Child Protection Policy
It is essential that children and young people participating in swimming
are able to do so in a safe and secure environment. Trowbridge Amateur
Swimming Club recognises and accepts its responsibility it has in safeguarding
the welfare of children under its care by protecting them from physical,
sexual or emotional harm; and from neglect or bullying.
TASC is committed to raising awareness of child protection in swimming.
We are taking every possible measure to ensure that swimming is a safe
and secure experience for children.
The club has adopted the Child Protection Guidelines issued by the
ASA in conjunction with the NSPCC (these can be found on the following
website- www.britishsimming.co.uk).
The term ‘child/children’ is used within this policy and
refers to a young person/people under the age of 18 years of age.
All club coaches, teachers, assistants, officials, poolside helpers,
volunteers and team managers are therefore required to undertake Criminal
Records Bureau (CRB) checks through its Disclosure service.The Criminal
Records Bureau is a service which enables organisations in the public,
private and voluntary sectors to make safer recruitment decisions by
identifying candidates who may be unsuitable for certain work, especially
that involving children or vulnerable adults.
All club coaches, teachers, assistants, officials, poolside helpers,
volunteers and team managers are also governed by the ASA "Code
of Ethics" and have adopted our own code of ethics policy.
The club recognises that all those directly involved in the club and
its activities have a responsibility to:
• Provide a safe environment for children and young people to
enjoy swimming whilst in the care of the club
• Take the interests of its members into account in all its activities
• Promote the health and welfare of its members through a relationship
of mutual trust
• Take all practical steps to protect its members from physical,
sexual or emotional harm by:
o recognising abuse
o treating all suspicions and allegations of abuse seriously
o responding in an appropriate way to children who disclose they are
being abused
o providing a structure to deal sympathetically with abuse
(Safeguarding and protecting Children:a guide for sports people, 2009)
The club therefore requires and encourages all coaches and helpers to
attend appropriate training through the ASA/SCUK Safegaurding and protecting
children workshops every 3 years, so that they are able to:
• Understand what child abuse means
• Recognise the signs and symptoms of each category of child abuse
• Identify the foundations of good practice in child protection
• Review their own practices to ensure that it complies with recognised
codes of conduct
• Ensure that their own behaviour and conduct is always beyond
reproach to prevent exposure to false allegation
• Take appropriate action if concerns are raised which suggest
a child is abused.
• Deal sensitively and effectively with the issue should it arise
• Identify appropriate action if abuse is suspected
• Take any swimmers' or parents' concerns seriously and deal with
them confidentially
• Recognise the roles and responsibilities of other agencies/organisations
Child Abuse
The following procedures and guidelines were produced in conjunction
with the ASA and have been adopted by the club on the subject of child
abuse. They are intended as a guide for people involved in club activities
and are provided for the reference of coaches, officials, volunteers,
parents and members alike.
The following procedures are based on the principles that:
• the child's welfare is the paramount consideration;
• the welfare of children is everyone's responsibility, particularly
when it comes to protecting children from abuse
• all children, regardless of any disability they may have; regardless
of their age, gender, racial origin, religious belief or sexual identity;
have a right to be protected from abuse.
The aim of the policy is to introduce the subject of child abuse in
all its forms and to provide ways of recognising the warning signs,
and dealing with it quickly and effectively.
Child abuse is an emotive term used to describe all the ways in which
children can be harmed, usually by adults and often by those they know
and trust. Child abuse can occur anywhere there are children, at home,
at school, or even within a sports environment such as the swimming
club.
The Children Acts (1989) and Government document ‘ Every Child
Matters’ (2004) states there are four main types of abuse, physical,
sexual, emotional and neglect.
Abuse may be the action (or inaction), by for example a coach, volunteer,
family member or even another young swimmer.
Physical Abuse In general terms, physical abuse takes place when adults
or even children, deliberately inflict hurts or injures on a child by
hitting, striking, throwing, shaking, biting burning, scolding, drowning,
suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm. It can also occur by
knowingly not preventing such injuries.
In a swimming context, it might also occur if a child is pushed to
train beyond his or her capabilities; where an adult gives children
alcohol or where inappropriate drugs are used to enhance performance.
Sexual Abuse occurs when adults or other children (both male and female)
use children to meet their own sexual needs. This includes forcing or
enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities,
whether or not the child is aware of what is happening, or showing children
pornographic material. In a sporting context, it could also involve
inappropriate photography or videoing, for the sexual gratification
of the viewer. The club therefore ensures that all children are protected
by accordance with the "Guides for use of photographic/filming
equipment at Competitions", issued by the ASA.
Within this context, the club has adopted a Privacy Policy for inclusion
of images and information about members on its web site. The policy
is an adaptation from the ASA's "Guidelines for Club Web Sites"
issued by the ASA's Child Protection Working Party..
