1.1
Introduction
Everyone who participates in Sheffield Ship Model Society is entitled to do so in an enjoyable and
safe environment. The Sheffield Ship Model Society have a moral and legal obligation to ensure
that, when given responsibility for young people and vulnerable adults, Members provide them with
the highest possible standard of care.
The Sheffield Ship Model Society is committed to devising and implementing policies so that everyone
in the hobby accepts their responsibilities to safeguard children and vulnerable adults from harm and
abuse. This means to follow procedures to protect children/vulnerable adults and report any concerns
about their welfare to appropriate authorities.
The aim of the policy is to promote good practice, providing children and vulnerable adults with
appropriate safety/protection whilst in the care of Sheffield Ship Model Society and to allow staff and
volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific child & vulnerable adults protection
issues.
A child/young person is defined as a person under the age of 18 (Children’s Act
1989)
1.1
Policy Statement
The Sheffield Ship Model Society is committed to the following:
·
the welfare of the child is paramount
· all children and vulnerable adults, whatever their age, culture, ability, gender, language, racial origin,
religious belief and/or sexual identity should be able to participate in model boating in a fun and safe
environment
· taking all reasonable steps to protect children/vulnerable adults from harm, discrimination and
degrading treatment and to respect their rights, wishes and feelings
· all suspicions and allegations of poor practice or abuse will be taken seriously and responded
to swiftly and appropriately
· all Sheffield Ship Model Society Members who work with children/vulnerable adults will be recruited
with regard to their suitability for that responsibility, and will be provided with guidance and/or training
in good practice and child/vulnerable
adult
protection
procedures
· working in partnership with parents,children and vulnerable adults is essential for the protection of them
1.2
Monitor and review the policy and procedures
The implementation of procedures should be regularly monitored and reviewed. The Chairman should
regularly report progress, challenges, difficulties, achievements gaps and areas where changes are
required to the management
committee.
The policy should be reviewed every 3 years or whenever there is a major change in the Club or in
relevant legislation.
2.1
Introduction
To provide children/vulnerable adults with the best possible experience and opportunities in model
boating.
It is not always easy to distinguish poor practice from abuse. It is therefore NOT the responsibility
of Members or participants in model boating to make judgements about whether or not abuse is taking
place. It is however their responsibility to identify poor practice and possible abuse and act if they
have concerns about the welfare of the child/vulnerable
adult, as explained
in section 4.
This section will help you identify what is meant by good practice and poor
practice.
2.2
Good Practice
All Members should adhere to the following principles and action:
· always work in an open environment (e.g. avoiding private or unobserved situations
and encouraging open communication with no secrets)
· make the experience of model boating fun and enjoyable: promote fairness, confront
and deal with bullying
·
treat all young people/vulnerable
adults
equally and with respect and dignity
·
always put the welfare of the young person/vulnerable
adult
first
· maintain a safe and appropriate distance with Junior Members (e.g. it is not appropriate
for Members to have an intimate relationship with a child
· Avoid unnecessary physical contact with young people/vulnerable adults. Where any
form of manual/physical support is required it should be provided openly and with the consent
of the young person/vulnerable adult. Physical contact can be appropriate so long as it is neither
intrusive
nor disturbing and the young person’s/vulnerable
adults
consent has been given
· Involve parents/carers wherever possible. Encourage parents/carers to take responsibility for
their own child/vulnerable
adult.
· request written parental consent if club officials are required to transport young people/vulnerable adults
in their cars
·
gain written parental/carer
consent for any significant travel arrangements
· be an excellent role model, this includes not smoking or drinking alcohol in the company
of young people
·
always give enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative
criticism
· secure written parental/carer consent for the club to act in loco parentis, to give permission for
the administration of emergency first aid or other medical
treatment if the need arises
·
keep a written record of any injury that occurs, along with details of any
treatment given
2.3
Poor Practice
The following are regarded as poor practice and should be avoided by all
personnel:
· unnecessarily spending excessive amounts of time alone with young people/vulnerable
adults
away
from others
·
taking young people/vulnerable
adults
alone in a car on journeys, however short
·
allow or engage in inappropriate touching of any form
·
allowing young people/vulnerable
adults
to use inappropriate language unchallenged
·
making sexually suggestive comments to a young person/vulnerable
adult, even in fun
·
reducing a young person/vulnerable
adult
to tears as a form of control
· allow allegations made by a young person/vulnerable adult to go unchallenged,
unrecorded or not
acted upon
·
do things of a personal nature that the young person/vulnerable
adult
can do for themselves
When a case arises where it is impractical/impossible to avoid certain situation e.g. transporting
a young person/vulnerable adult in your car, the tasks should only be carried out with the full
understanding and
consent of the parent/carer
and the young
person/vulnerable
adult
involved.
