Children and Young People Safeguarding Policy

Introduction

Everyone working with children and young people has a responsibility for keeping them safe, irrespective of their role, whether they are paid members of staff or volunteers.  England Golf is committed to ensure that the sport of golf is one within which all participants can thrive in a safe environment and that all children and young people have an enjoyable and positive experience when playing golf

NB The Cambridgeshire Golf Club is a Proprietary Club and works together with the Ownership Group at the time.  Information is shared and recorded as appropriate and wherever The Cambridgeshire Golf Club is mentioned, it is implicit that the present Owners are included

Key principles

• The welfare of children is paramount
• A child is defined by law in England and Wales as a person under the age of 18 years
• All children, regardless of their Age, Race, Religion or Belief, Disability, Gender identity or Sexual Orientation, have the right to protection from abuse
• All concerns and allegations of abuse and poor practice will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately
• All children have the right to be safe
• All children have the right to be treated with dignity and respect
• The Cambridgeshire Golf Club will work with children, their parent(s)/guardian(s)/legal carer(s) and external organisations to safeguard the welfare of children participating in golf
• We recognise the authority of the statutory agencies and are committed to complying with Local Safeguarding Children Board Guidelines (LSCB), Working Together under the Children Act 2004, and any legislation and statutory guidance that supersedes these
• The Cambridgeshire Golf Club is committed to working in partnership with other key UK Golf Bodies to continually improve and to promote safeguarding initiatives across the sport
• The Cambridgeshire Golf Club owes a legal duty of care to children on their premises or engaged in their activities. That duty is to take reasonable care to ensure their reasonable safety and the duty is higher than it would be for adults

Objectives

The Cambridgeshire Golf Club aims to:

• Provide a safe environment for children and young people participating in golfing activities and try to ensure that they enjoy the experience
• Ensure robust systems are in place to manage any concerns or allegations
• Support adults (staff, volunteers, PGA Professionals, coaches, members and visitors) to understand their roles and responsibilities with regard to their duty of care and protection of children
• Provide appropriate level training, support and resources for staff, volunteers & coaches to make informed and confident responses to specific safeguarding issues and fulfill their role effectively
• Ensure that children and their parent(s)/guardian(s)/ legal carer(s) are informed and consulted and where appropriate, fully involved in decisions that affect them
• Reassure the parent(s)/guardian(s)/legal carer(s) that all children and young people will receive the best care possible whilst participating in club activities and communicate Policy and Procedure to them through website/letter/consents

Responsibilities and implementation

The Cambridgeshire Golf Club will seek to promote the principles of safeguarding children by:

• Reviewing their policy and procedures every three years or whenever there is a major change in legislation. Guidance from England Golf will be sought as part of the review process
• Conducting a risk assessment of club activities regarding safeguarding and take appropriate action to address the identified issues within suitable timescales
• Using appropriate recruitment procedures to assess the suitability of volunteers and staff working with children and young people in line with guidance from England Golf
• Following National Governing Body (NGB) procedures to report concerns and allegations about the behaviour of adults and ensuring that all staff, volunteers, parents/guardians/legal carers and children are aware of these procedures
• Directing staff, volunteers & coaches to appropriate safeguarding training and learning opportunities, where this is appropriate to their role