P100
TABLE TENNIS ULSTER
Safeguarding Young People
Introduction
This document outlines procedures and policies for safeguarding and protecting young people who take part in Table Tennis. It is not intended to cover all eventualities, but attempts to outline the main aspects of this subject. More detailed information and advice is available from
· Table Tennis Ulster at the House of Sport Tel: 02890 383811
· Irish Table Tennis at www.irishtabletennis.com
· Sport Northern Ireland website www.sportni.net
· The NSPCC website www.nspcc.org.uk
· Child Protection in Sport Unit website www.thecpsu.org.uk
· Sports Coach UK website www.sportscoachuk.org
Other relevant documents are
· Code of Ethics and Good Practice in Children’s Sport, Irish Sports Council
· Code of ethics and Good Conduct, Irish Table Tennis Association
· The Children (NI) Order 1995
· Our Children and Young People – Our Pledge (2006)
· Co-operating to Safeguard Children (2003)
· Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (NI) Order 2007
· Sexual Offences Order (NI) 2008
· The Criminal Law Act (NI) 1967
· The Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults (NI) Order 2003
· Access NI – the agency responsible for vetting adults in Northern Ireland
· Our Duty to Care, DHSSPS 2007
· Getting it Right, DHSSPS 2009
Everything should be done to minimise the risk of harm to children and young people, and measures adopted that ensure that children are kept safe.
Staff and volunteers will be properly vetted when appointed. All staff and volunteers should be made aware of their duty of care when dealing with young people. Staff and volunteers who have regular contact with young people will be required to attend a recognised Safeguarding Children course.
The ethos of Table Tennis Ulster is that the emphasis for the participation of children should be on enjoyment; competition and winning should be a by-product of this and not its main aim. Players of all abilities should be accommodated and encouraged. The approach should be balanced and fair to all, whatever the level of their abilities and ambitions. Coaches and volunteers will be the main leaders in this and they should endeavour to be reliable, fair, encouraging and open.
Parents and supporters should assist when asked, treat all participants with respect, including coaches and opponents, and report any concerns that they may have.
Young players should act fairly at all times, show respect to their coaches, opponents and colleagues, and report any situations with which they feel uncomfortable.
Reporting Procedures
Any person who has a concern should report it to an appropriate responsible adult and this concern should be brought to the attention of the Club Designated Safeguarding Officer and/or the TTU Child Protection Officer.
If there are grounds for concern about the safety or welfare of a young person action must be taken. If the Safeguarding Officers are unsure about the reportable nature of certain behaviours they can contact the duty social worker in the local Health and Social Care Trust (HSCT).
A report may be made by any member but should be passed on to the Club Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) and or the TTU Child Protection Officer who may in turn pass on the concern to the local Statutory Authorities. It is not the responsibility of anyone in TTU to decide whether or not child abuse is taking place. That is the job of the local statutory authorities. However, there is a responsibility to protect children by assisting the appropriate agencies so they can make enquiries and take any necessary action to protect the young person.
TTU has a priority to ensure that all of its members are aware of it regulations and procedures, but these are extensive. For anyone wishing to see any of them in more detail, the following are available directly from Table Tennis Ulster Office at the House of Sport, Upper Malone Road, Belfast BT9 5LA, Tel: 02890 383811, e-mail: , or can be downloaded from the Irish Table Tennis Association website at www.irishtabletennis.com under the Ulster section of the website.
P1. Anti-Bullying
P2. Anti-Doping
P3. Child Protection
P4. Club Development
P5. Code of Conduct
P6. Data Protection
P7. Equality and Diversity
P8 Freedom of Information
P9. Physical Contact
P10. Player Disciplinary Procedure
P11. Recognising Concerns relating to Child Abuse
P12. Regulations for Trips
P13. Overnight Stays
P14. Hosting Young People
P15. Transport Policy
P16. Staff and Volunteer Induction
P17. Photography and Video Recording Policy
P18. Tournament Regulations and Code of Conduct
P19. Dealing with Reports of Child Abuse
P20. Vetting
P21 Social Media Guidelines
There is also a Policy Booklet available that contains all of the above in one volume.
Table Tennis Ulster Personnel
Chair Mr Arnold Morgan
Hon. Secretary Mrs Jacky Devine
Hon. Treasurer Mr Michael Thompson
Technical Officer Mrs Jennifer Thompson
Child Protection Officer Mr Andrew McFarlane
Administration Officer Mrs Cathryn Gibson
High Performance Coach Mr John Murphy
Talent ID Officer Miss Amanda Mogey
Club Development Officer Miss Amanda Mogey
Participation Officer Mr Herbie Ross