Good Practice Guidelines
Reporting Incidents
Mobile Phones and Photography
Safer Recruitment
Mandatory Training
Responding to Concerns
Whistleblowing
All organisations that make provision for children and young people must ensure that:
• The welfare of the child is paramount.
• All children, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/or sexual identity, have the right to protection from abuse.
• All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.
• All staff (paid/unpaid) working with children have a responsibility to report concerns to the appropriate officer.
• Activated Care Ltd
• Educate Schools Ltd
• Central Education Ltd
• Bee Active Ltd
• Dream Big Sports Ltd
Child Protection Policy Statement
environment.
• are protected from abuse whilst participating in all LSC sessions or outside of the activity.
• promote and prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and young people
• 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 incidents/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.
• prevent the employment/deployment of unsuitable individuals.
• ensure robust safeguarding arrangements and procedures are in operation.
Monitoring
• changes in legislation and/or government guidance
• as required by the Local Safeguarding Children Board, UK Sport and/or Home Country Sports Councils and LSC.
• as a result of any other significant change or event.
Promoting Good Practice
Child abuse, particularly sexual abuse, can arouse strong emotions in those facing such a situation. It is important to understand these feelings and not allow them to interfere with your judgement about the appropriate action to take.
Abuse can occur within many situations including the home, school and the sporting environment. Some individuals will actively seek employment or voluntary work with young people in order to harm them. A coach, instructor, teacher, official or volunteer will have regular contact with young people and be an important link in identifying cases where they need protection. All suspicious cases of poor practice should be reported following the guidelines in this document.
When a child enters the club having been subjected to child abuse outside the sporting environment, sport can play a crucial role in improving the child’s self-esteem. In such instances the club must work with the appropriate agencies to ensure the child receives the required support.
Good Practice Guidelines
All employees should be encouraged to demonstrate exemplary behaviour in order to protect themselves from false allegations. The following are common sense examples of how to create a positive culture and climate.
Good practice means:
• Always working in an open environment avoiding private or unobserved situations and encouraging open communication.
• Treating all young people/disabled adults equally with respect and dignity.
• Always putting the welfare of each young person first.
• Maintaining a safe and appropriate distance with children
• Building balanced relationships based on mutual trust and empowering children to share in decision making.
• Making sport fun, enjoyable and promoting fair play.
• Ensuring that if any form of manual/physical support is required, it should be provided openly and according to guidelines provided by the Coach Education Programme. If it is difficult to maintain hand positions when the child is constantly moving, young people should always be consulted and their agreement gained. Some parents are becoming increasingly sensitive about manual support and their views should always be carefully considered.
• Keeping up to date with technical skills, qualifications and insurance.
• Involving parents/carers wherever possible. For example, encouraging them to take responsibility for their children in the changing rooms. If groups have to be supervised in the changing rooms, always ensure parents, teachers, coaches or officials work in pairs.
• Being an excellent role model – this includes not smoking or drinking alcohol in the company of young people.
• Giving enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism.
• Recognising the developmental needs and capacity of young people and disabled adults – avoiding excessive training or competition and not pushing them against their will.
• Securing parental consent in writing to act in loco parentis, if the need arises to administer emergency first aid and/or other medical treatment.
• Recording any injury that occurs, along with the details of any treatment given through the BMS.
Practices To Be Avoided
The following should be avoided except in emergencies. If a case arises where these situations are unavoidable (e.g the child sustains an injury and needs to go to hospital, or a parent fails to arrive to pick a child up at the end of a session), it should be with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge in the club or the child’s parents.
Otherwise, avoid:
• Spending excessive amounts of time alone with children away from others.
• Taking or dropping off a child to an event.
Practices never to be sanctioned
The following should never be sanctioned. You should never:
• Engage in rough physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay.
• Share a room with a child.
• Allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching.
• Allow children to use inappropriate language unchallenged.
• Make sexually suggestive comments to a child, even in fun.
• Reduce a child to tears as a form of control.
• Allow allegations made by a child to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon.
• Do things of a personal nature for children or disabled adults that they can do for themselves.
• Invite or allow children to stay with you at your home unsupervised.
• Reduce a child to tears as a form of control.
• Allow allegations made by a child to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon.
• Do things of a personal nature for children or disabled adults that they can do for themselves.
Incidents The Must Be Reported/ Recorded
• if you accidentally hurt a participant
• If he/she seems distressed in any manner
• if a participant appears to be sexually aroused by your actions
• if a participant misunderstands or misinterprets something you have done.
Use of Mobile Phones, Photographic and Filming Equipment
We recognise the importance of mobile phones in our settings for communication purposes but are aware that casual or inappropriate use of mobile phones in school or during holiday courses could pose a risk to children.
