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Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy

Field Value
Document type Policy
Version 1
Last updated 2026-05-11
Owner KCC Committee / Club Welfare Officer
Approved by KCC Committee
Approval date 2026-05-11
Last reviewed 2026-05-11
Next review due 2027-05-11
Review cycle Annual unless a different review cycle is agreed.

Purpose

Set out how KCC safeguards children and young people who take part in club activity, and how concerns about a child or young person should be recognised, recorded and reported.

Scope

Applies to KCC activity involving children and young people under 18, including pool sessions, taster sessions, coaching, trips, events, communications, photography, changing facilities, transport arrangements, and any club-sanctioned activity.

Source Basis

Source basis:

  • Current KCC constitution and policy set
  • KCC overarching Safeguarding Policy
  • KCC trip-planning SOP: Safeguarding, Juniors & Consent
  • KCC Communications Policy, Photography and Videography Policy, Changing Room Policy, Privacy Policy, and codes of conduct
  • Paddle UK safeguarding policies and reporting routes checked on 2026-05-11

Document Content

1. Policy Statement

Knottingley Canoe Club is committed to creating a safe, inclusive and supportive environment for children and young people.

Children and young people have the right to:

  • take part in paddlesport safely
  • be listened to and treated with respect
  • be protected from abuse, neglect, bullying, harassment, discrimination and avoidable harm
  • know who they can speak to if something feels wrong
  • participate at a level that is suitable for their age, ability, confidence and needs

Safeguarding children is everyone's responsibility. KCC members, volunteers, coaches, leaders, parents, carers and committee members must act promptly when they have a concern.

2. Definition

For this policy, a child or young person is anyone under the age of 18.

The terms child, young person and junior may be used in club documents. All refer to someone under 18 unless the context says otherwise.

3. KCC Safeguarding Principles for Children

KCC will:

  • put the welfare of children and young people first
  • plan junior activity within the club safety and safeguarding framework
  • ensure junior activity is suitable for the child or young person's age, ability, experience and needs
  • use clear supervision arrangements
  • obtain parent or guardian consent where required
  • collect relevant emergency, medical and welfare information and handle it securely
  • avoid inappropriate one-to-one situations with unrelated adults
  • use transparent communication routes involving parents, guardians or agreed responsible adults
  • follow KCC changing room, photography, communications and privacy policies
  • use safer recruitment, training and DBS checks where roles require them
  • record and report safeguarding concerns promptly

4. Activity Classification and Junior Participation

Juniors should normally only take part in:

  • formal club coaching, leading or instructing
  • supervised club activity
  • club events with appropriate supervision and safeguarding arrangements

Juniors must not be included in informal, collaborative or independent member activity unless the committee, trip/session organiser, parent or guardian, and appropriate club officer have confirmed that the arrangement is suitable, supervised and within KCC's safeguarding and safety framework.

Collaborative adult paddles are not junior activity by default. If juniors are involved, the activity must be upgraded into a supervised or formal club activity with clear roles, consent, supervision and reporting routes.

5. Consent, Medical and Emergency Information

Before a child or young person takes part in relevant KCC activity, the organiser should confirm whether the club holds:

  • parent or guardian consent
  • emergency contact details
  • relevant medical information
  • relevant welfare, access or support information
  • photography and video consent status where images may be taken
  • any supervision or collection arrangements

Only information needed for safe participation should be collected. Sensitive information must be shared only with people who need it for safety, welfare, safeguarding or legal reasons.

6. Supervision and Responsible Adults

Activity involving juniors must identify who is responsible for:

  • session or trip leadership
  • welfare or safeguarding contact
  • parent or guardian communication
  • emergency contact information
  • supervision before, during and after the activity
  • collection or handover arrangements where relevant

Adults should work in an open and observable way. KCC should avoid situations where an unrelated adult is alone with a child or young person unless there is a clear, necessary and appropriately controlled reason.

7. Communication with Children and Young People

Club communication with juniors must be transparent and appropriate.

KCC expectations:

  • communications should normally go through parents, guardians or an agreed responsible adult
  • direct messages to a child or young person should include a parent, guardian or another appropriate adult
  • juniors should not be added to informal WhatsApp or private message groups with unrelated adults
  • communication should be about club activity, safety, logistics or welfare
  • personal, secretive, coercive, sexualised, bullying or intimidating communication is not acceptable
  • concerns about digital communication must be reported

The KCC Communications Policy gives more detail.

8. Changing Rooms, Photography and Privacy

For children and young people:

  • changing arrangements must respect privacy and safeguarding
  • adults should avoid being alone with a child other than their own in changing areas
  • mobile phones, cameras and recording devices must not be used in changing rooms, toilets or private areas
  • parental or guardian consent is required for photography or video where required
  • images must not expose unnecessary personal information or create safeguarding risks
  • medical, welfare and personal details must be handled securely

The KCC Changing Room Policy, Photography and Videography Policy, and Privacy Policy apply.

