Child Protection

Introduction

Definitions

Identifying Abuse

Roles

Responding to Complaints and Alleged or Suspected Incidents

Guidance for the Designated Child Protection Officer

Promoting Good Practice

Procedures for the Rugby Football League Disciplinary Panel

Notification

List of Offenders

Reinstatement and Allegations of Previous Abuse

Responsibilities

Monitoring of the Policy

Annex A: Code of Conduct for People working with Children

Annex B. Advice for young people on how to avoid misconduct by others in athletics and what to do about It

Introduction

It is the policy of the Moorends ARLFC & Thorne Moor Marauders RLFC to ensure that every child or young person who takes part in Rugby Football League should be able to participate in a fun and safe environment and be protected from neglect and physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
The key principles that underwrite this policy are:
Anyone under the age of 18 years should be considered as a child for the purposes of this document
The child's welfare is paramount
All children whatever their age culture, ability, gender, language, racial origin, religious belief and/or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse
All suspicious and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately
Clubs and other organisations will be provided with the appropriate documentation and support to ensure they are able to implement the policy
To ensure that adults working with children are also provided protection and are aware of the best practice so they can be protected from wrongful allegations
Working in partnership with children and their parents/carers is essential for the protection of the child
Thorne Moor Marauders RLFC recognises the statutory responsibility of Social Services Departments to ensure the welfare of children and it is committed to working with Local Area Child Protection committees, and to comply with their procedures. Back to top

Definitions

The term child abuse is used to describe ways in which children are harmed, usually by adults and often by those they know and trust.
There are four main types of child abuse, though a child may experience more than one kind at any one time in his/her life.
Physical Abuse - Occasions when parents, adults or other children deliberately inflict injuries on a child or knowingly do not prevent such injuries. It includes injury caused by hitting, shaking, squeezing. burning, biting or using excessive force, and giving children alcohol, inappropriate drugs or poison, and attempts to suffocate or drown them. Physical abuse may also be deemed to occur if the nature and intensity of training disregards the capacity of the child's immature and growing body, or predisposes the child to injury resulting from fatigue or overuse.
Emotional Abuse - Occasions when adults fail to show children due care and attention or threaten, use sarcasm, taunt or shout at a child causing him/her to lose self confidence or self esteem and become nervous or withdrawn. These may also occur when an adult repeatedly ignores or fails to respond to a child's efforts or progress, or places the child under unrealistic pressure to perform to high expectations constantly.
Neglect - Occasions where adults fail to meet a child's essential needs, such as adequate clothing, food, warmth and medical care. It also includes occasions where an adult leaves a child alone without proper supervision, or does not ensure that the child is safe, or exposes them to undue extremes of temperature or risk of injury.
Sexual Abuse - Occurs when males and females use children to meet their own sexual needs. Examples include forcing a child to take part in sexual activity such as sexual intercourse, masturbation, oral sex, anal intercourse, fondling or exposure to pornographic material. This also includes suggestions that sexual favours can help (or refusal can hinder) a career.
There is also the abuse of trust - Where young people are indoctrinated with attitudes to training, drugs and cheating, or social, political and religious views which are unacceptable to the young athletes family, community or rules of the sport.
The inappropriate use of photographic material taken at sporting events is an area of abuse that is increasing and all those involved within the sport should be aware of this.
All forms of bullying, both verbal and physical from other children is also a form of abuse and there is a requirement for all within the sport to ensure that there are sufficient mechanisms to allow children to report instances of bullying. Back to top

Identifying Abuse

Dealing with child abuse is rarely straightforward. In some cases a child's disturbed behaviour, or an injury. may suggest that the child has been abused. In many situations however. the signs will not be clear cut and decisions about what action to take can be difficult.
Possible signs include:
Uncharacteristic changes in the child's behaviour, attitude and commitment e.g. becoming quiet and withdrawn, or displaying sudden outbursts of temper
Pitch side gossip
Bruises and injuries not typical of the sport or injury for which the explanation seems inconsistent
Signs of discomfort and pain
Reluctance to remove tracksuit, or shower
The child becomes increasingly dirty or unkempt
The child loses weight for no apparent reason
Nervousness when approached of touched
Fear of particular adults - especially those with whom a close relationship would normally be expected
The child wishes to switch to another coach without a reasonable explanation
Inappropriate sexual awareness
Children who are always alone and unaccompanied and/or are prevented from socialising with other children
Children who are reluctant to go home.
It must be recognised that the above list is not exhaustive, and the presence of one or more indicators is not proof that abuse is actually taking place.
It is not the responsibility of those working in Rugby Football League to decide that child abuse is occurring, but it is a responsibility to follow through on any concerns. Back to top

Roles

For effective implementation of this policy all deliverers of Rugby League Football must work in partnership, each with a role to ensure the protection of the children in their care.
The role of the club will be as follows:
To appoint one Child Protection Officer
To accept that all Officers and Committee members have responsibilities in this area and be prepared to respond to any indication of abuse
To be ready to amend bad practice
To implement any recommendations of the Rugby Football League relating to this area
To maintain confidentiality of the child and the accused
The role of the Child Protection Officer within the Club will be as follows:
To ensure all club helpers/officials/coaches complete a volunteer reference form
To send all forms to the Rugby Football League on request
To receive and advise on reports from other club members
To initiate action, ensuring all appropriate persons have been contacted
The role of the Rugby Football League will be as follows:
To appoint a Disciplinary Panel when necessary
To provide support and guidance to the Child Protection Officers and Clubs
To make decisions on misconduct
To inform all appropriate individuals and bodies of their decision
To provide training for Child Protection Officers
To keep a list of all disqualified persons
To monitor the policy
The Role of the Rugby Football League
To develop a training pack for Child Protection Officers
To keep a National Record of all disqualified persons
To monitor the policy
Everyone has a responsibility to maintain awareness and openness with regard to child protec Back to top

Responding to Complaints and Alleged or Suspected Incidents

Abuse may become apparent in a number of ways:
A child may tell you
A third party may have reported an incident, or may have a strong suspicion
You may have a suspicion
If an allegation is brought to your attention

Step 1 - Listen and Reassure
DO
Stay calm - do not rush into inappropriate action
Reassure the child - that they are not to blame and confirm that you know how difficult it must be to confide
Listen and believe - to what the child says and show that you take them seriously
Allow only one Adult to Talk to the Child - as any discrepancies in statements may lead to legal problems
Keep questions to a minimum - in many cases it may be more appropriate to nod and acknowledge the child's account. If you must question then use open ended questions i.e. those where more than a yes/no response is required. The law is very strict and child abuse cases have been dismissed if it appears that the child has been led or words and ideas have been suggested
Ensure that you clearly understand what the child has said - so that you can pass it on to the appropriate agencies
Consult with the identified Child Protection Person - ensuring that you communicate all the information accurately
Maintain confidentiality
DO NOT
Panic
Make promises you cannot keep - explain that you may have to tell other people in order to stop what is happening whilst maintaining maximum possible confidentiality
Make the child repeat the story unnecessarily
Delay
Take sole responsibility for further action
In all cases if you are not sure what to do you can gain help from NSPCC 24 hour telephone on 0800 800 500 Back to top

Guidance for the Designated Child Protection Officer

When reports of misconduct or allegations are brought to your attention a decision must be made as to whether the allegation made is abuse, or related to poor practice.
If the allegation is abuse, the following process should be followed:
Make a full report of any allegations or suspicions
Report to the person in charge (definition as above) or the Local Social Services Department immediately and make a record of this
The Chief Executive of the Rugby Football League should also be informed and kept up to date with any local subsequent developments. The Chief Executive will make a decision regarding the accused in the period prior to appointing a Disciplinary Panel
Confidentiality must be maintained
If the allegation relates to poor practice the following process should be followed:
Make a record of the allegations
The Chief Executive of the Rugby Football League should be informed so that a Disciplinary Panel can be
appointed and an investigation can be carried out
(An action plan summarising these procedures can be found in Appendix A [not included here]) Back to top

