OGHC Safeguarding Policy
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS POLICY IS BASED ON THE ENGLAND HOCKEY
CHILD WELFARE POLICY SECTION 1.
The OGHC firmly believes that the safety and welfare of children should always be of paramount importance, and that all children have a right to be protected from abuse. The rights, dignity and worth of a child should always be protected.
Everyone with a role in working with children has a moral and legal responsibility to safeguard and promote a child’s welfare, particularly when it comes to protecting children from abuse.
Special care is needed in dealing with children whose age, inexperience or ability makes them particularly vulnerable to abuse.
The OGHC has therefore adopted this Child Protection Policy to protect the welfare and safety of children in the Club’s care or custody and to raise awareness of the issues and promote good practice amongst members.
This policy is in accordance with the Children Act 1989 which states that anyone who is involved in the care of children should “do what is reasonable in the circumstances for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the child’s welfare”. This policy also adheres to the Department of Educations guidance in the ‘After-school clubs, community activities, and tuition’ safeguarding guidance for providers (September 2023).
The England Hockey Child Protection Policy applies to any person or organisation involved in the care of children in hockey. A “child” is defined as any person under the age of 18 years and anyone over 18 years old who may be vulnerable by nature of any impairment of disability.
All club members are required to adhere to this policy.
SECTION 2.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POOR PRACTICE AND ABUSE:
All personnel should be encouraged to demonstrate exemplary behaviour in order to protect themselves from false allegations. The following are examples of poor practice and also good practice.
Poor Practice
● Never spend time alone with young people away from others
● Never give Young People your contact phone number
● Never take Young People to your home where they will be alone with you
● Never engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games
● Never make sexually suggestive remarks to a young person.
● Never allow inappropriate language to be used unchallenged
● Never do things of a personal nature for a young person that they should do themselves
● Never transport Young People in your car alone
● Never transport Young People if you are not insured, your car has not a valid MOT or you are disqualified from driving
Good Practice
● Ensure that Hockey is fun, enjoyable and fair play is promoted
● Treat all young people equally with respect and dignity
● The welfare of the Young Person comes before winning
● Do not use bad language, smoke or drink while in charge of young people
● Work in an open environment both physically and emotionally (e.g. encourage participation)
● Give enthusiastic and constructive feedback
● Ensure proper records are kept and are at hand if required (including accident and injury)
● Ensure physical contact should be appropriate and with the Young Persons permission
● Keep your technical skills, qualifications and insurances up to date.
Always inform a parent if:
● You accidentally hurt a young person
● A young person seems distressed in some manner
● A young person misunderstands or misinterprets something you have done If a young person appears to be sexually aroused by your actions
CHANGING ROOM GUIDELINES THAT NEED TO BE ADHERED TO:
● Players aged 10 and under must be supervised at all times in changing rooms by two members of staff, of the same gender as the players
● Adults working with young teams, including volunteers, coaches, umpires or staff, should not change or shower at the same time when using the same facility as young players
● Mixed gender teams must have access to separate male and female changing rooms
● If young players play for adult teams, they and their parents must be informed of the Club’s policy on changing arrangements
● Young people are uncomfortable changing or showering in public; no pressure should be placed on them to do so. Encourage them to do this at home
● Involve disabled players and their carers in deciding how, if applicable, they wish to be assisted to change and ensure they provide full consent to any support or assistance required
● If adults and young people need to share a changing facility, the Club must have consent from the parents and their child/children can share a changing room with adults in the Club
● If young people need to share changing facilities with adults, their parents should be allowed to supervise them whilst they are changing
RESPONDING TO POOR PRACTICE AND ABUSE
Responding to a Child:
● If a child says or indicates that he or she is being abused, or information is obtained that gives concern that a child is being abused, the person receiving this information should
● Take what the child says seriously
● React calmly so as not to frighten the child
● Tell the child that she/he is not to blame and were right to tell
● Reassure the child but do not make promises of confidentiality which might not be feasible in the light of subsequent developments
● Avoid asking questions – keep any questions to the absolute minimum to ensure a clear and accurate understanding of what has been said
● Make a full record of what has been said, heard and/or seen as soon as possible
● Ask the child if immediate protection is needed
Responding to Suspicions and Allegations:
● It is the responsibility of all those working with children and young people to act swiftly if they suspect abuse or an allegation has been made that a child is suffering from or likely to suffer from abuse.
