BALLYMENA
CHILD PROTECTION POLICY,
PROCEDURES AND CODES
OF CONDUCT
Ballymena Rugby Football Club Youth and Mini Sections exist to provide rugby facilities for boys and girls from the local area, and are run on a voluntary basis. At Ballymena RFC, an ‘Open Door’ policy is operated, in relation to membership regardless of race, religion, disability or gender (complete Equity Statement is in Club Rules)
Policy Statement
The Youth and Mini Sections
of Ballymena Rugby Football Club are fully committed to the mental, physical
and emotional development of its Age-Grade Players, to the best of their
individual abilities, by creating an acceptable, ethical coaching framework,
and to safeguard the well-being of its Participants and Volunteers, by
protecting them from neglect, and physical, sexual or emotional harm. Fair-play, mutual understanding and
cross-community aspects play an important role in the ethos of the Club.
This will be achieved by:
· Creating an environment in which the Participants receive the best possible training, appropriate to their age, maturity and ability.
· Raising the awareness of Child Protection issues with coaches/volunteers, parents and children.
· Making sure that all coaches/volunteers are vetted, trained and adequately supervised, and are individually made aware of the Club’s ethos and Child Protection Policy, and supplied with a copy of the IRFU Code of Ethics.
· Making children and parents aware that complaints can be made if they are unhappy, and the names of the responsible people to whom complaints can be made.
· Providing information about the aims of the Youth and Mini Sections of Ballymena RFC and what is expected from the Volunteers, Parents and Participants.
· Establishing and maintaining acceptable standards of all ethical behaviour.
· Developing the basic skills of the games of Rugby Football.
· Promoting the enjoyment of the game of Rugby Football.
· Remembering that children play primarily for fun and enjoyment. Skill-learning and enjoyment, as well as the well-being and safety of the children, must take priority over winning.
Conduct Code
It is essential for everyone involved to be made aware of the behavioural standards required at B.R.F.C. and what is not acceptable. On joining the Club, all participants and Volunteers will be given a written brief on the general conduct code:
· No foul or abusive language.
· No bullying.
· Respect for the other participants.
· Be on time.
Responsible Club Officers
(1) Director
of Community
He has overall responsibility for all levels of Community Rugby. He is a member of the Club Board of Directors and Board of Governors.
(2) Youth Convenor:-
He has responsibility for Youth and Mini rugby, is a member of the Board of Governors and reports to the Director of Community Rugby. He is responsible for the organisation and coaching of rugby football at U-18, U-16 and U-14 levels.
(3) Mini
Has responsibility for the organisation and coaching rugby football at P4, P5, P6, P7 and Maxi levels.
(4) Children’s Officer:-
He will:
- Act as a resource to all members with
regards to Children’s issues.
-
Ensure that children have a say in the running of the Club.
-
Promote the values, attitudes and structures which make sport enjoyable
to all participants.
-
Communicate with Ulster Branch and Club Officers information relating to
Children in Sport.
-
Attend Club training sessions to act as a resource to children and
volunteers.
-
Encourage involvement of parents/guardians in Club activities.
-
Report regularly to relevant Club Committees.
-
Influence policy and practice within the Club to prioritise children’s
needs.
-
Accept and act upon reports from other Volunteers.
-
Report cases of child
protection concerns to the Northern Health
and Social Services Board, and to the relevant Statutory Authorities.
General Guidelines for
Volunteers
To accommodate a proper code of conduct, the following practices are laid down as guidelines for Volunteers who should:-
- Adhere to Child Protection guidelines as set out by the D.H.S.S., and adopt policies favoured by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland.
- Adhere to the I.R.F.U. Code of Ethics.
- Share information about child protection, and encourage other Volunteers to develop their training and awareness in this field.
The Club is committed to reviewing its policy, and what constitutes good practice, at regular intervals.
1.
Volunteers are advised to avoid spending excessive
time alone, or unobserved, with children, and never go into the toilet
alone with children. When supervising changing
rooms, adult Volunteers should work in pairs. Coaches should not take a training session
alone.
2. Volunteers must respect the rights and dignity of all children and treat them with equality. Severe criticism, harsh words or sarcasm should be avoided.
