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Wimbledon Racquets and Fitness Club

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Safeguarding Policy

Introduction

Wimbledon Racquets and Fitness Club (the “Club”) is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and positive environment for everyone to play sport or participate in physical activity. It is our shared responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all young people and adults at risk and protect them from poor practice, abuse, and bullying. In this policy:
“young people” means those under the age of 18; and “adults at risk” has the meaning set out in the Care Act 2014: any person who is aged 18 years or over and at risk of abuse or neglect because of their needs for care and or support.

We recognise that everyone has a responsibility to safeguard and protect all young people and adults at risk and have therefore developed policy, procedures and guidelines to safeguard and protect young people and adults at risk in sport. These apply to all individuals involved, whether paid or in a voluntary capacity.

Safeguarding young people and adults at risk at potential risk requires everyone to be committed to the highest possible standards of openness, integrity, and accountability. As a club we are committed to encouraging and maintaining a culture where people feel able to raise a genuine safeguarding concern and are confident it will be taken seriously.

Policy Statement

This policy is for use throughout the Club and is to be observed by all staff, volunteers and consultants working with young people, and adults at risk. The policy should be read in conjunction with the Club’s Diversity & Inclusion Policy, Equality Policy, Photography, Filming & Recording Policy, and Code of Conduct, copies of which can be found in the members’ section of our website (www.wimbledonclub.co.uk).

This safeguarding policy is fully supported by the board and the management team.

The Club acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of young people, and adults at risk, and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice as well as Badminton England and England Squash requirements.

The Club aims to ensure that all young people:

  1. have a positive and enjoyable experience of sport at the Club in a safe and child centred environment regardless of age, ability or disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, socio-economic background; and
  2. are protected from abuse whilst participating in a sport or outside of the activity.

The Club acknowledges that some young people, including disabled children and those from ethnic minority communities, can be particularly vulnerable to abuse and we accept the responsibility to take reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure their welfare.

The welfare and wellbeing of young people is of paramount importance, and it is the duty of all adults working within WR&FC to safeguard the welfare of young people by creating an environment that protects them from harm.

The Club will review this policy on a regular basis and also in the following circumstances:

  1. changes in legislation and/or government guidance;
  2. as required by the Local Safeguarding Children Board, UK Sport and/or Home Country;
  3. Sports Councils, Badminton England and England Squash; and
  4. as a result of any other significant change or event.

The Club will advise when any changes are made. All staff, volunteers and consultants are required to make themselves aware of any changes once implemented.

This policy together with the appropriate safeguarding procedures will be widely promoted and is mandatory for everyone involved in WR&FC. Failure to comply with the policy and procedures may result in dismissal/exclusion from the Club.

Policy Guidelines

Everyone working within the club, whether as a volunteer or paid, must recognise that it is their duty to observe this policy and the good practice guidelines set out below.

The Club will:

  1. promote and prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and adults at risk;
  2. ensure that robust safeguarding arrangements and procedures are in operation;
  3. ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding and is provided with appropriate learning opportunities to recognise, identify and respond to signs of abuse, neglect and other safeguarding concerns relating to children, young people and adults at risk;
  4. ensure appropriate action is taken in the event of incidents/concerns of abuse and support provided to the individual/s who raise or disclose the concern;
  5. ensure that confidential, detailed and accurate records of all safeguarding concerns are maintained and stored securely;
  6. respond to all suspicions and allegations of abuse, swiftly and appropriately, ensuring effective links with relevant agencies in all matters regarding safeguarding and child protection;
  7. prevent the employment or deployment of unsuitable individuals;
  8. work in partnership with other organisations (as necessary), children, young people, adults at risk and their parents, guardians or carers;
  9. treat all children, young people and adults at risk equally and with respect and dignity;
  10. when necessary, request written parental consent for pictures, photographs, images or videos which involve children; and
  11. ensure that when social media is involved with young people it will be used carefully and appropriately.

Practices to be avoided

Best practice with young people must be observed by all adults working with young people or adults at risk in both a paid and voluntary capacity. The following is a “non-exhaustive” list of practices to be avoided:

  1. Spending time alone with young people away from others;
  2. Inviting or allowing a young person to stay at their home;
  3. Transporting a young person alone in a car;
  4. Engaging in rough, physical or sexually provocative games with young people;
  5. Sharing a room with a young person;
  6. Allowing or engaging in any form of inappropriate physical touching or sexual contact or behaviour;
  7. Using or allowing young people to use inappropriate language unchallenged;
  8. Making sexually suggestive comments to a young person;
  9. Allowing allegations made by a young person to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon;
  10. Doing things of a personal nature for a young person that they can do for themselves, unless they have been requested to do so by the parents/carer. This does not preclude anyone attending to an injured/ill young person or rendering first aid
  11. Departing from the club or agreed meeting point before the safe dispersal of all young people is complete;
  12. Humiliating or undermining an individual or acting in a way that negatively affects their self-esteem;
  13. Treating some young people more favourably than others;
  14. Creating a dependent relationship between themselves and a young person, appropriate boundaries must be maintained, see Positions of Trust below;
  15. Private texts, social network messages and emails without parental consent or knowledge.

Positions of Trust

All adults who work with children and adults at risk are in a position of trust. This relationship can be described as one in which the adult is in a position of power and influence by virtue of their position.

Sexual activity or touching by an adult with a child under the age of 16 years is unlawful. Any sexual relationship between an adult in a position of trust and a young person over 16 (consensual or otherwise) is contrary to this policy and will result in disciplinary action being taken.

Adults must not encourage a physical or emotionally dependent relationship to develop between the person in a position of trust and the young person in their care.

Recruitment and training

All potential staff members are subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (“DBS”) checks before their employment is confirmed.

All coaches are required to be licensed by the relevant national body, in most cases Badminton England or England Squash. To obtain such a licence DBS checks are carried out and appropriate safeguarding training certification is required.

Welfare officer

The Club has a nominated Welfare Officer who has responsibility for dealing with any matters related to safeguarding at the Club. The Welfare Officer can involve members of the management team, board or external bodies as appropriate.

Please therefore contact the Welfare Officer if you have any concerns. The email address is safeguarding@wimbledonclub.co.uk.

Whistleblowing

It is important that people within WR&FC have the confidence to come forward to speak or act if they are unhappy with anything.

Whistleblowing occurs when a person raises a concern about dangerous or illegal activity, or any wrongdoing within their sports organisation. The NSPCC has a whistleblowing advice line to support professionals who have concerns about how child protection issues are being handled in their own or another organisation.

While we would encourage you in the first instance to contact the Welfare Officer, you may if you wish also make use of the following entities:

  1. The police on 999 for serious urgent issues;
  2. Badminton safeguarding: safeguarding@badmintonengland.co.uk, 01908 268430 / 07738 890309;
  3. Squash safeguarding safesquash@englandsquash.com, 0161 438 4302;
  4. NSPCC, help@nspcc.org.uk, 0800 028 0285.

Complaints

We have a procedure for dealing with complaints. Please see the members’ section of our website for the complaints policy.

Relevant Legislation, Regulations and Statutory Guidance

  • Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018
  • Children Act 1989
  • Children Act 2004
  • Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006
  • Human Rights Act 1998
  • Sexual Offences Act 2003
  • Care Act 2014
  • Data Protection Act 2018