If during your care you accidentally hurt a young person/vulnerable adult, the young person/vulnerable
adult seems distressed in any manner, appears to be sexually aroused by your actions and/or if the
young person/vulnerable adult misunderstands or misinterprets something you have done, report any
such incidents as soon as possible to another colleague and make a written note of it. Parents/carers
should
also be informed of the incident.
3.1
Introduction
Child/Vulnerable adult abuse is any form of physical, emotional or sexual mistreatment or lack of care
that leads to injury or harm, it commonly occurs within a relationship of trust or responsibility and is an
abuse of power or a breach of trust. Abuse can happen to a young person/vulnerable adult regardless
of their age, gender, race
or ability.
There are four main types of abuse: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect.
The abuser may be a family member, someone the young person/vulnerable adult encounters in
residential care or in the community, including sports and leisure activities. Any individual may abuse
or neglect a young person/vulnerable adult directly, or may be responsible for abuse because they fail
to prevent another person harming the young person/vulnerable
adult.
Abuse in all of its forms can affect a young person/vulnerable adult at any age. The effects can
be so damaging that if not treated may follow the
individual into adulthood
Young people/vulnerable adults with disabilities may be at increased risk of abuse through
various factors such as stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, isolation and a powerlessness
to protect themselves or adequately communicate that abuse had
occurred.
3.2
Use of Photographic/Filming Equipment at Club Meetings & Events
There is evidence that some people have used hobby events as an opportunity to take inappropriate
photographs or film footage of young people. All clubs should be vigilant and any concerns should
be reported to the
Club Chairman.
4.1
Introduction
It is not the responsibility of anyone working in Sheffield Ship Model Society to decide whether or not
child/vulnerable adult abuse has taken place. However there is a responsibility to act on any concerns
through contact with the appropriate authorities so that they can then make inquiries and take necessary
action to protect the young person/vulnerable adult. This applies BOTH to allegations/suspicions of
abuse occurring within Sheffield Ship Model Society and to allegations / suspicions that abuse is
taking place elsewhere.
4.2
Receiving Evidence of Possible Abuse
We may become aware of possible abuse in various ways. We may see it happening, we may
suspect it happening because of signs such as those listed in section 3 of this document, it may
be reported to us by
someone else or directly by the young person/vulnerable
adult
affected.
In the last of these cases, it is particularly important to respond appropriately. If a young
person/vulnerable
adult
says or indicates that they are being abused, you should:
·
stay calm
so as not to frighten the young person
·
reassure
the child/vulnerable
adult
that they are not to blame and that it was right to tell
·
listen
to the child/vulnerable
adult, showing that you are taking them seriously
· keep questions to a minimum so that there is a clear and accurate understanding of what
has been said. The law is very strict and child/vulnerable adult abuse cases have been
dismissed where it is felt that the child/vulnerable adult has been led or words and ideas have
been suggested
during questioning. Only ask
questions to clarify
· inform the child/vulnerable adult that you have to inform other people about what they have
told you. Tell the child/vulnerable
adult
this is to help stop the abuse continuing.
· safety of the child/vulnerable adult is paramount. If the child/vulnerable adult needs urgent
medical attention call an ambulance, inform the doctors of the concern and ensure they are made
aware that this is a child/vulnerable
adult
protection issue
·
record
all information
·
report
the incident to the Club Chairman
In all cases if you are not sure what to do you can gain help from the NSPCC 24
hour help line Tel No: 0800800500
4.3
Recording Information
To ensure that information is as helpful as possible, a detailed record should always be made
at the time of the disclosure/concern. In recording you should confine yourself to the facts and
distinguish what is your personal knowledge and what others have told you. Do not include your
own opinions.
