Child Protection Policy

SSSK is a member club of SHOTO which is affiliated to the EKF and as such subscribes to the EKF's Child Protection Policy. The full EKF policy can be accessed here and key highlights are listed below.

SSSK is committed to ensuring that all students can practice and train in a safe environment.

The clubs Child Protection Officer (CPO) is Heather Mollison who can be reached at cpo@sssk.co.uk

The aim of the Child Protection Policy is to promote good practice:

Providing children and young persons with appropriate safety and protection whilst in the care of Karate Associations, clubs and instructors affiliated to the EKF.
Ensure that all incidents of poor practice and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately
Allow all staff /volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific child protection issues.
The policy recognises and builds on the legal and statutory definition of a child.
The distinction between ages of consent, civil and criminal liability are recognised but in the pursuit of good in the delivery and management of the EKF, a young person is recognised as being under the age of 18 years [Children’s Act 1989].
The EKF recognises that persons above the age of 18 are vulnerable to undue influence by adults in positions of responsibility, for example Junior International athletes aged Under 21 years and provision is made for this
Through the EKF Child Protection implementation plan each of our member Associations will provide a suitably experienced and qualified individual to act as their Child Protection Officer and commit to a series of awareness raising and training seminars and workshops to assist them in fulfilling their role and will use the EKF template forms and reporting sheets.
Confidentiality will be upheld in line with the Data Protection Act 1984,the Human Rights Act 2000 and the EKF Whistle Blower’s Policy
The EKF Disciplinary and Legal Commission through quarterly reporting procedures will oversee the Policy by the EKF Lead Child Protection Officer, and in turn.

Good practice means:

Always working in an open environment (e.g. avoiding private or unobserved situations and encouraging open communication).
Treating all young people/disabled adults equally, and with respect and dignity.
Placing the welfare and safety of the child or young person first above the development of performance or competition.
Maintaining a safe and appropriate distance with players (e.g. it is not appropriate to have an intimate relationship with a child or to share a room with them).
Building balanced relationships based on mutual trust, which empowers children to share in the decision-making process.
Making sport fun, enjoyable and promoting fair play.
Where any form of manual or physical support is required, it should be provided openly and in accordance with the EKF Club Guidelines
Keeping up to date with the technical skills, qualifications and insurance within Karate.
Involving parents/carers wherever possible (e.g. for the responsibility of their children in the changing rooms). If groups have to be supervised in the changing rooms, always ensure parents/teachers/coaches/officials work in pairs.
Ensuring when mixed teams are taken away, they should always be accompanied by male and female member of staff (NB however, same gender abuse can also occur).
Ensuring that at tournaments or residential events, adults should not enter children’s rooms or invite children into their rooms.
Being an excellent role model – this includes not smoking or drinking alcohol in the company of young people.
Giving enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism.
Recognising the developmental needs and capacity of young people and disabled adults – avoiding excessive training or competition and not pushing them against their will.
Securing parental consent in writing to act in loco parentis, if the need arises to give permission for the administration of emergency first aid.
Keeping a written record of any injury that occurs, along with the details of any treatment given.
Requesting written parental consent if club officials are required to transport young people in their cars.

Practices that should be avoided

The following should be avoided except in emergencies. If cases arise where these situations are unavoidable they should only occur with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge in the club or the child’s parents. For example, a child sustains an injury and needs to go to hospital, or a parent fails to arrive to pick a child up at the end of a session.

Avoid spending excessive amounts of time alone with children away from others
Avoid taking children to your home where they will be alone with you.
Practices never to be sanctioned.
The following should never be sanctioned. You should never:
Engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay
Share a room with a child
Allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching
Allow children to use inappropriate language unchallenged
Make sexually suggestive comments to a child, even in fun
Reduce a child to tears with intent, as a form of control
Allow allegations made by a child to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon
Do things of a personal nature for children or disabled adults that they can do for themselves Invite or allow children to stay with you at your home unsupervised