Welfare & Safeguarding

CASC is committed to providing a caring, friendly, and safe environment for all our members, so that when they participate in club activities, they do so in a relaxed and secure environment

Our club has Swim Mark accreditation.  This is the Swim England’s ‘quality standard’ to recognise the clubs that are committed to providing safe, effective and quality services for the benefit of their members. These are clubs with high standards of governance, sustainability and effectiveness.

We provide 2  Welfare Officers who are the first point of contact for anyone within the club who has a child safeguarding or welfare concern. Safeguarding concerns can be raised by children, parents and other adults.

If you have a concern about the welfare of any child or the behaviour of an adult towards any child you should, without delay, contact the club welfare officers.

Both are happy to discuss concerns in person and if this is not possible, please email Fiona Horne and Michelle Blackford at welfare@corbyswimmingclub.org.uk

In partnership with the club committee, the Welfare Officers ensure that the club is adopting and implementing child safeguarding policy and procedures which are necessary for it to provide its duty of care to children. CASC fully endorses and operates in accordance with Swim England’s Child Protection Policy (Wavepower 2020-2023: Child safeguarding policy and procedures for clubs).

We adhere to the Swim England Photography and Photographing Swimmers Policy, which can be found in their Wavepower document.  Links to the Wavepower documentation can be found below.

How to raise a Child Safeguarding Concern

If you have a concern about the welfare of any child or the behaviour of an adult towards any child you should, without delay, please contact in the following order:

 

In an Emergency

If you believe a child may be at immediate risk of harm please make immediate contact with an appropriate agency, such as:

Take the name and contact details of the person you have spoken to, plus the incident / referral reference number (if applicable) so you have a record of the advice they give.

 

Then report this to the club welfare officer and the Swim England safeguarding team the next working day

    Safeguarding Useful Links and Contacts

    Safeguarding information and rules that the club abides by:

    External safeguarding organisations and resources:

    "

    External support organisations and resources:

    National Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children – NSPCC

    • NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit | CPSU (https://thecpsu.org.uk)

    • NSPCC (https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/) Call: 0808 800 5000

    The phone line is open 24 hours a day and is free of charge. If you need someone to call you back at a quiet time they can. You do not have to give your name. Only trained and experienced counsellors work on this phone line, and they know what to do. 

    • Childline (https://www.childline.org.uk)  Call: 0800 1111

    Childline is a safe and confidential telephone line that is open 24 hours a day with trained listeners. You can call and speak to a counsellor in confidence any time of day. If you are hearing impaired or deaf they can provide a BSL interpreter. Have a look at the website. There are lots of resources and an online community.  

    • Mind (https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/) Call: 0300 102 1234

    Mind are open 9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday (except bank holidays). 

    Mind support line is a safe space for you to talk about your mental health. Mind advisors are trained to listen to you and help you find specialist support if you need it. 

    Talk to Mind if: 

    ·                 You want a safe and confidential place to talk openly about your feelings 

    ·                 You want someone to listen to you and help you to find the right steps to take for your mental health 

    ·                 You are looking for emotional support for your mental health and wellbeing 

    • Young Minds: (https://www.youngminds.org.uk/)

    This website has lots of advice for young people and their adults. If you want to chat to someone immediately, they guide you to ChildLine (0800 1111). They do not have a helpline, but they do have lots of useful links to resources and other organisations

     • Samaritans: (https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/) Call: 116 123

    The Samaritans offer a safe place for adults and young people to talk any time you like, in your own way – about whatever is getting to you. They will not judge you or tell you what to do, they will listen to you. You can also e-mail jo@samaritans.org although, it may take several days to get a response.

    • Shout (https://giveusashout.org) Text: Shout to 85258

    Shout is the UK’s first and only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging service for anyone who is struggling to cope. 

    • NHS Urgent Mental Health Helpline (England)

    https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/mental-health/find-an-urgent-mental-health-helpline

    This website offers mental health support and advice, in your area 24 hours a day and tells you all about how to use the service but there is no single phone line.

    • Kids Inspire: (https://www.kidsinspire.org.uk/children-and-young-people?gclid=CjwKCAjwhJukBhBPEiwAnilcNbsc1K)

    Call: 01245 348707 9am to 5pm

    If you call, you will get a clinical administrator who will guide you. This is not a help line, but the organisation provides mental health and emotional wellbeing support for children and young people from 4-21.

    • LGBTIQA (https://www.barnardos.org.uk/what-we-do/supporting-young-people/lgbt)

    All the above organisations help with LGBTQ support. You can also look at the above website to find specific organisations near you.