DARTFORDIANS’ RFC
SAFEGUARDING POLICY
The club has a responsibility to ensure the highest standards possible towards all its members particularly towards the junior section. The junior section will have special responsibilities and this policy will go towards emphasizing this. We will outline general policy and then copy direct from the RFU’S guidelines best practices for our treatment of the junior section.

You must accept that as a coach you are in a position of trust and this will affect the child / young person in your care. Not knowing the background of all the children that attend, you could be the first adult that has shown an interest in them, praised them and encouraged them in any sphere of their life. As such you are in a position of great trust and power and you must be wary of the influence you can have as a coach.

As coaches and as a club it is imperative that if you see or hear of inappropriate practises you must bring this to the attention of the Club’s Safeguarding Officer or other relevant person.

To coin a film quote “With great power comes great responsibility” - Ensure that you set the highest of standards at all times.

POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR THE SAFEGUARDING OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN RUGBY UNION

Members should take note of the RFU’s Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union Policy,Procedures and Guidance notes which can be found on the website.

Dartfordians are committed to the following:

a) Appointing a Safeguarding Officer (plus another person to undertake the role in the absence of the designated person) who will act as the first point of contact for concerns about the safeguarding of young people

b) Publishing a Club Safeguarding Policy.

c) Ensure that all officers and committee members are aware of their responsibility in this area and that the Club respond to any indication of poor practice or abuse in line with RFU/W Policy.

d) Implement a policy of Best Practice for all adults working with young people.

e) Ensure that all relevant members who have regular supervisory contact with children or a management responsibility for those working with young people undertake an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau disclosure; and

f) Ensure that the Club’s disciplinary procedure deals with and manages cases of poor practice.

PROHIBITIVE PRACTICES

Coaches, managers or volunteers including all professional staff must never:

a) Take young people to their own home or any other place where they will be alone with them;

b) Spend any amount of time alone with young people away from others;

c) Take young people alone on car journeys, however short;

d) 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 a person with parental responsibility for the young person. In exceptional circumstances where a coach, manager or volunteer cannot obtain the consent of the someone in charge in the Club/governing body and/or person with parental responsibility for the young
person then if it is in the welfare interest of the young person, paragraphs 2.1(a) and 2.1(c) do not have to be followed. If this occurs the adult must record the occurrence with the Club/governing body safeguarding officer.

e) Engage in rough, physical games, sexually provocative games or horseplay with children/young people;

f) Take part as a player in any dynamic contact games or training sessions with young people. If there is a need for an adult to facilitate learning within a coaching session through the use of coaching aids e.g. contact pads, this should be done with the utmost care and with due regard to the safety of the young players;

g) Share a room with a young person unless the individual is the parent/guardian of that young person;

h) Engage in any form of inappropriate sexual contact and/or behaviour;

i) Allow any form of inappropriate touching (see Guidance Document, Appendix 4);

j) Make sexually suggestive remarks to a young person even in fun;

k) Use inappropriate language or allow young people to use inappropriate language unchallenged;

l) Allow allegations by a young person to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon;

m) Do things of a personal nature for a young person that they can do for themselves unless you have been requested to do so by the parents/carer (please note that it is recognised that some young people will always need help with things such as lace tying, adjustment of Tag belts, fitting head guards and it is also recognised that this does not preclude anyone attending to an injured/ill young person or rendering first aid);

n) Depart the rugby Club or agreed rendezvous point until the safe dispersal of all young people is complete;
o) Cause an individual to lose self esteem by embarrassing, humiliating or undermining the individual;

p) Treat some young people more favourably than others; or

q) Agree to meet a young person on their own on a one to one basis.

POSITIONS OF TRUST

All adults who work with young people are in a position of trust which has been invested in them by the parents, the sport and the young person. This relationship can be described as one in which the adult is in a position of power and influence by virtue of their position.

a) Sexual intercourse or touching by an adult with a child under the age of 16 years is unlawful, even where there is apparent consent from the child. A consensual sexual relationship between an adult in a position of trust within the rugby setting and a child
over 16 years of age is contrary to the Policy and Procedures for the Welfare of Young People in the Sport of Rugby Union.

b) Adults must not encourage a physical or emotionally dependant relationship to develop between the person in a position of trust and the young person in their care.

c) All those within the organisation have a duty to raise concerns about the behaviour of coaches, officials, volunteers, administrators and professional staff which may be harmful to the children, young people in their care, without prejudice to their own position.

CRB DISCLOSURE

a) All adults who have ‘regular supervisory contact with young people’ must undertake CRB disclosure within eight weeks of their appointment to a position which involves regular supervisory contact with young people.

These adults will include;
• Professional Staff
• All coaches/assistant coaches
• Heads of Mini/Midi Rugby sections
• Heads of Youth Rugby Sections
• Team Managers
• All Referees who regularly officiate mini/midi and youth games
• Safeguarding Officers
• Physiotherapists
• Club administrators.

b) CRB disclosures must be conducted through the RFU Child Protection Department who have jurisdiction to deal with any matter arising from any such disclosure.

We as a club are responsible for the welfare and safety of young people in our care. It is important that if abuse or poor practice is suspected or there are suspicions that it may be happening then this must be reported to the CLUB SAFEGUARDING OFFICER.

A safe environment benefits all adults, young players
and adult volunteers alike.