Making arrangements for the proper supervision of children is one of the most effective ways on minimising opportunities for children to suffer harm of any kind whilst in your care. Our duty to care suggests that it is good practice when organising home/away matches or training that the following should be adhered to:-
Matches & Training
Always ensure that all parents and children are provided with full details of fixtures and training times – both start and end times. Parental consent forms which detail any medical problems and details of any appropriate medication must be obtained from all parents before a child is permitted to take part in club activities. Such information must be available at all organised activities for use, where necessary, by appropriate medical experts.
General Supervision
Officials in charge must be satisfied that those people assisting on match days or in training are fully competent to do so. Children must never be left unsupervised at any venue whether it be indoors or outdoors and officials should be aware of where children are and what they are doing. Dangerous behaviour by children must not be allowed.
Protecting Children and Officials
You can reduce likely situations of abuse of children and help protect yourself from false accusations by making sure that everyone is aware that, as a general rule, it doesn’t make sense to:-
- Spend excessive amounts of time alone with children away from others
- Take children alone in a car journey, however short
- Take children to their home
Where occasions arise where it is unavoidable that these things do happen, they should only occur with the full knowledge and consent of a senior club official or the child’s parent/guardian.
As a club official you should never…
- Engage in rough physical games, including horseplay.
- Engage in sexually provocative games.
- Allow or engage in inappropriate touching of any form.
- Allow children to use inappropriate language unchallenged.
- Make sexually suggestive comments about or to a child even in fun.
- Let allegations a child makes go unchallenged or unrecorded.
- Do things of a personal nature for children that they can do themselves.
Reporting Allegations or Suspicions of Abuse
Should any allegations or suspicions of abuse arise, a record of the concerns should be made on the appropriate form and provided to the Club Child Protection Officer without delay. Any reports of abuse will be fully investigated and, where appropriate, reported to the appropriate authorities.
