to advise and support Club Child Protection officers on matters relating to the PVG scheme.

Situations where the immediate safety of a child and/or children is a concern should be reported without delay to the appropriate statutory agency – the local police and/or social services child protection team.