TringRugby recognises and approves the RFU Policy on Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union (see appendix 1) and manages the club in accordance with its principles and regulations.

If you have any questions or queries about any aspect of the policy, contact the Club Safeguarding Officer:

Aimee Currie - aimeedupree@icloud.com 07823449401

TringRugby Safeguarding Vulnerable People Policy

1. TringRugby acknowledges its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all children and vulnerable adults involved in TringRugby from harm.

2. TringRugby confirms that it adheres to the Rugby Football Union’s Safeguarding Policy and the procedures, practices and guidelines and endorses and adopts the Policy Statement contained in that document.

3. A child is anyone under the age of 18 engaged in any rugby union activity. However, where a 17 year old male player is playing in the adult game it is essential that every reasonable precaution is taken to ensure his safety and wellbeing are protected.

4. The Key Principles of the RFU Safeguarding Vulnerable People Policy are that:

• The welfare of the child or vulnerable adult (as appropriate) is, and must always be, paramount to any other considerations.

• All participants regardless of age, gender, ability or disability, race, faith, culture, size, shape, language or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse or harm.

• All allegations or suspicions of abuse, neglect, harm and poor practice will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly, fairly and appropriately.

• Working in partnership with other organisations, statutory agencies, parents, carers, children and young people is essential for the welfare of children and young people.
• Children have a right to expect support and personal and social development delivered by an appropriately recruited person, vetted and managed in relation to their participation in rugby union, whether they are playing, volunteering or officiating in the community or professional areas of the sport.

5. TringRugby recognises that all children have the right to participate in sport in a safe, positive and enjoyable environment whilst at the same time being protected from abuse, neglect, harm and poor practice. TringRugby recognises that this is the responsibility of everyone involved, in whatever capacity, at the club.

6. TringRugby will implement and comply with the RFU Code of Rugby as appropriate. TringRugby will ensure its spectators, parents, members and officials are all aware of and have accepted the club Photographic Policy as set out on the website.

7. TringRugby will endeavour to comply with the Guidance for Websites as set out on the RFU website.

8. The Club Safeguarding Officer is Aimee Currie – aimeedupree@icloud.com 07823449401. If you witness or are aware of an incident where the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult has been put at risk you must in the first instance inform the Club Safeguarding Officer. They will then inform the CB Safeguarding Manager and the RFU Safeguarding Executive. If an incident involves the Club Safeguarding Officer you should inform the Mini/Junior Chair and either the CB Safeguarding Manager or the RFU Safeguarding Executive.

9. All members of TringRugby who have a regular supervisory contact with children or a management responsibility for those working with children must undertake an RFU Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau disclosure (Disclosure and Barring Service).

10. TringRugby will ensure that all its members, whether they are coaches, parents, players or officials will comply with the Best Practice Guidance as issued by the RFU. In summary, the following are NOT acceptable and will be treated seriously by the club and may result in disciplinary action being taken by the club, the CB or the RFU:

• Working alone with a child, children, vulnerable adult, or adults.
• Consuming alcohol whilst responsible for children or vulnerable adults.
• Providing alcohol to children or allowing its supply.
• Smoking in the presence of children.
• Humiliating children or vulnerable adults.
• Inappropriate or unnecessary physical contact with a child or vulnerable adult.
• Participating in, or allowing, contact or physical games with children or vulnerable adults.
• Having an intimate or sexual relationship with any child or vulnerable adult developed as a result of being in a ‘position of trust.’
• Making sexually explicit comments or sharing sexually explicit material.

11. TringRugby manages the changing facilities and arranges for them to be supervised by two adults (RFU CRB checked) of the appropriate gender for the players using the facilities. TringRugby ensures that all its coaches, parents, officials and spectators are aware that adults must not change at the same time, using the same facilities as children or vulnerable adults.

12. TringRugby will ensure that its coaches and team managers will receive the support and training considered appropriate to their position and role.

13. Any events held on TringRugby premises must comply with this Policy and if appropriate a Safeguarding Plan should be discussed and circulated to those affected. Any tours, overseas or domestic, undertaken by TringRugby must comply with the relevant RFU Regulations and Guidance relating to tours.

This policy has been adopted in accordance with the club constitution.

APPENDIX 1

POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR THE WELFARE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN RUGBY UNION
This Appendix should be read in conjunction with the Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union
– Guidance (“Guidance Document”).
1. Roles and responsibilities
1.1 In order that the RFU Child Protection policy is implemented effectively there has to be recognition that RFU, Constituent Bodies, member Clubs and schools must work together, each with a role to ensure that young people enjoy rugby union in a safe environment. The Policy and Procedures for the Welfare of Young People in the Sport of Rugby Union is to be applied to all young players who are under 18. Within RFU
Regulations a male player is permitted to play in the adult game when he reaches his 17th birthday.

In these circumstances, paragraph 2.1(f) below cannot practically be applied. However, those responsible for the management of adult teams which include 17 year olds must at all times be mindful of their safety and wellbeing.

1.2 The RFU must:
a) Appoint a designated person to manage Child Welfare;
b) Produce a national Child Welfare Policy;
c) Produce a Child Welfare Implementation Plan;
d) Manage the implementation of disclosure and barring service;
e) Produce relevant resources to support the Child Welfare Policy;
f) Delegate the management of cases to CBs where appropriate in accordance with RFU regulations;
g) Appoint a disciplinary panel when necessary; and
h) Ensure all appropriate individuals and bodies are informed of disciplinary decisions and ensure they are acted on.

