1 INTRODUCTION
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) believe that all children and young people who partake in its events should be able to do so in an enjoyable, safe and positive environment and be protected from any kind of abuse. PDC is committed to ensuring our events are an inclusive environment to be enjoyed by all. PDC recognises its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children by protecting them from physical, sexual or emotional harm, and from neglect or bullying.
2 LEGISLATION
This policy has been drawn upon the basis of law and guidance that seeks to protect children, namely;
• Children Act 1989
• United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991
• Data Protection Act 1998
• Sexual Offences Act 2003
• Children Act 2004
• Equality Act 2010
• Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (including DBS checks and information)
• Guidance Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) – CEOP 2012
• Working Together 2015/2017
• Keeping Children Safe in Education 2016
• The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015
• Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998
• General Data Protection Regulations 2018
3 SAFEGUARDING POLICY
3.1 Safeguarding Policy Statement
The PDC is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and positive environment for all people involved in the sport. It accepts its responsibility to assist in the welfare of children and young people and to safeguard them from poor practice, abuse and bullying. This document reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice. PDC accepts that it is required to fulfil its duty of care, which means it must do everything reasonably expected of it to help safeguard and protect children from harm and to act when it suspects a child is being harmed or is at risk of harm. The policy recognises that the welfare and interests of children are paramount in all circumstances
3.2 Who This Policy Applies To?
This policy applies to all staff and board members of PDC, officials, players, contractors, volunteers and anyone working on behalf of PDC. It also applies to any other individuals involved in any other role at PDC events where opportunities are provided for children and young people, whether in a paid or voluntary capacity. For the avoidance of doubt, a child is defined as a person under the age of 18 (Children’s Act 1989 definition)
3.3 Why this Policy exists
Working with children places you in a position of trust that carries authority, power and responsibility. It is through the application of this policy that the PDC seeks to develop a positive and proactive safeguarding/welfare programme to enable all children and young people to participate in an enjoyable and safe environment. This equally applies to the safety and security of those working with and responsible for the activities involving children and young people.
3.4 Purpose & Scope
This policy is for use across all PDC events and is to be observed by all those working with children, young people and adults.
All requirements are obligatory and are to be enforced as indicated by the appropriate persons in all cases where there are any suspected instances of poor practice or abuse.
All employees, workers, consultants, agency staff and volunteers must make themselves aware of PDC Safeguarding Policy and Procedures and where appropriate their work with children and young people will be supported by a safeguarding training programme.
The PDC consider it everyone’s responsibility to safeguard children and adults at risk at events. It accepts responsibility to assist in the welfare of children and young people.
3.5 Aims & Key Principles
The aims of the PDC through this policy are:
• To safeguard all children and young people who interact with PDC
• To demonstrate best practice in the area of safeguarding children and young people
• To develop a positive and proactive welfare programme to enable all children and young people to participate in an enjoyable and safe environment.
The key principles underpinning this policy are:
• Create a safe and welcoming environment at events, where participants can have fun and develop their skills and confidence.
• All young people, whatever their age, gender, disability, culture, language racial origin, religious beliefs or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse and to participate in an enjoyable and safe environment
• Ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding and is provided with appropriate learning opportunities to recognise, identify and respond to signs of abuse, neglect and other safeguarding concerns relating to children and young people
• The child or young person’s welfare is and must always be the paramount consideration.
• All suspicions and allegations of poor practice or abuse will be taken seriously and responded to efficiently and appropriately
• Promote safeguarding as everyone’s responsibility. We all have a shared responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants and will act appropriately and report concerns.
• Ensure that PDC events are run to the highest possible safety standards.
• Be prepared to review its ways of working to incorporate good practice.
• Ensure appropriate action is taken in the event of incidents/concerns of abuse and support provided to the individual/s who raise or disclose the concern.
• Working in partnership with other organisations, children and young people and their parents/carers are essential.
• It is the responsibility of the child protection experts and agencies to determine whether or not abuse has taken place. It is everyone’s responsibility to report any concerns.
3.6 Recruitment and Disclosure
PDC has a safer recruitment policy which further supplements the key points that demonstrate its efforts to provide safe recruitment. As part of the PDC’s safer recruitment and selection process, offers of work for positions which involve working with children and young people are subject to satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check and appropriate references. All offers of work are subject to a satisfactory outcome to the screening process and until such time as a satisfactory disclosure has been confirmed, the individual concerned will not be permitted to commence work. All employees, workers, consultants, agency staff and volunteers in a position of trust will be required to undergo regular DBS disclosure clearances, normally every three years or earlier if requested. Should an individual’s DBS check reveal any convictions, PDC will consider whether the nature of the offence(s) render the person concerned unsuitable for working with children and young people. In such circumstances, when the nature of any disclosure must be considered, a risk assessment will be carried out to assess the information contained within the disclosure certificate. The individual may also be asked to attend an interview prior to a recruitment decision being made.