Promoting Good Practice

By promoting good practice throughout the Club and in the wider context of the sport it is possible to reduce situations for the abuse of children. The Club should have a policy that ensures children are protected and kept safe from harm and everyone should know what to do if there are concerns about abuse and where the procedures are kept.
The appointment of a Child Protection Officer is key in this process and will be encouraged to promote good practice throughout the Club and by ensuring everyone is aware of their responsibilities. This role may include leading by example, organising simple training briefings and the use of leaflets/posters and notices throughout the areas used by the Club.
In addition to the procedures described above it is the Child Protection Officer's responsibility to ensure that the Clubs get all volunteers to complete the appropriate forms (see Appendix B [not included here]). The volunteers have to be prepared to subject themselves to police vetting. The forms must be sent to the Rugby Football League on request. Clubs should also display Child Protection material highlighting the child-line phone number. To assist the Child Protection Officer in their duties a pack will be provided and training offered an a regular basis.
Use of photography and video recorders - There has been an increase in the misuse of sports photography and video recording within the sporting arena. To reduce the risk of abuse to children some Sports Centres require any person wishing to use cameras and video recorders to declare their interest by filling in a simple form which asks their name, address, who they are with and the reason for the use of the camera/recorder. This is not intended to prevent bona fide use of this equipment for family or coaching purposes but may deter the inappropriate use of such material. Clubs, event promoters and Sports Centres are encouraged to adopt this practice.
Bullying - There is a possibility that bullying may occur between children and all involved in the sport are encouraged to be aware of this possibility Clubs are encouraged to adopt an anti-bullying policy and ensure that everyone understands bullying will not be tolerated in any form. Clubs must be prepared to take the problem seriously and investigate any incident and decide on appropriate action, also ensuring that children are able to report the instance of bullying (either to themselves or team members) to someone in authority, preferably the Child Protection Officer.
Team Management/Team Travel - Implicit within this Policy is the Duty of Care that a Team Manager and/or Club has to its young members when travelling to events. It is recommended that Clubs travel with a full address list and contact telephone numbers for all the children within their team and the permission of the parent/guardian of each child (the inclusion of special instructions, dietary requirements and allergies is also extremely useful). This will allow Team Managers to take the necessary action in the event of an emergency.
For those events that require an overnight stay in lodgings/hotels it is essential that Team Managers take the necessary action to prevent the misuse of alcohol (from hotel mini bars etc.) and access to adult video/film channels. Back to top

Procedures for the Rugby Football League Disciplinary Panel

Because of the sensitive nature of this kind of action and in order to protect and shield children from the trauma and rigor of formal disciplinary bearing the Rugby Football League will use the following procedures depending on the circumstances. The General Manager will appoint a Disciplinary Panel when deemed necessary.
Reports of alleged misconduct, including those arising from a person's club, from court appearances or from actions by employers, are likely to cover a wide variety of behaviours. Each case will, thus be considered on its unique merits by the Disciplinary Panel as to whether misconduct has occurred.
If it is decided that the behaviour does not by itself call into question suitability for the particular role, no further action will be taken by the Rugby Football League other than to formally advise the person of the receipt of a report and of the decision taken. The recipient shall have the right to make immediate written representations or to reserve that right should he or she be reported for misconduct on a subsequent occasion. The Rugby Football League also reserves the right on receiving a second report, to take into account the facts of prior submissions.
If it is found that the report raises a question about a person's suitability within the sport, the Rugby Football League Disciplinary Panel shall proceed as follows: The accused will be advised of the receipt of a report (with copies) and of the Rugby Football League knowledge of any related disciplinary hearings or legal and/or employment proceedings. The accused will be asked to provide a written explanation supported, if he or she wishes, by further representations, including any representations, references or testimonials from those whose knowledge of the person is relevant.
The Rugby Football League Chief Executive may make an immediate decision to temporarily suspend an individual accused of abuse pending further inquiries and will inform the Club and other relevant organisations as necessary.
If the Panel decides that a decision cannot be reached on the basis of a written representation alone - or on request from the accused - the accused shall be asked to give verbal evidence or representation to the Panel. The accused may be accompanied by a friend, an official representing that person's professional body or a legal representative.
When representations have been completed the Panel shall decide whether the individual is unsuitable for the position he/she holds and if so, whether he or she shall be barred or restricted from such work throughout the Rugby Football League or shall be suspended or expelled from membership. The accused and the club (via the child protection officer) shall be notified in writing of the restrictions imposed.
Should the decision be that behaviour fell short of the expected standards, but there is no need for any bar or Because of the sensitive nature of this kind of action and in order to protect and shield children from the trauma and rigor of formal disciplinary bearing the Rugby Football League will use the following procedures depending on the circumstances. The General Manager will appoint a Disciplinary Panel when deemed necessary.
Reports of alleged misconduct, including those arising from a person's club, from court appearances or from actions by employers, are likely to cover a wide variety of behaviours. Each case will, thus be considered on its unique merits by the Disciplinary Panel as to whether misconduct has occurred.
If it is decided that the behaviour does not by itself call into question suitability for the particular role, no further action will be taken by the Rugby Football League other than to formally advise the person of the receipt of a report and of the decision taken. The recipient shall have the right to make immediate written representations or to reserve that right should he or she be reported for misconduct on a subsequent occasion. The Rugby Football League also reserves the right on receiving a second report, to take into account the facts of prior submissions.
If it is found that the report raises a question about a person's suitability within the sport, the Rugby Football League Disciplinary Panel shall proceed as follows: The accused will be advised of the receipt of a report (with copies) and of the Rugby Football League knowledge of any related disciplinary hearings or legal and/or employment proceedings. The accused will be asked to provide a written explanation supported, if he or she wishes, by further representations, including any representations, references or testimonials from those whose knowledge of the person is relevant.
The Rugby Football League Chief Executive may make an immediate decision to temporarily suspend an individual accused of abuse pending further inquiries and will inform the Club and other relevant organisations as necessary.
If the Panel decides that a decision cannot be reached on the basis of a written representation alone - or on request from the accused - the accused shall be asked to give verbal evidence or representation to the Panel. The accused may be accompanied by a friend, an official representing that person's professional body or a legal representative.
When representations have been completed the Panel shall decide whether the individual is unsuitable for the position he/she holds and if so, whether he or she shall be barred or restricted from such work throughout the Rugby Football League or shall be suspended or expelled from membership. The accused and the club (via the child protection officer) shall be notified in writing of the restrictions imposed.
Should the decision be that behaviour fell short of the expected standards, but there is no need for any bar or Back to top

