Safeguarding Policy

Introduction to our WavePower Safeguarding

 

WAVEPOWER 2020-2023 is the latest Swim England Child Safeguarding Policies and Procedures publication which replaces all previous versions. It has been produced to assist in safeguarding and protecting children in our sport and must be adopted by all Swim England affiliated clubs and organisations – such as Broadstairs swimming club. Ensuring that children are safeguarded should be a key part of how our club operates and helps to provide a safe, happy and fun environment in which children can learn to swim and develop their skills. The responsibility to safeguard children does not belong to any one person, but instead belongs to everyone who plays a part in delivering our sporting activities. WavePower is intended for anyone involved in these activities and offers practical guidance and information on mandatory requirements and good practice.

Should you wish to browse any information on safeguarding with regards to diving, swimming or para- swimming please follow the link below. https://www.swimming.org/swimengland/wavepower-child-safeguarding-for-clubs  This document will be updated in 2023, but when updates or changes take place either in Swim England or through statute or governmental guidance these will be published on the website.

This policy will be reviewed on 15th September 2023

Welfare of the Children

The welfare of the child is, and must always be, paramount. It is every child and young person’s right to be protected from abuse irrespective of their age, gender, faith or religion, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, background, economic position, disability or level of ability. Allegations of abuse or concerns regarding children or adults will be treated seriously and will be responded to swiftly and appropriately. Confidentiality will be maintained appropriately at all times and the child’s safety and welfare must be the overriding consideration when making decisions on whether or not to share information about them.

ASA Child Safeguarding Policy Statement

The BROADSTAIRS LIFEGUARD AND SWIMMING CLUB is committed to providing an environment in which all children and young people participating in its activities have a safe and positive experience.

In order to achieve this, the organisation agrees to:

  1. Adopt and implement the policies and procedures in Wavepower in full.
  2. Recognise that all children participating in the organization (regardless of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, ability or disability) have a right to enjoy their involvement in aquatics in a safe environment and be protected from harm.
  3. Ensure that all individuals who work with children in the organisation, whether paid or voluntary, provide a positive, safe and enjoyable experience for children.
  4. Appoint a welfare officer with the necessary skills and training as outlined by the ASA who will take the lead in dealing with all child safeguarding matters raised within the organisation.
  5. Ensure that the welfare officer’s name and contact details are known to all staff, members and parents of members.
  6. Ensure the welfare officer can be contacted to discuss issues of concern on matters of safeguarding and deal with such concerns appropriately and in line with Wavepower.
  7. Ensure that all individuals who work with children in the organisation have undertaken the appropriate training, have had the relevant DBS checks, and adhere to the required practices for safeguarding children as outlined in Wavepower.
  8. Ensure that all individuals who will be working or will work with children in the organisation have been recruited in accordance with the ASA Safe Recruitment Policy.
  9. Ensure that all individuals who work with children in the organisation have the appropriate training, code of conduct and good practice to follow in line with the guidance in Wavepower.
  10. Provide all members of the organisation and parents of members with the opportunity to raise concerns in a safe and confidential manner if they have a concern about a child’s welfare.
  11. Ensure that all child safeguarding matters, whether they be concerns about child welfare or protection, are dealt with appropriately in accordance with the guidance for reporting and action in Wavepower.
  12. Ensure that confidentiality is maintained appropriately and in line with the best interests of the child.
  13. Ensure all papers relating to child safeguarding matters are held in a safe and secure manner.

Changing room facilities, policy and etiquette

Changing facilities available in the ‘changing village’ at the Ramsgate centre are as follows:

  1. Disabled for disabled changing or baby changing-sole use and notice on restrictions for use on the door as well as unattended property.
  2. 1x family changing room-sole use for a family and notice re: unattended property
  3. 2 X group changing rooms-large mixed changing rooms which can accommodate a large number of young children and their parents/carers at one time or other groups such as schools and their teachers/TAs. These rooms were NOT gender-specified but we now have a notice put on each door during club time to specify their use for girls or boys changing with a parent/carer of the same gender if help is required.
  4. A larger cubicle with a baby-change sign on it and notice re: unattended property
  5. Separate individual cubicles with notices re: unattended property.

Parents should not be in the changing room whilst the children are changing, unless their child is of an age where help is required from parents or if the child requires additional specific assistance. This is generally at an age that is stipulated by the pool hirer, us, but is usually seven or eight years of age. In such circumstances, the parent must be the same gender as the child.

If individuals or those with young children are not comfortable in group changing rooms or If the parent/carer is of the opposite gender to their child, please note that there are alternatives-the family changing, the separate cubicles or the larger changing cubicle which has a baby-change sign on it.

Personal belongings should be kept in a locker so as not to prevent somebody else from being able to use the facilities.

ASA Late Collection of Children Policy

Occasionally, parents may be delayed or unable to collect their child from training or after an event on time. The list of emergency numbers for the parents is to be used in such situations. Parents should be asked to inform the appropriate officer of the organisation if they are going to be delayed, with clear guidance on what the organisation will be required to do, e.g. the parent must give consent if they wish for another parent to transport their child home. The officers must never leave a child or young person alone unless they are over 16, and then only with parental consent. The ASA recognises that some young people aged 16 and over will take themselves home, so the officer must assess each situation as they arise in an appropriate manner. Until a child is collected, to maintain the wellbeing of all concerned, two appropriate officers or parents must remain with the member.