3.7 Good Practice Guidelines
All personnel are encouraged to demonstrate exemplary behaviour in order to protect themselves from false allegations. Common examples of how to create a positive culture and climate are as follows:
• Always work in in an open environment avoiding private or unobserved situations and encouraging open communication
• Always put the welfare of each young person first
• Maintain a safe and appropriate distance with children and young people and avoid unnecessary physical contact
• Make sport fun, enjoyable and promoting fair play
• Involve parents/carers where possible
• Keep written record of any injury that occurs whilst on site
The following should be reported immediately to the DSO “Dedicated Safeguarding Officer” with a record of the incident (and the parent/guardian of the child/young person should be informed):
• If you or any other person accidentally hurts a child
• If a child seems distressed in any manner
• If a child misunderstands or misinterprets something you have done
3.8 Recognition of Poor Practice
Child abuse can and does occur outside the family setting. Even for those experienced in working with child abuse, it is not always easy to recognise a situation where abuse may occur or has already taken place. The PDC acknowledges that its personnel, whether in a paid or voluntary capacity, are not experts at such recognition. However, all personnel have a responsibility to act if they have any concerns about the behaviour of someone (an adult or young person) towards a young person and to follow the procedures in this policy.
In many circumstances, a concern may relate to poor practice where the behaviour of someone may be causing distress to a child or young person.
Examples of poor practice include:
• Use of any physical or humiliating punishments
• Failure to act when you witness possible abuse or bullying
• Spending excessive amounts of time alone with young people
• Allowing any form of inappropriate touching
• Allowing young people to use inappropriate language unchallenged
• Reducing a person to tears as a form of control
• Allowing allegations made by a young person to go unchallenged or not acted upon
• Leaving a young person at an event venue for long periods of time with no guardian
4 CODE OF CONDUCT
The PDC code is that all staff should conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism and that sound common sense should be applied at all times. It is important for any member of staff not to put themselves in a position, by actions or word, that could give rise to any sort of misunderstanding or, indeed, allegation for example when conducting one to one coaching or other interactions, or conveying a child or young person privately, giving personal email or telephone numbers to children or young persons. Also, caution should be observed about sending text messages or any other electronic communication to children and young players. Such communication could easily be misunderstood or considered as inappropriate. Staff should refrain from any unplanned off-site interactions with young players. In all dealings with young players please observe common sense rules: all dealings with children and young players should be conducted according to the highest professional standards.
5 REPORTING ABUSE – PROCEDURES AND SYSTEMS AND PREVENTATIVE ARRANGEMENTS
5.1 Types of Abuse
• Physical Abuse – this is when someone deliberately hurts or harms a child, including hitting, shaking, throwing, or burning them. In sport, physical abuse might occur if they are given intense training beyond the capacity of their immature growing body, if they are required to participate when injured, if sanctions used by coaches involve inflicting pain, or they are encouraged to use drugs or harmful substances to enhance their performance or delay puberty.
• Neglect – this is where a child’s basic physical or psychological needs are not met. In sport, it might include a coach failing to ensure children are safe, exposing them to undue cold, heat, or extreme weather conditions without adequate clothing or hydration, exposing them to unnecessary risk of injury by ignoring safe practice guidelines, failing to ensure the use of safety equipment, or requiring young people to participate when injured or unwell
• Sexual Abuse – this involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the child is aware of what is really going on. It includes rape, sexual assault, or getting a child to watch sexual activity (including online pornography)
• Emotional Abuse – this is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child. It is also sometimes called psychological abuse and it can have severe and persistent adverse effects on a child’s emotional development.
• Bullying – this may come from another young person or an adult. It is defined as deliberate hurtful behaviour, usually repeated over a period, where it is difficult for those bullied to defend themselves.
5.2 Signs and indicators of abuse
• Behavioural changes such as reduced concentration and/or becoming withdrawn, depressed, tearful, emotionally up and down, reluctance to go training or compete
• an unexplained drop in performance
• physical signs such as stomach aches, headaches, difficulty in sleeping, scratching and bruising, damaged clothes and unexplained or suspicious injuries
• another young person or adult expresses concern about the welfare of a young person
• inappropriate sexual awareness
• being prevented from socialising with others
• engaging in sexually explicit behaviour
It must be recognised that the above list is not exhaustive, but also that the presence of one or more of the indications is not proof that abuse is taking place. It is NOT the responsibility of those working at PDC events to decide that child abuse is occurring. IT IS their responsibility to act on and report any concerns.
