Safeguarding & Protecting Children Policy

Policy Statement

Skyball Beach Volleyball Club believes that all participants, volunteers, and members should feel safe while participating in volleyball. We are committed to creating and maintaining a positive environment where all concerns will be listened to, acted on appropriately and all participants treated with respect.

Young people are the future of our sport. They participate in volleyball in various ways, from playing to volunteering, and should be able to do so in a safe and happy environment.

Safeguarding means promoting the safety and welfare of young people. Safeguarding is a term used to incorporate good practice and is wider than "child protection". Child protection is still an essential element of this policy and is about acting on concerns about a young person or individual.

Our Commitments

As part of this policy, we will:

• Adopt and promote safeguarding best practice through our policies, procedures and code of conduct for members, volunteers, parents & carers.
• Ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding and is provided with appropriate learning opportunities to recognise, identify and respond to signs of abuse, neglect and other safeguarding concerns relating to children and young people.
• Ensure appropriate action is taken in the event of all incidents or concerns, both lower-level and concerns of abuse, and support provided to the individual(s) who raise or disclose the concern.
• Ensure that confidential, detailed and accurate records of all safeguarding concerns are maintained and securely stored.
• Appoint a nominated Club Welfare Officer (CWO) for children and young people.
• Develop and implement an effective online safety policy.
• Share information about safeguarding and good practice with children and their parents and carers.
• Make sure that children, young people and their parents or carers know where to go for help if they have a concern.

Reporting Procedures

An important consideration for all members, volunteers and participants within Skyball BVC is that all concerns about children and young people should be reported. It is not the responsibility of individuals to determine whether abuse has taken place, but it is their responsibility to follow these procedures to report concerns.

Concerns can come from a variety of sources:

• Observations of changes in behaviour
• Observations of an incident
• Reports by the young person themselves
• Someone else informing you about a concern
• Concerns may include general concerns about a child's welfare, concerns about bullying or poor practice, suspicions or allegations of misconduct or abuse, or concerns about a child's anxiety issues or mental health. They could also be concerns relating to the behaviour of any child or adult involved or spectating at the club.

If a Child or Young Person Discloses a Concern

• Listen to them and let them know that you will need to report this concern in order to keep them safe.
• Do not promise to keep secrets.
• Reassure the young person that they have done the right thing in talking to you.
• Only ask questions that assist you in reporting the concern to the CWO or Volleyball England Lead Safeguarding Officer.

Steps to Follow if You Have a Concern

• Find out as much as you need to determine whether this is a concern.
• If there is an immediate risk, call 999 and keep a record of the person you spoke to.
• Inform the Club Welfare Officer. The CWO will inform parents or carers of the concerns unless this would pose a risk to the child.
• If the concern is about the CWO, please report directly to Volleyball England.

Club Welfare Officer

Further support is available from:

• Volleyball England (Lead Safeguarding Officer)
• LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer)
• Sport Welfare Officer (based at your local Active Partnership)

Skyball BVC believes that all members of the volleyball community have responsibilities to help protect young people.

Useful Links