Notification

The club (via the Child Protection Officer) of the individual who made the accusations, local social services department and any sport professional body to which the individual belongs shall be notified of the outcome.
All affiliated clubs, leagues and other bodies with the Rugby Football League shall also be notified as shall other sporting governing bodies in Great Britain. Back to top

List of Offenders

The Rugby Football League shall keep a confidential list of offenders who have been barred, restricted or warned. All affiliated clubs, leagues and other association bodies shall have the right to have the list checked by written request.
The list shall only record the offender's name, date of birth and the Rugby Football League reference file number. Back to top

Reinstatement and Allegations of Previous Abuse

The period of suspension or exclusion will normally last for at least five years. After this time a person may apply to be reinstated. No individual will automatically be reinstated.
The Panel shall give earlier consideration to a request for reinstatement, but only if in their view there are good grounds for doing so.
Decisions concerning such appeals shall be made through the normal panel processes, although at it's discretion, the Panel may permit additional written representation or a verbal submission. In instances of verbal submission the accused has the right to be accompanied. In such instances no appeal against the Panel's decision shall be accepted.
Anyone who has a previous criminal conviction for offences related to abuse is automatically excluded from working with children.
All volunteers must complete a Volunteer Application Form (Appendix C [not included here]) in which there is a self-declaration of previous convictions and any failure to disclose information on this form will also lead to suspension and subsequent inquiry. Back to top

Responsibilities

The Rugby Football League, Moorends ARLFC and Thorne Moor Marauders RLFC will not accept responsibility for any fees, expenses or other costs incurred by either or any party bringing or defending the action and shall have no liability to award any compensation for harm done or suffering by either party. Back to top

Monitoring of the Policy

It will be the responsibility of the Child Protection Officer to monitor the policy by:
Keeping records of cases brought and their outcomes
Requesting teams for comments on a regular basis, about the ease of implementation and the effect of the policy Back to top

