Safeguarding

London Community Boxing acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities and government guidance. The policy recognise that the welfare and interests of children are paramount in all circumstances. It aims to ensure that regardless of age, ability or disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, socio-economic background, all children

·        Have a positive and enjoyable experience at London Community Boxing in a safe and child centred environment

·        Are protected from abuse whilst participating in boxing or outside of the activity.

London Community Boxing acknowledges that some children, including disabled children and young people or those from ethnic minority communities, can be particularly vulnerable to abuse and we accept the responsibility to take reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure their welfare.

As part of our safeguarding policy London Community Boxing will:

·        Promote and prioritize the safety and well-being of children and young people

·        Ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding and is provided with appropriate learning opportunities to recognise, identify and respond to signs of abuse, neglect and other safeguarding concerns relating to children and young people

·        Ensure appropriate action is taken in the event of incidents/concerns of abuse and support provided to the individual/s who raise or disclose the concern

·        Ensure that confidential, detailed and accurate records of all safeguarding concerns are maintained and securely stored

·        Prevent the employment/deployment of unsuitable individuals

·        Ensure robust safeguarding arrangements and procedures are in operation.

The policy and procedures will be widely promoted and are mandatory for everyone involved in London Community Boxing. Failure to comply with the policy and procedures will be addressed without delay and may ultimately result in dismissal/exclusion from the organisation.

Types of Abuse

Physical abuse - Physical abuse may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning or scalding, drowning, suffocating, or otherwise causing physical harm to a child or failing to protect a child from that harm. Physical harm may also be caused when a parent or carer fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces illness in a child

Emotional Abuse - Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate, or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of another person.

Sexual Abuse - Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child or young person to take part in sexual activities, including prostitution, whether or not the child is aware of what is happening. The activities may involve physical contact including both penetrative or non-penetrative acts such as kissing, touching or fondling the child’s genitals or breasts, vaginal or anal intercourse or oral sex.
They may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at, or in the production of, pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

Neglect - Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and/or psychological needs, likely to result in the serious impairment of the child’s health or development. Neglect may occur during pregnancy as a result of maternal substance abuse. Once a child is born, neglect may involve a parent or carer failing to provide adequate food and clothing; shelter, including exclusion from home or abandonment; failing to protect a child from physical and emotional harm or danger; failure to ensure adequate supervision including the use of inadequate care-takers; or the failure to ensure access to appropriate medical care or treatment. It may also include neglect of, or unresponsiveness to, a child’s basic emotional needs.

Bullying - Bullying may be defined as deliberately hurtful behaviour, usually repeated over a period of time, where it is difficult for those bullied to defend themselves. It can take many forms, but the three main types are physical (e.g. hitting, kicking, theft), verbal (e.g. racist or homophobic remarks, threats, name calling) and emotional (e.g. isolating an individual from the activities and social acceptance of their peer group).

Signs of Abuse

Physical Abuse - Most children will collect cuts and bruises as part of the rough-and- tumble of daily life. Injuries should always be interpreted in light of the child’s medical and social history, developmental stage and the explanation given. Most accidental bruises are seen over bony parts of the body, e.g. elbow, knees, shins, and are often on the front of the body. Some children, however, will have bruising that is more than likely inflicted rather than accidental. Important indicators of physical abuse are bruises or injuries that are either unexplained or inconsistent with the explanation given, or visible on the ‘soft’ parts of the body where accidental injuries are unlikely, e g, cheeks, abdomen, back and buttocks. A delay in seeking medical treatment when it is obviously necessary is also a cause for concern, although this can be more complicated with burns, as these are often delayed in presentation due to blistering taking place sometime later.

Emotional Abuse - Emotional abuse can be difficult to measure, as there are often no outward physical signs. There may be a developmental delay due to a failure to thrive and grow, although this will usually only be evident if the child puts on weight in other circumstances, for example when hospitalised or away from their parents’ care. Even so, children who appear well cared for may nevertheless be emotionally abused by being taunted, put down or belittled. They may receive little or no love, affection or attention from their parents or carers. Emotional abuse can also take the form of children not being allowed to mix or play with other children. Changes in behaviour, which can indicate emotional abuse, include:

·        Neurotic behaviour e.g. sulking, hair twisting, rocking

·        Being unable to play

·        Fear of making mistakes

·        Sudden speech disorders

·        Self-harm

·        Fear of parent being approached regarding their behaviour

·        Developmental delay in terms of emotional progress

Sexual Abuse - Adults who use children to meet their own sexual needs abuse both girls and boys of all ages, including infants and toddlers. Usually, in cases of sexual abuse it is the child’s behaviour that may cause you to become concerned, although physical signs can also be present. In all cases, children who tell about sexual abuse do so because they want it to stop. It is important, therefore, that they are listened to and taken seriously.

The physical signs of sexual abuse may include:

·        Pain or itching in the genital area

·        Bruising or bleeding near genital area

·        Sexually transmitted disease

·        Vaginal discharge or infection

·        Stomach pains

·        Discomfort when walking or sitting down

·        Pregnancy

·        Changes in behaviour, which can also indicate sexual abuse, include

·        Sudden or unexplained changes in behaviour e.g. becoming aggressive or withdrawn

·        Fear of being left with a specific person or group of people

·        Having nightmares

·        Running away from home

·        Sexual knowledge which is beyond their age, or developmental level

·        Sexual drawings or language

·        Bedwetting

·        Eating problems such as overeating or anorexia

·        Self-harm or mutilation, sometimes leading to suicide attempts

·        Saying they have secrets they cannot tell anyone about

·        Substance or drug abuse

·        Suddenly having unexplained sources of money

·        Not allowed to have friends (particularly in adolescence)

·        Acting in a sexually explicit way towards adults

Neglect - Neglect can be a difficult form of abuse to recognise, yet have some of the most lasting and damaging effects on children.
The physical signs of neglect may include

·        Constant hunger, sometimes stealing food from other children

·        Constantly dirty or ‘smelly’

·        Loss of weight, or being constantly underweight

·        Inappropriate clothing for the conditions

·        Changes in behaviour, which can also indicate neglect may include

·        Complaining of being tired all the time

·        Not requesting medical assistance and/or failing to attend appointments

·        Having few friends

·        Mentioning being left alone or unsupervised

Bullying – Bullying is not always easy to recognise as it can take a number of forms.
A child may encounter bullying that is:

·        Physical: pushing, kicking, hitting, pinching and other forms of violence or threats

·        Verbal: name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, persistent teasing

·        Emotional: excluding (sending to Coventry), tormenting, ridiculing,humiliating.

Signs that a child may be being bullied can be:

·        Coming home with cuts and bruises

·        Torn clothes

·        Asking for stolen possessions to be replaced

·        Losing dinner money

·        Falling out with previously good friends

·        Being moody and bad tempered

·        Wanting to avoid leaving their home

·        Aggression with younger brothers and sisters

·        Doing less well at school

·        Sleep problems

·        Anxiety

·        Becoming quiet and withdrawn

Appointed Safeguarding Officer

If any issues arise then these should be reported to:

Leigh Bruce
Executive Chairman
leigh@londoncommunityboxing.com
07767374666

If for any reason Leigh is unavailable then, any issues to be reported to:

David Tranter
Operations Manager
davidtranter@londoncommunityboxing.com
07800640712

Procedure and Required Action

If a team member informs you of a disclosure by a participant or reports concerns about an individual you should:

1. Talk with the person that has received the disclosure.

2. Talk with the individual who has made the disclosure.

3. Decide the level of the risk to the individual or other person, and/or if there is a

need for statutory involvement.

You can use the following for advice and guidance:

NSPCC helpline: 0808 800 5000

CCPAS helpline: 0845 120 4550

An NSPCC Counsellor or Duty Manager or CCPAS advisor will then help you to decide if a formal referral to Social Services or the police is necessary or what other steps you should take. This is an opportunity to check your thinking

Or

If there is a clear and immediate emergency then contact either the Police on 999 or the Social Services either for the area in which the event is taking place (if the disclosure relates to the event) or the Social Services local to the person whom the disclosure relates to.

Recruitment Procedures

·        New applicants apply for available posts my submitting their CV’s to London Community Boxing. Certain roles will require certain requirements to be met (e.g. Coaching staff will need appropriate coaching qualifications).

·        Telephone interviews will be carried out for certain roles.

·        Face-to-face interviews will be held with anyone that LCB may want to appoint.

·        Second interviews can be requested by LCB.

·        Applicants will be required to provide references, proof of identification. Original copies of relevant qualifications will be requested before appointment.

·        A DBS check will also be carried out on new employees.

·        New employees will be given a copy of LCB’s employee handbook to read so that they are fully aware of all policies.

·        All staff will be subject to a 3-month probation period; this can be extended for a further 3-months if deemed necessary.

Monitoring

The policy will be reviewed a year after development and then every three years, or in the following circumstances:

·        Changes in legislation and/or government guidance

·        As required by the Local Safeguarding Children Board, UK Sport and/or Home Country Sports Councils.

·        As a result of any other significant change or event.