Cumbernauld Chess Club is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children and young people. It recognises its responsibility to take all reasonable steps to promote safe practice and to protect children from harm, abuse and exploitation.

 

We will endeavour to work together to encourage the development of an ethos which embraces difference and diversity and respects the rights of children, young people and adults.

 

Cumbernauld Chess Club will:

 

·         Ensure that all members understand their legal and moral obligations to protect children and young people from harm, abuse and exploitation;

·         Develop best practice in relation to the recruitment of all volunteers;

·         Ensure that all volunteers understand their responsibility to work to the standards and procedures detailed in the Club’s Code of Conduct, Code of Good Practice and the Child Protection Procedures;

·         Ensure that all volunteers understand their obligations to report care or protection concerns about a child/young person, or a volunteer’s  conduct towards a child/young person, to the Club’s designated person for child protection;

·         Ensure that all procedures relating to the conduct of workers are implemented in a consistent and equitable manner;

·         Ensure that the designated person understands his/her responsibility to refer any child protection concerns to the statutory child protection agencies (i.e. Police and/or Social Work);

·         Provide opportunities for all volunteers to develop their skills and knowledge particularly in relation to the care and protection of children and young people;

·         Ensure that children and young people are enabled to express their ideas and views on a wide range of issues and will have access to the Club’s Complaints Procedure;

·         Ensure that parents/carers are encouraged to be involved in the work of the organisation and, when requested, have access to all guidelines and procedures;

·         Endeavour to keep up-to-date with national developments relating to the care and protection of children and young people.

 

Section 1: Introduction.

 

Whilst the primary function of Cumbernauld Chess Club is to foster and encourage the game of chess, it is important that this is carried out within an environment that regards the welfare of any child or vulnerable adult involved as its prime concern.  Cumbernauld Chess Club actively welcomes membership from any individual and regularly entertains visitors to its premises. 

 

The Club presently has several junior members in the age range 8 – 18 years.  They attend the Club regularly and receive training to improve performance; some participate in matches that may involve travel to other venues.  As a consequence the Club are bound by the legislation to determine the necessary procedures that will protect all children who attend the Club as members, guests or visitors.

 

Section 5 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 which states that “it shall be the responsibility of a person who is 16 or over and who has care and or control of a child under 16, to do what is reasonable to safeguard the child's health, development and welfare. "  This means that as a Cub we have a duty of care for any person under the age of 18 that we supervise at the club

 

 

The Protection of Children (Scotland) act 2003 places certain legal obligations on organisations that appoint volunteers to “child care” positions (defined as ….. training, supervising or being in sole charge of people under 18 years of age).  As a club that we need to formalise our present concern for the care and protection of young people and to ensure that they are managed in a manner consistent with the law and good practice.

 

 

 It is the responsibility of all adults to ensure that children are cared for and protected and we expect all our members to participate in ensuring that this happens within Cumbernauld Chess Club. 

 

There are however several volunteer positions which may require an adult to be in charge of children.  These positions are Youth Captain and Youth Chaperone, and those undertaking these positions shall be known as designated members.  All members and parents will be offered the opportunity to become a designated member.

 

Notwithstanding the previous comments, no adult member should feel obligated to become a designated member but should realise that without being so they would not then be allowed to be in charge of children.

 

Cumbernauld Chess Club is committed to the right of children to be protected from harm, abuse and exploitation and to be involved in any decisions which directly affect them.  We believe our constitution and policies reflect this and will continue to explore ways in which this can be developed.

 

The members of the committee are responsible for developing and reviewing the Club’s Child Protection Policy Statement and Procedures and other care and protection policies and guidelines.  These should be considered on a regular basis and this document will be reviewed before the 2007 AGM.

 

Cumbernauld Chess Club is committed to equal opportunities and believes that no one should be discriminated against on grounds of their race, colour, creed or sexual orientation.  As part of the recruitment procedures relating to designated members we have established a policy on the recruitment of ex-­offenders (see below).

 

Section 2: Procedures for appointment of adults as Designated Members which are child care positions (as defined by schedule 2 of the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003).

 

The Protection of Children (Scotland) act 2003 places certain legal obligations on organisations that appoint volunteers to “child care” positions (defined as ….. training, supervising or being in sole charge of people under 18 years of age).