• Practitioners are not at any time permitted to use recording equipment on their mobile phones, for example: to take recordings of children, pictures or share images.
• Practitioners will not carry personal mobile phones while working. This protects staff from being distracted from their work, and from allegations of inappropriate use. Their phones will be handed in to the site lead and kept in an agreed area at the start of the session.
• If Practitioners have a break time during their working hours, they may use their mobile phones during these times, in an agreed area not used by children e.g. in the office / staff
room.
• Where it is essential for Practitioners to make a personal call during a session, they should, (with the agreement of their line manager), make this in the agreed area not used by
children.
• Practitioners must give the office telephone number 0800 032 1806 to their next of kin, in case it is necessary for the staff member to be contacted, in an emergency, during session hours.
• Due to the nature of our business being mobile and away from the main office, site lead Practitioners are permitted to carry their mobile phones for work duties only.
• At the start of each session the Head Practitioners should ensure that no other practitioners has their personal mobile phone on their person. If they do then the Head Practitioners must
insist that the practitioners places their mobile phone in the Head Practitioners zip lock bag until the end of the session.
• The Head Practitioners must ensure that all children have been pre-booked on to the session and therefore that ALL parents have agreed to the LSC terms and conditions including: LSC may from time to time take photographs/film of any of LSC activity, the use of this data is solely for the purpose of promoting and publicising LSC activities through our literature,
website, press and TV.
• Any photographs/film taken by the Head Practitioners must be uploaded to the LSC Server and deleted from their personal phones as soon as is possible.
• If the Head Practitioners must use their phone for work purposes they must try to do so away from the children in a separate room as often as is possible (exceptions may be: 1 Practitioner at setting, call to emergency services, promotion material and such cases)
Safer Recruitment
• Our workforce is our most important resource.
• Unsuitable individuals sometimes seek out opportunities via employment or volunteering to have contact with children in order to harm them.
• Some groups face unfair discrimination in the workplace.
• Children, young people and families benefit from our efforts to recruit a skilled and committed workforce from a diverse range of backgrounds.
• New staff and volunteers cannot perform their role effectively unless they are inducted properly and receive ongoing support and supervision.
We recruit and induct our workforce by:
• Advertising all posts through appropriate media and in a way that ensures that we attract high quality applicants from diverse backgrounds.
• Ensuring that all applications for both paid and volunteer positions are made using our standard application form.
• Involving more than one person to shortlist applicants for interview.
• Involving at least two people conducting a face-to-face interview with anyone we may want to appoint.
• Ensuring that all candidates are asked the LSC core interview questions, with answers recorded.
• Incorporating the views and perspectives of children, young people, and families into the recruitment and selection process whenever appropriate.
• Obtaining two references, two pieces of identification and original copies of any necessary qualifications from Candidates.
• Carrying out DBS checks and any other necessary vetting procedures for each member of staff or volunteer working with children or young people, in line with DBS and Keeping Children Safe in Education guidelines.
• Verifying a candidate’s suitability to work with children by completion of LSG’s Staff Declaration, in accordance to government guidance for people working with children.
• Providing a three-month induction for all new staff and volunteers.
• Ensuring that al staff are made aware, during their induction period, of how to keep children and young people safe in our organisation.
• Appointing all staff and volunteers on a probation period initially, with a review before they are confirmed in post.
• Following ‘Safe Recruitment’ Processes at all time.
Mandatory Training
Recognising and Responding to Concerns
It is not the responsibility of anyone working at LSC in a paid or unpaid capacity, to decide whether or not child abuse has taken place. However, there is a responsibility to act on any concerns through contact with the appropriate authorities
It can be very hard for children and young people to speak out about abuse. Often, they fear there may be negative consequences if they tell anyone what’s happening to them. Some may delay telling someone about abuse for a long time, while others never tell anyone, even if they want to. It’s vital that children and young people are able to speak out and that whoever they tell takes them seriously and acts on what they’ve been told.
Even if a child doesn’t tell someone verbally about what’s happened to them, there may be other indicators that something is wrong. People who work with children need to be able to recognise the signs and know how to respond appropriately.
• Show you care, help them open up: Give your full attention to the child or young person and keep your body language open and encouraging. Be compassionate, be understanding and reassure them their feelings are important. Phrases such as ‘you’ve shown such courage today’ help.
• Take your time, slow down: Respect pauses and don’t interrupt the child – let them go at their own pace. Recognise and respond to their body language. And remember that it may take several
conversations for them to share what’s happened to them.
