Safeguarding Children: Coaching Best Practices and Legal Guidelines

1. With support from Safeguarding and Protecting Children (SPC1)

2. Section 1: Introduction

3. Workshop Outcomes By the end of this workshop, you will be able to: identify and recognise good coaching practice and the implications for your coaching explore your values and feelings in relation to child abuse, and recognise their potential impact on your response recognise and respond to possible signs of child abuse take appropriate action if concerns about a child arise

4. The Learning Agreement The learning agreement promotes: • a child-focused approach • confidentiality • equity • ownership • personal safety and emotional well-being • professionalism

5. What are Safeguarding and Child Protection? Safeguarding (the umbrella) –the proactive policies and procedures in place for the benefit of all children involved in our clubs and activities Child protection – one aspect of the safeguarding umbrella specific to children who are at risk of, or suffering, significant harm

6. Legal Framework and Government Guidance • Child welfare and protection • Children (Scotland) Act 1995 • Criminal offences against children • Protection of Children & Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2005 • Recruitment and selection of staff and volunteers • Protection of Vulnerable Groups(Scotland)Act 2007 All the above are underpinned by the Human Rights Actand the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

7. Legal Framework and Government Guidance (continued) • National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2010 - This is a key guidance document for all organisations providing services for, or working with, children and young people. • It sets out how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare and wellbeing of children. • Sport is mentioned in the guidance. • Getting it Right For Every Child • GIRFEC promotes action to improve the well-being of all children and young people in eight areas. These well-being indicators state that children and young people must be: healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible, included and above all in this context, safe.

8. Safeguarding and Protecting Children in the Context of the Legal Framework • Duty of care – legal and moral responsibilities of organisations and individuals • Positions of trust – moral obligation • Standards (Minimum Operating Requirements) of safeguarding and protecting children in sport (SGBs) see Ten Steps to Safeguarding Children in Sport at www.safeguardinginsport.org.uk

9. Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 Relevance for sport • Individuals must register to become a ‘Scheme’ member to carry out regulated work with children or protected adults • 2 lists – children’s and adult’s • Referral to list • Recruitment legislation (see PVG briefing paper at www.safeguardinginsport.org.uk)

10. Government Guidance • Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013): • is a key guidance document for all organisations providing services for, or working with, children and young people • outlines how organisations and individuals should work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children • describes the role of the local authority designated officer (LADO) who works within children’s services and should be alerted to all cases where there are child protection concerns about someone who works with children

11. All organisations providing services for children, parents or families, or working with children, should have in place: Working Together to Safeguard Children (2013) Section 2.4

12. Key Safeguarding Themes • Duty of care • Positions of trust • Organisational safeguarding policy and procedures • Safeguarding standards

13. Section 2: Identify and Recognise Good Coaching Practice and the Implications for Your Coaching

14. Scenarios • A talented member of your under-15 squad requests individual, one-to-one coaching, even though she is part of a group • A coach occasionally texts some of the children he coaches. Some of the texts contain jokes about the group he coaches • You are asked to attend a training weekend where, for supervisory purposes, you are allocated a sleeping area with a group of children 4 One of the children at your club is still waiting to be picked up at night from training. There is no one else left at the club, and the child’s parents have texted the child to say they are running late. The child asks if you can drive him home

15. Scenarios (continued) • You are asked to coach a child with a disability, but are not given time to discuss her specific personal requirements, either with the young person herself, her parents or her professional carer • A child in your care receives a bang to his head. He appears to be fine, and you forget to inform his parents and omit to complete an accident report • One of the 16 year olds you coach sends you a friend request to your personal Facebook page and a message asking if you’d like to meet up away from your coaching session 8 You are asked to take a squad to an away fixture by yourself

16. Code of Practice for Sports Coaches – Key Principles • Rights: coaches must respect and champion the rights of every individual to participate in sport • Relationships: coaches must develop a relationship with performers (and others) based on openness, honesty, mutual trust and respect • Responsibilities – personal standards: coaches must demonstrate proper personal behaviour and conduct at all times • Responsibilities – professional standards: to maximise benefits and minimise the risks to performers, coaches must attain a high level of competence through qualifications, and a commitment to ongoing training that ensures safe and correct practice