3. Meetings with an individual child should take place as publicly as possible. Volunteers should never make arrangements to meet a child alone in his/her home. Volunteers should not meet with children outside organized activities, unless it is with the full knowledge and consent of the parents and the Club.
4. If an occasion arises when some privacy is required, other adults should be informed, and at least one should be within earshot of the conversation. The door of the room should always be left open.
5. Volunteers should avoid unnecessary physical contact with children. On occasion, when an injury or accident occurs or a child is distressed, physical contact may be unavoidable. The involved adult should fully explain to the child what he/she is doing, but then only touch him/her with the consent of the injured party, and in full view of as many persons as possible. However, if the injury/accident seems worse than trivial, the Volunteer/Coach should immediately call for the Paramedics who will be at the ambulance, which is always present at the Club during sessions/matches, and notify the Parent(s) of the injured child. Accidents should be fully reported in an Accident Report Form held in the Clubrooms.
6. Coaches and committee persons should be careful of extending hugs and other acts of celebration where bodily contact is involved. This is important not only for the protection of the Coaches, but also for the children.
7. If a child touches a Volunteer in an inappropriate place, the Volunteer should record the incident and report it to another adult. While an incident could be purely innocent or horseplay, efforts should be made to inform the offending child that this type of behaviour is not acceptable, but in a manner which does not intimidate the involved party.
8. Car journeys involving children, however short, should be with the full knowledge and consent of the parents, and someone in charge at the club. It is not good practice to be alone with a child in a car, and if possible, the pick-up point or drop-off point should be with at least two children.
9. A Volunteer should never keep suspicions of abuse by a colleague to him/herself. If there is an attempt to cover up, that volunteer could also be implicated by his/her silence. He/she should inform the appropriate person at the club of his/her suspicions.
10. Club outings/travel should be well organized:
- Parents should be informed by letter or e-mail, of times of departure
and return.
- An appropriate number of adults should be involved for adequate
adult/children ratio (one adult per eight children) to ensure the proper
supervision of the children in their charge.
- Buses will only be hired from a reputable firm.
11. For overnight stays:-
- Parents should be clearly informed of travel arrangements, times of departure and return, details of the residential accommodation being used, pocket money, etc.
- In such accommodation a Volunteer should never ask a child to his/her room, or share a room with a child.
- Volunteers should check children’s rooms in pairs.
- The children should be made aware of the availability of telephones to contact home.
- Parents should be supplied with contact telephone numbers in case of
any emergency.
- Parents should sign a Consent Form (copy attached), and be asked for
any relevant medical information.
12. Volunteers should never:-
- Engage in a sexually provocative manner, or indulge in horseplay which may be construed in the wrong manner.
- Allow children to use foul language unchallenged.
- Smoke in the presence of children.
- Make sexually suggestive comments about, or to a child, even in fun.
- Allow complaints or allegations made by a child pass without being recorded and passed on.
13. If a complaint
is made, the Club Children’s Officer should be informed immediately and a
record of that meeting logged.
Communication
BRFC
encourages communications between participants and coaches in relation to
coaching sessions, and it is important to listen to the children's views on the
merits or otherwise of matters which concern their development.
All Participants, Volunteers and Parents will be issued with a copy of the Ballymena RFC Child Protection Policy, which will be updated as required. All Volunteers will verify that they are familiar with this Policy by signing the Record of Awareness Form.
All
participants and parents are made aware of the availability of the Coaches or Officers
to approach in relation to all the activities at B.R.F.C. Telephone numbers and
e-mail addresses are made readily available, and if need be, a meeting can be
arranged.
Dealing with allegations and Procedures -
Guidelines for Volunteers.
The club
will appoint a member as Children’s
Officer, who will be responsible for dealing with such concerns at the
club. This individual will be well known to volunteers, parents and
participants, and will make him/herself readily available to handle any
inquiries of any nature, concerning the personnel, or any activities at
B.R.F.C.
