Welcome to The Lake District Ski Club and thank you for volunteering your time. The Lake District Ski Club is commited to ensuring all children and adults participating in snow sports have a safe, positive, and fun experience. We will achieve this by recognising all children and adults participating and volunteering regardless of age, gender, ability or disability, ethnicity, religion, beliefs, sexual orientation, or socio-economic background have the right to participate and be protected from harm. We are a club for everyone, and everyone will be treated equally.

Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility. As a club we adopt the safeguarding policies of our governing body SnowSport England. These can be found on both our, and Snow Sport England’s, websites. Please make yourself aware of these policies and adhere to them.

Keeping Yourself Safe

Safeguarding is two-way. It is about protecting yourself as well as protecting other participants.

Anyone under 18 is considered a child. Behave professionally and appropriately around children. Don’t ask them for phone numbers or Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat profiles etc.

Our CWO is required to have attended a Safeguarding and Protecting Children course, which needs refreshing every 3 years, and hold a first aid qualification. Our Tow, Hut and Comms Officers will have DBS checks.

If you see anything that is a risk or hazard to anyone at the club please report it immediately to the tow officer or hut warden.

Child abuse

There are five main categories of child abuse: physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and bullying.

Other areas of concern include cyber-bullying, hazing (initiation activity expected of someone to join a group or gang), female genital mutilation (FGM), racist or homophobic abuse and self-harm.

If you have any safeguarding concern seek advice from the Club Welfare Officer or if they are not available, the Snowsport England Safeguarding Lead. See below for details.

What to do if someone makes a disclosure to you:

· Stay calm. Do not show signs of disbelief or disgust

· Ensure the person is safe and reassure them

·If the child needs medical attention call an ambulance on 999

· If you are concerned for the immediate safety of the person call the police on 999

· Listen carefully and take them seriously

· Be honest, let them know you may need to tell someone else to gain help i.e. CWO, police or parents.

· Keep questions to a minimum and don’t ask leading questions

· Record information accurately – as spoken by the child/young person.

· Report to Club Welfare Officer who will complete the Safeguarding Concern Report Form and ensure the correct procedures are followed.

· Alternatively, you can raise a safeguarding concern directly through the Snowsport England Safeguarding website.

· Scroll down to “Raising Concerns” and click “Submit a Safeguarding Concern.” You should still inform your CWO.

· Maintain confidentiality and only tell others on a need-to-know basis to protect the child.

· If the parents are not implicated, let them know your concerns.

Adult Safeguarding

In 2021 Snow Sport England and Kendal Snowsports Club included adults in their safeguarding policy. This is because nationally there is greater awareness about the safety and wellbeing of adults and the realisation that all adults can become vulnerable or at risk.

Adult Abuse

The main categories of adult abuse include physical, sexual offence, emotional/psychological, neglect and self-neglect, financial or material abuse, theft and fraud, domestic abuse and coercive control, forced marriage, discriminatory, organisational/institutional, modern slavery and human exploitation, hate crime and harassment.

If you are concerned about the wellbeing of an adult seek advice from the Club Welfare Officers. Details are below along with other organisations who could offer help or advice.

Useful Contacts for Safeguarding

LDSC Club Welfare Officer Johan Hoving

Snowsport England Safeguarding Lead Mark Vaughan 07462156784 welfare@snowsportengland.org.uk

Westmorland and Furness LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) 0300 303 3897 / lado@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk. (Contact LADO if you wish to report an adult working with children.)

Cumbria Safeguarding Children Partnership 0300 3732724 https://www.cumbriasafeguardingchildren.co.uk

Westmorland and Furness Adult Services 0300 373 3301 out of hours 01228 526690

Police 999

101 101@cumbria.police.uk

National Contacts for Safeguarding

· ChildLine UK- 24 hour helpline for children 0800 1111

· ChildLine number for adults concerned about a child 0800 800 5000

· NSPCC Freephone 24 hour helpline 0808 800 5000

· Ann Cral Trust (ACT) A national organisation providing advice about adult safeguarding 0115 951 5400 Ann-Cral-Trust@nomngham.ac.uk

· The Samaritans 116 123

· Kidscape – helpline for adults and young people concerned about bullying: 08451 205 204 Help With Bullying

· (kidscape.org.uk)

· ThinkUKnow - For advice for children, young people, parents and carers

· CEOP Education (thinkuknow.co.uk)

· The NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) website provides up to date advice, guidance and good practice on safeguarding children in sport – NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit / CPSU (thecpsu.org.uk)

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