● If anyone has concerns that abuse may have taken place, these should be directed to the OGHC Child Protection Liaison Officer (DSL), who shall report it to the England Hockey Child Welfare Officer, who will report it to Children’s Services, the Police or the NSPCC and provide further guidance.
● The OGHC Child Protection Liaison Officer will inform the DSL team of St George’s College Weybridge if a safeguarding incident has happened on their school site.
● Under no circumstances should any club member attempt to deal with a problem relating to child abuse on their own. These attempts could be extremely damaging to the child and must not be made by anyone not authorised or qualified to attempt this.
● A full record of what has been said, heard and/or seen (including dates and times) should be completed and forwarded to the OGHC Child Protection Liaison Officer. Please do NOT advise the person against whom the allegation is made.
● Do not share information with anyone about the child protection investigation unless they are known to you and need to know information.
● In urgent cases when the OGHC Child Protection Liaison Officer is unavailable, please contact the England Hockey Child Welfare Officer and/or local Children’s Services or the police should be contacted (see Appendix 1)
You should also contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) (see Appendix 1), who works within Children’s Services. They should be alerted to all cases in which it is alleged that a person who works with children has:
● Behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed a child;
● Possibly committed a criminal offence against children, or related to a child;
● Behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates s/he is unsuitable to work with children.
The LADO role applies to paid, unpaid, volunteer, casual, agency and self-employed workers. They capture concerns, allegations or offences emanating from outside of work. The LADO is involved from the initial phase of the allegation through to the conclusion of the case. They help co-ordinate information-sharing with the right people and will also monitor and track any investigation with the aim to resolve it as quickly as possible.
Allegation against a person working within hockey (volunteer or professional):
● It is important that anyone dealing with children should be aware that not all child abuse occurs within the extended family setting.
● It is essential that all responsible adults must be vigilant and aware that any inappropriate actions may lead to putting themselves at risk.
● All responsible adults should be aware that any allegations made against them will be taken seriously and will be investigated according to the steps outlined in the England Hockey Child Welfare Pack.
● An individual against whom allegations/suspicions have been raised will be treated fairly and with respect and is presumed to be innocent until judged to be otherwise.
● All allegations, suspicions, comments or complaints will be treated in the utmost confidence – this applies equally to the child, the person making the allegation or the person against whom the allegation is made.
● Should the Club be informed that an allegation of abuse has been made against an adult within the organisation the England Hockey Child Welfare Officer must be notified immediately.
● Should any person find themselves accused of any form of abuse they should contact the England Hockey Welfare Officer for advice.
Should any person involved with hockey suspect that a colleague is abusing a child, this should be reported immediately to the OGHC Child Protection Liaison Officer or a senior member of the organisation involved and Children’s Services, the Police or the NSPCC.
Action if bullying is suspected: (see Appendix 2)
● Take all signs of bullying very seriously.
● Encourage all children to speak and share their concerns. It is believed that up to 12 children per year commit suicide as a result of bullying, so if anyone talks about or threatens suicide, seek professional help immediately. Help the victim to speak out and tell the person in charge or someone in authority. Create an open environment.
● Investigate all allegations and take action to ensure the victim is safe. Speak with the victim and the bully(ies) separately.
● Reassure the victim that you can be trusted and will help them, although you cannot promise not to tell anyone else.
● Keep records of what is said and what happened by whom and when.
● Report any concerns to the OGHC Child Protection Liaison Officer.
● Talk with the bully(ies), explain the situation and try to get them to understand the consequences of their behaviour and send an apology to their victim.
● Impose sanctions as necessary.
● Encourage and support the bully(ies) to change behaviour.
● Hold meetings with the families to report on progress.