Information should include the following:
·
the child’s/vulnerable
adults's
name, age and date of birth
·
the child’s/vulnerable
adult's
home address and telephone number
·
whether or not the person making the report is expressing their concern or
someone else’s
·
the nature of the allegation, including dates, times and any other relevant
information
· a description of any visible bruising or injury, location, size etc. Also any indirect signs,
such as behavioural changes
·
details of witnesses to the incidents
· the child’s/vulnerable adult's account, if it can be given, of what has happened and how
any
bruising/injuries occurred
·
have the parents/carer
been contacted?
If so what has been said?
·
has anyone else been consulted? If
so record details
·
has anyone been alleged to be the abuser?
Record detail
4.4
Reporting the Concern
All suspicions and allegations MUST be reported appropriately. It is recognised that strong
emotions can be aroused particularly in cases where sexual abuse is suspected or where
there is misplaced loyalty to a colleague. It is important to understand these feelings but not
allow them to interfere with your judgement
about any action to take.
The Sheffield Ship Model Society expects it’s members to discuss any concerns they may
have about the welfare of a child/vulnerable adult immediately with the person in charge
and subsequently to check that appropriate action has been taken.
If the Club Chairman is not available you should take responsibility and seek advice from the
NSPCC helpline, the duty officer at your local social services department or the police. Telephone
numbers can be found in your local directory.
Where there is a complaint against a
member, there may be three types of investigation.
·
Criminal
in which case the police are immediately involved
·
Child protection/vulnerable
adult
in which case the social services (and possibly) the police will be involved
·
Disciplinary or misconduct
in which case Sheffield Ship Model Society will be involved
As mentioned previously in this document the Sheffield Ship Model Society are not child/vulnerable
adult protection experts and it is not their responsibility to determine whether or not abuse has taken
place. All suspicions and allegations must be shared with professional agencies that are responsible
for child/vulnerable
adults
protection.
Social services have a legal responsibility under The Children Act 1989 to investigate all child
protection referrals by talking to the child and family (where appropriate), gathering information
from other people who know the child
and making inquiries jointly with the police.
NB: If there is any doubt, you must report the incident: it may be just one of a series
of other
incidences which together cause concern
Any suspicion that a child/vulnerable adult has been abused by a Member should be reported
to Sheffield Ship Model Society Chairman, who will take appropriate steps to ensure the safety
of the child/vulnerable adult in question and any other child who may be at risk. This will include
the following:
·
Sheffield Ship Model Society will refer the matter to social services department
· the parent/carer of the child/vulnerable adult will be contacted as soon as possible following
advice from the social services department
· the chair person of your organisation should be notified to decide who will deal with any
media inquiries and implement any immediate disciplinary proceedings
Allegations of abuse are sometimes made sometime after the event. Where such allegation
is made, you should follow the same procedures and have the matter reported to social services.
This is because other children/vulnerable adults in the hobby or outside it may be at risk from the
alleged abuser. Anyone who has a previous conviction for offences related to abuse against children/vulnerable
adults
is
automatically excluded from working with children.
4.5 N/A
4.6
Confidentiality
Every effort should be made to ensure that confidentiality is maintained for all concerned. Information
should be
handled and disseminated on a need to know basis only.
This includes the following people:
·
The parents/carer's
of the child
·
The person making the allegation
·
Social Services/police
·
The alleged abuser (and parents if the alleged abuser is a child)
Seek social services advice on who should approach the alleged abuser.
All information should be stored in a secure place with limited access to designated people, in line
with data protection laws.
4.7
Internal Inquiries and Suspension
· The Chairman of Sheffield Ship Model Society will make an immediate decision about whether
any individual accused of abuse should have their membership temporarily suspended pending
further
police and social services inquiries
· Irrespective of the findings of the social services or police inquiries the Sheffield Ship Model
Society Committee will assess all individual cases to decide whether a Member can be reinstated
and how this can be sensitively handled. This may be a difficult decision; especially where there is
insufficient evidence to uphold any action by the police. In such cases the Sheffield Ship Model
Society Committee must reach a decision based upon the available information which could
suggest that on the balance of probability, it is more likely than not that the allegation is true.
The welfare of the child/vulnerable
adult
should remain of paramount importance
throughout.