Welfare and Safeguarding Policy

Welfare and Safeguarding Policy

Introduction

Lawley Running Club is committed to ensuring that all members can participate in club activities in an enjoyable and safe environment. All children and adults at risk are entitled to a duty of care and to be protected from abuse. This document outlines the club’s approach, responsibilities and policy & procedures to safeguarding of children and adults at risk.

Lawley Running Club have  to the England Athletics safeguarding policies:

  • Safeguarding and protecting children in athletics. Policy and procedures document
  • Safeguarding adults in athletics. Policy and procedures

Contents

  1. Roles and Responsibilities
  2. Child Safeguarding
  3. Adult Safeguarding
  4. Equality
  5. Complaints and grievance
  1. Roles and Responsibilities

All Committee Members, Coaches, Run Leaders and members of the club have responsibility to uphold the Welfare and Safeguarding policies and procedures, to adhere to good practice and to respond to any suspected breaches.

Lawley Running Club will appoint a Welfare Officer to advise and support the Committee, Coaches and Run Leaders to implement welfare policies and procedures and to support the club to adhere to codes of conduct and good practice.

The Welfare and Safeguarding policy will be actively promoted to club members, and is published on the club’s website.

  1. Child Safeguarding

We follow the guidance set out by England Athletics in relation to child safeguarding.

We utilise the policy and guidance of Telford and Wrekin Council with regard to what we do if we suspect that abuse may have occurred.

What to do if concerned

If anyone at the club is worried or concerned about anyone under 18, who you think is being abused or neglected. Or that a child and their family need help and support, then please pick up the phone and ring Family Connect. Please also inform the welfare officer or a member of the committee of your concerns especially if the concerns relate to an incident during a club night.

Family Connect Safeguarding Advisors are trained to offer advice and decisions on what course of action needs to be followed in the circumstances.

Family Connect Telephone:            01952 385 385

Opening hours Monday to Friday between 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays)

After 5pm and on weekends If you need to report concerns about the welfare of a child outside of office hours please contact the Emergency Duty Team on 01952 676 500.

If you believe a criminal offence has been committed you can contact West Mercia Police on 0300 333 3000 or 101.

In an Emergency always dial 999

There is also guidance here on what happens when a referral is made;

http://westmerciaconsortium.proceduresonline.com/chapters/p_referrals.html

The advice from England Athletics is that we do the following:

Introduction

While it is not the responsibility of England Athletics, the Home Countries governing bodies, volunteers or club members to decide whether a concern constitutes abuse, it is their responsibility to report any concerns about the welfare of a child.

These concerns may arise due to:

  1. An individual disclosing that they are being abused.
  2. The behaviour of an adult towards a child.
  3. A number of indicators observed in a child over a period of time.

How to respond to a disclosure

Don’t

  1. Probe for more information than is offered
  2. Speculate or make assumptions
  3. Show shock or distaste
  4. Make comments about the person against whom the allegations have been made
  5. Make promises or agree to keep secrets
  6. Give a guarantee of confidentiality

All suspicions and disclosures must be reported appropriately. It is acknowledged that strong emotions can be aroused particularly in cases of possible sexual abuse or where there is a misplaced loyalty to a colleague.

In summary if we have concerns raised to us about a child or a child makes a disclosure it should be reported to the local child safeguarding team at Telford and Wrekin.

If a concern is raised about an adults behaviour towards a child during a run then we will act. We as a club cannot allow anyone to act inappropriately towards a child, this includes shouting, bullying encouraging children to run separately and only ever with them etc.

England Athletics also state “The Welfare Officer should have attended Safeguarding and Protecting Children Training and Time to Listen Training for Club Welfare Officers within the last 3 years.

  1. Adult Safeguarding.

We utilise England Athletics guidance on adult safeguarding.

When it comes to safeguarding vulnerable adults there are a number of significant differences to safeguarding children but the principles remain the same. The main differences include the fact that the Mental Capacity Act comes into play and what defines a vulnerable adult.

The reporting of concerns procedures at Telford and Wrekin are here.

http://telford.mylifeportal.co.uk/safe_from_harm.aspx

A Vulnerable adult or Adult at Risk (AR) as it is now named can broadly be defined as follows;

“a person over the age of 18 who is or may be in need of community care services by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation”.

It is not our job at the club to decide whether the person is vulnerable or whether they should be receiving services and even if the person we were worried about does for example have a learning disability or mental health problem it doesn’t necessarily mean they are vulnerable in that instance as the persons capacity around that issue comes into play.

Guidance from Telford and Wrekin’s page

One of Social Services most important tasks is to protect vulnerable people from harm and abuse. If a vulnerable adult is harmed and cannot protect themselves we call this adult abuse.  Abuse can happen in many different places such as:

  • someone’s own home
  • In a care home
  • In a hospital
  • In a day centre
  • In a public place

The abuse can be of different types such as:

  • Physical abuse – being hit or slapped.
  • Emotional abuse – being threatened or bullied, or someone else making decisions for you.
  • Financial abuse – having money or property stolen, being tricked out of benefits.
  • Neglect – not being given enough to eat or drink; being given the wrong medication.
  • Sexual abuse – being touched or kissed when it is not wanted, being raped or made to listen to sexual comments.
  • Discrimination – ignoring religious beliefs, comments or jokes about someone’s race or disability.

If you are worried that someone is being abused you need to share your worries with someone who can help.

Contact the Council’s Access Team on 01952 381 280. If you do not want to do this, you can tell someone who will report your worries, such as a doctor or district nurse. You can also call the police on 101 (or 999 in an emergency). The important thing is to tell someone. General enquiries about the adult safeguarding and protection system can be made to the Adult Protection Team on 01952 385667.

Your worries will be taken seriously. Staff will be sensitive and respect your confidence. Information may be shared with others, including the police if it is necessary to protect any vulnerable person. You should be told if this is going to happen.

Equality

Lawley Running Club is committed to eliminate discrimination whether by reason of gender, sexual orientation, marital status, race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion or belief, ability or disability and to encourage equal opportunities.

Lawley Running Club is also committed to promoting equality by treating people fairly and with respect, by recognising that inequalities may exist, by taking steps to address them and by providing access and opportunities for all members of the community.

The aim of this policy is to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and with respect and that Lawley Running Club is equally accessible to all.

Lawley Running Club will not tolerate harassment, bullying, abuse or victimisation of an individual. This includes sexual or racially based harassment or other discriminatory behaviour, whether physical or verbal.  Lawley Running Club will work to ensure that such behaviour is met with appropriate action in whatever context it occurs. We are committed to the development of a programme of ongoing training and awareness raising events and activities in order to promote the eradication of discrimination within the club and within running.

Lawley Running Club is committed to a policy of equal treatment of all members and requires all members to abide to these policies and the requirements of the relevant equalities legislation.

  1. Complaints and grievance

We have a clear and unequivocal policy and procedure on how we are going to deal with complaints (both internal and external) and grievances. This includes how we respond on social media and in person.

Links to other Policies:

  • Code of Conduct for Runners
  • Code of Conduct for Coaches and Run Leaders
  • England Athletics Safeguarding and protecting children in athletics. Policy and procedures document
  • England Athletics Safeguarding adults in athletics. Policy and procedures
  • Complaints Procedure

Next review date 1/2/25