● Inform all organisation members of action taken.
● Keep a written record of action taken.
SECTION 3.
RECOGNISING CHILD ABUSE
Recognising child abuse is not easy and it is not the responsibility of club members to decide whether or not child abuse has taken place or a child is at significant risk. Club members do have the responsibility to act if they have a concern.
The following information might assist club members to be more alert to the signs of possible abuse: PHYSICAL ABUSE
Physical signs of abuse may include unexplained injuries. Indicative changes in behaviour may include fear of parents being approached for an explanation.
EMOTIONAL ABUSE
Physical signs of emotional abuse may include speech disorders. Indicative changes of behaviour may include fear of making mistakes . Examples of emotional abuse in sport could include constant criticism, name-calling and sarcasm, bullying or unrealistic pressure to perform to high expectations consistently.
SEXUAL ABUSE
Children who talk about sexual abuse do so because they want it to stop. It is important therefore that they are listened to and taken seriously. Indicative behaviour may include saying they have secrets they cannot tell anyone about, or acting in a sexually explicit way towards adults.
NEGLECT
Physical signs may include inappropriate dress for the conditions. Neglect in sport could include a coach not ensuring that children are safe, exposing them to undue cold or heat or to unnecessary risk of injury.
It is important to remember that many children and young people will exhibit some of these indicators at some time and the presence of one or more should not be taken as proof that abuse is occurring.
Where there is a complaint against a coach or volunteer, there may be 3 types of investigation:
● A criminal investigation
● A child protection investigation
● A disciplinary or misconduct investigation
SECTION 4.
STAFF AND VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT
Appropriate safeguarding training
The OGHC Child Protection Liaison Officer (DSL)and Director of Hockey have attended the UK coaching ‘safeguarding and protection course’ and attend a ‘Time to Listen’ course every three years. This is a hockey specific interactive safeguarding workshop.
All coaches and volunteers update their safeguarding training every three years with an online safeguarding course recommended by England Hockey. Records of certification are kept for two years after they become invalid.
All coaches, captains, managers and volunteers are DBS checked every three years (see APPENDIX 3).
All reasonable steps must be taken to ensure unsuitable people are prevented from working with children. Therefore, the following pre-recruitment checks should always be carried out:
Advertising
If any form of advertising is used to recruit staff or volunteers, it should reflect the following:
● Aims of the organisation and where appropriate, the particular programme involved
● Responsibilities of the role
● Level of experience or qualifications required
● The OGHC’s positive stance on child protection
● Include a statement that the “OGHC is committed to their Child Protection Policy as a priority” Pre-application Information
This should contain:
● A job description including roles and responsibilities
● A person specification
● An application form
Applications (see APPENDIX 4)
Applicants will need to complete application and self-declaration forms which will request the following information:
● Name and address
● Relevant experience, qualifications and training undertaken
● Listing of past career involvement in sport
● Any criminal record
● Whether the applicant is known to any Children’s Services department as being an actual or potential risk to children or young people
● The names of two referees (not relatives) who can provide written references that comment on the applicant’s previous experience of, and suitability for, working with children and young people
● The applicant’s consent to being subject to an Enhanced DBS check
● The form states that failure to disclose information or subsequent failure to conform the OGHC’s policies will result in exclusion from the Club.
SECTION 5.
CODE OF CONDUCT
ALL VOLUNTEERS, STAFF AND COACHES WILL BE PROACTIVE IN SPOTTING ANY SOCIAL MEDIA ENTRIES THAT ARE ANTI-SAFEGUARDING
Coaching Sessions
Parents/guardians of children aged up to 11 are requested to deliver and collect their children from pitch side promptly at coaching sessions. They are requested to inform the coach if somebody else will be collecting their child.
The coach will take a register of attendance at the start of each junior coaching session.
The coach will ensure that there is a fully charged mobile phone available at pitch side in case of emergency along with a first aid kit.
Planned Trips for Away Matches
Parents of young players will be required to provide relevant personal and medical information and emergency contact details, and asked to consent to travel and emergency first aid. Parents/carers are requested to provide this at the start of the season, or upon their child joining the Club.
