SAFEGUARDING
The Hurlingham Club is committed to prioritising the well-being of all children and young people by promoting safeguarding at all times, including sporting and social events, as well as the Hurlingham Crèche. The Club strives to minimise risk, deliver a safe and fun experience for everyone, and respond appropriately to all safeguarding concerns/disclosures.
As a family Club, the primary responsibility for children on site lies with the parent or guardian. This includes instances such as when members who are known to each other arrange between themselves to transport their children to events at the Club. However, under certain circumstances, this responsibility will transfer to a suitable member of staff or volunteer of the Club. Examples of children’s activities where this would apply would include sports coaching sessions, sports camps, the Club’s overnight Camp Out or a Young Hurlingham event. The Club has specific procedures to manage the transfer of responsibility in these scenarios.
It is the policy of the Club to maintain the highest standards and to work within the principles of Ofsted guidelines for all children’s activities, in particular with respect to staffing ratios and qualifications of all those working with children. The Club aims to provide all children and young people with appropriate safety and protection whilst in the care of the Club, and to allow all staff and volunteers to make informed and confident responses to safeguarding issues.
Any person working with children in the name of the Club must adhere to this Safeguarding Policy, the Code of Conduct for Working with Children and all Club Bye-Laws relating to children.
For the purposes of this document, a child is defined as any person under the age of 18 in line with the Children Act 1989. Staff are defined as employees, casual workers and/or self-employed individuals/companies engaged by the Club to provide activities for children. Volunteers are non-professional ‘helpers’ and will usually be members of the Club.
PROCEDURES
DISCLOSURE AND BARRING SERVICE (DBS) CHECKS
As an organisation using the DBS to assess applicants’ suitability for positions of trust, the Club complies fully with the DBS Code of Practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly. It undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a Disclosure on the basis of conviction or other information revealed.
A Disclosure is only requested after a thorough risk assessment has indicated that one is both proportionate and relevant to the position concerned. Unless the nature of the position allows the Club to ask questions about an entire criminal record, the Club will only ask about “unspent” convictions as defined in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. As such, the level of DBS check requested will correlate directly with the role in question.
The Club strives to repeat DBS checks every three years. The dates of checks are recorded and held by the Club’s HR Department. DBS disclosures are not held by the Club.
VOLUNTEER INFORMATION
Volunteers are usually Club members and are therefore not necessarily subject to the procedures detailed above; however, volunteers are subject to DBS checks when fulfilling a role which the Club deems to require such a check. As with staff members, the Club strives to repeat these checks every three years. All volunteers will be informed if this requirement is relevant when any volunteer work is discussed.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND OTHER MEDIA
It is likely that photographs or videos will be taken at many of the Club’s events and activities. The Club may use these images, for example on its website, social media streams and in printed publications or other marketing materials. Parents and guardians will be made aware of the possibility of images being recorded and will be asked to contact the Communications team if they do not wish their child to be included.
REPORTING CONCERNS
It is not the responsibility of anyone working in the Club to decide whether or not child abuse has taken place. However, there is a responsibility for all staff, volunteers, Committee members, coaches and Club members working with children in the name of the Club, to act on any concerns through contact with the appropriate authorities.
The Club will assure all staff/volunteers that it will fully support and protect anyone who in good faith reports his/her concern that a child is being abused, or a colleague, volunteer or other person is, or may be, abusing a child. Every effort will be made to ensure that confidentiality is maintained for all concerned. Information will be handled and disseminated on a need-to-know basis only.
INCIDENTS THAT MUST BE REPORTED/RECORDED
If any of the following occur, a member should report it to a member of staff or to the Designated Safeguarding Officer, Victoria Harris (see below). Staff should report it immediately and record the incident in writing, giving a copy to their manager, who will liaise with the Designated Safeguarding Officer. The parents of the child will be informed:
· If a child is accidentally hurt.
· If a child seems distressed in any manner.
· If a child appears to be sexually aroused by an individual’s actions.
· If a child misunderstands or misinterprets something an individual has done.
WHO TO CONTACT
If you have any concerns about poor practice or suspected abuse, please contact the Designated Safeguarding Officer in the first instance. This is Victoria Harris, Deputy Secretary – 020 7610 7415, 07500 893814 or victoria.harris@hurlinghamclub.org.uk.
If you are worried about sharing concerns regarding abuse with the Club’s Designated Safeguarding Officer, you can contact the following people:
· Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) – 020 8753 5125 or LADO@lbhf.co.uk
· NSPCC Helpline – 0808 800 5000
· Childline – 0800 1111
· The police, in an emergency – 999