Parents who persistently fail to collect a child on time or who have not arrived after a reasonable period of time, and have given no prior notice or informed the organisation that they are delayed, may be failing in their duty of care to their child. The organisation should use the emergency numbers they have for the child to try to arrange for a nominated person to collect them. If the nominated person(s) is unavailable to collect the child, and the parent has still not contacted the organisation after a reasonable period of time, the organisation should consult the police or Children’s Services/MASH for advice on action to take.

  • Social services/children’s social care team- Concerned about a child? Call 03000 41 11 11 (text relay 18001 03000 41 11 11) or email social.services@kent.gov.uk.

If none of these services or agencies are available, then contact the Out of Hours/Emergency Duty Team for Children’s Services, or the police using 999 (emergency) or 101 (non emergency) as appropriate without delay.

If a parent arrives to collect a child and the officers are concerned at their ability to take appropriate care of the child (i.e. they are considered to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the level where they are unfit to drive, and/or take care of their child) the organisation should gain advice from the police or Children’s Services.

The organisation should:

  • Attempt to contact the parent/carer from the information sheet completed on joining/ renewing membership.
  • Attempt to contact the emergency contact or nominated person.
  • If there is no reply from the parent, emergency contact or nominated person, ask the child if there is another family member who may be contacted.
  • Wait with the young person at the organisation with at least one other responsible adult, e.g. an official, coach, teacher, volunteer or parent.
  • If you are unable to reach someone, contact the local police to enquire about the best course of action.
  • Remind parents/carers of the policy relating to late collection.

You should avoid:

  • Taking the child home or to another location.
  • Asking the child to wait in a vehicle.
  • Waiting with the child at the organisation on your own.
  • Sending the child home with another person without permission.

Persistent failure to collect a young person on time If a parent/carer fails to collect their child or young person on several occasions, with no contact from them or reasonable explanation for the delay, the welfare officer and another officer should arrange to meet with them and discuss the matter. It may be that the parent/carer can be assisted in arriving promptly.

If over the next few weeks there is no change, the welfare officer should either contact the ASA Child Safeguarding Team, Children Service’s or MASH team for further advice.

MASH-Multi-agency safeguarding hub- Usually a secure co-located information hub of Children’s Services, Police, Health, Probation, Education, Mental Health and other agencies who enable secure information to be shared between agencies to determine best outcomes, following any referral of concerns about a child.

Telephone: 03000 41 11 11 Email: central.duty@kent.gov.uk

Out of Hours: 03000 41 91 91

Reporting a concern

Parents, young individuals, and all participants involved in the sport can access advice and guidance on child welfare matters from the ASA Child Safeguarding and Legal Affairs Team, the ASA/NSPCC Swimline Child Protection helpline or from the statutory agencies.

If the child is not considered to be at immediate risk of harm, please contact the welfare officer or the ASA Child Safeguarding Team with details of the concern at the earliest possible opportunity.

The welfare officer has the primary responsibility to receive and manage child safeguarding issues for your organisation. If they are not available and you have a safeguarding concern you need to disclose, speak to another volunteer or staff member as long as they are not implicated in the concern.

How to report a concern

  • There is an ASA referral form in Section 5 of the WAVEPOWER 2020-2023 documents should you feel the need to raise a concern. This can be completed and passed to for the attention of the club welfare officer or club coordinator in her absence.

Alternatively, a written concise account with dates, facts, venue etc. or an email can be sent to the club welfare officer Anne Marie Whelan: welfare@broadstairsswimmingclub.co.uk for the attention of the welfare officer. The Club welfare officer Anne Marie Whelan can also be contacted through the club coordinator Simon Woodward who is on duty most weeks at the club reception.

To report a concern go to https://www.swimming.org/swimengland/wavepower-child-safeguarding-for-clubs/ and under the heading ‘digital templates’, there is  a child safeguarding referral form.

Or you can obtain a hard copy form the registrar for that session.

If you believe a child has been harmed or may be at immediate risk of harm, and you are unable to contact your welfare officer or the Swim England safeguarding team please make immediate contact with an appropriate agency, such as: 

Social services/children’s social care team- Concerned about a child? Call 03000 41 11 11 (text relay 18001 03000 41 11 11) or email social.services@kent.gov.uk. If you need to contact us outside of normal office hours, for example during the night, call 03000 41 91 91.

Take the name and contact details of the person you have spoken to, plus the incident / referral reference number (if applicable) so you have a record of the advice they give. Then report this to the club welfare officer and the Swim England safeguarding team the next working day.

Other contacts:

  • Kent Safeguarding Children Multi Agency Partnership KSCMAP General enquiries 0300 421126 
  • Kent Welfare Officer. Ann.hunt@kentswimming.org
  • Swimline – this is the Swim England/NSPCC Child Protection Helpline on 0800 100 4001
  • Joanne Garey, National Child Safeguarding Manager Tel 01509 640 274
  • Keith Oddy, Independant Child Protection Officer Email: keithoddy49@gmail.com
  • Social services/children’s social care team- Concerned about a child? Call 03000 41 11 11 (text relay 18001 03000 41 11 11) or email social.services@kent.gov.uk.

If none of these services or agencies are available, then contact the police using 999 (emergency)

Reporting a Concern

The safety of our swimmers and volunteers are of paramount importance to the club. If you ever feel the need to raise a concern you have with the club, then please contact our welfare officer via the contact details below. If you believe the issue is an emergency, please dial 999 and ask for the police.

Club Welfare Officer

————–
Andrew Mothersele
E: welfare@broadstairsswimmingclub.co.uk