Safeguarding Policy

Introduction

We all have a vital role to play in keeping children and adults safe from harm. This policy strives to minimise risk and deliver a positive squash experience for everyone. The Reporting a Safeguarding Concern Procedure outlines how to respond to safeguarding concerns/disclosures. 

Poult Wood Squash and Raceketball Club (PWSRC) recognises that it has a legal responsibility to safeguard children and adults at risk, including due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into extremism and terrorism (the Prevent Duty).

Use of Terminology

Child: a person under the age of eighteen years. 

Adult at risk of abuse or neglect: an adult who: has care and support needs; is experiencing, or is at risk of abuse or neglect; and because of their care and support needs cannot protect themselves against actual or potential abuse or neglect. 

Safeguarding children: protecting children from abuse and neglect, preventing the impairment of children’s health or development, preventing children from being drawn into extremism and/or terrorist activity, ensuring that they grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care, and taking action to enable all children to have the best life chances. Recognising that some children may be more vulnerable to abuse or neglect, such as children with disabilities. 

Safeguarding adults at risk: protecting adults from abuse and neglect and preventing them from being drawn into extremism and/or terrorism. Enabling individuals to achieve the outcomes that matter to them in their life; protecting their right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. Empowering and supporting them to make choices, stay safe and raise any concerns. Beginning with the assumption that an individual is best-placed to make decisions about their own well- being, taking proportional action on their behalf only if someone lacks the capacity to make a decision; is exposed to a life-threatening risk; someone else may be at risk of harm; or a criminal offence has been committed or is likely to be committed. 

Please see Appendix A for full glossary of terms. 

Scope

PWSRC operates from Poult Wood, Higham Lane, Tonbridge. 

PWSRC has direct safeguarding responsibility for: 

• Coaches and helpers, they employ; 
• Volunteers they recruit; 
• Events and programmes they run.

This policy is in line with the England Squash Safeguarding Children Policy (revised 14/09/21) and the Safeguarding Adults at Risk policy, which is in line with national legislation, The Children’s At 1994/2004 and Working Together to Safeguard Children 2018. 

Responsibility 

SAFEGUARDING IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY: NOT RESPONDING TO A SAFEGUARDING CONCERN IS NOT AN OPTION.

The PWSRC Committee are responsible for:

• this policy’s implementation; 
• updating this policy in line with legislative and organisational developments; 
• ensuring there is a Club Welfare Officer; 
• raising safeguarding concerns/disclosures with England Squash as outlined in the Reporting a Safeguarding Concern Procedure; 
• ensuring appropriate safeguarding training is put in place for new joiners and to ensure that existing members of staff are kept up to date with any safeguarding developments; 
• the Prevent Duty to try to ensure that adults and children are not drawn into extremism or terrorist actions;
• all staff working with children and adults at risk have a valid DBS check and have completed a safeguarding course relevant to their role. 

England Squash are responsible for:

• a Lead Safeguarding Officer producing and disseminating guidance and resources to support the policy and procedures;
• a clear line of accountability within the organisation for work on promoting the welfare of all children and young people;
• procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse or poor practice against members of staff and volunteers;
• a Case Management Group that effectively deals with issues, manages concerns and refers to a disciplinary panel where necessary (i.e. where concerns arise about the behaviour of someone within Squash).
• forming a disciplinary Panel as required for a given incident. 
• arrangements in place to work effectively with other organisations to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people, including arrangements for sharing information.

Breaches of the Safeguarding Policy 

Where there are concerns that safeguarding good practice has not been followed, the England Squash must be contacted on safesquash@englandsquash.com. The NSPCC Whistleblowing advice line can also be contacted at 0800 028 0285 or help@nspcc.org.uk.

CONCERN REPORTING PROCEDURE

Reporting a Concern

• the individual who is told about, hears, or is made aware of the concern/disclosure is responsible for reporting to the Club Welfare Officer, Katie Bennett, on 07734 365369 or kbcoaching@poultwood.com
• the Club Welfare Officer is responsible for reporting all safeguarding concerns to England Squash at safesquash@englandsquash.com, Kent County Council Social Services or the Police.  
• Where a disclosure from a child or adult at risk is made to you:
  • listen carefully and calmly to the individual;
  • reassure the individual that they have done the right thing and what they have told you is very important;
  • avoid questioning where possible, and never ask leading questions;
  • do not promise secrecy. Let the individual know that you will need to speak to the Welfare Officer/England Squash because it is in their best interest. If you intend to speak to the police or social care, you should let them know this too;
  • Report the concern. In an emergency, call the police (999), otherwise talk to the Club Welfare Officer/England Squash as soon as possible. Do not let doubt/personal bias prevent you from reporting the allegation.

