Safeguarding children is of paramount importance and involves promoting children’s welfare in every way. It means protecting them from abuse and neglect but also ensuring their appropriate development and maximising their opportunities. Safeguarding is about creating child-centred rugby and all that we do to prevent problems arising.
Old Cranleighan RFC rely on our many volunteers who give up their time to organise mini and youth rugby and aim to provide the highest standards of care for children in a safe and enjoyable environment. If you are a player, coach, parent, volunteer or teacher, this safeguarding policy exists to help you to protect our children from harm and to provide a positive experience for them.
If you witness or are aware of an incident where the welfare of a child has been put at risk you must, in the first instance, inform the Club Safeguarding Officer:
Andrew Hall. Club Safeguarding Officer
07887 775743, [email protected]
They will then inform the CB Safeguarding Manager and the RFU Safeguarding Team. If an incident involves the Club Safeguarding Officer you should inform:
Piers Cushing, Director of Youth Rugby
07790 003731
Safeguarding Children policy
Old Cranleighan RFC applies the following Safeguarding Children Policy:
Parental Attendance
Old Cranleighan RFC considers the presence of parents during training to be important and, in particular, for children under 11 years of age. All our coaches are volunteers and, in the unlikely event of an unhappy child, we need the parent or guardian to step in and support the coaches. Also, please do not allow your child to leave the pitches and play outside the boundary of the club, especially in the wooded areas. A lost child is concerning for all and may bring training to a halt in the event of a search.
RFU best Practice in relation to parental attendance can be found here:
Parental attendance at Rugby.pdf (englandrugby.com)
Changing Rooms
Old Cranleighan RFC do not use, or allow the use of, changing rooms for those under 11 years of age. For those over this age changing rooms may be used where children attend matches in ‘Number Ones’. In this case Old Cranleighan RFC applies best practice in the use of changing rooms as defined by the RFU:
Safeguarding considerations for changing rooms.pdf (englandrugby.com)
Physical Intervention and contact
Old Cranleighan RFC do not permit the touching or handling children by Coaches or any volunteer or person in a regulated role. Physical intervention is only permissible when it is necessary to prevent children being hurt or to reduce the risk of greater harm.
Old Cranleighan RFC applies RFU best practice in relation to Physical Intervention and contact which can be found here:
Physical Intervention in Rugby.pdf (englandrugby.com)
Protocol for Contact in Rugby.pdf (englandrugby.com)
Photography and use of imagery
Old Cranleighan RFC applies the following Photography and Use of Imagery Policy:
Anti-Bullying Policy
Old Cranleighan RFC applies the following Anti-Bullying Policy: