1. CHILD PROTECTION POLICY STATEMENT
This document is the Child Protection Policy for Curzon Ashton Youth Football Club (the Club); as such it must be followed by all members of the organisation, and followed and promoted by the senior committee members.
The stated aim of the Club is to create and develop the greatest range of opportunities for young people to enjoy football in Tameside.
Many of the Club's activities may involve volunteers having to take responsibility for children/young people in the absence of their parents/carers. This policy therefore includes a section outlining the safe principles within which those activities will be undertaken. It is the responsibility of those working with children in this organisation to ensure that these principles are followed.
The Club is aware that being a child means being vulnerable to abuse by adults. The purpose of this policy is to make sure that the actions of any adult in the context of the work carried out by this organisation are transparent, helping safeguard and promote the welfare of all children.
If any parent or child has concerns about the conduct of any member of the Club, this should be raised in the first instance with the designated Child Protection Officer.
This policy is written in accordance with "Working together to Safeguard Children", produced by the Department of Health in 1999, as an inter-agency guide to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
Club Welfare Officer
Mark Bradshaw
Tameside Stadium
Richmond Street
Ashton-under-Lyne
OL7 9HG
Tel; 0161-330-6033
Mobile: 0771-772-5852
The Child Protection Officer for Curzon Ashton Youth FC is;
Wayne Salkeld
Tameside Stadium
Richmond Street
Ashton-under-Lyne
OL7 9HG
Tel; 0161-330-6033
Mobile; 0796-747-8759
2. PRINCIPLES
This section briefly outlines the key principles on which the Club's Child Protection Policy is based.
4.1 PHYSICAL ABUSE
Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating or other methods of causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes, ill health to a child whom they are looking after. This situation is commonly described using such terms as Fabricated Illness by Proxy or Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy.
4.2 EMOTIONAL ABUSE
Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child, such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child's emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only in so far as they meet the needs of another person. This kind of abuse may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed upon children. It may involve causing children to frequently feel frightened or in danger, or lead to the exploitation or corruption of children. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of ill treatment of a child, though it may occur alone.
4.3 SEXUAL ABUSE
Sexual abuse involves 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. The activities may involve physical contact, either penetrative or non-penetrative acts. Sexual abuse can include non-contact activities, such as involving children in viewing pornography or sexual activities, in the actual production of pornographic material or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.
4.4 NEGLECT
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child's health or development. It may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter and clothing, failing to protect a child from physical harm or danger or the failure to ensure access to the appropriate medical treatments. This type of abuse may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child's basic needs.
Individuals within the Club need to be alert to the potential abuse of children ~ both within their families and also from other sources, including abuse from within our organisation.
The Club should know how to recognise and act upon indicators of abuse, or potential abuse, involving children. There is an expected responsibility for all members of the Club to respond to suspected or actual abuse of a child, in accordance with these procedures.
It is good practice to be as open and honest with parents/carers about any concerns.
However, you must not discuss your concerns with parents/carers if the following circumstances:
It is recognised that a child may seek you out to share information about abuse or neglect, or talk spontaneously (individually or in groups) when you are present. In these situations you must:
that they have not done anything wrong;
over what you are going to do next.
The purpose of consultation is to discuss your concerns in relation to a child and decide what action is necessary.
You may become concerned about a child who has not spoken to you, either because of your observations or third party information.
It is good practice to ask a child why they are upset, ask how a cut or bruise was caused, or respond to a child who wants to speak to you. This practice can help clarify vague concerns and result in appropriate action.
If you are concerned about a child, you must share your concerns. Initially you should talk to one of the senior management team, unless one of those people is implicated in your concerns, in which case you should contact social services directly.
You should consult externally with Social Services in the following circumstances:
7. MAKING A REFERRAL
A referral involves giving Social Services or the Police information about concerns relating to an individual or family, in order that enquiries can be undertaken by the appropriate agency, followed by any necessary action.
In certain cases the level of concern will lead straight to referral without external consultation being necessary. Parents/carers should be informed if a referral is being made, except in the circumstances outlined on page 6 of this document. However, inability to inform parents for any reason should not prevent a referral being made. It would then become a joint decision with Social Services about how and when the parents should be approached and by whom.
If your concern is about abuse or risk of abuse from someone not known to the child or their family, you should make a telephone referral directly to the Police and consult with the parents. If your concern is about abuse or risk of abuse from a family member, or someone known to the child, you should make a telephone referral to your local Social Services (see list of useful telephone numbers, page 11).
1. INFORMATION REQUIRED
Be prepared to give as much of the following information as possible. In emergency situations not all of this information may be available, this should not stop you making a referral.
Curzon Ashton FC shall ensure that any records made in relation to a referral will be kept confidential and in a secure place.
Information in relation to child protection concerns should be shared on a need to know basis. However, the sharing of information is vital to child protection and therefore the issue of confidentiality is secondary to a child's need for protection.
If in doubt, consult.
11. UNFOUNDED ALLEGATIONS
Children sometimes make unfounded allegations of abuse to attract attention to themselves, for various reasons. Avoid situations in your everyday routine that could leave you personally open to unfounded allegations of child abuse. Wherever possible arrange to have witnesses to any one-to-one activities you are planning with children.
To help regulate any persons who may have substantial access to young people within the activities of the club, Curzon Ashton will seek to implement a number of controls over its workers and volunteers as an integral part of its child protection policy.
Minimum requirements for any person falling into the above categories of "worker' or "volunteer' will be as follows;
Social Services Child & Family Centre
0161-342 4150
Tameside MBC Main Switchboard (out of hours)
0161-342 2222
Minicom
0161-342 3009
In person at
The Civic Centre
Wellington Street
Ashton-under-Lyne
OL6 6DL
Email: social.services@mail.tameside.gov.uk