The coach will ensure that such information is available at away matches.
Parents/carers will be provided with full information about the away match.
Travelling to and from Away Matches
It is strongly advised by England Hockey that private cars, other than those of parents, are not used by coaches, club volunteers and umpires to transport young players at any time, either to and from a training session, or to away fixtures. If for any reason this is the only feasible method of transport, the following guidelines must be follows:
● Drivers must ensure the safety of passengers
● Drivers must ensure that their vehicle is roadworthy and that they have a valid licence and insurance cover
● Drivers must only use vehicles with seat belts and ensure that their passengers are wearing these when in transit
● Drivers must be aware of their legal obligations when transporting young players
● Parents/guardians/carers must give written permission for their child/children to be transported in another adult’s car
● Clear information on the expected time of departure and arrival needs to be communicated to parents/guardians/carers
● Drivers should not be alone with a young person in the car at any time. Should this situation arise, the driver needs to ensure that the young person is in the back of the car.
Communication with Junior players
Children under the age of 16 should not be contacted using the Whatsapp messaging service. Communication should be with parents via Teamo, email, or other messaging service.
Children over the age of 16 can be added to a Junior Whatsapp group for an adult team as long as parental or guardian permission has been gained in writing. A parent/guardian must also be added to this group and it must include two adults with DBS checks and safeguarding training from the team. Where the coach and/or captain is a teacher at the same school as a Junior member, they should not be in the same Whatsapp group.
Children aged 17 may be added to an adult team's Whatsapp group if they would like to and have informed consent in writing from parents. Parents must be made aware that this group is also a social chat group for the team and therefore the content may sometimes be adult in nature. If a 17 year old child is admitted to the group then their parent/guardian should also join so they can monitor the chat and stay abreast of information.
APPENDIX 1
IN AN EMERGENCY
OGHC CHILD PROTECTION LIAISON OFFICER Emma Shingles
(Designated Safeguarding Lead) Mobile: 07780 702886
E-mail: welfareofficer@oghc.org
ENGLAND HOCKEY BOARD CHILD WELFARE OFFICER Tel.: 01628 897500
Website: www.englandhockey.co.uk
NSPCC 24 HOUR HELPLINE Tel.: 0808 800 5000
Website: www.nspcc.org.uk
SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL CHILDREN’S SERVICES Monday – Friday 0800 to 1800 hrs Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) Tel.: 0300 200 1006
Monday – Friday 1700 to 2100 hrs and 24 hours on weekends and Bank holidays
Tel.: 01483 517 898
POLICE CHILD PROTECTION TEAM Tel.: 0845 1252222
In an emergency dial 999
SAMARITANS (they hold the Social Care Duty Officers Tel.: 08457 90 90 90
contact details in an emergency)
USEFUL NUMBERS FOR SPECIALIST SUPPORT AND ADVICE
NSPCC – CHILD PROTECTION IN Tel.: 01162 347278 Sport specific advice on safeguarding
SPORT UNIT www.thecpsu.org.uk and protecting young people
VICTIM SUPPORT Tel.: 0845 3030 900 Provide emotional support, www.victimsupport.org.uk information and practical advice for victims and witnesses
THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
Tel.: 0870 443 5252
www.bacp.co.uk
LOCAL SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN’S BOARD
www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/ Education and training opportunity socialcare/safeguarding/lscb
GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE
www.everychildmatters.gov.uk Government guidance on safeguarding and protecting young people
USEFUL NUMBERS FOR ADVICE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE THERE4ME
Tel.: 0808 800 5000 Support and advice for 12 – 16 year www.there4me.com olds from the NSPCC CHILDLINE
Tel: 0800 1111 Free helpline for children and young www.childdline.org.uk people
KIDSCAPE
Tel.: 0207 730 3300 Support on bullying www.kidscape.org.uk
APPENDIX 2
POLICY ON ANTI-BULLYING
The Old Georgian’s Hockey Club (OGHC) adopts England Hockey’s Anti-bullying Policy and works in accordance with the following statement:
Introduction:
The OGHC is committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which all young people involved in hockey are free from bullying.
