Soccer Mania safeguarding & child protection policy

Policy Statement/Aims

Soccer Mania has a duty of care to safeguard all children involved in parties or holiday camps from harm. All children have a right to protection, and the needs of disabled children (and others who may be particularly vulnerable) must be taken into account. Soccer Mania will ensure the safety and protection of all children involved in parties. A child is defined as a person under the age of 18 (The Children Act 1989).

Policy Aims

The aim of the Soccer Mania Child Protection Policy is to promote good practice:

• providing children and young people with appropriate safety and protection whilst attending one of our parties or camps.

Party/Camp Staff

• allow all staff /volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific child protection issues.

Promoting Good Practice

Abuse can occur within many situations including the home, school and the sporting environment. Some individuals will actively seek employment or voluntary work with young people in order to harm them. A coach, instructor, teacher, official or volunteer will have regular contact with young people and be an important link in identifying cases where they need protection. All suspicious cases of poor practice should be reported.

Good Practice Guidelines

All personnel should be encouraged to demonstrate exemplary behaviour in order to promote children's welfare and reduce the likelihood of allegations being made. The following are common sense examples of how to create a positive culture and climate.

Good Practice Means:

• Always working in an open environment (e.g. avoiding private or unobserved situations and encouraging open communication with no secrets).

• Treating all young people/disabled adults equally, and with respect and dignity.

• Always putting the welfare of each young person first, before winning or achieving goals.

• Maintaining a safe and appropriate distance with players (e.g. it is not appropriate for staff or volunteers to have an intimate relationship with a child).

• Building balanced relationships based on mutual trust which empowers children to share in the decision making process.

• Making sport fun, enjoyable and promoting fair play.

• Ensuring that if any form of manual/physical support is required, it should be provided openly.

• Keeping up to date with technical skills, qualifications and insurance in sport.

• Involving parents/carers wherever possible. For example, encouraging them to take responsibility for their children.

• Being an excellent role model – this includes not smoking or drinking alcohol in the company of young people.

• Giving enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism.

• Ensure that a DBS is held for the party host/camp leader

• Ensure that safeguarding training is updated regularly

• Keeping a written record of any injury that occurs, along with the details of any treatment given.

Practices to be Avoided

If cases arise where situations are unavoidable it should be with the full knowledge and consent of the party host/camp leader or the child’s parents. For example, a child sustains an injury and needs to go to hospital, or a parent fails to arrive to pick a child up at the end of a session.

Incidents that Must be Reported/Recorded

If any of the following occur you should report this immediately to the insurance company and record the incident.

You should also ensure the host is aware

• If you accidentally hurt a player

• If he/she seems distressed in any manner

• If a player misunderstands or misinterprets something you have done.

• If a player injures themselves

Use of photographic/filming equipment at sporting events

There is evidence that some people have used sporting events as an opportunity to take inappropriate photographs or film footage of young and disabled sports people in vulnerable positions. The party host/camp leader should be vigilant and any concerns should to be reported to the police.

Written consent will be required prior to the party beginning for the use of photos/videos. Once consent has been given these may be used in social media advertising.

Responding to Allegations or Suspicions

It is not the responsibility of anyone working at Soccer Mania in a paid or unpaid capacity to decide whether or not child abuse has taken place. However there is a responsibility to act on any concerns by reporting these to the appropriate authorities.

Allegations of Previous Abuse

Allegations of abuse may be made some time after the event (e.g. by an adult who was abused as a child or by a member of staff who is still currently working with children). Where such an allegation is made, Soccer Mania will report the matter to the social services or the police. This is because other children, either within or outside sport, may be at risk from this person.

Action if Bullying is Suspected

Action to help the victim and prevent bullying in sport:

• 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.

• Reassure the victim that you can be trusted and will help them, although you cannot promise to tell no one else.

• Keep records of what is said (what happened, by whom, when).

• Report any concerns to the party host/camp leader.

Reporting Concerns

Soccer Mania operates within the local authority area of Bracknell Forest Council

Children’s Social Care (Bracknell Forest Council)

• Telephone: 01344 352005 (Children’s Social Care)

• Emergency Duty Team (Out of Hours): 01344 786543

• Website: www.bracknell-forest.gov.ukMulti-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)

Safeguarding concerns should be referred to the MASH Team where appropriate.

• MASH Contact Number: 01344 352005

• Email: mash@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

If a child is in immediate danger, always call 999 and request the police.

Safeguarding Training and Designated Responsibility

Soccer Mania is committed to ensuring that safeguarding remains a priority at all times.

• There will always be at least one member of staff present at every party or camp who is safeguarding trained.

• Safeguarding training will be renewed annually to ensure knowledge remains current and in line with national and local safeguarding guidance.

The trained safeguarding lead will be responsible for:

• Acting as the first point of contact for any safeguarding concern

• Ensuring concerns are recorded accurately

• Liaising with the Local Authority, MASH, or emergency services where required

• Ensuring all staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities

All staff and volunteers will receive appropriate safeguarding awareness information as part of their induction.