Child Protection Policy

The Club has adopted and is committed to observing the Child Protection Policy and recognises its responsibilities under the Child Protection (Northern Ireland)Order 1995 and at all times Members in contact and working with young people on Courses and in Events organised by the Committee shall observe the code of Conduct set out below.

THE CLUB POLICY.

The Club is committed to a practice that protects children from harm. Members, instructors, coaches and volunteers/helpers in the club accept and recognise their responsibilities under the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 about safeguarding children and will endeavour to carry these out by :-

(i) Having an awareness of the issues, which cause children harm.

(ii) Adopting child protection guide lines for Members, instructors, coaches and volunteers/helpers.

(iii) Providing information about child protection and good practice to Members, children, parents, instructors, coaches and volunteers/helpers.

(iv) Sharing information about concerns with children, parents and others who need to know.

(v) Following carefully the procedures for the recruitment and selection of instructors, coaches, volunteers/helpers and the management of the governing Body.

(vi) Being involved in training.

(vii) Keeping child protection policies under regular review.

(viii) Providing information as required to the Officers of the Club.

CHILD PROTECTION CODE OF CONDUCT.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERS, INSTRUCTORS, COACHES AND VOLUNTEERS/HELPERS.

These guide lines have been produced to help protect anyone working with young people in the Club and should be followed at all times. If you have any queries regarding these you should contact any Officer of the Club or the person responsible for Child Protection.

1. Always be publicly open when working with the younger person. Avoid situations where you and an individual younger person are completely unobserved.

2. If physical contact is necessary, it should be done openly. Care is needed, as it is difficult to maintain hand positions when providing manual support if the younger person is constantly moving. Some parents are becoming increasingly sensitive about touching younger persons and their views should always be carefully considered.

3. Where possible allow parents of younger persons to take responsibility for them in changing rooms. If groups are to be supervised in changing rooms, always ensure that adults work in pairs and that gender is appropriate. If travelling to another venue is necessary, make sure that verbal (preferably written) permission is given by the parents. Parents should be asked to ensure that younger persons are collected on time.

4. Where mixed groups of younger persons travel to another venue to represent the Club they should always be accompanied by at least one male and one female adult.

5. All should respect the rights and dignity and worth of all and treat everyone with equality.

6. All should place the well being and safety of the younger person above the development of performance. They should follow all guide lines laid down by the Club (including the instructor/pupil ratio) and be adequately insured. Always make sure that you are working at a level commensurate with your instructor qualifications. If you are proved negligent the Club insurance may be invalidated.

7. Members working with younger persons should hold appropriate qualifications in instructing, coaching, leadership, officiating etc.

8. Adults should ensure that the activities which they direct or advocate are appropriate to the age, maturity, and ability of the participant e.g. they should not break rules on suitable participation for age groups. Training activities should include clear progressions and instructors should keep a clear record of all activity undertaken, clearly planning for future activity. It is advisable to keep a
record of activity in a book kept for that purpose.

Make sure that all participants know to inform the instructor of any injury or illness before, during or after the activity.

9. Adults should always promote the positive aspects of sailing and never condone rules violations, bad sportsmanship or use of prohibited substances.

10. Adults should consistently display high standards of personal behaviour and appearance as well as appropriate dress, language, and respect for equipment and facilities. It is not acceptable for adults responsible for younger persons to consume alcohol. Adults should never encourage younger persons to drink alcohol.

11. Adults should never overtly criticise participants or official's judgements or use language or actions, which may cause the younger person to lose self-esteem or confidence.

All Members must also be aware that as a general rule it does not make sense to :

* Spend amounts of time alone with younger persons away from others.

* Take younger persons alone on car journeys, however short.

* Take younger persons to your home.

If it should arise that such situations are unavoidable they should only take place with the full knowledge of someone in charge in the Club and/or a person with parental responsibility for the younger person.

Instructors and volunteers/helpers should be aware that normal car insurance does not cover them for transporting younger persons to and from other venues.

All instructors and volunteers/helpers should try to be on time, and inform an appropriate person if ill or unable to attend an activity.

Members should NEVER!

* Engage in rough physical or sexually provocative games including horseplay.

* Share a room with a younger person.

* Permit or engage in any form of inappropriate touching.

* Permit younger persons to use inappropriate language unchallenged.

* Make sexually suggestive comments to younger persons, even in fun.

* Allow allegations made by a younger person to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon.

* Do things of a personal nature that younger people can do for themselves.

* Agree to meet a younger person on your own.

If you accidentally hurt a younger person, or cause distress in any manner, or the younger person appears to respond in a sexual manner to your actions, or misunderstands, or misinterprets something you have done, report the incident to a colleague supported by a brief written report of the incident as soon as possible. Parents/carers should be informed of the incident.

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