Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adults Policy

Old Rishworthian Rugby Football Club (ORRUFC) acknowledges its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children and vulnerable adults involved in ORRUFC from harm.

ORRUFC confirms that it adheres to the Rugby Football Union’s Safeguarding Policy and the procedures, practices and guidelines and endorse and adopt the Policy Statement contained in that document and any successor policy.

A child is anyone under the age of 18 engaged in any rugby union activity. However, where a 17-year-old male player is playing in the adult game it is essential that every reasonable precaution is taken to ensure his safety and wellbeing are protected. The definition of a Vulnerable Adult is detailed in its own section below.

The Key Principles of the RFU Safeguarding Children & Vulnerable Adults Policy are that:

The welfare of the child is, and must always be, paramount to any other considerations.

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.

Children have a right to expect support, and personal and social development delivered by an appropriately recruited, vetted and managed in relation to their participation in rugby union, whether they are playing, volunteering or officiating in the community or professional areas of the sport.

ORRUFC recognises that all children and vulnerable adults 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. ORRUFC recognises that this is the responsibility of everyone involved, in whatever capacity, at the club.

ORRUFC will implement and comply with the RFU Code of Conduct and the Codes of Conduct for Coaches, Spectators and Officials as appropriate.

The Club Safeguarding Officer is Glen Cockcroft.

T | 07768 814463 E | glencockroft@yahoo.com

If you witness or are aware of an incident where the welfare of a child or a vulnerable adult has been put at risk you must, in the first instance, inform the Club Safeguarding Officer. They will then inform the RFU Team. If an incident involves the Club Safeguarding Officer you should inform the Club Chairman, Tim Thornton T 07802 933376 E t.thornton1@btinternet.com.

All members of ORRUFC who work with children and vulnerable adults in Regulated Activity must undertake an RFU Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check in accordance with RFU Regulation 21.

ORRUFC will ensure that all its members, whether they are coaches, parents, players or officials will comply with the Best Practice Guidance as issued by the RFU. 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, the CB or the RFU:

Working alone with a child.
Consuming alcohol whilst responsible for children.
Providing alcohol to children or allowing its supply.
Smoking in the presence of children.
Humiliating children.
Inappropriate or unnecessary physical contact with a child.
Participating in, or allowing, contact or physical games with children.
Having an intimate or sexual relationship with any child developed as a result of being in a ‘position of trust.’
Making sexually explicit comments or sharing sexually explicit material.

ORRUFC manages the changing facilities and arranges for them to be supervised by two DBS checked adults of the appropriate gender for the players using the facilities. ORRUFC ensures that all its coaches, parents, officials and spectators are aware that adults must not change at the same time, using the same facilities as children.

ORRUFC will ensure that its coaches [and team managers] will receive the support and training considered appropriate to their position and role. The RFU “Managing Challenging Behaviour” Policy has been adopted and circulated amongst the club.

Any events held on ORRUFC premises must comply with this Policy and if appropriate a Safeguarding Plan should be discussed and circulated to those affected. Any tours, overseas or domestic, undertaken by ORRUFC must comply with the relevant RFU Regulations and Guidance relating to tours.

Vulnerable Adult Policy Definitions

An adult is anyone aged 18 or over. Adult safeguarding is protecting a person’s rights to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect.

The safeguarding duties apply to an adult who:

Has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs)
Is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect
Is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of, abuse or neglect, as a result of those care and support needs

Adults at risk – those who fulfil the above criteria

Adult in need of care and support - is determined by a range of factors including personal characteristics, factors associated with their situation or environment and social factors. A person’s disability or frailty does not mean that they will inevitably experience harm or abuse.

In the context of safeguarding adults, the likelihood of an adult in need of care and support experiencing harm or abuse should be determined by considering a range of social, environmental and clinical factors, not merely because they may be defined by one or more of the above descriptors.

In recent years there has been a marked shift away from using the term ‘vulnerable’ to describe adults potentially at risk from harm or abuse.

Abuse - is a violation of an individual’s human and civil rights by another person or persons.

Capacity - refers to the ability to make a decision at a particular time, for example when under considerable stress. The starting assumption must always be that a person has the capacity to make a decision unless it can be established that they lack capacity (Mental Capacity Act 2005).

Signed ………………………………….

Date …………………………………….

Useful Links:

RFU Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures

RFU Safeguarding Children Policy

Old Rishworthian RUFC