 

This requires us to ensure that:

 

·         an individual recruited to a child care post (as defined by the Act) is not named on the List (other than provisionally);

·         an individual who is appointed to a child care position who, at a later date is found to be named on the List (other than provisionally), is removed from such a position;

·         an individual is referred to the List where the grounds for referral under the Act are met.

 

 

In order to meet these obligations Cumbernauld Chess Club will:

 

·         The Club will register with the Central Registered Body in Scotland (CRBS).

·         The Club will elect a member to the post of Youth Captain. 

·         The Youth Captain will be the lead signatory / collator for CRBS.

·         The Youth Captain will automatically be a member of the Club management committee.

·         The Youth Captain will be responsible for checking identification documents for additional signatories (members who volunteer to participate in the disclosure process).  In addition, he/she will be responsible for maintaining the list of additional signatories

·         Those members who wish to participate in supervising and/or training children will be required to conform to the disclosure requirements of the Act.  Such members will be referred to as designated members. 

·         Only designated members will be entitled to be in charge of children.  Parents who are not paid-up members of the Club but who wish to volunteer for any of the above activities will be subject to the same disclosure requirements and for the purposes of the Act will be referred to as designated members.

·         Members who elect not to participate in the disclosure process are regarded as non-designated members.  They must never be left in a Child Care Position (as defined by schedule 2). 

·         It is the duty of the Committee to establish that all designated members have no criminal record involving children (current or spent). To ensure this is the case they will be asked to undergo a Disclosure process to establish this.

·          It shall be the duty of the Club Committee to take appropriate means to check all relevant information provided. We will as a matter of course, ask a new volunteer to provide details of two referees who may then be approached by the Club. When writing to a referee, Cumbernauld Chess Club will state explicitly that the potential volunteer is being considered for a position which involves voluntary work with young children and/or young people, and seeks views on their suitability for such work. If the reference provided is vague or ambiguous the referee should be contacted in person or by telephone to discuss the matter further.

·         Such checks are not to be taken as a guarantee of integrity and all other safeguards will still apply.

·         Persons on the Disqualified from Working with Children List will be banned from holding a childcare position within Cumbernauld Chess Club and should never be left alone with children.

Section 3: Types of abuse and a summary of signs and indicators.

 

Cumbernauld Chess Club has taken the information from the Sport Scotland procedures as the basis for this section see appendix A in the attached document.

 

 

Section 4: Procedures for responding to concerns about abuse/neglect.

 

All allegations of abuse / neglect should be taken seriously.  It is not our responsibility to investigate such allegations but rather to refer them on to the appropriate authorities e.g. social work / police. 

 

1. If you become concerned that a child is being abused/neglected by someone outwith the Club because they have alleged that they are being abused, or a third party informs you that they believe a child is being abused/neglected or you observe signs and indicators which could point to abuse/neglect.

 

You Should:

Immediately contact the President or Secretary and report the incident, use the attached form appendix B to record your information.

 

The President or Secretary will forward the required information to the child protection authorities, see appendix C for contact details.

 

2. If you become concerned that a child is being harmed or abused by someone within the Cumbernauld Chess Club because (for example):

 

·         a child/young person alleges that they have been harmed by a club member;

·         or

·         a parent/carer or other individual from outwith the organisation alleges that their/a child has been harmed by a club member;

·         or

·         other members may have witnessed or have concerns about a members behaviour towards children/young people.

 

You should:

Immediately contact the President or Secretary and report the incident; you should also complete an incident form.  All such concerns will be reported to the Child protection authorities for further investigation.  If as a result of such investigations grounds for referral are met then Cumbernauld Chess Club will refer the individual concerned to the list.

 

If a parent has any concerns about a Cumbernauld Chess Club member, the organisation would appreciate if this concern could be passed on to it. Such information should be given to the President or Secretary. Similarly, other Cumbernauld Chess Club members have a duty to pass on any such concerns to these officials.

 

Any member who has an allegation of abuse to children made against him or her should inform the President (or Secretary). In some circumstances it may be advisable for the person to 'step down' whilst the allegations are being investigated. Under no circumstances will such an action be seen as admitting any guilt but should be seen as a way of distancing the Club from controversy.

 

 

3. Where an individual makes an allegation about historical abuse, this should be treated in a similar manner to the above with the incident being recorded on the incident form and contact made with the President or Secretary immediately.  As with all other allegations this information should be forwarded to the Child protection authorities for action.

