PATHFINDERS GYMNASTICS CLUB

Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy

This Child protection policy:

·        Details Pathfinders commitment to protecting children and young people in their care.

·        Provides coaches with clear guidance on how to recognize and respond to suspected or confirmed cases of child abuse.

·        Ensure reported concerns are referred to appropriate child protection agencies or authorities as required.

Pathfinders Gymnastics Club Safeguarding and Child Protection (S&CP) Policy applies to:

·        ALL coaches (paid or volunteers), including students in training, contractors, and committee members.

·        The children Pathfinders provide a service to, and their family, caregivers, or guardians.

·        Anyone working on behalf of Pathfinders, including visitors and child protection agencies.

Pathfinders is a gymnastics club providing coaching for children and young people. We are committed to:

·        Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children is our primary concern.

·        Helping to protect all children regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or identity.

·        Maintaining focus on a child’s best interests when responding to suspected or confirmed abuse.

·        Recognizing the importance of family and their right to participate in decisions made about their child(ren) unless this would result in an increased risk to the child(ren).

·        Encouraging anyone to report suspected or confirmed child abuse to NZ Police or Oranga Tamariki as guided by Pathfinders S&CP Policy which is guided by the Children’s Act 2014

Pathfinders is responsible for maintaining a workable and robust Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy with information, tools, and support to:

·        Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children is considered in all aspects of our business.

·        Provide a Safeguarding Culture for both gymnasts and coaches.

·        Educate coaches in Child Protection upon induction and every two years ongoing.

·        Providing effective management for coaches through induction, supervision, support, and training.

·        Ensure coaches can effectively respond and report concerns.

·        Promote a culture where coaches feel confident to challenge poor practice and raise issues of concern.

·        Create opportunities for coaches to be trusted points of contact and positive role models for gymnasts.

·        Comply with applicable, current legislation and always implement best practice.

·        Assign a qualified Designated person in the workplace.

·        Facilitate organisational connections with local services and agencies that support families.

·        Adopting Safeguarding Culture through procedures and Code of Conduct for all coaches.

·        Recruiting coaches safely, ensuring all necessary checks are completed before starting work with gymnasts.

·        Sharing information about concerns for children and young people with agencies who need to know and involving parents and children appropriately.

·        Assign a designated person as the safeguarding representative.

Pathfinders is committed to ensuring a Culture of Safeguarding and Child protection that always promotes the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We acknowledge this Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is in place to assist us with this, and to positively support our coaches in such a way which achieves this.

Approved By: Sarah Rapsey.

Job Title: Club President.                                                                                              

Date Reviewed: 18 October 2023.

Date to be reviewed next: 18 October 2025.

Our Designated Persons for Child Protection Are: Suzie Ransby and Jessica Jones.

Please contact Suzie or Jessica with any issues relating to a child’s safety, wellbeing or for guidance regarding Pathfinders Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. Their responsibilities are to:

·        Identify any barriers to implementation and compliance with the S&CP Policy.

·        Ensure the S&CP Policy and supporting documentation is readily available to all workers and they have received regular training as per our S&CP Policy.

·        Notifying relevant agencies if a child is suffering from suspected or actual abuse or neglect.

·        Keep up to date with changes in legislation and communicate with coaches of any updates.

·        Have a system for record keeping, allow for identification of repeated concerns.

·        Have a system to track and follow up on concerns, agree on location and length of record keeping.

Confidentiality and Information Sharing

Under the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, any person who believes that a child has been or is likely to be harmed physically, emotionally, or sexually or ill-treated, abused, neglected, or deprived may report the matter to a social worker or the Police. No civil, criminal, or disciplinary proceedings may be brought against the person who makes the report, provided it is made in good faith. When gathering, storing, or disclosing personal information about individuals, workers must comply with the Information Privacy Policy Principles set out in the Privacy Act 1993. Sharing information to others for the protection of a child is a justifiable breach of confidentiality and, where a vulnerable child is at risk or harm, is a legal duty.

Safeguarding Code of Conduct - Coaches MUST

·         Treat all children and young people with respect, including their right to personal privacy.

·         Be a positive role model, set an example of ethical conduct, operate within Pathfinders principles, procedures and guidance provided in the S&CP Policy.

·         Know at all times the whereabouts of gymnasts in their care and ensure visitors are monitored.

·         Advise parents or caregivers in advance of any activity which requires coaches or others to have physical contact with a child or children outside of the contact expected in teaching gymnastics.