Obligations:
Everyone within the OGHC must act in accordance with the general principles in England Hockey’s Safeguarding and Protecting Young People Policy and the principles set out in this anti-bullying policy.
How England Hockey will help:
England Hockey is committed to supporting its affiliated clubs and associations to implement policies through the provision of appropriate access to education and training, and supporting documentation.
England Hockey is also committed to ensuring that concerns relating to bullying of young people in hockey are taken seriously and acted upon swiftly and appropriately. To achieve this, England Hockey has developed procedures for reporting concerns. England Hockey may refer concerns to the relevant statutory agencies, instigate proceedings under its own Safeguarding and Protecting of Young People Complaints and Disciplinary Regulations or refer the matter to a club or association for resolution as appropriate.
Bullying:
Bullying is anything that is done with the intention of hurting or intimidating, frightening or upsetting another person. Bullying is not always physical but it results in distress to the victim. Instances of bullying can occur not only between young people but also from adult to young person. Bullying can be:
EMOTIONAL Persistently being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting, threatening gestures PHYSICAL Pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence
RACIST Racial taunts or language, graffiti, gestures
SEXUAL Unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments
HOMOPHOBIC Because of, or focussing on the issue of sexuality
VERBAL Name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing
It should be noted that bullying may not only occur through face to face contact. Increasingly, bullying may occur through other forms of communication (e.g. internet, email and text messaging). Aggressive behaviour needs to be looked out for (for instance if a coach is being over zealous)
Principles:
Everyone within the OGHC should have an understanding of what bullying is and of England Hockey’s anti-bullying policy. Bullying of any kind is not acceptable in hockey and should not be tolerated by anyone, in particular any organisation providing hockey opportunities for young people. The OGHC wishes to promote a TELLING culture and
anyone who knows, or suspects, that bullying is happening must take the matter seriously, and report it in line with England Hockey Reporting Procedures. Any incident or concern of bullying must be acted upon swiftly.
APPENDIX 3
POLICY ON THE USE OF DBS DISCLOSURES
ALL VOLUNTEERS, STAFF AND COACHES ARE TO BE DBS CHECKED
Introduction
England Hockey is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and positive environment for all young people to participate in hockey. It is important that people with a history of relevant and significant offending are prevented from contact with/responsibility for young people and do not have the opportunity to influence policies or practice in relation to them.
The use of Disclosure & Barring (DBS) checks can assist with safeguarding young people in hockey at the point of recruitment. DBS checks can also be used retrospectively, where necessary, to assist with ensuring a safe and positive environment in hockey. Use of DBS checks will therefore form part of the assessment of a person’s suitability to work with young people in hockey.
Enhanced checks
An Enhanced disclosure will contain information about criminal offences including convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings. It will detail ALL previous convictions etc. including those usually regarded as “spent” under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and ‘Barring List’ decisions.
Obligations
Everyone within the OGHC must act in accordance with the general principles in England Hockey’s general Safeguarding and Protecting Young People Policy and the principles set out in this policy for use of DBS checks.
How England Hockey can help
England Hockey is committed to supporting its affiliated clubs and associations to implement policies through the provision of appropriate access to education and training, and supporting documentation.
England Hockey is an Umbrella Body for DBS checks. This means that England Hockey will facilitate DBS checks for all affiliated clubs and associations through the England Hockey DBS Service. England Hockey will provide advice to clubs where the DBS check reveals disclosed information, and this must be followed. Clubs and associations should note that they will remain responsible for all other aspects of the recruitment process.
England Hockey is also committed to ensuring that concerns relating to the use of DBS checks in hockey are taken seriously and acted upon swiftly and appropriately. To achieve this, England Hockey has developed procedures for reporting concerns. England Hockey may refer concerns to the relevant statutory agencies, instigate proceedings under its own Safeguarding and Protecting Young People Complaints and Disciplinary Regulations or refer the matter to a club or association for resolution as appropriate.
