Bere Regis Sports Club Child Protection Policy
It is noted and accepted that all decisions will be made in the best interests of children and young people.
Our Responsibility
Bere Regis Sports Club (BRSC) acknowledges its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of every child and young person who has been entrusted to its care and is committed to working to provide a safe environment for all of its members.
Key Principles
The key principles of BRSC’s Child Protection Policy are that:
1. The child’s welfare is, and must always be, the paramount consideration.
2. All children and young people have a right to be protected from abuse regardless of their age, gender, disability, culture, language, racial origin, religious beliefs or sexual orientation.
3. All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.
4. Working in partnership with other organisations, children and young people and their parents/carers is essential.
We acknowledge that every child or young person who plays or participates in sport should be able to take part in an enjoyable and safe environment and be protected from poor practice and abuse. BRSC recognises that this is the responsibility of every adult involved in our club.
BRSC has a role to play in safeguarding the welfare of all children and young people by protecting them from physical, sexual or emotional harm and from neglect or bullying. It is noted and accepted that this applies to everyone in sport whether in a paid or voluntary capacity. This means whether you are a volunteer, match official, helper on club tours, coach, club official or medical staff.
All adults given responsibility for any youth activities on behalf of BRSC will be required to complete a DBS Disclosure. If there are concerns regarding the appropriateness of an individual who is already involved or who has approached us to become part BRSC then guidance will be sought from appropriate organisations by the Club Safeguarding Officers.
Club Safeguarding Officers (CSOs)
In line with best practices, BRSC will appoint a CSO for both cricket and football sections. The post holders will undertake suitable training.
The CSOs are the first point of contact for all club members and parents/carers regarding concerns for the welfare of any child or young person. They liaise directly with the other Child Protection agencies and will be familiar with the procedures for referring any concerns. They will also play a proactive role in increasing an awareness of poor practice and abuse amongst club members.
The current Safeguarding Officers for football are Elly Holyoak – Tel.: 07877 967814 email: ellyholyoak@gmail.com and Steve Mceleney Tel.: 07801 436646 email: stevemceleney@hotmail.com
The current Safeguarding Officer for cricket is Owen Griffiths – Tel.: 01258 881380 email: owen_griffiths@hotmail.co.uk
Whistle-blowing Policy
Whistle-blowing is an early warning system. It is about revealing and raising concerns over misconduct or malpractice within an organisation or within an independent structure associated with it. Any adult or young person with concerns about a member or colleague can whistle-blow by contacting BRSC’s Safeguarding Officers. BRSC encourages everyone to know about it and utilise it if necessary.
Anti-bullying policy
We are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all of our members so they can participate in sport in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at our club. If bullying does occur, all club members or parents should be able to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively. We are a TELLING club. This means that anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell the Club Welfare Officers or any committee member.
Review
This Policy will be reviewed at least annually by the BRSC committee and be supported by regular reports from each CSO to their section’s sub-committee and, if necessary, to the full BRSC management committee. Their reports will include details of those adults with access to children and young people, confirmation of completion of DBS checks and report any reported incidents during the period of abuse including bullying.