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Child protection policy of Saturn V

The Saturn V Association recognises that children have the right to be safe, secure and free from threat. The welfare of the child is paramount.

All Saturn V clubs will provide an environment that ensures children are safe from potential abuse, and will respond to any suspicion of potential abuse in a way that respects the child’s dignity and reinforces the adult’s responsibility to the child.

Statement of principles

• Treat children as individuals entitled to dignity and respect.
• Promote effective partnerships amongst all those involved with children, including children’s parents or carers, to improve children’s welfare.
• Promote the safety of children.
• Raise awareness of best practice in how to protect children from harm of all kinds.
• Minimise risks to children so that they do not suffer harm.
• Make safety the responsibility of everyone at Saturn V clubs whose work brings them into contact with children.
• Establish effective and open procedures in responding to accidents, complaints or concerns so that they can be shared and dealt with promptly.
• Adopt and apply safe recruitment practices for all staff and volunteers.

Recruitment and Selection of Staff and Volunteers

• Ensure that all adults working (voluntary or paid) within a Saturn V club who have contact with children undergo a Criminal Records Bureau check.
• For all new projects undertaken, Saturn V clubs will consider issues relating to child protection and ensure that training is given to all adults involved. This will help them recognise and respond to suspected abuse of children whether physical, emotional, sexual or as a result of neglect.
• It is important that CRB checked staff do not take non-checked people with them to meetings or places where they may come into contact with children or vulnerable adults.
• Never allow an adult who is not CRB to be alone with a child for example by going to the toilet or supervising children in a separate room.
• It is the policy of Saturn V that all participants arrive suitably attired for the activity.

Reporting and recording concerns

Staff and volunteers involved with Saturn V clubs are required to promptly pass on any concerns about possible child abuse or concerns about the welfare and safety of a child to the Designated Person for Child Protection. Club owners/managers will make their staff aware of who the designated person is.

The Designated Person needs to make a record of any allegation and contact the relevant child protection agency for advice. If staff and volunteers receive an allegation of abuse against another member of staff or volunteer they should promptly inform the Designated Person.

It is essential that the staff member or volunteer records what they have seen or heard that has led them to believe that a child’s welfare or safety is at risk. The Designated Person also needs to keep clear and concise records. Records need to be kept of action taken and why that action was decided upon.

Staff or volunteers should bear in mind that it is not their job to investigate an allegation.

Supervision of Children

• Plan appropriate activities.
• Supervise and know where children are at all times (indoors and outside).
• Ensure there are sufficient people for the activity.
• Clarify the responsibilities of the adults and make sure they work in pairs.

Supervision of Staff or volunteers

• Avoid situations where a child is completely unobserved.
• Not spend excessive amounts of time alone with a child.
• Not take children on a car journey alone however short.
• Take children to their home.
• Engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games including horseplay.
• 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.
• Allow allegations made by a child to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon.
• Do things of a personal nature for a child which they can do themselves.
• If a member of staff and volunteer should accidentally hurt a child, or if a child seems distressed in any manner or misunderstands or misinterprets something a member of staff or volunteer has done then the incident should be reported as soon as possible to another colleague and a brief written note made. Parents or carers should then be informed of the incident.

Transportation Protocol

It is the responsibility of parents / carers to transport children to and from the club venues. Parents are provided with a contact number in the event of them running late. If a parent or carer is late, the club will, after a reasonable time, contact the parent or carer. Whilst waiting, children must remain under the supervision of the coaches.

If the parent / carer remains uncontactable after a prolonged period of time, staff will contact social services or police.

If necessary, parents and carers will be reminded of the necessity to contact the club if they are going to be late.

Staff will not travel alone in a car with children and are not expected to take children home.

The Management Committee of the Saturn V Association is specifically responsible for ensuring that Child Protection is accorded the necessary status within the organisation by making sure all members, staff and volunteers working with children follow this policy.

Records should include the following details:

• Name of the child.
• Parent’s or carer’s details.
• The child’s address.
• Relevant telephone numbers.
• What is said to have happened or what was seen.
• When it occurred.
• Who else was there.
• What was said by those involved.
• Whether there is any actual evidence e.g. bruises, bleeding, change in behaviour.
• Who has been told about it.
• Who was concerned.
• Was the child able to say what happened.
• Whether the parents have been advised.
• Sign and date the record ensuring it is legible and written in black ink.
• This must be stored in a locked filing cabinet.
• When an incident /event is reported it is paramount that the exact words that the child has used are noted. It is imperative that this information is recorded immediately and that the exact wordings are noted.

Records must show what action was taken following a report and who the information was passed on to. Name of agency, name of person at agency, contact details and the date the information was passed on must be recorded.

All information about concerns regarding the welfare of a child needs to be kept confidential and should only be passed on to other staff members/ volunteers if it is essential for them to know.