Safeguarding Workshop: Enhancing Child Protection Skills

1. With support from

2. Section 1: Introduction

3. Workshop Outcomes By the end of this workshop, you will be able to: identify and recognise good instructing practice and the implications for your classes 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. Additional Vulnerabilities While the primary focus of this workshop is children, please bear the following in mind: • Some children might be at greater risk of abuse than others (eg disabled children, children in care or talented young people in sport) • Some adults are vulnerable (adults at risk) and may be at a greater risk of abuse • As with children, you should report any concerns you have over the welfare of an adult at risk

7. Legal Framework • Children Act 1989 • Children Act 2004 • Sexual Offences Act 2003 Safeguarding and protecting children What does legislation do? • Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 • Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 Recruitment and selection of staff and volunteers Other legislation • Human Rights Act • UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

8. Government Guidance • Working Together to Safeguard Children (2015): • is a keyguidance 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 local authority designated officers (formerly LADOs) who work within children’s services and should be alerted to all cases where there are child protection concerns about someone who works with children

9. All organisations providing services for children, parents or families, or working with children, should have in place: Working Together to Safeguard Children(2015) Section 2.4

10. Key Safeguarding Themes • Duty of care • Positions of trust • Safeguarding policy and procedures • Safeguarding standards

11. Section 2: Identify and Recognise Good Instructing Practice and the Implications for Your Classes

12. Scenarios • A member of your under-15 squad requests individual, one-to-one instruction, even though she is part of a group • An instructor occasionally texts some of the children he teaches. Some of the texts contain jokes about students from the group • 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

13. Scenarios (continued) • You are asked to teach a disabled child, 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 teach sends you a friend request to your personal Facebook page and a message asking if you’d like to meet up away from your class • 8 You are asked to take students to a grading event by yourself

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

15. eCommunicationwith Children Top Tips • Include parents in email or text messages sent to children • Send group messages and include another club member/colleague (egclub safeguarding officer) • Use the club social networking page (ie one-way or open communication) • Avoid circulating your personal social networking details to children you instruct • Implement your governing body of sport/club social networking guidance where available • Write clear club guidance regarding eCommunicationwith children and adults (eg add to your code of practice) • State the likely sanctions for breaches of the code of practice

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

17. 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

18. 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 martial arts context is unlikely • Children often go to great lengths to cover up the fact that they are being abused • 10 Coaches/instructors are the people most likely to abuse a child in sport

19. True or False Answers • False • False • False • False • False • False • 7 False • False • True • False

20. 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

21. 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 class 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 group • An instructor tells a child they need to go on a diet if they are to be selected • 5 A famous martial artist visits your under-15 class and asks to stay late to hold a private class with your most talented child

22. Acceptable or Unacceptable Behaviour? (continued) • A female instructor enters the boys’ changing room to talk to the students before a grading • A male instructor physically supports a young female student to correct her stance • An instructor has sexual intercourse with one of their 16-year-old students • A male instructor expresses his delight following a good performance by hugging one of his students • 10 A school teacher has sexual intercourse with a 15 year old from their class

23. Acceptable or Unacceptable Behaviour? (continued) • A female instructor works alone with a group of male students • 12 After a challenging class, one eight-year-old child is so tired, they faint • A student leaves threatening messages on a child’s social networking page after a poor performance • 14 A child joins a club where the ‘tradition’ is for new members to take part in a humiliating ceremony • An instructor is providing videos to members of their club and inviting certain junior club members to attend political rallies; soon, you notice a change in the behaviour of some of those young people

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

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

26. 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 martial arts situation could include an instructor failing to ensure children are safe and comfortable, or exposing them to undue cold or unnecessary risk of injury

27. Physical Abuse Physical abuse occurs when someone causes physical harm or injury to a child Physical abuse in a martial arts 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, encouraging to compete when injured, physical punishments for a poor result or using drugs to delay puberty, control diet or enhance performance

28. 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 • An instructor uses physical contact within a class 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

29. 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 martial arts may 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, students or instructors)

30. 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 – and increasingly includes online and social media activity • 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

31. 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

32. 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

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

34. Taking Appropriate Action YOU If urgent – child at risk Telephone helplines(eg NSPCC, governing body of sport) Designated person with responsibility for safeguarding (egclub welfare officer) 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

35. Recruiting Your Club Safeguarding Officer • It is important for every club to have a designated person that students, parents and other instructors can report safeguarding concerns to • If your club has not yet appointed a safeguarding officer, then you can find more information on how to achieve this through: • ­­­ - the NEST Management website • - the Child Protection in Sport Unit website • - your governing body of sport, where applicable

36. 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 governing body of sport lead safeguarding officer (where available) or the NSPCC helpline • Use discretion

37. 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 (egtelling a child you will keep their disclosure secret) • take sole responsibility – pass concerns on to the designated safeguarding officer

38. Section 6: Summary

39. Workshop Outcomes • We have reached the end of the workshop so you should now be able to: • identify and recognise good instructing practice and the implications for your classes • 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

40. Where Next? • Safeguarding and Protecting Children Renewal eLearning course and SPC2: Reflecting on Practice workshop • For further information on sports coach UK workshops, visit www.sportscoachuk.org • For further information on safeguarding children, visit www.thecpsu.org.uk • For further information on the online protection of children, visit http://ceop.police.uk • For further information on NEST Management, visit www.nestmanagement.co.uk

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