17. E-communication with Children Top Tips • Include parents in email or text messages sent to children • Send group messages and include another club member/colleague (eg team manager, club welfare officer) • Use the club social networking page (ie one-way communication) • Avoid circulating your personal social networking details to children you coach • Avoid allowing children you coach to become ‘friends’ • Implement your governing body of sport/club social networking guidance • Write clear club guidance regarding e-communication with children and adults (eg add to your code of practice) • State the likely sanctions for breaches of the code of practice

18. Section 3: Explore Your Values and Feelings in Relation to Child Abuse, and Recognise Their Potential Impact on Your Response

19. True or False • Children are abused mostly by strangers • It is only men who sexually abuse children • Disabled children are less likely to be victims of abuse • Girls are much more likely to be abused than boys • In some cultures, it is acceptable for children to be abused

20. True or False (continued) • If children’s services are involved, children are usually removed from their homes • Children are resilient and, therefore, recover quickly from abuse • Abuse in a sporting context is unlikely • Children often go to great lengths to cover up the fact that they are being abused • 10 Coaches are the people most likely to abuse a child in sport

21. True or False Answers • False • False • False • False • False • False • 7 False • False • True • False

22. Introducing the Safeguarding Spectrum • Often, safeguarding decisions are not clear-cut • Consider the statements on the slides that follow and decide where you would place your response on a spectrum from acceptable to unacceptable • Acceptable Unacceptable

23. Acceptable or Unacceptable Behaviour? • A four-year-old child is left alone in a supermarket car park while a parent does the weekly shopping • A 12-year-old child is left alone in the evening to play computer games while his parents go to a restaurant • A child is late to a training session because she was talking to some friends after her parents dropped her off. As a punishment, the coach asks her to do a small number of press-ups before joining the training group • A coach tells a child aged 11 they need to go on a diet if they are to make the team • 5 A famous sportsperson visits your under-15 team and asks to stay late to hold a private coaching session with your most talented child

24. Acceptable or Unacceptable Behaviour? (continued) • A female coach enters the boys’ changing room to talk to the players before the competition • A male coach physically supports a young female gymnast during a tumbling routine • A coach has sexual intercourse with one of their 16-year-old athletes • A male coach expresses his delight following a good performance by hugging one of his athletes • 10 A teacher has sexual intercourse with a 15 year old in their class

25. Acceptable or Unacceptable Behaviour? (continued) • A female coach works alone with a squad of male athletes • A parent demands that their child quits football training and does gymnastics instead • After a challenging training session, one eight-year-old child is so tired, they faint • A teammate leaves threatening messages on a child’s social networking page after a poor performance • 15 A child joins a club where the ‘tradition’ is for new members to take part in a humiliating ceremony

26. Section 4: Recognise and Respond to Possible Signs of Child Abuse

27. Different Types of Abuse • Neglect • Physical • Sexual • Emotional • Bullying

28. Neglect Neglectoccurs when adults fail to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, and is likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development Neglect in a sport situation could include a coach failing to ensure children are safe and comfortable, or exposing them to undue cold or unnecessary risk of injury

29. Physical Abuse Physical abuse occurs when someone causes physical harm or injury to a child Physical abuse in a sport situation may be deemed to occur if the nature and intensity of training and competition exceed the capacity of the child’s immature and growing body Examples include over-training, physical punishments for a poor result or using drugs to delay puberty, control diet or enhance performance

30. Sexual Abuse • Sexual abuse occurs when adults or other young people (both male and female) use children to meet their own sexual needs • Examples: • An individual deliberately targets certain sports activities in order to gain access to, groom and/or abuse children • A coach uses physical contact within a sports activity to mask their inappropriate touching of a child • A parent uses sporting events as an opportunity to take inappropriate photographs or videos of young participants in vulnerable positions