5.3 Roles & Responsibilities
PDC Dedicated Safeguarding Officer (“DSO”)
The DSO shall be the essential point of contact for welfare whilst on site at PDC events. The DSO shall be responsible for receiving and acting upon concerns reported to them at any PDC events. The DSO shall handle safeguarding matters in an appropriate and confidential manner. The DSO shall be approachable for any concerns regarding safeguarding and be appropriately supported by other members of the PDC team. The DSO will report concerns to the relevant authorities where needed.
Responsibility of Safeguarding Children
PDC acknowledges its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of every child and young person who have been entrusted to its care and is committed to working to provide a safe environment. All employees, workers, consultants, agency staff and volunteers are accountable for the way in which they exercise authority, manage risk, use resources, and protect children from discrimination and avoidable harm. To always ensure best practice employees, workers, consultants, agency staff and volunteers must be fully aware of this Safeguarding Policy, procedures and the responsibilities.
All employees, workers, consultants, agency staff and volunteers have a duty of care to keep children and young people safe; this can be exercised through the development of respectful, caring and professional relationships between adults and children/young people.
Employees, workers and volunteers must demonstrate integrity, maturity and good judgement whilst working with children and young people.
All employees or workers working in direct contact with children or young people such as head referees and key events personnel shall be required to complete all appropriate safeguarding qualifications and hold a current DBS (or equivalent in other jurisdictions).
The PDC will ensure that participants of events are aware of who the DSO on site, ensuring everyone knows how to report a concern if needed.
The PDC will also make sure of the following:
• There should be a current register of all participants/athletes
• A current register of contact details, including parent/guardian and emergency contact details retrieved during application stage
• Confidentially retained records of any medical conditions, allergies, special needs etc. for all individuals where disclosed retrieved during application stage
• A trained first aider on site at all events
• Current risk assessments for the premises and activities carried out
• Ensuring relevant training is provided and kept up to date for dedicated safeguarding officers, tournament director, and key event personnel
• Notify the venue of the DSO
• Shall not permit any competitor under the age of 18 to participate in the tournament without a guardian on site
5.4 How to report an incident
If a child or young person informs you directly that they are concerned about someone’s behaviour towards them, you should observe the following:
• React calmly so as not to frighten the child or young person
• Ensure the immediate safety of the child or young person
• If immediate medical attention is required, ensure that the child or young person is taken to a hospital and that the doctors are aware that this is a child protection issue
• Tell the child or young person that they are not to blame and that they were right to tell you
• Take the disclosure seriously
• Keep a record of facts of events
• Pass information on to the dedicated safeguarding officer who will then in from the relevant people or authorities where needed
• The Safeguarding officer will attempt to differentiate between poor practice and child abuse. This decision may not be made immediately and may only be possible after gathering further information
If you would like to report an incident, please complete, and return a copy of the incident report form at Appendix 1 to matthew.porter@matchroom.com
5.5 Photographic / Filming Equipment at events
Introduction
Parents and young people generally welcome opportunities to celebrate or publicise their involvement and achievements when taking part in sport by photographing children at events. Sports organisations may also want to promote their activities to encourage participation. It is important to note the key risks:
• Children may be identified, contacted or groomed – this can occur by including the child’s personal information alongside their image or by other details identifying the sports organisation
• Someone might take inappropriate or illegal images of children
Minimising the risks
• Think carefully before using any images showing children and young people on your website
• Choose images that present the activity in a positive light
• Only use images of children in suitable clothing
• Inform the nominated parent/guardian given at the time of application that a photographer and videographer will be in attendance
• Ensure parents and children consent to both the taking and publication of films or photos (example consent form included at Appendix 2). Clearly communicate where consent is not given and identify the child or young person whose photo should not be taken
• Provide the photographer and videographer with a clear brief and ensure he/she is clearly identifiable
• Clarify where photography is prohibited
General images of events
At many events, organisers will wish to take wide-angle, more general images of the event, the site, opening and closing ceremonies, and so on.
It’s usually not reasonable, practical or proportionate to secure consent for every participating child in order to take such images, or to preclude such photography on the basis of the concerns of a small number of parents.
In these circumstances, organisers should make clear to all participants and parents that these kinds of images will be taken, and for what purposes.
6 APPENDIX 1
Click here to download the PDC Incident Report Form
7 APPENDIX 2
Click here to download the PDC Photography & Filming Consent Form