MALVERN JOGGERS is friendly, welcoming and inclusive. We are focused on ensuring that all members can participate freely in club activities feeling safe and secure in our club environment.
The Role of Club Welfare Officers
While safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone within the club (led by the whole committee), having club welfare officers ensures the club has a dedicated persons with the primary responsibility for managing and reporting concerns about adults at risk.
The welfare officers give members a trained and trusted person to speak to about a concern, either within the club or at times outside athletics. The welfare officers are the lead persons with the right skills and knowledge to manage any concern raised in an appropriate way. They will know how to deal with concerns in a way that wouldn’t hamper an investigation. Their responsibility is to ensure the right information is shared with the right people at the right time.
By completing training provided by England Athletics and understanding the policies and procedures set out by UK Athletics, clubs can be confident that their welfare officers have the right level of knowledge for the role. This includes how to raise a concern and who to speak to within the sport.
Malvern Joggers Running Club Welfare Officers:
Marie McNally
Jane Palfreman
Definitions
A definition of the roles described throughout this document are included below:
Coaches: Club members who have an EA Coaching qualification (CiRF).
Run leaders: Club members who have completed the Leader in Running Fitness (LiRF) course.
Guide Runner: an individual who supports a visually impaired person by guiding them whilst running
All Coaches and Run Leaders undertake Safeguarding in Athletics training on an bi-annual basis run by England Athletics.
Roles and responsibilities
All Committee Members, Coaches, Leaders and members of the club have responsibility to uphold the welfare policies and procedures, to adhere to good practice and to respond to any suspected breaches.
The safeguarding policy will be actively promoted to club members
All athletes at risk are entitled to a duty of care and to be protected from abuse.
MALVERN JOGGERS commits to the England Athletics safeguarding policies in their entirety:
- Safeguarding adults in athletics
- Safeguarding Policy
This aims to support all club members, Coaches, Leaders, Guide Runners, Volunteers and Committee members, to apply these policies locally.
Statement of good practice
The club will adhere to the accepted ethical framework for best practice outlined in Safeguarding adults in athletics, available from England Athletics.
Any club member that is concerned these standards are not maintained, or about poor practice or possible abuse should report this immediately to the committee or to England Athletics.
Welfare
MALVERN JOGGERS Running Club takes the welfare of its members very seriously. We are obliged through our affiliation to England Athletics to implement the policies and procedures that they have established.
Club Welfare Officers
The Club Welfare Officer (CWO) will listen confidentially* to any issue that may arise, and endeavor to support your individual needs and wellbeing. If you have any queries or concerns, we encourage you to contact our Club Welfare Officer and discuss your concern(s) directly with them.
* In order to provide the support for your needs and well-being, the information shared with a Welfare Officer may be shared with other Welfare Officers and/or the Committee, but only on a need to know basis. Exceptions are also made, for example if you may present a danger of violence to others; or if there is a reasonable suspicion that you are likely to harm yourself unless protective measures are taken. In this case information may be shared with the appropriate support contact (such as the Worcestershire Adult Safeguarding Team)
Further information is available at the links below:
https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/safeguardingadults
The current Club Welfare Officers are Marie McNally and Jane Palfreman who are available to offer help and advice.
You can contact either of the CWOs by emailing them here need email addresses
Welfare – what it means
The Club aims to create an environment where you feel safe and are able to participate in club events without being subject to any form of harassment, bullying, verbal or physical abuse or excessive pressure.
Welfare covers a wide range of issues such as safeguarding, anti-bullying, equality, poor practice in coaching and disciplinary and grievance matters..
Welfare – what we expect from our members
It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all those who participate in club activities. If you deem the actions of a member towards another member to be inappropriate, please discuss your concerns with a member of the committee or contact the Club Welfare Officer (CWO) directly so the committee can discuss any action (if any) that needs to be taken.
Welfare – what we expect from our coaches / run leaders
Coaches and run leaders are responsible for ensuring all members adhere to this policy to ensure the safety and enjoyment of those participating in club activities. Appendix 1 provides detail of the Code of Conduct for Coaches.
Disclosure, allegation or concern
Any person with information of a disclosure, allegation or concern about the welfare of a vulnerable adult must immediately report to the Club Welfare Officer (CWO) who will refer the matter on to the appropriate body.
Breaches of this Policy
If any member or individual associated with Malvern Joggers running club in any capacity, feels there have been breaches in the codes of conduct or this safeguarding policy, they should discuss with the Club’s Welfare Officer.
If the matter is not resolved, any individual involved at any level of the sport of athletics can raise concerns with UK Athletics for investigation (?) as outlined in the EA Whistleblowing policy.
Appendix 1.
As a responsible athletics Coach you will:
- Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every athlete and others involved in athletics and treat everyone equally.
- Place the welfare and safety of the athlete above the development of performance.
- Be appropriately qualified including obtaining Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance, update your licence and education as and when required by
EA and adhere to the terms of the coaching licence. - Ensure that activities you direct or guide are appropriate for the age, maturity, experience and ability of the individual athlete.
- At the outset clarify with athletes exactly what it is that is expected of them and what athletes are entitled to expect from you.
- Never try to recruit, either overtly or covertly, athletes who are already receiving coaching. If approached by an athlete receiving coaching refer immediately to the coach currently providing coaching support.
- Try to observe a recommended maximum ratio of 1 coach to 12 athletes at a training session or work in partnership with another Coach/coaching assistant.
- Cooperate fully with others involved in the sport such as technical officials, team managers, other coaches, doctors, physiotherapists, sport scientists and
representatives of the governing body in the best interests of the athlete. - Consistently promote positive aspects of the sport such as fair play and never condone rule violations or the use of prohibited or age-inappropriate substances.
- Encourage and guide athletes to accept responsibility for their own performance and behaviour.
- Develop appropriate working relationships with athletes based on mutual trust and respect, especially with vulnerable adult athletes.
- Do not exert undue influence to obtain personal benefit or reward.
- A Coach MUST strictly maintain a clear boundary between friendship and intimacy with athletes and do not conduct inappropriate relationships with athletes.
- Relationship with athletes can cause significant problems for other team members, raising concerns of favouritism and/or victimisation should the relationship later end.
- In particular, you MUST NOT allow an intimate personal relationship to develop between yourself and any vulnerable adult coached by you.
- It is strongly recommended that you do not allow intimate relationships to develop between yourself and athletes coached by you.
As a responsible Coach, when participating in or attending any athletics activities, including training/coaching sessions and competition events you will:
- Act with dignity and display courtesy and good manners towards others.
- Avoid swearing and abusive language and irresponsible behaviour including behaviour that is dangerous to yourself or others, acts of violence, bullying, harassment and physical and sexual abuse.
Challenge inappropriate behaviour and language by others. - Be aware that your attitude and behaviour directly affects the behaviour of athletes under your supervision.
- Never engage in any inappropriate or illegal behaviour.
- Avoid destructive behaviour and leave athletics venues as you find them.
- Not carry or consume alcohol to excess and/or illegal substances.