Safeguarding Children Policy

Blackwater Tai Chi is a Wutan (UK) Martial Arts school (hereafter ‘Wutan Martial Arts’ or ‘Wutan’). The general policy below applies to Blackwater Tai Chi.

Sarer Scotthorne is the Designated Safeguarding Lead for Blackwater Tai Chi and is contactable at sarer.bristolwutan@gmail.com. She is a senior Wutan martial arts instructor and is independent of the Blackwater Tai Chi school. She will escalate all reported incidents to Wutan Martial Arts, Southampton.

Restrictions

Specific restrictions and exemptions are detailed here.

  • Blackwater Tai Chi only offers classes to adults.

  • Blackwater Tai Chi does not offer classes to unaccompanied children.

    • Children may attend the classes of a parent or guardian at no extra charge.

Introduction

Wutan Martial Arts is a for-profit organisation managed by a team (the Team). One of the Team (the Designated Safeguarding Lead or ‘DSL’) has particular responsibility for safeguarding children. The Team has adopted this safeguarding children policy and expects every adult working or helping at Wutan Martial Arts to support it and comply with it. Consequently this policy shall apply to all staff, managers, trustees, directors, volunteers, students or anyone working on behalf of Wutan Martial Arts.

Purpose of the Policy

  1. This policy is intended to protect children and young people who receive any service from us, including those who are the children of adults who may receive services from us.

  2. As an organisation we believe that no child or young person should experience abuse or harm and are committed to the protection of children and young people and this policy is intended to provide guidance and overarching principles to those who represent us as volunteers or staff, to guide our approach to child protection and safeguarding.

The risks to children

Nearly every child grows up in a safe and happy environment and it is important not to exaggerate or overestimate the dangers. Nevertheless, there are situations where children need protection including:

  • Sexual abuse

  • Grooming

  • Physical and emotional abuse and neglect

  • Domestic violence

  • Inappropriate supervision by staff or volunteers

  • Bullying, cyber bullying, acts of violence and aggression in our training facilities

  • Victimisation

  • Self-harm

  • Unsafe environments and activities

  • Crime

  • Exploitation

Universality of Protection

We recognise that:

  1. The welfare of the child is paramount

  2. All children regardless of race, gender, religious belief, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity have a right to equal protection from harm.

  3. Some children are more vulnerable to harm as a result of their circumstances, prior experiences, communication needs or level of dependency.

  4. Working with children, young people, their parents and/or guardians, carers or other agencies is essential to protecting their wellbeing.

Safeguarding children at events / activities

There are three kinds of events/activities:

  1. Those open to adults and children of all ages,

  2. Those for children accompanied by an adult (parent or guardian),

  3. Those for unaccompanied children, which are sometimes run alongside other events/activities.

At events and activities open to all ages, children under 16 must be accompanied throughout by an adult over the age of 18 who not only brings the child but also takes the child home again afterwards.

At events and activities for children accompanied by an adult, children under 16 must be supervised throughout the event by an adult over the age of 18 who not only brings the child to the event but also takes the child home again afterwards. If a lone adult brings more than one child, then the children will have to stay together, so that the one adult can supervise them.

At events and activities for unaccompanied children, children under the age of 16 must be enrolled by a responsible adult before being left with the event leader. The enrolment must record the child's name, age and address and the names and addresses of the child's parents, plus the parents' mobile telephone numbers.

Young people aged 16 or 17 may attend any event unaccompanied if they bring the written consent and mobile telephone number of a parent/guardian.

Both event and activities are to be defined broadly to include any occasions where Wutan Martial Arts will be providing a service.

Disclosure and barring

Wutan Martial Arts offers Martial arts classes for children.

  1. Some of our activities may therefore require adult participants or adult leaders to undergo DBS and/or police checks under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006. The required level of checking (if any) will broadly reflect the degree and frequency of unsupervised access given to other people's children.

  2. The Team will take very seriously any allegation of impropriety on the part of any member of Wutan Martial Arts. A member of Wutan Martial Arts who discovers anything amiss should get in touch immediately with the designated Team Member.

  3. The Team will review the allegation and the likely risk to children and, if appropriate, will consider banning the member from future events or revoking his or her membership or both, but only in full accordance with the rules and procedures of Wutan Martial Arts.

Health and safety aspects of safeguarding children

  1. Before starting any event for unaccompanied children, the Team will carry out a risk assessment and then take steps to minimise all risks to health and safety. Parents and children will be made aware of any particular risks and of the steps to be taken to minimise those risks. The Team will keep a record of all risk assessments.

  2. Sufficient adults must be present at any event for unaccompanied children to enable one adult to deal with any emergency while another adult supervises the children not directly affected by the emergency.

Policy on the prevention of bullying

We will not tolerate the bullying of children either by adults or by other children. If any incident of child-on-child bullying should arise at a Wutan Martial Arts event, those involved will be separated immediately and the parents of the children involved will be asked to deal with the matter. The Team will review all incidents of child-on-child bullying and assess the likely future risk to children. If appropriate, the Team will consider banning a child from future events, but only in full accordance with the rules and procedures of Wutan Martial Arts. Allegations of adults bullying children will be dealt with as described above.

Photographing children

No photos will be taken or published of any child attending an event or activity unless prior written permission is sought from a person with parental responsibility. If any person has any concerns regarding any person taking photos at an event or activity, that person should contact Wutan Martial Arts immediately.

Managing behaviour, discipline and acceptable restraint

  1. Adults supervising children at Wutan Martial Arts events must never use any form of corporal punishment. If physical restraint is absolutely necessary to prevent injury to any person or to prevent serious damage to property, then the minimum necessary restraint may be used — but for that purpose only.

  2. Unacceptable behaviour at Wutan Martial Arts events for unaccompanied children will generally be stopped by separating the children from each other and from the group. The miscreants will be suitably supervised and will be returned as soon as possible to the care of their parents.

  3. Wutan Martial Arts may apply a further disciplinary sanction; namely the banning of the child from one or more future events over the following 18 months.

  4. A parent who is aggrieved by this ban may appeal to Wutan Martial Arts who will hear the views of all relevant persons. The decision of Wutan Martial Arts is then final.

Reporting a concern

Where there is an allegation against an instructor, volunteer etc. who works with children at Wutan Martial Arts the DSL must report the matter to the Local Authority Designated Officer.

Instructors and volunteers must also report the following to the DSL and make a written record of what they have done, seen or heard:

  • They have accidentally hurt a child

  • A child seems distressed in any manner

  • A child appears to be sexually aroused by their actions

  • A child misunderstands or misinterprets something they have said or done.

If you think a child is in immediate danger or requires medical attention, you should call the emergency services on 999. You can also ring the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 to report immediate risks. This is an immediate responsibility and will take priority over informing the Designated Safeguard Lead or Deputy.

Recording

Should a child make a disclosure a record in writing must be made as soon as possible, using their words as closely as possible and where relevant, using the school/club report form Note the date, time, any names mentioned, names and addresses to whom the information was given and who else is aware of the allegation. Note or describe clearly any visible injury.

Take care to distinguish between fact, observation, allegation and opinion. It is important that the information you have is accurate.

Recording of any incident, including possible abuse or poor practice incidents, should also follow this procedure. In all situations, including those in which the cause of concern arises either from a disclosure of abuse or from suspicion of abuse, it is vitally important to record the details, regardless of whether they are shared with a statutory agency, as soon as possible using the Incident Referral Form

The record should be clear and factual as it may be needed by child or adult protection agencies and may, in the future, be used as evidence in court. Records should be kept securely and shared only with those who need to know about the incident.

Throughout the process of any safeguarding cases, accurate records should be made and maintained.

Legal Framework

This policy has been drawn up in accordance with the following:

  • Children Act 1989

  • United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991 o General Data Protection Regulation

  • Human Rights Act 1998

  • Sexual Offences Act 2003

  • Children Act 2004

  • Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

  • Protection of Freedoms Act 2012

  • Children and Families Act 2014

  • Special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice - Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014

  • Information sharing: advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services

  • Working together to safeguard children (2017)

Revision History

Last revised 22-May-2024