 

Section 5: Referring a concern to the Child Protection Authorities

 

On receiving a report from a member of the club or from someone outside the club the President or Secretary should:

·         Make sure that they have a complete record of the allegation ensuring that the incident reporting form has been completed.

·         Forward the allegation as soon as possible to the Child Protection authorities, if you consider that the child is in immanent danger then take steps to ensure that the authorities are alerted and the child kept safe.

·         Do not undertake further investigation without advice from the Child Protection authorities.

·         If the allegation is about the child’s parent/carer then this should not be discussed with them without advice having been received from the Child protection authorities.

 

Section 6: Protection of workers who report care and protection concerns.

 

You should be aware that the law protects you from actions by those individuals who have been implicated in the abuse, harm and/or neglect of a child or young person AS LONG AS your report was not malicious or vexatious.  The best way of protecting yourself and the Club is by being aware of these procedures and carrying them out when faced with allegations of child abuse/neglect.

 

Section 7: Storage and Disposal of Documents

In accordance with the Scottish Executive Code of Practice, for registered persons and other recipients of Disclosure Information, Cumbernauld Chess Club will ensure the following practice.

1.      Disclosures will only be requested when necessary and relevant to a particular post and the information provided on a disclosure certificate will only be used for recruitment purposes.

2.      Cumbernauld Chess Club will ensure that an individual's consent is given before seeking a disclosure, and will seek their consent before using disclosure information for any purpose other than recruitment.

3.      Disclosure information will only be shared with those authorised to see it in the course of their duties.

4.      Where additional disclosure information is provided to Cumbernauld Chess Club and not to the disclosure applicant, Cumbernauld Chess Club will not disclose this information to the applicant, but will inform them of the fact that additional information has been provided, should this information affect the recruitment decision.

5.      Disclosure information will be stored in a locked non-portable container, for a maximum of 6 months. Only those authorised to see this information in the course of their duties will have access to this container.

6.      Disclosure information will be destroyed by shredding.

7.      No image or photocopy of the disclosure information will be made, however the following details will be retained:-

1.      Date of issue of disclosure

2.      Name of subject

3.      Disclosure type

4.      Position for which disclosure was requested

5.      Unique reference number of disclosure

6.      Recruitment decision taken

7.      A record will be kept of the documents used for identification purposes.

Cumbernauld Chess Club will ensure that all staff with access to disclosure information are aware of this policy and have received relevant training and support.

Cumbernauld Chess Club undertakes to make a copy of this policy available to any applicant for a post with Cumbernauld Chess Club that requires a disclosure.

 

Section 8 Rehabilitation Of Offenders

Cumbernauld Chess Club undertakes to treat all applicants for positions within the organisation fairly and not to discriminate unfairly against the subject of a disclosure on the basis of conviction or other information revealed.

Cumbernauld Chess Club will only request a Standard or Enhanced disclosure where it is necessary and relevant to the position sought.

Where a position requires a disclosure Cumbernauld Chess Club will make this clear on the application form, job advert and any other information provided about the post.

At interview, Cumbernauld Chess Club will ensure that open and measured discussions can take place on the subject of offences. Failure to reveal information at interview, that is directly relevant to the position sought could lead to withdrawal of an offer of employment or volunteer.

·         At interview, or when receiving a disclosure which shows a conviction, Cumbernauld Chess Club will take into consideration:-

·         Whether the conviction is relevant to the position being offered

·         The seriousness of the offence revealed.

·         The length of time since the offence took place

·         Whether the applicant has a pattern of offending behaviour

·         Whether the applicant's circumstances have changed since offending took place.

Cumbernauld Chess Club will ensure that all their representatives involved in the recruitment process are aware of this policy and have received relevant training and support.

Cumbernauld Chess Club undertakes to make a copy of this policy available to any applicant for a post with Cumbernauld Chess Club that requires a disclosure.

The following guidelines are provided for your assistance.

In the event of the Club hosting visitors for any purpose, a designated member must be given charge of child members for the duration of the visit.

 

Parents are responsible for the transportation of their Children to and from Chess venues. In the event of a child being offered the opportunity to play in a match at a different venue the parent of that child will be asked to transport the child to and from the venue.  The sole responsibility of the team captain is to provide information about location and time to the child’s parent.

