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BALLYCASTLE TENNIS CLUB
CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
• Ballycastle Tennis Club believes that all children should be safe and protected from
harm whether physical, sexual, emotional or neglect. The Club is committed
to safeguarding the well being of its members and is fully committed to the
principles of The Children (NI) Order 1995, the Data Protection Act (1998), ‘Co-operating to Safeguard Children’ (2003) and the U.N. Convention on the
Rights of the Child. Under legislation a young person is deemed to be a
“child” until he/she attains the age of eighteen.
• The Club subscribes to an Equal Opportunities Policy by being open to all,
regardless of age, sex, ability, disability, race, culture, language, religion or political persuasion.
• Club members can expect to be treated with dignity and respect.
Inappropriate language will be challenged and bullying will not be tolerated.
The Club subscribes to the principle that children should not be undermined or
subjected to embarrassment or ridicule.
• Ballycastle Tennis Club will aim to contribute to the growth of every child’s self
esteem by encouraging every child, regardless of skill, and by promoting praise
for effort as well as for achievement.
• Ballycastle Tennis Club will strive to protect children and young people by:-
- keeping parents informed
- adhering to the Club’s Child Protection Policy
- following the Club’s Child Referral Procedure
- ensuring that each member/member’s family and all adults working
in the club including coaches, parents and volunteers receive a
copy of the club’s Child Protection Policy and Referral Procedures
- informing Club members/parents that they should express any
concerns they may have
- identifying 2 contact persons (1 male, 1 female) to whom children
and adults can turn if they wish to express concerns
- developing an awareness of issues which may lead to children being
harmed
- availing of training made available through other agencies
- keeping child protection policy under regular review
• It is the club’s policy to listen to children and to respect their views. Any
expressed concerns or allegations will be treated seriously and acted upon. If
the Club is unsure about the course of action to take they will consult with
Social Services, the Police or other appropriate bodies. Confidentiality will be
observed and information shared on a need to know basis.
• Adult Club members should not:-
- spend time alone with children away from others
- transport children alone in a car on journeys, however short
- take children to adult club member’s homes without parents
permission
Where occasions arise where such things are unavoidable, they should only
occur with the full knowledge of the child’s parents
• Club members should never:
- engage in rough physical games, including horseplay, apart from
structured sports activities
- engage in sexually provocative games
- allow or engage in inappropriate touching of any form
- allow children or adults to use inappropriate language unchallenged
- make sexually suggestive comments about or to a child even in fun
- let allegations a child makes go unchallenged or unrecorded
- do things of a personal nature for children that they can do for themselves
• Club members and parents should note that in coaching tennis, it may
sometimes be necessary to make physical contact with a child in order to
demonstrate a particular stroke or technique. This should only occur when
necessary and in an open and appropriate way with the knowledge,
permission and full understanding of the child concerned and his/her parents.
• For Club Supervised activities on court, we will strive to ensure that two Adult
Club members /Parents of Club members will be present.
• Parents will be fully informed about any trips away and parental consent will
be sought for any activities involved. The supervision of children on trips will be
in line with "Our Duty To Care" good practice guide-lines and Code of Ethics
Good Practice for Children’s Sport (The Irish Sports Council).
• Selection of any new Club coach will take the following into account:-
- Applicant’s understanding of the emotional, physical and personal
needs of children and young people
- his/her ability to create a safe and positive environment where
children are respected and valued
- commitment to the Club’s Child Protection Policy and Referral
Procedure
- commitment to undertake Child Protection training
- completion of satisfactory Access NI checks
- the provision of two references – one professional, one personal
• Club members assisting with coaching will not generally be Access NI checked on
the grounds that they are being supervised by the coach.
• Employees of Causeway Coast and Glens Council who have access to children on the
tennis courts will be deemed to be governed by that body’s own Child
Protection Policy.
• It is recognised that members of the public have ready access to children in
the area of the tennis courts.
IF THE CHILDREN ARE NOT PARTICIPATING IN ORGANISED CLUB
COACHING/PLAYING SESSIONS THEIR SAFETY AND WELFARE AT THE COURTS IS DEEMED
TO BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THEIR PARENTS.
SIMILARLY IF CHILDREN ARE PARTICIPATING IN PRIVATE COACHING ONE TO ONE OR
OTHERWISE, IT IS THE PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE
SUPERVISION FOR THEIR CHILD.
DEFINITIONS OF ABUSE
Essentially ‘child abuse’ occurs when the behaviour of someone in a position
of greater power than a child causes harm. The common denominator of all
forms of child abuse is that it makes children feel bad and worthless. Because
children can be abused in a number of ways the harm caused cannot always
be easily categorised but we can identify four broad definitions of abuse.
NEGLECT – where children are persistently or severely neglected, or the failure to
protect a child from exposure to any kind of danger.
PHYSICAL – where children’s bodies are hurt by ill treatment, failure to protect
them, inadequate care or neglect of their basic needs.