• show you understand, reflect back: Make it clear you’re interested in what the child is telling you. Reflect back what they’ve said to check your understanding – and use their language to show it’s their experience.These steps should be done whilst:
Taking a non-biased approach and making clear notes, which should include:
• the child’s details (name, age, address)
• what the child said or did that gave you cause for concern (if the child made a verbal disclosure, write down their exact words)
• any information the child has given you about the alleged abuser.You should then report this within 48 hours or as soon as possible to the company Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), who will submit a referral to the LADO. The LADO will assess and advise what action should be taken. A meeting will take place to identify
how local agencies can work together to safeguard the child or young person.
Whistleblowing
A whistleblower is a person who raises a genuine concern in good faith relating to any of the above. If you have any genuine concerns related to suspected wrongdoing or danger affecting any of our activities (A whistleblowing concern) you should report it under the Whistleblowing policy.
LSC encourage employees to report suspected wrongdoing as soon as possible in the knowledge that their concerns will be taken seriously and investigated as appropriate, and that their confidentiality will be respected.
LSC provide employees with guidance as to how to raise concerns and reassure employees that they should be able to raise genuine concerns in good faith without fear of reprisals, even if they turn out to be mistaken.
LSC assure all staff that it will fully support and protect anyone who in good faith reports his/her concern that a colleague is, or may be, abusing a child.
Where There is a Complaint Against a Member of Staff There May Be Three Types of Investigations
•A child protection investigation
•A disciplinary or misconduct investigation.The results of the police and child protection investigation may well influence the disciplinary investigation, but not necessarily.
1. Concerns about poor practice:
If, following consideration, the allegation is clearly about poor practice, the DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) will deal with it as a misconduct issue.If the allegation is about poor practice by the DSL, or if the matter has been handled inadequately and concerns remain, it should be reported to HR Director who will decide how to deal with the allegation and whether or not to initiate disciplinary proceedings.
Any suspicion that a child has been abused by either a member of staff or a volunteer should be reported to the DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead), who will take such steps as considered
necessary to ensure the safety of the child in question and any other child who may be at risk.The DSL will refer the allegation to the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) which may involve the police or go directly to the police if out-of-hours. The parents or carers of the child will be contacted as soon as possible following advice from the LADO.
If the DSL is the subject of the suspicion/allegation, the report must be made to an alternative DSL across the group or in his/her absence directly to the LADO.
Every effort should be made to ensure that confidentiality is maintained for all concerned. Information
should be handled and disseminated on a need to know basis only.
• The Designated Safeguarding Lead
• The parents of the person who is alleged to have been abused
• The person making the allegation
• The LADO and/or police
• The LSC Manager the alleged abuser (and parents if the alleged abuser is a child).Information should be stored in a secure place with limited access to designated people, in line with data protection laws (e.g. that information is accurate, regularly updated, relevant and secure)
Internal Enquires and Suspension
• The employee should be temporarily suspended from duty with immediate effect pending inquiries.
• The DSL will submit a referral to the LADO and await advice.
• If the findings of the LADO do not meet the threshold, the internal disciplinary process will begin. The findings of the investigation will be fed back to the LADO, if applicable.
• Where an employee is dismissed as a result of a safeguarding concern, a referral will be made to the DBS.
• If the findings of the LADO do meet the threshold, a meeting will take place to identify how local agencies can work together to safeguard the child or young person.
• If the allegation does meet the threshold it may become a police led investigation, if so the police will update the LADO of their progress and outcome.
• On completion of the criminal investigation information may be shared with HR to support the disciplinary hearing if the employee has not already been dismissed.
Support to Deal With The Aftermath of Abuse
Consideration should be given to the kind of support that children, parents and members of staff may need. Use of helplines, support groups and open meetings will maintain an open culture and help the healing process.
The British Association for Counselling Directory is available from The British Association for Counselling, 1 Regent Place, Rugby CV21 2PJ, Tel: 01788 550899, Fax: 01788562189, Email: bac@bacp.co.uk, Internet: www.bacp.co.ukConsideration should be given to what kind of support may be appropriate for the alleged perpetrator.
Allegations of Previous Abuse
Allegations of abuse may be made some time after the event (eg by an adult who was abused as a child or by a member of staff who is still currently working with children).
Where such an allegation is made, the club should follow the procedures as detailed above and report
the matter to the LADO or the police. This is because other children, either within or outside the activity, may be at risk from this person. Anyone who has a previous criminal conviction for offences
related to abuse is automatically excluded from working with children. This is reinforced by the details of the Protection of Children Act 1999.
Where possible referral to the police or social services should be confirmed in writing within 24 hours and the name of the contact who took the referral should be recorded. If you are worried about sharing concerns about abuse with a senior colleague, you can contact social services or the police direct, or the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline on 0808 800 5000, or Childline on 0800 1111.
This policy will next be reviewed on 01/09/2026.
Signed:
