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Children and Young People Safeguarding Policy

1.Introduction

Fit For All UK promotes fitness and health wellbeing in a safe and positive environment. For the purposes of this policy, the terms ‘child’ and ‘young person’ are defined according to legislation as it relates to special educational needs and disabilities law in England. A child is defined as a person who is not over compulsory school age (s579, Education Act 1996) and a young person is defined as a person over compulsory school age but under the age of 25 (s83(2), Children and Families Act 2014).

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2.Policy Statement

At Fit For All UK:

  1. The welfare of every child and young person is of paramount importance.

  2. All children and young people are entitled to receive fitness training in a safe environment that is free from discrimination on account of their age, disability, gender or any other protected characteristic as defined under Section 4 of the Equality Act 2010.

  3. It is the responsibility of every team member to safeguard all children and young people and protect them from harm.

  4. We respect the rights, wishes and feelings of every child and young person.

  5. All allegations of poor practice or abuse, and all concerns regarding staff practice, will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.

  6. All staff who work with children and young people must undergo training in safeguarding and child protection procedures.

  7. All staff must work in partnership with parents/caregivers, children and young people.

  8. All staff must provide a caring, positive, safe and stimulating environment in which children and young people can learn and which promotes their wellbeing.

 

3.Safeguarding Procedure

For sessions taking place in the child/young person’s home or in a community or public space, staff must refer concerns regarding safeguarding and child protection to the Designated Safeguarding Leader (DSL). For sessions taking place in a school, staff must refer concerns directly to the school’s DSL and notify Fit For All UK’s DSL that they have done so. The DSL will contact and liaise with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) of the borough/county in which the child/young person resides.

 

4.Instructor On-Boarding Policy

An instructor must produce all required documentation before they are approved. No instructor will be approved if they pose any potential risk to working with children/young people and vulnerable adults.

All instructors must undergo the following checks:

  • Verification and proof of identity (passport or driving license).

  • Verification of required qualifications, including Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and Personal Training qualifications where applicable.

  • Proof of address and right to work in the UK.

  • Verification and proof of a current Enhanced DBS and proof of registration on the DBS Update Service.

  • Proof of appropriate insurance (if applicable)

 

5.Safeguarding Compliance

For sessions that take place in the home or personal training gym, a responsible adult, determined by the parent/caregiver, must be present for the duration of the time that the instructor is present in the home. This is required for the protection of the instructor as well as the child/young person.

For sessions that take place in school, the DSL or other designated member of staff must be available on site for the duration of the time that the instructor is present in the school. The contact details of the DSL must also be available for communication at other times.

For sessions that take place in public spaces, including parks, community spaces and any other setting where a child/young person may come into contact with a member of the public, the instructor is responsible for taking due care to protect the child/young person from any contact with a member of the public that may cause any harm to the child/young person. This may include taking such precautions as moving the location of the session to a different area of the public space, asking the member of the public to move away or, should there be no other alternative to keep the child/young person safe, terminating the session early and accompanying them to their designated responsible adult.

A risk assessment is required for all sessions in all locations.

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6.Allegations

  1. Allegations against a instructor who may have behaved in a way that has or may have harmed a child/young person, or committed a criminal offence either against or related to a child/young person, or behaved towards a child/young person in a way that suggests he or she is unsuitable to work with children/young people, should be reported immediately to the LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) or DCPO (Designated Child Protection Officer) in the local authority where the incident is alleged to have taken place.

  2. Advice on how to deal with an allegation can be sought from the LA Education Welfare Service or Child Protection Unit.

 

7.Monitor and Review of this Policy

This policy shall be reviewed every 3 years or whenever there is a major change in the organisation or when there is relevant legislation. Each review should be dated.

 

Reviewed and Updated: 15th November 2024

Next Review: 15th November 2027

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