 

All members and parents of children must be given a copy of these policies and procedures.  New members must be given a copy of the policies and procedures together with an explanation of the background to the need for such procedures.  Members and parents of children should sign to acknowledge receipt of their copy of the policies and procedures

Where trips are organised that include children it is advisable to have adults of both sexes accompanying the party. However, before counting such people as adults for this purpose, regard should be given to the nature of the trip and the maturity of the young adult bearing in mind that the Protection of Children (Scotland) Act 2003 considers that an "adult" should be at least 18 years of age.

As children tend to be 'playful' on long journeys it is advisable to have an adult, other than the driver, on the minibus if this is the form of transport used.

Where an overnight stay is involved it is advisable to have adults of both sexes present. This is imperative when younger children are involved.

It is inadvisable that training be offered, particularly to younger children, on a one to one basis if this involves being alone with the child. Where training is taking place it is advisable to have a parent present. At the very least it should take place in a room which can be observed easily by others.
If you are waiting alone with a child who has to be collected by a responsible adult, it is advisable that this is done in a public place.

If taking children home, e.g. from a chess match, serious consideration should be given to arranging a pickup point for the party. If this cannot be done conveniently then consideration should be given to the order in which children are dropped off e.g. plan the route to minimise your time alone with a child; try to keep to busy roads; etc. Cumbernauld Chess Club reserves the right to ask parents/guardians to sign letters of consent indicating agreement to any envisaged transport etc arrangements.

Cumbernauld Chess Club recommends that any child with concerns should immediately speak to its accompanying adult or other responsible person. An alternative to informing parents would be to confide in a school teacher or contact Childline (0800 1111).

An adult to whom an allegation is made must act on the information given. This could mean seeking professional help from Social Services or the police. The adult should not keep the information to him/herself nor promise the child that such information will be restricted to the two of them.

Appendix A

 

Definition of Terms

 

Child:

A child is defined as anyone under 16 years of age.

 

16 to 18 year olds:

 

Young people aged 16 to 18 years are sometimes classified as children in Scotland. In terms of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995, a 16 to 18 year old will be regarded as a child if they are subject to a supervision requirement through a Children's Hearing.

 

For the purposes of Part V of the Police Act 1997 a child is defined as anyone under the age of 18 years.

 

Vulnerable Adults:

The term Vulnerable Adult refers to any person aged 16 or over whom for the time being:

 

o        Are unable to safeguard their own welfare or properly manage their financial affairs; and

o        Are in one or more of the following categories:

o        A person in need of care and attention by reason of either infirmity or the effects of ageing

o        A person suffering from an illness or mental disorder

o        A person substantially handicapped by a disability

 

Vulnerable Adults may be in need of health or social support services and may be unable to take care of himself/herself and to protect themselves from harm or exploitation.

 

A number of studies suggest that children and vulnerable adults are at increased risk of abuse. Various factors contribute to this such as stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, isolation and a powerlessness to protect themselves or adequately communicate that abuse has occurred.

 

Types of Abuse

It is generally accepted that there are four forms of abuse. However, in some cases negative discrimination and bullying can have severe and adverse effects on a child or vulnerable adult. Cumbernauld Chess Club is committed to protecting children and vulnerable adults from all forms of abuse.

 

Recognising child abuse is not easy and it is not a person’s responsibility to decide whether or not a child or vulnerable adult has been abused. It is a person’s responsibility to pass on any concerns and for the Police and/or Social Work Department to investigate.

 

The signs of abuse listed are not definitive or exhaustive. The list is designed to help Cumbernauld Chess Club members to be more alert to the signs of possible abuse.

 

Children and vulnerable adults may display some of the indicators at some time; the presence of one or more should not be taken as proof that abuse is occurring. Any of these signs or behaviours must be seen in the context of the child/vulnerable adult's whole situation and in combination with other information related to the child/vulnerable adult and his/her circumstances. There can also be overlap between different forms of abuse.

 

Emotional Abuse

Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional ill treatment of a child or vulnerable adult such as to cause severe and adverse effects on their emotional development. It may involve conveying that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person.

 

It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children or vulnerable adults. It may also involve causing a child or vulnerable adult to frequently feel frightened or in danger, or the corruption or exploitation of a child or vulnerable adult.

