Cumbria Union of Golf Clubs
CHILD PROTECTION POLICY STATEMENT

Cumbria Union of Golf Clubs [The Union] is committed to creating and preserving the safest possible environment for children whilst at Union venues [including practice sessions] and is committed to the following :

1. The child’s safety and welfare is paramount whatever the circumstances;
2. Everyone with a role in working directly with, or supervising children, has a responsibility to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare, protecting them from harm and to provide a safe environment in which they can participate;
3. All suspicions and allegations of poor practice and abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately;
4. All staff/members/volunteers who work with children will be recruited with regard to their suitability for that responsibility and that they will be provided with any guidance and training necessary to assist them in their work with children;
5. All staff/members/volunteers who work with children will be aware of their responsibilities for child protection.

The following principles underpin Cumbria Union of Golf Club’s Child Protection Policy :

1. All children within golf, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious belief and/or sexual identity have the right to be protected;
2. Appropriate procedures are in place to provide consistent and appropriate protection to both children and the adults who work with children;
3. All children have the right to be safe and to be treated with dignity and respect;
4. All staff/members/volunteers who work with children will be provided with suitable training and support such that they will be aware of and understand best practice and how to manage any welfare or child protection issues that may occur;
5. The child protection procedures that will be developed for The Union will be based around the guidance contained within the Children in Golf [CiG] Resource Pack. 

The Children Act 1989 states that anyone who is involved in the care of children should “Do whatever is reasonable in the circumstances for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the child’s welfare”

Signed by :………John Holliday.President

The Union will implement and maintain a series of procedures that will underpin the Child Protection Policy Statement. A summary of the main procedures are as follows :

1. The Appointment of Nominated Persons

The Union will appoint nominated persons who will have the responsibility for ensuring the confidentiality of any information and deciding what action to take in the event of a report of suspected child abuse.

The Union’s nominated Welfare Officer is

1. Mr.J.Smith   Honorary Secretary

      In addition the following are child protection ‘nominated persons’ :

1. Mr. H.Thompson  Treasurer & Junior Assistant
2. Mr. A. Plane   Junior Assistant
3. Mr.K. Bowe    Junior Assistant
4. Mr. R. Forster  Junior Assistant

Note: it is not the responsibility of the Union Welfare Officer or the ‘nominated persons’ to decide whether or not child abuse is occurring, but it is their responsibility to act on concerns.

1. Training & Information

1. The Union will ensure that the nominated persons are adequately trained in their responsibilities.
2. Take Appropriate Action

The nominated persons who receive the information will take action according to two broad categories :

1. Is the practice poor ?
2. Is it abuse ?

In the case of poor practice, the nominated persons will report to The Union’s Executive Committee to bring about correction.  In the suspected case of abuse, the nominated persons will report the details to the appropriate governing body [contact details are contained in the CiG Resource Pack, a copy of which is kept in The Union’s Secretaries Office].

The Union will act strictly in accordance with the guidance given to the nominated person(s), with the prime concern being the safety of the child.

4) Maintain Records

The Union Secretary will maintain recruitment [Self Disclosure, CRB Check etc] and training records for all staff/members/volunteers who work with children. The nominated persons who receive information relating to poor practice or abuse will record all details in the Incident Record Form [See Appendix 6B of the CiG Resource Pack, a copy of which is kept in The Union Secretary’s Office].

5)  Review

The Union will review the operation of this policy each year by analysing any records, information recorded and the resultant actions taken.

1. Ensure Good Practice

The Union accepts its duty to minimise risk of child abuse.  The Union will ensure that anyone appointed into a position of sporting contact with children will act in accordance with the good practices detailed in CiG Resource Pack, a copy of which is kept in The Union Secretary’s Office.

1. Publish Procedures

The Union will ensure that all members are aware of the Union’s policy on Child Protection by publishing and distributing and/or displaying this policy.  The various procedures that underpin this policy are maintained by the Junior Organiser, copies of which are available to Union members upon request. A master copy of all procedures is kept in The Union Secretary’s Office.

1. Additional Areas

In addition, underpinning procedures also cover the following areas :

1. Good practice guidelines;
2. Communications guidelines;
3. Transporting children whilst representing the Union;
4. Photography and use of video;
5. Codes of Conduct for Children;
6. Codes of Conduct for staff/members/volunteers;
7. Parental guidance;
8. Late collection;
9. Union night registration;
10. Membership criteria and interviews;
11. Support/advice contact details.