England Hockey may instigate proceedings under its Safeguarding and Protecting of Young People Complaints and Disciplinary Regulations where affiliated clubs and associations fail to adopt, implement or act in accordance with relevant policies. England Hockey may also require an individual against whom an investigation is proceeding under the Safeguarding and Protecting of Young People Complaints and Disciplinary Regulations, to undergo a DBS check as part of the investigation.
Principles
The OGHC have an understanding of the use of DBS Checks in hockey and its relation to good practice in recruitment and retention of staff and volunteers, and know what England Hockey’s policy is on DBS checks.
In accordance with England Hockey’s policy on recruitment, selection and retention of persons with access to young people, when recruiting to a position involving access to young people an Enhanced DBS check must be undertaken through England Hockey’s DBS Service. The OGHC will refer to the good practice guidance on recruitment for roles requiring a DBS check.
In line with DBS policy and sports industry standard practice, the OGHC will not recognise DBS Checks obtained through organisations other than England Hockey.
Should volunteers be signed up to the “Update Service”, then regular checks will be made on individuals by the OGHC Child Protection Liaison Officer or the Chairman to ensure good practice. Volunteers will be required to sign an annual declaration stating that they have nothing to declare and have no criminal convictions. Should an offence occur, then volunteers will be required to declare this to the OGHC Child Protection Liaison Officer or the Chairman In a confidential manner. A decision will be made upon a clear and factual understanding of the offence. A formal enhanced DBS disclosure will be carried out every 3 years to ensure good practice and keep records up to date.
The OGHC will keep up to date details of individual DBS disclosures including name, address, contact number and disclosure number.
The OGHC will comply with the DBS Code of Practice. England Hockey will assist clubs in compliance through relevant documentation and good practice guidance. Copies of the DBS Code of Practice will be made available to clubs and associations.
For a position where a DBS check will be required, all application forms, job adverts and related documents issued by affiliated clubs and associations must contain a statement that a check will be requested in the event of the individual being offered the position.
Given the potentially sensitive nature of information contained on DBS checks, all those involved in the process must maintain confidentiality in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice. Breach of this condition may result in disciplinary action being taken in accordance with England Hockey’s Safeguarding and Protecting of Young People Complaints and Disciplinary Regulations.
Should a DBS disclosure reveal any history of offending, England Hockey will assess whether the offences are relevant and significant. All decisions taken will be in the best interests of young people and will balance the relevance and significance of the offence and rehabilitation of the offender in relation to the role they are undertaking. England Hockey will advise the individual and the club or organisation of the outcome of this assessment process. This advice MUST BE followed.
England Hockey will ensure that all those involved in the process of decision making regarding the relevance of DBS disclosed information will be trained to identify and assess the relevance and circumstances of offences. They should also have received appropriate guidance and training in the relevant legislation relating to the employment of ex-offenders, e.g. the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working or volunteering in hockey. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of their offences. Factors that may be taken into account would include:
● Whether the information received is relevant to the position they are applying for in relation to working with young people
● The seriousness of any offence or other matter
● The age of the person at the time of the offence
● The age of the victim involved and whether the offence was violent or sexual in nature
● The length of time since the offence or other matter occurred
● Whether the applicant has a pattern of offending behaviour or other relevant matters
● Whether the offences involved a breach of trust
● Whether the applicant’s circumstances have changed since the offending behaviour or other relevant matters
● The circumstances surrounding the offence and the explanations offered
All decisions will be made in good faith whilst recognising that the welfare of young people remains paramount. England Hockey will work with other relevant organisations to ensure that decisions are made according to best practice in the use of evidence and research in this field.
On receipt of DBS information regarding significant and relevant offending or other matters, England Hockey may initiate proceedings under its Safeguarding Young People Complaints and Disciplinary Regulations.
Any information provided to England Hockey by the DBS will be accepted as correct. Any dispute regarding information contained on a DBS check should be referred by the individual directly to the DBS.
Further information on the DBS and their services can be obtained from the DBS website at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service
APPENDIX 4