Minehead Sailing and WaterSports Club

 Child Protection / Safety Policy and Guidelines

 Policy Statement

The Minehead Sailing and WaterSports Club aims to provide a safe and friendly environment for children to enjoy and partake in water sports activities provided by the Club. Activities currently provided by the Club are Sailing, Dingy Sailing, and Rowing.

Our Child Protection Policy adopts the following RYA policy statement;

The RYA Policy Statement on Child Protection is as follows:

• The child's welfare is paramount.

• All children whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious belief and/or sexual identity, have the right to protection from abuse.

• All suspicions and allegations of inappropriate behaviour will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.

• As defined in the Children Act 1989, anyone under the age of 18 years should be considered as a child for the purposes of this document.

Code of Practice and Procedures

• This Code of Practice and Procedures applies to all children whenever they are participating in a Club activity or event. The only exception being when a club member is partaking in a Club activity with an offspring or relative - in which case full parental / guardian responsibility lies with that member.

• Before any child wishing to take part in a Club activity can do so a parental consent form shall have been completed and returned to the Club Secretary.

• The Club shall appoint Youth Supervisors who will be responsible for the safety and well being of any children participating in Club events or activities.

• Youth Supervisors can only be appointed following the completion of a self-declaration form by the candidate, and the required references being followed up, unless supervisors have already been through such a procedure (e.g. teachers, or production of a current enhanced disclosure form).

• The Club Management Committee will agree all appointments.

• During the activity the Youth Supervisor is advised to follow the Clubs Good Practice Guidelines listed below.

• Children under the age of 18 must wear a buoyancy aid at all times when on the water. Non or weak swimmers should be issued with lifejackets. Club policy is that both adults and children wear these at all times on or near the water.

• Additional Safety precautions and rules, which have been identified by the Clubs separate activities, will be followed.

• In the case of any allegation or reported incident the Clubs Management Committee will seek the appropriate guidance.

Good Practice Guidelines for Youth Supervisors

• Plan your event to minimize situations where abuse could occur, or allegations could be made.

• Try to involve another responsible adult in the activity

• Do not spend excessive amounts of time alone with children away from others

• Do not take children alone in a car on journeys, however short

• Do not take children to your home

• Where any of these are unavoidable, ensure they only occur with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge in the organisation or the child's parents

• Design training programmes that are within the ability of the individual child

• Do not photograph or video children, or publish their pictures, without the knowledge and consent of their parents

You should never:

• Engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay

• Allow or engage in inappropriate touching of any form

• Allow children to use inappropriate language unchallenged

• Make sexually suggestive comments to a child, even in fun

• Let allegations a child makes go unchallenged or unrecorded; always act

• Do things of a personal nature that children can do for themselves.

However, it may be sometimes necessary for you do things of a personal nature for children, particularly if they are very young or disabled.  These tasks should only be carried out with the full understanding and consent of parents.  In an emergency situation, which requires this type of help, parents should be fully informed.  In such situations, it is important to ensure all staff are sensitive to the child and undertake personal care tasks with the utmost discretion.

MS&WSC March 2003

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