It is the responsibility of all Volunteers to be
constantly on the look-out for any
signs/indicators of abuse, such as: unusual behaviour, like continuous crying
or being uncharacteristically withdrawn, or having visible marks like burns or
bruises, etc
If a child gives an indication that he/she may want to talk to a Volunteer about a problem, especially a complaint or an allegation, then that Volunteer should:
- Arrange a time and place, as
soon as possible, where the child can talk freely but confidentially. (under
conditions outlined in item 3).
- Stay calm and reassuring. Do not show any reaction to what the child says, but take it seriously.
- Explain to the child that if the complaint is of a serious nature that it may be necessary to inform others.
- Listen to everything the child has to say – and not stop the child from talking.
- Under no circumstances interrogate the child, or involve any investigative procedures.
- Be clear in his/her mind what
the child has actually said.
- Record accurately and fully, in writing, and as soon as possible, what
the child has said. It is important to keep a record of all actions taken eg
letters or telephone calls.
- Ask if the child has told anyone else and if not, who would be a suitable person to contact (parent/guardian).
- Explain that there are other people who will help them and that it may be necessary to contact them.
- Do not make any false promises
to the child.
- Thank the child for the
information supplied, and reassure him/her that he/she was right to tell, and
that he/she will be helped.
- Contact the Club Children’s Officer immediately, in order to seek guidance in relation to the complaint. After this discussion, the Children’s Officer may contact the Social Services and, if appropriate, make a direct referral. If the Children’s Officer is not available, contact Social Services. [Telephone Number (028) 2565 3333]. Ultimate responsibility for the investigation of cases of child abuse, suspected or otherwise, lies with the Northern Health and Social Services Board and the Statutory Authorities. It would not be appropriate for individuals, or the Club, to carry out internal investigations into cases where child abuse is suspected or has been alleged.
While this procedure should be followed, the Club Children’s Officer may consider that for complaints of a lesser nature i.e. bullying, cheating, that the matter may be handled internally without outside involvement. However, it must be emphasized that all cases must be thoroughly investigated and remedied, to the satisfaction of the child and parent concerned, and that appropriate action be taken.
It is important to maintain strict confidentiality. Personal and sensitive matters, or any alleged incident, should not be discussed with anyone except those closely involved.
- Complete the relevant Club
Incident Report Form.
If a complaint of concern or an
allegation of abuse by a Volunteer, reaches the Club Children’s Officer:-
·
He will record and investigate the complaint.
·
If it is bad practice, he will deal with it as a misconduct issue,
take appropriate action, and inform
the parent/child of the action taken.
·
If it is abuse, he will report the complaint to the appropriate
Statutory Services, the Club Board of
Directors and the Ulster Branch (IRFU).
·
If it is of concern or an allegation about abuse by external persons,
then the Club Children’s Officer will record what the child says, or what has
been seen, and report the concern to the appropriate Statutory Services.
The present Club Children’s Officer is:
Trevor Gillen,
23 Gracefield,
Gracehill,
Ballymena.
BT42 4RP
Tel No. (028) 2563 1324(home)
07713 326 358 (M)
e-mail: trevorgillen1@yahoo.co.uk
Statutory Services
Area Child Protection Committee,
Northern Health & Social Services Board,
County Hall,
Ballymena
Tel: (028) 2565 3333
Website: http://www.nhssb.n-i.nhs.uk
Director of Childrens’ Services
Homefirst Trust Headquarters,
Ballymena
Tel: (028) 2563 3719
N.S.P.C.C.
2A-F
Ballykeel 2
Ballymena.
BT43 6DA
Tel: (028) 2564 7999
Training & Development Officer,
Northern Area Child Protection Committee Office,
Antrim.
BT41 2RJ
Tel: (028) 9448 7655
E-mail: acpc@homefirst.n-i.nhs.uk
P.S.N.I. Care Unit
Tel: (028) 2565 3355
Bullying.