SEXUAL - where children are encouraged or forced to observe or participate in
any form of sexual activity.
EMOTIONAL – where children are persistently or severely emotionally neglected or
rejected, for example, by not being given enough love or attention, by not
being taken seriously, or being intimidated by threats or taunts.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE CONCERNED THAT ABUSE IS OCCOURING
If you are concerned that a child or young person has been abused or is at
risk of abuse you must pass the concern on.
It is important that you take what the child says seriously and pass on the
concern without delay. The sooner you take action the more likely it is that
the abuse will stop.
DO’S DON’TS
• Stay calm • do not panic
• Listen and hear • do not make a child repeat the
story unnecessarily
• Give the child time to • do not promise to keep secrets
say what they want
• Reassure them that they have • do not enquire into the details of
done the right in telling the abuse
• Record in writing what was said • do not attempt to deal with
as soon as possible problem alone
• Report to either designated • do not alert the alleged abuser.
club member Steps will be taken to ensure that
he/she does not have access to
• Record that you have reported it children in the club
If you are unable to locate either designated club member, do not delay,
report your concern directly to the club chairperson.
Where you are unable to consult with anyone or there is doubt or
uncertainty, it is strongly recommended that you get in touch directly with
Social Services, the Police or NSPCC. Please refer to the ‘Child Referral
Procedure’ for contact numbers.
BALLYCASTLE TENNIS CLUB CHILD REFERRAL PROCEDURE
Allegation/suspicion/concern/ raised about a child should be passed on to one of the Club Child Protection officers (current officers are named on the Club Website and Noticeboard) who should then notify the Club Designated Officer (current DO is named on the Club website and noticeboard).
The Designated Officer in consultation with the Club Chairperson will then if deemed necessary contact the relevant authorities – see below.
C.P.S.U. (Child Protection in Sport) 0203 222 4246
Social Services 028 2766 1340/7032 5462 – Offices are normally open 9am – 5pm Mon-Fri
There is an emergency out of hours service which can be contacted at 028 9446 8833
Police C.A.R.E. (Child Abuse Rape Enquiry) Unit 028 9025 9299 or 101
N.S.P.C.C. (24 hour service) 0808 800 500 (NI Regional Office 0203222 4200)
N.B. If after consultation there is disagreement on whether to refer a concern
to the Child Protection Agencies, an individual as a concerned citizen can
still make a referral.
GUIDELINES FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS
Parents/Guardians have the primary responsibility for the care and welfare of
their children within sport. Parents/Guardians should encourage their children
to participate in sport for fun and enjoyment and should ensure that their
child’s experience of sport is a positive one. Lessons learned in children’s sport
will shape values and attitudes in adult life. They should always remember
that children play sport for their own enjoyment not that of the
parents/guardians.
Parents/Guardians and sports leaders will ideally work in partnership to
promote good practice in children’s sport and to support all efforts to protect
against verbal, physical or sexual abuse in sporting activities. To do so,
parents/guardians should ensure that sports clubs treat their children with
fairness, respect and understanding and that the club is fulfilling its
responsibility to safeguard children. They should encourage their children to
tell them about anyone causing them harm. They should become aware of
club procedures and policies, in particular where changes are made that
affect them or their children and be informed of all matters relating to ethics
and good practice.
Parents/Guardians should remember that children learn best by example. To
assist in the promotion of good practice with the club or organisation they
should:
• Be aware of the relevant sports leaders and their role within the club
• Show appreciation of and respect for sports leaders and their decisions
• Encourage their child to play by the rules
• Behave responsibly on the sideline
• Focus on their child’s efforts rather than performance
• Focus on the fun and participation of the child in the activity
• Liase with the sports leaders in relation to the times/locations of training
sessions, medical conditions of their children and any requirement for their
child’s safety
• Parents are responsible for turning up on time to collect their child after a
coaching lesson
• Parents should co-operate with agreed plans for the collection of children. It
is not safe for children to wait unsupervised for their parents. Parents should
familiarise themselves with agreed plans.
TO PROMOTE THE PROCEDURES OF GOOD PRACTICE PARENTS/GUARDIANS SHOULD BE:
• Encouraged to become members of the club, where feasible and take an
active interest in the running of the club or any sporting activities in which their
children take part
• Willing to become the club member with responsibility for child protection
• Informed of the training and/or competitive programmes and be satisfied
with the general environment that is created for their children
• Informed if their child sustained an injury during sporting activities
• Informed of problems or concerns relating to their children
• Informed in advance and have their consent sought in relation to matters
regarding away trips, camps or specially organised activities
• Comments and suggestions by parents/guardians should always be
considered and their complaints acknowledged and dealt with as they arise
through an effective and confidential complaints procedure
PARENTS/GUARDIANS SHOULD NOT:
• Ignore or dismiss complaints or concerns expressed by a child which relate to
his/her involvement in sport
• Ridicule or yell at a child for making a mistake or losing a game
• Put undue pressure on their child to please or perform well
• Take safety for granted
• Treat the club as a child-minding service
GUIDELINES FOR CHILDREN
Children have a great deal to gain from sport in terms of their personal
development and enjoyment. The promotion of good practice in sport will
depend on the co-operation of all involved, including child members of sports
clubs/organisations. Children must be encouraged to realise that they also
have responsibilities to treat other children and sports leaders with fairness and
respect.
