Ski Club of Manchester, Club Safeguarding Policy

The Club requires that any junior member participating in a Club event must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who accepts responsibility for the conduct of the junior member. Nevertheless, the Club is concerned to ensure that it follows good practice at all times when dealing with children and has adopted "SnowSafe", the policy for safeguarding children and young people produced by Snowsport England, as a basis for dealing with Child Welfare where appropriate.

A copy of the policy is available on the Snowsport England website as a PDF file here and a further copy is held by the Club Welfare Officer, Caro Brown, c.brown33@scom.org.uk, telephone 01625 260263. Some of the more salient points are set out below.

All individuals and clubs have a duty to ensure the safety and welfare of all children involved in their activities and to safeguard them protect them from reasonably foreseeable forms of harm.

Organisers of events are unlikely to be experts in child welfare or protection and the principal aim is therefore to promote good practice and to ensure that concerns about child welfare are reported to the appropriate authorities.

Good practice includes:

• Being sensitive to possible sexual or physical abuse or any form of bullying (not necessarily during the event).
• Not leaving the child alone or leaving the child alone with just one adult.
• No photography without parental consent.
• Avoiding unnecessary physical contact.

Children must be accompanied by a parent who is responsible for their care and control. However it must be recognised that a situation could arise whereby the parent is no longer present. E.g. the parent is taken ill.

Any concerns, whether or not the concerns arise from incidents occurring in the course of the event, must be noted and reported to the Club Welfare Officer. Every effort should be made to ensure confidentiality is maintained.

SnowSafe contains much more detail and various Codes of Conduct for Coaches, Volunteers and others. Please contact the Club Welfare Officer if there any queries upon the above or otherwise in relation to children's involvement in the Club.

Parents intending to bring children to events should notify the event organiser in advance. In turn, organisers of events must then notify the Club Welfare Officer of any children intending to attend an event, or who have attended one.