1.3 The Constituent Body (CB) must:
a) Appoint a Welfare Manager (see Guidance Document, Appendix 2 for Terms of Reference);
b) Ensure that each Club has a Child Welfare Policy;
c) Co-ordinate the management of disclosure and barring service;
d) Ensure that all reported cases are managed in line with RFU Policy (See Guidance Document Section 4);
e) Manage Child Welfare Disciplinary cases when instructed by RFU;
f) Monitor a minimum of 10% of Clubs per year; and
g) Identify a disciplinary panel which, where necessary, will be convened to hear cases of poor practice as identified by the RFU Child Welfare Officer.

1.4 Each Rugby Club must:
a) Appoint a Welfare Officer (plus another person to undertake the role in the absence of the designated person) who will act as the first point of contact for concerns about the welfare of young people;
b) Publish a Child Welfare Policy within the Club. This must include all the detail set out in paragraphs 1.4 to 4.2 of this Policy and Procedures for the Welfare of Young People in the Sport of Rugby Union;
c) Ensure that all officers and committee members are aware of their responsibility in this area and that the Club respond to any indication of poor practice or abuse in line with RFU Policy (see Guidance Document, sections 4 and 5);
d) Implement a policy of Best Practice for all adults working with young people (see Guidance Document section 8, Appendix 3, and RFU Fair Play Codes);
e) Ensure that all relevant members who have regular supervisory contact with children or a management responsibility for those working with young people undertake an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau disclosure;
f) Ensure a minimum of one responsible person per age group has received training in Safeguarding and Protecting Young People in Rugby and
g) Identify a disciplinary panel which, where necessary, is able to manage cases of poor practice as identified by the RFU Child Welfare Officer.

2. Prohibited practices

2.1 Coaches, managers or volunteers including all professional staff must never:

a) Take young people to their own home or any other place where they will be alone with them;
b) Spend any amount of time alone with young people away from others;
c) Take young people alone on car journeys, however short;
d) If it should arise that such situations are unavoidable they should only take place with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge in the Club/governing body and/or a person with parental responsibility for the young person. In exceptional circumstances where a coach, manager or volunteer cannot obtain the consent of the someone in charge in the Club/governing body and/or person with parental responsibility for the young person then if it is in the welfare interest of the young person, paragraphs 2.1(a) and 2.1(c) do not have to be followed. If this occurs the adult must record the occurrence with the Club/governing body welfare officer.
e) Engage in rough, physical games, sexually provocative games or horseplay with children/young people;
f) Take part as a player in any dynamic contact games or training sessions with young people. If there is a need
g) for an adult to facilitate learning within a coaching session through the use of coaching aids e.g. contact
h) pads, this should be done with the utmost care and with due regard to the safety of the young players;
i) Share a room with a young person unless the individual is the parent/guardian of that young person;
j) Engage in any form of inappropriate sexual contact and/or behaviour;
k) Allow any form of inappropriate touching (see Guidance Document, Appendix 4);
l) Make sexually suggestive remarks to a young person even in fun;
m) Use inappropriate language or allow young people to use inappropriate language unchallenged;
n) Allow allegations by a young person to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon;
o) Do things of a personal nature for a young person that they can do for themselves unless you have been
p) requested to do so by the parents/carer (please note that it is recognised that some young people will always
q) need help with things such as lace tying, adjustment of Tag belts, fitting head guards and it is also recognised
r) that this does not preclude anyone attending to an injured/ill young person or rendering first aid);
s) Depart the rugby Club or agreed rendezvous point until the safe dispersal of all young people is complete;
t) Cause an individual to lose self esteem by embarrassing, humiliating or undermining the individual;
u) Treat some young people more favourably than others; or
v) Agree to meet a young person on their own on a one to one basis.

3 Positions of Trust

3.1 All adults who work with young people are in a position of trust which has been invested in them by the
parents, the sport and the young person. This relationship can be described as one in which the adult
is in a position of power and influence by virtue of their position. Sexual intercourse or touching by an adult
with a child under the age of 16 years is unlawful, even where there is apparent consent from the child.
A consensual sexual relationship between an adult in a position of trust within the rugby setting and a child
over 16 years of age is contrary to the Policy and Procedures for the Welfare of Young People in the Sport
of Rugby Union.
3.2 Adults must not encourage a physical or emotionally dependant relationship to develop between the person in a position of trust and the young person in their care.
3.3 All those within the organisation have a duty to raise concerns about the behaviour of coaches, officials,
volunteers, administrators and professional staff which may be harmful to the children, young people in their
care, without prejudice to their own position.

4 Disclosure & Barring Service

4.1 All adults who have ‘regular supervisory contact with young people’ must undertake Disclosure and Barring check within eight weeks of their appointment to a position which involves regular supervisory contact with young people.

These adults will include;
• Professional Staff
• All coaches/assistant coaches
• Heads of Mini/Midi Rugby sections
• Heads of Youth Rugby Sections
• Team Managers
• All Referees who regularly officiate mini/midi and youth games
• Safeguarding Officers
• Physiotherapists
• Club administrators.

This service is available online through the Safeguarding Officer.

4.2. Disclosures must be conducted through the RFU Safeguarding Department who have jurisdiction
to deal with any matter arising from any such disclosure.

Updated 21 Feb 2024

Huel Tring Rugby

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