child protection
A duty of care exists between a coach, instructor, teacher or carer and the children under their jurisdiction. This care includes the health and well-being of children during class or coaching sessions and outside our normal field of influence. If as coaches and teachers we suspect that a child may be a victim of abuse then that duty of care requires us to act accordingly.
Fortunately there are structures in place at both local and national level to help us when presented with such a situation. However the first port of call regarding 'duty of care' starts with the parents or guardians of children attending or wishing to attend sport clubs.
Parents will often drop off new students at a club without checking the credentials of the person or coach running the club. They assume, that because the individual is running a club from an official or reputable venue then they have already been checked out - this is not always the case.
Any club or organisation with junior membership should have the following:
- Coaches with CRB certification
- Insurance
- Child safety certification
- Child protection policy*
Such a policy provides authorised help and assistance to both the club coaches, volunteers and parents when dealing with child protection and safety issues.
In addition, all instructors, coaches and teachers and in some instances volunteers, dealing with children and 'at risk adults' should also carry valid CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) certification registered by either a national governing body or local authority.
In some instances, where coaching duties cross county boundaries, a separate CRB check may also be required; parents are entitled to see these certificates on request and are encouraged to do so when visiting any new club.
ACS Martial Arts, ACS Self Defence, ACS KEWAP, ACS Boxing Tutor and coaches are CRB certified at Beds County level.
Our instructors and the parents of our junior students have recourse to the following child protection policies:
Amateur Martial Association
team BEDS&LUTON