9. Safer Recruitment, Training and DBS

KCC will use safer recruitment and role-checking principles for roles involving children and young people.

This may include:

  • role descriptions and clear responsibilities
  • safeguarding training appropriate to the role
  • DBS checks where the role meets eligibility requirements
  • Paddle UK membership or role requirements where relevant
  • references or internal sign-off where appropriate
  • committee or delegated approval before deployment
  • induction into KCC safeguarding policies and codes of conduct

Anyone who requires a DBS check for a role must not be deployed in that role until the check and any required internal approval are complete.

10. Recognising Concerns

Safeguarding concerns may include, but are not limited to:

  • a child saying something has happened to them
  • unexplained injuries or repeated injuries
  • signs of fear, distress, coercion or withdrawal
  • bullying, harassment, discrimination or humiliation
  • inappropriate adult behaviour or boundary issues
  • inappropriate digital communication
  • unsafe one-to-one situations
  • neglect of safety, welfare or supervision needs
  • sexualised behaviour, comments, images or contact
  • concerns about home, school, club or online environments

Members and volunteers are not expected to investigate. The role of KCC adults is to notice, listen, record and report.

11. Responding to a Concern or Disclosure

If a child or young person discloses a concern:

1. Listen calmly. 2. Reassure them that they were right to speak up. 3. Do not promise secrecy. 4. Do not ask leading questions. 5. Do not investigate or confront the person alleged to be involved. 6. Record the facts as soon as possible. 7. Report to the Club Welfare Officer or safeguarding lead. 8. If there is immediate danger, call 999.

Records should include:

  • date, time and location
  • who was involved
  • what was seen, heard or disclosed
  • the child or young person's own words where possible
  • immediate action taken
  • who was told and when
  • names of witnesses if relevant

12. Reporting Routes

If there is immediate risk of harm or urgent medical need:

  • call 999 or 112
  • then inform the Club Welfare Officer or another appropriate club officer as soon as it is safe

If there is no immediate danger:

  • report to the Club Welfare Officer or safeguarding lead
  • if the Club Welfare Officer is unavailable, conflicted or implicated, report to Iain Marris or directly to Paddle UK

Current KCC Club Welfare Officer:

  • Name: Eleanor Tookey
  • Contact route: website safeguarding form and safeguarding@knottingleycanoeclub.com

Deputy / alternative club contact:

  • Name: Iain Marris
  • Contact route: website safeguarding form and safeguarding@knottingleycanoeclub.com

Safeguarding contact route submissions are monitored by Eleanor Tookey. Iain Marris is the backup contact.

External routes may include:

  • Police / ambulance / emergency services: 999
  • NSPCC helpline: 0808 800 5000
  • Childline: 0800 1111
  • Wakefield Council children's social care: 0345 8 503 503
  • Paddle UK safeguarding reporting route: https://paddleuk.org.uk/report-a-safeguarding-concern/; Paddle UK Safeguarding Team phone 0115 8655354

KCC is based in Wakefield District, so Wakefield Council is listed as the club's primary local authority children's social care route. Children and young people involved with KCC may live in other council areas. Where a concern relates to a child or young person outside Wakefield, or where the concern clearly took place in another local authority area, the Club Welfare Officer should contact the relevant local authority children's social care team for the child's home area or the area where the concern occurred. If unsure, contact Wakefield Social Care Direct, Paddle UK or the police and ask for routing advice.

13. Records and Confidentiality

Safeguarding records about children and young people must be:

  • factual
  • dated
  • stored securely
  • shared only with people who need the information for safeguarding, welfare, legal or governance reasons
  • kept out of public chat groups and general club folders
  • retained in line with safeguarding, legal and data protection requirements

Detailed handling, access and transfer arrangements for safeguarding concern records are managed through KCC's separate Safeguarding Concern Record Handling SOP.

14. Related Documents

This policy should be read alongside:

  • KCC Safeguarding Policy
  • KCC Code of Conduct for Juniors
  • KCC Code of Conduct for Parents and Carers
  • KCC Code of Conduct for Coaches and Volunteers
  • KCC Communications Policy
  • KCC Photography and Videography Policy
  • KCC Changing Room Policy
  • KCC Privacy Policy
  • KCC trip-planning SOP: Safeguarding, Juniors & Consent
  • KCC incident and near-miss reporting procedures

15. Review

This policy should be reviewed annually, or sooner if:

  • KCC changes its activity model or junior participation arrangements
  • there is a safeguarding concern, incident or learning review
  • legislation, statutory guidance or Paddle UK guidance changes
  • the committee or Club Welfare Officer identifies a need for review

Policy owner: KCC Committee / Club Welfare Officer

Review cycle: annual

Next review due: 2027-05-11

Adopted by committee on: 2026-05-11