 

Emotional Abuse in Sport

 

This may include the persistent failure to show self-respect, build self-esteem and confidence by children or vulnerable adults that may be caused by:

• Exposure to humiliating or aggressive behaviour or tone.
• Failure to intervene where self-confidence and worth are challenged or undermined.

Signs of possible emotional abuse:

• Low self esteem
• Continual self deprecation
• Sudden speech disorder
• Significant decline in concentration
• Immaturity
• ‘Neurotic ’ behaviour e.g. rocking
• Self-mutilation
• Compulsive stealing
• Extremes of passivity or aggression
• Running away
• Indiscriminate friendliness

Neglect

Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child or vulnerable adult's basic physical and/or psychological needs. It may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food, shelter, warmth, clothing and cleanliness. It may also include leaving a child home alone, exposure in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury or the failure to ensure that appropriate medical care or treatment is received.

 

Neglect in sport

This could include the lack of care, guidance, supervision or protection that may be caused by:

• Exposure to unnecessary cold or heat.
• Exposure to unhygienic conditions, lack of food, water or medical care.
• Non-intervention in bullying or taunting.

Neglect, as well as being the result of a deliberate act, can also be caused through the omission or the failure to act or protect.

Signs of possible neglect:

o        Constant hunger

o        Poor personal hygiene

o        Constant tiredness

o        Poor state of clothing

o        Frequent lateness or unexplained non-attendance at school

o        Untreated medical problems

• Low self esteem
• Poor peer relationships
• Stealing

 

Physical Abuse

Physical Abuse may involve the actual or attempted physical injury to a child or vulnerable adult including hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, scalding, drowning, suffocating or otherwise harming them.

Physical Abuse 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 described as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. A person may do this because they need or enjoy the attention they receive through having a sick child.

 

Physical abuse may also be a deliberate act, omission or failure to protect.

 

Physical Abuse in Sport

This may include bodily harm caused by lack of care, attention or knowledge that may be caused by:

• Over training or dangerous training of athletes.
• Over playing an athlete.
• Failure to do a risk assessment of physical limits or pre-existing medical conditions
• Administering, condoning or failure to intervene in drug use.

 

Signs of possible physical abuse:

 

Most children will sustain cuts and bruises throughout childhood. These are likely to occur in boney parts of the body like elbows, shins and knees. In most cases injuries or bruising will be genuinely accidental. An important indicator of physical abuse is where bruises or injuries are unexplained or the explanation does not fit the injury or the injury appears on parts of the body where accidental injuries are unlikely e.g. on the cheeks or thighs. The age of the child must also be considered. Signs of possible physical abuse include:

 

Unexplained injuries or burns, particularly if they are recurrent, improbable excuses given to explain injuries.

• Refusal to discuss injuries.
• Fear of parents being approached for an explanation.
• Untreated injuries or delays in reporting them.
• Excessive physical punishment to themselves.
• Arms and legs kept covered in hot weather.
• Avoidance of swimming, physical education etc.
• Fear of returning home.
• Aggression towards others.
• Running away.

When considering the possibility of non-accidental injury it is important to remember that injuries may have occurred for other reasons e.g. skin disorders, rare bone diseases.

Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or vulnerable adult to take part in sexual activities whether or not they are aware of or consent to what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact, including penetrative or non-penetrative acts. This may include non-contact activities such as forcing children or vulnerable adults to look at or be involved in the production of pornographic material, to watch sexual activities or encouraging them to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

 

Boys and girls can be sexually abused by males and/or females, including persons to whom they are not related and by other young people. This includes people from all walks of life.

 

Sexual Abuse in Sport

This could include contact and non-contact activities and may be caused by:

• Exposure to sexually explicit inappropriate language, jokes or pornographic material
• Inappropriate touching
• Having any sexual activity or relationship
• Creating opportunities to access children or vulnerable adults ’ bodies

 

Not all children or vulnerable adults are able to tell that they have been sexually assaulted. Changes in their behaviour may be a signal that something has happened. It is important to note that there may be no physical or behavioural signs to suggest that a child or vulnerable adult has been sexually assaulted.

 

A child or vulnerable adult who is distressed may display some of the following physical, behavioural or medical signs that should alert you to a problem. It is the combination and frequency of these that may indicate sexual abuse. Always seek advice.

 

Signs of possible sexual abuse:

o        Behavioural