Safeguarding policy

Policy statement

We acknowledge the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and we will make sure our safeguarding practice reflects both our legal responsibilities and Government guidance and complies with the English Chess Federation Guidelines (see Appendix below). The policy aims to ensure that, regardless of age, gender, religion or beliefs, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or socio-economic background, all players:

have a positive and enjoyable experience of chess at the Club in a safe environment;
are protected from abuse (physical, sexual and emotional harm) whilst participating in chess.

The Club acknowledges that some people, can be particularly vulnerable to abuse and we accept the responsibility to take reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure their welfare.

Responsibilities of club members and parents / carers

Be familiar with the contents of this document.
Report any observed episodes of abusive behaviour to the club’s Safeguarding Officer as soon as possible.
As soon as reasonably practicable give a written account of what you observed to the club’s Safeguarding Officer.

Responsibilities of club officers and committee

General

Promote and prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults, ensuring everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding and is able to recognise, identify and respond to signs of abuse, neglect and other safeguarding concerns relating to children and vulnerable adults.
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, ensuring that confidential, detailed and accurate records of all safeguarding concerns are maintained and securely stored.

Dissemination

All senior club members and parents / carers of junior club members must confirm they have read, understood and agree to abide by the Club’s Safeguarding Policy. New members must be given a copy of the Safeguarding Policy. All members and parents / carers of children or vulnerable adults should acknowledge receipt of their copy of the Safeguarding Policy; records will be kept with the minutes of meetings. Payment of the annual subscription serves as confirmation that the member has reviewed the latest version of the Club’s Safeguarding Policy on the Club’s website and fully understands the requirements and agrees to abide by them.

A copy of the Safeguarding Policy will be posted on the Club Website and a link made to the relevant Guidelines provided by the English Chess Federation.

Monitoring

The Safeguarding Policy will be reviewed a year after development and then every three years, or as a result of any significant changes, e.g.:

changes in legislation and/or Government guidance;
as required by the Local Safeguarding Children Board;
as required by the English Chess Federation;
as required to meet insurance stipulations.

Safeguarding Procedures

General

The Club will appoint a Safeguarding Officer and require enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance for the postholder.
Any safeguarding concerns or allegations, and any comments or questions regarding the Safeguarding Policy, should be directed to this Officer.
DBS clearance will also be required of anyone who has regular, unsupervised contact with children (regular = weekly or more often).

Junior club nights and away matches

Each club night and away match will have a designated adult in charge; it is desirable that another adult be present. In the case of away matches the designated adult will normally be the team captain.
The designated adult in charge of the Junior Club should have DBS clearance; if this is not possible on a given evening then two other adults may deputise provided neither are left in sole charge of any players.
All parents / carers (or other adult known to and trusted by the child) will be required to escort children under the age of 16 into the Club room and return in good time to collect their children again. In the event that parents / carers unexpectedly do not collect their children at the designated time, then the adult in charge of the club night will supervise uncollected children until they are collected.
Team members requiring transport for away matches will normally be picked up and dropped off at an agreed central location, for example, outside the Club premises. No child under the age of 16 will travel in a car in the sole company of an adult who is not the parent / carer of that child or is not DBS-checked. Any alternative arrangements should be agreed in advance with parents / carers.

Safeguarding concerns

Any allegations or concerns will be investigated, and if necessary pursued, by the Club’s Safeguarding Officer in accordance with the English Chess Federation’s Child Protection Policy Guidelines, which are appended.
In particular, written statements must be taken at the time of reporting, including full contact details of all people involved (directly or as witnesses) and full details of the concerns.
Any photographs taken of children will only be displayed on the Club website or in a newsletter with the written permission of their parents / carers.

Appendix

The current version of ECF Guidelines can be found at www.englishchess.org.uk/safeguarding-children-policy.

The guidelines reproduced below are taken from an earlier version of this document.

Guidelines

These guidelines apply to any person acting in an official capacity on behalf of the ECF at an ECF-organised event. In particular this includes officers, controllers and arbiters.

What happens if. . . . . .?

a) If you suspect a child is being abused

immediately inform the ECF official in charge of the event
record the facts as you know them and give a copy to the ECF official
ensure that the child has access to an independent adult
ensure that no situation arises which could cause further concern
ensure access to confidential information is restricted to appropriate officials on a ‘need to know’ basis.

b) If a child tells you about abuse by someone else

allow the child to speak without interruption, accepting what is said.
alleviate feelings of guilt and isolation, while passing no judgement
advise that you will try to offer support, but that you must pass the information on
same steps as 1–5 above.

c) If you receive any allegation of abuse about any adult or about yourself

immediately inform the ECF official in charge of the event
record the facts as you know them and give a copy to the ECF official
try to ensure that no one is placed in a position which could cause further compromise

The ECF official will take action which may include contacting the social services or the police. The ECF official will also submit a report to the ECF President and Chief Executive Officer.

Code of Conduct

Do these:

Do put the guidelines into practice.
Do treat everyone with respect.
Do provide an example you wish others to follow.
Do plan activities which involve more than one other person being present or at least are within sight or hearing of others. This applies to such activities as one-to-one training and travelling to or from chess events.
Do respect a young person’s right to privacy.
Do have separate sleeping accommodation for adults and young people.
Do provide access for young people to talk to identifiable responsible adults about any concerns they may have. Deal with any concerns in a sympathetic and appropriate manner.
Do encourage young people and adults to feel comfortable and caring enough to point out attitudes or behaviour they do not like.
Do avoid situations that compromise your relationship with young people and are unacceptable within a relationship of trust.
Do remember that someone else might misinterpret your actions, no matter how well-intentioned.
Do recognise that caution is required even in sensitive moments of counselling.
Do recognise that children with differing abilities have differing requirements.
Do recognise that children from different backgrounds may have differing values.

Do NOT do these:

Do NOT permit abusive peer activities (e.g. bullying, ridiculing).
Do NOT play physical contact games with young people.
Do NOT have any inappropriate physical or verbal contact with others.
Do NOT allow yourself to be drawn into inappropriate attention seeking behaviour such as tantrums.
Do NOT show favouritism to any individual.
Do NOT make suggestive remarks or gestures even in fun.
Do NOT let suspicion, disclosure or allegation of abuse go unrecorded or unreported.
Do NOT rely on just your good name to protect you.
Do NOT believe ‘it could never happen to me’.

Notes on Unacceptable Behaviour by Children

Participants should be encouraged to develop a sense of right and wrong behaviour.

Where unacceptable behaviour does take place, appropriate sanctions, decided by a consensus of re- sponsible people present, should be applied to modify the behaviour.

Sanctions applied to each case should take account of the age and stage of development of the young person, be given at the right time, be relevant to the action and be fair.

The participant must always be told why the behaviour is unacceptable and the reasons for applying a particular sanction.

Corporal punishment (smacking, slapping or shaking) is illegal and therefore should never be used. It is permissible to take necessary physical action in an emergency to prevent personal injury, either to the young person, other participants or adults, or serious damage to property.

Participants should not be shouted at directly, though raising of the voice is permissible in instances where it is necessary to be heard.

http://www.englishchess.org.uk/child-protection-policy/