31. Emotional Abuse Emotional abuse is the emotional ill treatment of a child, resulting in severe and persistent adverse effects on their emotional development Research shows that children who experience an emotionally abusive environment are at a higher risk of suffering other forms of abuse Examples in sport include children being subject to constant criticism, name-calling, sarcasm, bullying, racism or unrealistic pressure to perform to high expectations (this may be from parents or coaches)

32. Bullying • Bullying is deliberately hurtful behaviour, usually repeated over a period of time, where it is difficult for those being bullied to defend themselves • Bullying can be verbal, written or physical • Forms of bullying can include: • physical assaults • name-calling, sarcasm and racist taunts • threats and gestures • unwanted physical contact • graffiti • stealing or hiding personal items • being ostracised or ignored

33. Possible Signs of Abuse • Unexplained bruising or injuries • Sexually explicit language/actions • Sudden changes in behaviour • Something a child has said • A change, observed over a long period of time • The presence of one or more of these signs does not necessarily mean that abuse is occurring • In the first instance, you may wish to raise your concerns with the child and/or parents, to establish if there is cause for concern

34. Child Protection + Coach Protection = Common Sense

35. It is not your responsibility to decide whether or not a child is being abused But it is your responsibility to act if you have any concerns

36. Section 5: Take Appropriate Action if Concerns about Child Abuse Arise

37. Taking Appropriate Action YOU If urgent – child at risk Telephone helplines(eg NSPCC, governing body of sport) Designated person with responsibility for safeguarding Police or children’s services If you feel that, despite the actions taken, the situation has not changed or nothing has been done, contact the NSPCC for further advice

38. What to Do if You are Worried about a Child • Stay calm • Ensure the child is safe • Listen carefully (if someone is reporting their concerns) • Record your concerns and anything that has been said/done • Report concerns following your organisational reporting procedures • Where appropriate, involve parents • For further advice and information, call your organisation’s lead safeguarding officer • Use discretion

39. Crucial Actions to Avoid • Do not: • share information with those who do not need to know • rush into actions – discreetly consult with others if you are not sure what to do next • make promises you cannot keep (eg telling a child you will keep their disclosure secret) • take sole responsibility – pass concerns on to the designated safeguarding officer

40. Section 6: Summary

41. Workshop Outcomes We have now reached the end of the workshop so you should now be able to: • identify and recognise good coaching practice and the implications for your coaching • explore your values and feelings in relation to child abuse, and recognise their potential impact on your response • recognise and respond to possible signs of child abuse • take appropriate action if concerns about a child arise

42. Where Next? • For further information on sports coach UK workshops, visit www.sportscoachuk.org or www.sportscotland.org.uk • For further information on safeguarding children, please visit www.safeguardinginsport.org.uk or www.children1st.org.uk Safeguarding and Protecting Children – Slide 44

43. Where Next? • For further information on Training and PVG Guidance for Clubs go to Help for Clubs website: • http://www.sportscotland.org.uk/clubs/help_for_clubs/safeguarding_in_sport/ Safeguarding and Protecting Children – Slide 44

44. Safeguarding and Protecting Children: Further training • In Safe Hands • Time - A three hour course • Description - It focuses on helping clubs to put child protection policies into practice by identifying and planning action required in the club to keep children, and those who work with them, safe. Organised by the Safeguarding in Sport Service, Children 1st • Who should go on this course - This course is designed for those acting in sports clubs as the Child Protection Officer Safeguarding and Protecting Children – Slide 44

45. Safeguarding and Protecting Children: Further training • Safeguarding and Protecting Children 2: reflection on practice A three hour workshop reflecting on, learning from and sharing with other coaching experiences. Description - The workshop aims to ensure that the learning from the first ‘Safeguarding and Protecting Children’ workshop is consolidated and updated. It aims to provide a valuable opportunity to build on knowledge gained since the first workshop and share best practice through scenarios and reflection upon the experiences of participants.  Booking – This SCUK course organised through local authorities and governing bodies Who should go on this course? - Primarily coaches Safeguarding and Protecting Children – Slide 44

46. Do You Have Any Questions? Thank you for your participation and good luck with your coaching