Child Protection Policy & Procedures

Foreword

The Directors of Knuckle Down endorse and adopt this Child Protection Policy. It confirms that protecting the young people we work with is central to everything we do, and that every coach and member of staff is expected to take the steps necessary to keep them safe.

Knuckle Down's Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) holds day-to-day responsibility for child protection matters, including liaison with schools, referrals to statutory agencies, and ensuring coaches are properly trained and supported.

1. Introduction and Overriding Principles

This policy applies to all directors, coaches, sessional staff and volunteers of Knuckle Down, and is mandatory. It will be reviewed at least annually.

Every adult involved in Knuckle Down is responsible for ensuring young people can take part in a safe, friendly environment, free from physical, emotional or sexual abuse and neglect — including bullying. Every young person's welfare is paramount and they have the right to the highest standard of care, regardless of age, culture, disability, ability, gender, race, religion or sexual identity. "Young person" in this document means anyone under 18.

2. Elements of Child Protection

Recognising and referring — knowing the signs of a child protection concern and referring it immediately to the DSL.
Prevention — identifying risk through recruitment safeguards (DBS checks, references, induction) and safe session design.
Training — all coaches receive safeguarding training before working with young people, refreshed at least annually.
Integrity in relationships — coaches are in a position of trust and must treat every young person with openness and respect; verbal, physical, emotional or sexual abuse, or the threat of it, is never acceptable.
Sporting ethos — sessions should be conducted in a safe, positive, encouraging atmosphere, with standards of personal conduct treated as seriously as coaching quality.

3. Statement of Risks

Not an exhaustive list, but areas Knuckle Down is particularly alert to:

Bullying — by a young person against another, or by an adult in a position of authority.
Inappropriate training — forcing or encouraging physical activity at an intensity too demanding for a young person's age or development. Because Knuckle Down sessions are non-contact and designed for school-aged beginners, no sparring, competitive contact drills, or excessive endurance work should ever feature.
Unrealistic expectations — coaches should set goals appropriate to a young person's ability, not push for performance beyond it.
Disabled young people — known to be at increased risk of abuse due to isolation, communication barriers or reduced ability to report concerns; coaches should be especially attentive to participants with additional needs.
Discrimination — racism or discrimination based on any protected characteristic causes significant harm and may constitute emotional abuse.
Verbal abuse — swearing, threatening language, or coaching through humiliation rather than encouragement is not tolerated.
Physical abuse — never acceptable; physical contact is limited to what is necessary and appropriate to demonstrate technique.
Favouritism — praise and attention should be given proportionately across a group.
Neglect — a coach responsible for supervising young people must attend properly to their welfare throughout a session.
Sexual abuse — any contact with a young person for sexual gratification, however minor, is a serious safeguarding matter and will be reported immediately.

4. Photography and Video

Photos or video of young people are only taken with written consent obtained via the school, and are never taken or used for anything other than legitimate promotional or coaching purposes.
Images focus on the activity, not a specific individual, and young people are never identified by full name alongside a photo.
No filming or photography takes place in private or unsupervised spaces.
If a young person, parent or school objects to photography, that is respected immediately.

5. Transporting Young People

Knuckle Down coaches should not normally need to transport young people, as sessions are delivered on school premises. Where transport is unavoidable (for example, moving between school sites for a special event):

The driver must hold a current Enhanced DBS check.
Parents/school staff are informed in advance of who is driving, why, and how long the journey will take.
More than one young person should be in the vehicle wherever possible; a lone coach should avoid transporting a single young person alone.
The driver holds appropriate insurance.

6. Designated Safeguarding Lead — Responsibilities

Because Knuckle Down is a small organisation working across multiple schools rather than a federation of clubs, safeguarding responsibility sits with a single DSL (and Deputy), rather than a regional/divisional structure:

Acting as first point of contact for any safeguarding concern raised by a coach, school, young person or parent.
Taking immediate action — including suspending a coach from sessions — where there's information suggesting a young person may be at risk from them.
Managing referrals to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), children's social care, or police.
Overseeing DBS checks, references and safeguarding training records for all coaches.
Liaising with each partner school's own DSL, since responsibility for pupils is shared.
Keeping this policy under review and ensuring all coaches are familiar with it.

7. Responding to a Concern

Where a young person is in immediate danger or needs emergency treatment, call 999 without delay.
Complete a written referral record as soon as possible, and pass it to the DSL the same day.
The DSL will decide, working with the school, whether a statutory referral (police or children's social care) is needed — normally within 24 hours.
It is never a coach's job to decide whether abuse has occurred — only to pass on the concern.

If a young person discloses something to you:

Take their name and what they've told you, in their own words.
Don't promise absolute confidentiality — explain that you have to tell someone whose job it is to help.
Don't press for more detail than they offer, and don't investigate yourself.
Tell them they were right to tell you and it isn't their fault.
Report to the DSL the same day.

8. Allegations Against a Coach

Any allegation against a Knuckle Down coach is taken seriously and investigated. The coach may be asked to step back from sessions while the matter is looked into — this protects everyone involved and isn't an assumption of guilt. Depending on the nature of the allegation, this may involve a criminal investigation, a children's social care investigation, and/or Knuckle Down's own disciplinary process, run in parallel. The DSL will assess, on completion, whether and how the coach can return.

9. Whistleblowing

Anyone who becomes aware that a colleague may be abusing, or may be a risk to, a young person has a duty to report it — to the DSL, or directly to police/children's social care/the NSPCC if they don't feel able to raise it internally. Reports made in good faith will never be penalised, even where they turn out to be unfounded. Doing nothing is not an option.

10. Confidentiality and Information Sharing

Information about a safeguarding concern is shared strictly on a need-to-know basis. No guarantee of absolute confidentiality can be given, because a young person's welfare always comes first. Gossip or speculation about an ongoing concern is not acceptable and will be treated as a conduct matter.

11. Support

Knuckle Down will support anyone who raises a concern in good faith, and will consider what support is appropriate for a young person, their family, and (fairly) a coach who has had an allegation made against them, throughout any process.

12. Useful Contacts

NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
Police (emergency): 999
Childline: 0800 1111
[Local LADO contact — insert once confirmed with partner schools/local authority]
Knuckle Down DSL: [name / phone / email]