·         When correcting gymnasts with physical touch it must be in an expected, communicated, and comfortable area for the gymnast, it must be on top of all clothing worn, within clear sight, with minimum surface area touch and as brief as possible. When spotting or lifting a gymnast equipment it must also be agreed upon by the gymnast prior to doing.

·         Avoid situations where they are alone with a child(ren) whenever possible.

·         Avoid using the changing room/toilet when child(ren) are, plan to go before/after class, if needed during class communicate with another coach or adult.

·         Avoid being alone when transporting a child(ren) except in emergencies, parent contact must be attempted in the first instance.

·         Report all allegations, suspicions, or actual cases of abuse.

·         Encourage and support children and colleagues to report unacceptable attitudes or behaviour as soon as possible.

Safeguarding Code of Conduct - Coaches MUST NOT

·         Have inappropriate physical, verbal, phone or social media contact with children or young people.

·         Make derogatory remarks in front of children or young people.

·         Dismiss or trivialize any child abuse issues raised.

·         Show favouritism towards any individual.

·         Take a chance when common sense, policy or practice deems another appropriate approach.

·         Believe “It could never happen here”.

·         Use personal devices during training times for any reason other than an emergency or with consent from management. If consent is given case by case for purposes of training, photographs and videos of gymnast must not be used for any purpose other than training methods and must be deleted before the device has left the premises.

Indicators of child abuse may include but is not limited to:

Neglect, the persistent failure to meet a child or young person’s basic needs when reasonably able to do so

Physical neglect -not providing the necessities of life like a warm place to live, enough food and clothing.

Neglectful supervision - leaving children home alone or without someone safe looking after them         during day/night.

Emotional neglect - not giving children and young people the comfort, attention and love they need.

Neglect of medical care -the failure to take care of their health needs.

Educational neglect - allowing chronic truancy, failure to enrol children and young people in school.

Emotional abuse, a persistent pattern of behaviour towards a child or young person, but can also include a single incident.

                   -persistently withholding affection or causing them to live in fear

                   -eroding their sense of self-worth and self-respect

                   -conveying they are worthless, unloved or inadequate, or valued only if they meet another person’s needs

                   -having expectations that are significantly inappropriate for their development or age

                   -deliberate or persistent disregard for their cultural identity and wellbeing

Physical abuse, a non-accidental act resulting in physical harm. It may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, burning, biting, poisoning, cutting, strangling or anything else that causes physical harm.

Sexual abuse, forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities. It can be direct physical contact or non-contact such as observing or being encouraged to behave inappropriately.

Safe Recruitment – Safety Checks for new and existing coaches, induction and training of staff and volunteers

·        Police vetting of all new coaches above the age of 18, every three years this gets reviewed.

·        Meet workforce safety check regulations of the children’s Act 2014.

·        Staff aware of their safeguarding responsibilities.

·        Coaches must hold a current Youth Safeguarding or Child Protection in Play, Active Recreation and Sport certification.

·        Head coaches responsible for training of safeguarding to other coaches on their team.

Reporting a Complaint or Allegation against a Worker

·        Person reporting the complaint or allegation is to complete a Child Concern Form or Complaint Form and bring it to the attention of the Pathfinders Gymnastics Club Child Protection Officer (CPO).  If they do not feel comfortable bringing it to their attention, then another Committee Club member for action.  

·        A formal acknowledgement must be sent to them within a month to advise receipt of concern.

·        The person reporting the complaint or allegation against a worker is to be reassured that they can speak freely about the incident(s) and have protection available to them.

·        The Pathfinders complaint flow chart needs to be followed. Is it a complaint regarding a worker or concern for protection of a child (see Child Protection flow chart)

·        The CPO or delegated committee member is to conduct a meeting with the worker who the complaint or allegation is against.  Another staff member or committee member is to be present at the time of the meeting and the worker is encouraged to have a support person present with them.  Record the discussion and the outcome.  Follow the attached flowchart procedure for responding to vulnerability, disclosed or suspected child abuse or neglect.  Report to other agencies if deemed necessary.  

·        If the outcome of the meeting was to add supervision to the worker, put this is place immediately and the CPO is to review weekly.  

·        No settlement agreements will be entered into.

·        Report back to the person who reported the complaint or allegation to advise of the outcome.  If they feel that the process is not effective and there still remains concerns for a child(ren), they may contact Oranga Tamariki or the Police for advice or to make a Report of Concern.  

·        Records of all reviews to be retained by the CPO.  

Reporting a Disclosure or Know/Suspected Abuse or Neglect

·        Follow flowchart