CHILDREN IN SPORT ARE ENTITLED TO:-
• Be safe
• Participate in sporting activities on an equal basis, appropriate to their ability
and stage of development
• Be treated with dignity, sensitivity and respect
• Be happy, have fun and enjoy sport
• Experience competition and the desire to win as a positive and healthy
outcome of striving for best performance
• Comment and make suggestions in a constructive manner
• Make a complaint in an appropriate way and have it dealt with through an
effective complaints procedure
• Be afforded appropriate confidentiality
• Be represented at decision making bodies/meetings within their sports club/
organisation
• Have a voice in the running of their club
• Be listened to
• Be believed
CHILDREN SHOULD UNDERTAKE TO:-
• Play fairly, do their best and have fun
• Shake hands before and after the event, whoever wins – and mean it
• Respect officials and accept their decisions with grace and not a grudge
• Respect fellow team members, give them full support both when they do well
and when things go wrong
• Respect opponents, they are not enemies, they are partners in a sporting
event
• Give opponents a hand if they are injured or have problems with equipment
• Accept apologies from opponents when they are offered
• Be modest in victory and be gracious in defeat
• Show appropriate loyalty to their sport and all its participants
• Make high standards of fair play the example others want to follow
• Approach the club member with responsibility for child protection with any
questions or concerns they may have
CHILDREN SHOULD NOT
• Cheat
• Use violence, use physical contact only when it is allowed within the rules
• Shout at, or argue with, the referee, officials, team mates or opponents
• Take banned substances to improve performance
• Bully
• Tell lies about adults or other children
• Spread rumours
• Keep secrets about any person who may have caused them harm
CODE FOR CHILDREN
• Tell someone you trust if something happens that you know is not right,
something that makes you feel lonely, unhappy, ashamed or frightened.
• Never let anyone do things for you that you can do for yourself.
• Never keep secrets which you know should not be kept
• Make sure your parents collect you on time
• Don’t take a lift home unless your parents know about it and only when there
are two people in the car as well as you.
• Don’t use bad language or get involved in "horseplay".
GUIDELINES FOR CHILDREN
Children have a great deal to gain from sport in terms of their personal
development and enjoyment. The promotion of good practice in sport will
depend on the co-operation of all involved, including child members of sports
clubs/organisations. Children must be encouraged to realise that they also
have responsibilities to treat other children and sports leaders with fairness and
respect.
CHILDREN IN SPORT ARE ENTITLED TO:-
• Be safe
• Participate in sporting activities on an equal basis, appropriate to their ability
and stage of development
• Be treated with dignity, sensitivity and respect
• Be happy, have fun and enjoy sport
• Experience competition and the desire to win as a positive and healthy
outcome of striving for best performance
• Comment and make suggestions in a constructive manner
• Make a complaint in an appropriate way and have it dealt with through an
effective complaints procedure
• Be afforded appropriate confidentiality
• Be represented at decision making bodies/meetings within their sports club/
organisation
• Have a voice in the running of their club
• Be listened to
• Be believed
CHILDREN SHOULD UNDERTAKE TO:-
• Play fairly, do their best and have fun
• Shake hands before and after the event, whoever wins – and mean it
• Respect officials and accept their decisions with grace and not a grudge
• Respect fellow team members, give them full support both when they do well
and when things go wrong
• Respect opponents, they are not enemies, they are partners in a sporting
event
• Give opponents a hand if they are injured or have problems with equipment
• Accept apologies from opponents when they are offered
• Be modest in victory and be gracious in defeat
• Show appropriate loyalty to their sport and all its participants
• Make high standards of fair play the example others want to follow
• Approach the club member with responsibility for child protection with any
questions or concerns they may have
CHILDREN SHOULD NOT
• Cheat
• Use violence, use physical contact only when it is allowed within the rules
• Shout at, or argue with, the referee, officials, team mates or opponents
• Take banned substances to improve performance
• Bully
• Tell lies about adults or other children
• Spread rumours
• Keep secrets about any person who may have caused them harm
CODE FOR CHILDREN
• Tell someone you trust if something happens that you know is not right,
something that makes you feel lonely, unhappy, ashamed or frightened.
• Never let anyone do things for you that you can do for yourself.
• Never keep secrets which you know should not be kept
• Make sure your parents collect you on time
• Don’t take a lift home unless your parents know about it and only when there
are two people in the car as well as you.
• Don’t use bad language or get involved in "horseplay".
