We intend to create in our football club an environment in which children are safe from abuse and which any suspicion of abuse is promptly and appropriately responded to. In order to achieve this we will:

 

Exclude known abusers
It will be made clear to any volunteer, who is interested in helping out or in managing a team, that he or she must undertake to go through a Police check screening system, using the appropriate green Data Protection form.

 

Ideally anyone who is interested in becoming a manager or a coach, within the club, will work alongside other members for a short time to make sure that they are considered to be appropriate to work with children, before an appointment is made.

 

All applications will be subject to a probationary period and will not be confirmed until the club is confident that the applicant can be safely trusted with the children.

 

Seek and supply training
We will seek out training opportunities for all adults involved in the club to ensure that they recognise symptoms of possible neglect or physical, emotional or sexual abuse.

 

Prevent abuse by means of good practice
Adults should be aware not to be left alone with individual children or with small groups, either in the changing rooms, toilets or showers. . Under the Thorney Colts code of conduct parents of children under 8 years old should be present at all times.

 

Children will be encouraged to develop a sense of autonomy independence through adult support in making choices and in finding their own feelings and acceptable ways to express them. This will enable children to have the self-confidence and the vocabulary to resist inappropriate approaches.

 

Members and parents should also be aware of the potential risk that could arise when offering a lift in a car, at least one other adult should be present or safety in numbers 2 or 3 other children.

 

Respond appropriately to suspicions of abuse

Changes in children's behaviour/appearance will be noted. Parents will normally be the first point of reference, though suspicions will also be referred as appropriate to the Social Services Department. All such concerns and investigations will be kept confidential, shared only with those who need to know. The people most commonly involved will be the child's manager, club chairman and the clubs Child Protection co-ordinator.

 

Keep records
Whenever worrying changes are observed in a child's behavior, physical condition or appearance, a specific and confidential record will be set up, quite separate from the usual on-going records of children's progress and development. The record will include, in addition to the name, address and age of the child: timed and dated observations, describing objectively the child's behaviour and appearance, without comment or interpretation; where possible, the exact words spoken by the child; the dated name and signature of the recorder.

 

Such records will be kept in a separate file and will not be accessible to other people in the club other than the child's manager, club chairman or the clubs Child Protection co-ordinator as appropriate.

 

Liaise with other bodies
Thorney Colts FC operates in accordance with the local authority and Football Association guidelines. Confidential records kept on a child, about whom the club is anxious will be shared with the Social Services Department if the club feels that adequate explanations for changes in the child’s condition have not been provided.

 

Likewise, if a parent or child has a concern about an adult then the same action will be taken. If a report on a child is made to the authorities, the child's parents will be informed at the same time as the report is made.

 

The club will maintain on going contact with the registering authority, including names, addresses and telephone numbers of individual social workers, to ensure that it would be easy, in any emergency, for the club and the Social Services Department to work well together.

 

Support Families

Thorney Colts FC will take every step in its power to build up trusting and supportive relationships between families, team managers and other members of the club.

 

Where abuse at home is suspected, the club will continue to welcome the child and family while investigations are in progress. Confidential records kept on a child will be shared with the child's parents.