Emotional Abuse is the emotional ill treatment of a child resulting
in severe and persistent adverse affects. Emotional abuse can occur
when a child is not given love, help and encouragement or is constantly
shouted at, threatened, derided or subject to sarcasm. Conversely, it
can also occur if a child is over-protected. It is the persistent emotional
ill treatment such as to cause severe and persistent effects on the
child's emotional development.
In a swimming context, this may occur if children are subject to constant
criticism, name-calling or sarcasm. It is also present in unrealistic
expectations of coaches and parents over what a child can achieve. Racially
and Sexually abusive remarks constitute emotional abuse and it can be
a feature of bullying. The club has therefore adopted an Anti-Bullying
Policy, following ASA guidelines.
Neglect usually occurs when adults fail to meet a child's basic physical
and psychological needs, resulting in the serious impairment of the
child's health and development. It may involve for example persistent
lack of care or leaving a child alone or unattended, failing to protect
a child from physical harm or danger, failure to provide food, warmth,
adequate clothing, medical attention etc. In a swimming context, one
example could be by a coach /volunteer/parent ignoring bullying or abuse
from another or exposing them to unnecessary risk of injury.
Indicators of Abuse
Taken from Safeguarding and protecting Children : a guide for sports
people,2009)
Recognising child abuse is not always easy, even for experts. The list
below are just some examples and it should be noted that these are indicators
only. They are not in any way confirmation that abuse has occurred.
• Unexplained or suspicious injuries such as bruising, bites
or burns, particularly if situated on a part of the body not normally
prone to such injuries
• The child says that he or she is being abused, or another person
says they believe (or know) that abuse has occurred
• The child has an injury for which the explanation seems inconsistent
or which has not been adequately treated.
• The child's behaviour changes, either over time or suddenly,
and he or she becomes quiet and withdrawn, or alternatively becomes
aggressive.
• Refusal to remove clothing for normal activities or keeping
covered up in warm weather
• The child appears not to trust adults e.g. a parent, or coach
with whom he or she would be expected to have, or once had, a close
relationship, and does not seem able to make friends
• He or she becomes increasingly neglected looking in appearance,
or loses or puts on weight for no apparent reason
• Pain or itching, bruising or bleeding in or near the genital
area
• The child shows inappropriate sexual awareness for his/her age,
and sometimes behaves in a sexually explicit way
It should be borne in mind that disabled children and young people
are particularly vulnerable to abuse and may have added difficulties
in communicating what is happening to them. Dependency on others for
primary needs such as feeding, clothing and intimate care may make a
young person feel powerless to report abusive treatment. A fear of retribution
for 'telling' can be a powerful silencer. Difficulty in identifying
abusive situations or behaviour may allow it to continue.
Reporting Abuse
If you have worries or concerns about the welfare of a child; please
remember, it's not your responsibility to decide whether or not a child
is being abused but we are asking you to act on your concerns.
Please make a detailed note of what you've seen or heard and pass
on the information to the TASC Welfare officer.
If you are a member TASC, or the parent/carer or friend of a member,
you should tell a club officer such as the welfare officer, club secretary,
chairperson, coach or any Committee member or team manager, unless of
course you suspect them of being involved.
Club Welfare Officer
The club recognises that swimmers need access to an independent person
who can listen to any concerns they may have. To this end, the club
s Welfare Officer is Nancy Davies.
Swimmers and parents with any concerns about their own or any fellow
swimmers' welfare while training or competing with the club should in
the first instance speak to Nancy in complete confidence. She will deal
with any issues or escalate them further as appropriate.
Nancy Davies: (01761 411926, Email: lee.m.davies@sky.com)
Your information should include:
• the nature of the suspicion or allegation
• a description of any injury
• the athlete's account of what has happened
• dates and times and any other information, distinguishing between
fact, opinion or hearsay
If you are a club officer or team manager you can:
• Seek the advice of the club Welfare Officer in the first instance.
• Talk to the child's parents/carers about the concerns if you
think there may be an obvious explanation such as bereavement or pressures
from studies/exams
Alternatively, you can speak directly (and in complete confidence)
to: local Social Services Department or, in an emergency, the police.
If you are working with athletes away from home, at a training camp
or a national or regional competition, tell the Team manager or the
Chief Coach. Again, please remember to make a detailed note of what
you've seen or heard and don't delay passing on the information.
Or Contact:
Swimline 0808 100 4401
Child line 0800 1111
NSPCC Helpline 0808 800 5000
You can also visit the following websites;
www.britishswimming.co.uk
www.kidscape.org.uk
www.worriedneed2talk.org.uk
www.childline.org.uk
www.there4me.com
www.bullying.co.uk