Annex A: Code of Conduct for People working with Children

To ensure that all forms of abuse are prevented and to help protect people who work with young members the following guidelines should be followed:
Always be publicly open when working with children. Avoid situations where you and an individual child are completely unobserved.
If a performer needs to be touched, it should be provided openly and the performer should be asked first. Care is needed, as it is difficult to maintain hand positions when providing manual support if the child is constantly moving. Some parents are becoming increasingly sensitive about touching children and their views should always be carefully considered.
Where possible parents should take responsibility for their children in changing rooms. If groups are to be supervised in changing rooms, always ensure that adults work in pairs.
Where mixed teams compete away from home they should always be accompanied by at least one male adult and one female adult.
Volunteers and professionals must respect the rights and dignity and worth of all and treat everyone with equality.
Volunteers and professionals must place the well being and safety of the performer above the development of performance. They should follow all guidelines laid down by the Rugby Football League and be adequately insured.
Coaches should hold current Rugby Football League coaching qualification.
Adults must ensure that the activities which they direct or advocate are appropriate to the age, maturity and ability of the performer e.g. they must not break the Rugby Football League rules on age group for competitions.
Adults should always promote the positive aspects of their sport (e.g. fair play) and never condone rule violations or use of prohibited substances.
Adults must consistently display high standards of personal behaviour and appearance.
Adults should never overtly criticise members or use sarcasm where it may cause the child to lose self-esteem or confidence.
Everyone should also be aware that as a general rule it does not make sense to:
Spend amounts of time alone with children away from others
Take children alone on car journeys, however short
Take children to your home if they will be alone with you
If it should arise that such situations are unavoidable they should only take place with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge in the club/governing body and/or the child's parents/carer. In addition you most discourage over enthusiastic kisses and embraces
If you accidentally hurt a child, or cause distress in any manner, or the child appears to be sexually aroused by your actions, or misunderstands, or misinterprets something you have done, report the incident as soon as possible. Parents/carers should also be informed of the occurrence.
You should never:
Engage in rough physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay
Share a room with a child Permit or engage in any form of inappropriate touching
Permit children to use inappropriate language unchallenged
Make sexually suggestive comments to a child, even in fun
Allow allegations made by a child to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon
Do things of a personal nature that a child can do for itself. However it may be necessary for a volunteer to do things of a personal nature for children particularly if they are very young or disabled. Such tasks should only be carried out with the full understanding and consent of the parent/carer. There is also a need in these instances to be responsive to the child's reactions - if a child is fully dependant upon you talking with him/her about what you are doing and give choices where possible.
Agree to meet a young athlete on your own Back to top

Annex B. Advice for young people on how to avoid misconduct by others in athletics and what to do about It

What Is misconduct?
Very broadly, any form of unacceptable behaviour towards you such as sexual misbehaviour, physical acts, inappropriate remarks, suggestive gestures, pictures or other material, or some other forms of abuse such as physical violence and all forms of bullying.
What you can do to avoid such misconduct?
Listen to the advice of your parents
Avoid being left alone with anyone
If you have to leave a group tell someone - where your going, why you are going, how long you are likely to be, and report to them when you return
Do not allow anyone to talk to you about something personal concerning themselves or ourselves if it has nothing to do with their job or work in sport. If they still persist, walk away and complain to someone in a senior position
Do not agree to meet anyone on your own any time, without informing another adult
Do not accept a lift from anyone if you will be the only passenger, unless you have informed another adult. Either refuse or insist that someone else go along too. Do not accept a lift if you feel unsafe
Do not be over friendly towards those who work with you in athletics
Do not walk home alone at night
Be especially wary of parked cars with engine running
Do not tolerate any form of bullying from team mates and other members
It misconduct happens what should you do?
Tell that person to stop at once
Tell others who may be present what happened
If they actually saw what happened remember who they are so they can be your witnesses
If the misconduct continues, tell that person again to stop at once then leave if you can or shout help. If this is not possible then you must report the matter as soon as possible, to another official or adult
Tell your parents as soon as possible
Keep a record of the date, time and place and what happened, and make a list of any witnesses
If any of your group or club mates have suffered the same sort of experience, ask them to make a similar record
Ask any witnesses to do the same
Talk to your parents and decide to whom to make a formal complaint. You should at least report it to your club (ideally the Child Protection Officer) and the Rugby Football League
What you should definitely not do:
Do not wrongly complain if nothing happened
Do not exaggerate if something did happen
Do not ignore behaviour that makes you uncomfortable
Do not keep to yourself what happened
Do not delay before complaining
Do not agree to hush up or hide what happened
Do not be afraid or embarrassed to tell your parents or a friend
In all cases if you are not sure what to do you can gain help from the NSPCC 24 hour telephone Child Helpline on 0800 800 500 Back to top