Recording a Concern

• the individual who is told about, hears, or is made aware of the concern/disclosure is responsible for completing an Incident Form (please see Appendix B) as soon as practicable. This is to be submitted to Katie Bennett, Club Welfare Officer on kbcoaching@poultwood.com
• Good practice for reporting a concern or disclosure:
  • Describe the circumstances in which the disclosure came about;
  • Take care to distinguish between fact, observation, allegation and opinion. It is important that the information you have is accurate; 
  • Be mindful of the need to be confidential at all times, this information must only be shared with the Club Welfare Officer or who will escalate it to England Squash if needed. In partnership (if applicable), the Club Welfare Officer and/or England Squash will then: 
    • Inform the parent/carer of referral if in doing so does not put the child/young person at significant risk. 
    • Information can also be shared without consent where the ‘vital interests’ of the individual are affected (and he or she cannot give consent or consent cannot reasonably be obtained); or where there is a legal duty. 
    • Liaise with the family/carers, providing they are not implicated and the person consents If the matter is urgent and relates to the immediate safety of a child or young person then contact the police immediately.

SAFE AND INCLUSIVE CODE OF CONDUCT

• Prioritise the well-being of all children and adults at all times. 
• Be a positive role model. Act with integrity, even when no one is looking. 
• Help to create a safe and inclusive environment both on and off court and promote the Fair Play values
• Value and celebrate diversity and make all reasonable efforts to meet individual needs.
• Keep clear boundaries between professional and personal life, including on social media.
• Check relevant consent from parents/carers, children and adults before taking or using photos and videos.
• Ensure own roles and responsibilities, and those of everyone we are responsible for, are clearly outlined and everyone has the information, training and support to carry them out. 

WHERE POSSIBLE, DO NOT BE ALONE WITH A CHILD OR ADULT AT RISK 

• Do not abuse, neglect, harm, radicalise, draw into extremist behaviour, or discriminate against anyone; or act in a way that may be interpreted as such*
• Doing nothing is NOT an option: report all concerns and disclosures as soon as possible, following the Reporting a Safeguarding Concern Procedure. If someone is in immediate danger, call the police (999). 

*It is illegal to have a relationship with someone who is under 18 years old if you are in a position of trust; it is illegal to have a sexual relationship with anyone under the age of 16 whether they give consent or not. 

The Code of Conduct should be interpreted in a spirit of integrity, transparency and common sense, with the best interests of children and adults at risk as the primary consideration.

Review 

This policy will be reviewed annually in line with England Squash and national policy and guidance. 

Signed ANDREW MOSS (Chair)

Date 3 October 2022

APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY OF TERMS ABUSE AND NEGLECT

Physical abuse: a form of abuse which may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child or adult at risk. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness. 

Sexual abuse: involves forcing or enticing a child or adult at risk to take part in sexual activities, not necessarily involving a high level of violence, whether or not the child or adult at risk is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including assault by penetration (for example, rape or oral sex) or non-penetrative acts such as masturbation, kissing, rubbing or touching outside of clothing. They may also include non-contact activities, such as involving children/ adults at risk in looking at, or in the production of, sexual images, watching sexual activities, encouraging them to behave in sexually inappropriate ways, or grooming someone in preparation for abuse (including via the internet). Sexual abuse is not solely perpetrated by adult males. Women can also commit acts of sexual abuse, as can children. 

Emotional abuse: the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child or adult at risk such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on their emotional development. It may involve conveying to a child/ adult at risk that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person; not giving them opportunities to express their views; deliberately silencing them or ‘making fun’ of what they say or how they communicate. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed, including interactions that are beyond a child or adult at risk’s developmental capability, as well as overprotection and limitation of exploration and learning, or preventing them participating in normal social interaction. It may involve seeing or hearing the ill-treatment of another. It may involve serious bullying (including cyber bullying), causing a child or adult at risk to feel frightened in danger, or exploited. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment, though it may occur alone. 

Neglect: the persistent failure to meet a child/ adult at risk’s basic physical and/ or psycho logical needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of their health or development. It may involve a parent or carer failing to: 

• provide education, adequate food, clothing or shelter; 
• protect a child/ adult at risk from physical or emotional harm or danger; 
• ensure adequate supervision (including the use of inadequate care-givers); or 
• ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. 

It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s or adult at risk’s basic emotional needs. Neglect may occur during pregnancy due to maternal substance abuse. 

Radicalisation, extremism and terrorist behaviour: Radicalisation is the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and/or forms of extremism. Extremism is vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. There is no single way to identify an individual who is likely to be susceptible to extremist ideology. The internet and the use of social media can be a major factor in the radicalisation of people.

APPENDIX B: INCIDENT REFERRAL FORM

The ES Incident Referral Form can be downloaded from here:

• Incident referral form