Outlined below are the measures your club should take to ensure you meet your duty of care and welfare responsibilities.
Please follow the links for further guidance and support.
1. The club ensures that all activities take place in a safe environment that complies with guidelines set by BSAC. This includes:
- Complying with requirements set by BSAC such as following Safe Diving practices including, for example, risk assessments and pool guidelines.
- Evidence of examples of and specific actions taken to ensure members are safe.
- Complying with BSAC incident reporting process.
- Evidence of access to first aid equipment and appropriate staff / volunteers trained in first aid.
2. The club has the necessary provision in place for the safeguarding and welfare of its members. This includes having:
- Evidence of adult and/or child (if relevant) safeguarding policies and reporting procedures linked to BSAC.
- A designated Welfare Officer with a clear role/job description.
- Evidence of implementation of relevant welfare and safeguarding procedures.
- Evidence that the club understands equality, diversity and inclusion and is invested in ensuring all members are treated equally, with dignity and respect, regardless of the nine characteristics protected by the Equality Act 2010.
- Evidence of how the club collects and safely stores all members’ personal data (such as information on contact details, disability, parental consent(s) and emergency contact information).
- Something in place so all members including young people and parents/carers are made aware of these policies and procedures.
- Evidence that all members in DBS eligible roles undertake Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
More information and support on the DBS disclosure process.
There are clear systems to report, respond to, and manage safeguarding concerns or allegations of poor practice, discrimination or abuse. This includes having:
- Robust responding and reporting procedures for indicators or allegations of poor practice, discrimination or abuse within the club.
- A written complaints and disciplinary policy to address breaches of codes of conduct or the safeguarding policy - it is important that this is communicated to all members, parents/carers, volunteers, and instructors.
Volunteers, instructors, and Welfare Officers receive an induction which includes information about safeguarding responsibilities, policy and procedures. This includes:
- Ensuring that all members and instructors have an awareness of the safeguarding policies and how to raise any concerns they might have.
- Having evidence of communication of safeguarding information to all members and parents/carers.
- Keeping records of details of Welfare Officers and instructors’ technical qualifications, safeguarding training records, and DBS checks available through the club (or accessible through BSAC).
More information on the DBS disclosure process.