Bullying is a common problem which affects many people of all ages, at sometime in their lives. It is an extremely upsetting experience for everyone involved, at play, at school or in the workplace. As with any problem, it can be solved only if brought into the open and talked about. Otherwise the scars can remain for years. Bullying will not be tolerated by B.R.F.C. Instances of bullying will be investigated and dealt with by the Club officers. Anyone being bullied should not keep it to him/herself. Such an incident should be reported to a Coach, the Children’s Officer, a teacher or a parent, who should immediately be told exactly what is going on. The web site: http://www.bullying.com/ was created by a schoolboy who was himself bullied and now offers help and support to kids and parents, including guidance on ways of dealing with bullying. It also contains an e-mail helplink which will answer any relevant questions.
Vulnerable Adults:
Vulnerable Adults are defined as those people 18 years and over, whose physical and/or mental capacity to protect themselves is limited by sensory disability, mental illness or learning difficulties, and their degree of dependency makes it difficult to obtain assistance from others who may be capable and interested to protect them. Like children, vulnerable adults can be subjected to abuse or harm or exploitation, so the above guidelines and procedures should be similarly applied in dealing with these people.
Recruitment:
While the vast majority of people who wish to work with children are well motivated, there is a need for care in the selection/recruitment procedure, to screen out those who are not suitable, in the creation and maintenance of good practice for the protection of all involved.
In recruiting volunteers, the following
procedure will be carried out by the Club, for those who have completed the
relevant Application Form and the P.O.C.A.V.A. and Self Declaration Forms
(copies attached):
- Confirmation of their identity
and other details.
- Find out how they think they can contribute to the development of the Club.
- Ask for references and referees.
- Potential recruits should be made aware of the Club's ethos, Child
Protection Policy and Conduct Code, and running procedures at the Club, by the
Mini-Rugby Organiser, the Youth Convenor or the Director of Community Rugby,
who, together will decide if the potential recruits are suitable.
- Roles and Responsibilities
should be clearly explained, and also that failure to comply with the rules and
regulations of the Club could result in exclusion from the Club.
- All accepted recruits will be ratified by the Club’s Community Rugby Directorate.
- All accepted recruits at the Club should be given a current copy of the Child Protection Policy.
- Volunteers/Coaches are encouraged to enhance their qualifications in relation to their roles within B.R.F.C., such as partaking in IRFU appropriate organised Coaching or Rugby Development Courses.
- In addition, all B.R.F.C. Coaches must be checked by completing a P.O.C.A.V.A.
Form.
- Self-Declaration Forms must be completed annually by Volunteers, by
which they would indicate if they were being investigated or had been convicted
of any criminal offence.
Safety Considerations
Coaches can significantly reduce the risk of injury to Players by:-
-
Checking the play area is safe.
-
Explaining safety procedures to players.
-
Using only the level of training appropriate to the age, maturity or
ability of the group involved.
-
Always include a warm-up and cool-down period during coaching sessions.
-
Being aware of any medical problems any players may have.
-
Regularly checking equipment.
-
Suitably planning and organising all coaching sessions.
-
Having an Emergency Procedure to follow if necessary.
-
Having access to a telephone.
-
Ensuring full First Aid kits are available.
In the event of an accident, the Coach should:-
-
Stop the activity immediately.
-
Quickly assess the extent of the injury.
-
Give immediate appropriate treatment, remaining mindful of limitations
listed earlier.
-
If the injury is worse than trivial, contact the Paramedics and Ambulance
in attendance, notify the child’s parents, and then record the accident in the
Club Accident Report Book.
Data Protection
The Club will inevitably gather a
great deal of personal information about its members, participants and
volunteers, but must adhere to the principles laid out in the Data Protection
Act (N.I.). The Club, Volunteers and Participants
must reach agreement as to what cannot be divulged to a third party without the
prior permission of the person concerned. This does not preclude the disclosure of
information relevant to:
-
Evaluation for competitive selection.
-
Pursuit of disciplinary action.
-
Investigation of alleged breeches of the Code of Ethics by Statutory
Authorities.
-
Information necessary for the benefit of the safety of the greater
public.
Useful Reference And Source Material
§
Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children in Sport.
§
Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
§
IRFU Code of Ethics.
§
RFU Policy on Child Protection.
§
Our Duty to Care – Department of Health and Children 2002.
§
Sports Council of N.I. - Code of
Ethics.
G. K. McCullough
Honorary Secretary
Ballymena RFC
January 2007