·        Leaders who become aware of a conflict between their obligation to their players and their obligation to the club/organisation must make explicit to all parties concerned the nature of the conflict and the loyalties and responsibilities involved

·        Leaders should communicate and co-operate with medical and ancillary practitioners in the diagnosis, treatment and management of their players’ medical or related problems. Avoid giving advice of a personal or medical nature if you are not qualified to do so. Any information of a personal or medical nature must be kept strictly confidential unless the welfare of the junior requires the passing on of this information

·        The nature of the relationship between leader and a participant can often mean that a leader will learn confidential information about a player or player’s family. This information must be regarded as confidential and, except where abuse is suspected, must not be divulged to a third party without the express permission of the player/family

Photographic Image Guidelines

Golf has adopted guidelines (appendix 9) for  consideration in relation to the use of images of athletes on their websites and in other publications as part of its commitment to providing a safe environment to juniors. Golf will take all necessary steps to ensure that  juniors are protected from the inappropriate use of their images in resource and media publications, on the internet and elsewhere.

This guidance is for anyone with responsibility for the publication of official photography (including videos) of children involved in golfing activities or events.

Golf benefits from using images of young participants to promote and celebrate activities, events and competitions. Parents and children generally welcome opportunities to celebrate or publicise their achievements. Some leaders/ coaches may want to use photographs or videos as a tool to support a young athlete’s skill development.

However, the use of photos and videos on websites and social media, and in posters, the press or other publications, can pose direct and indirect risks to children and young people if not managed correctly.

Clubs wishing to use or permit the use of images of children involved in their activities must therefore follow the good practice guidelines outlined in appendix 9 to safeguard children.  

·        Children may be identified, located, groomed or contacted

·        Taking or producing inappropriate or illegal images of children

Video recording as a coaching aid: Video equipment can be used as legitimate coaching aid. However, permission should first be obtained from the player and the player’s parent.

Anyone concerned about any photography taking place at events or training sessions can contact the National Children’s Officer & DLP and ask them to deal with the matter.

General Guidelines with Juniors Travelling

There is extra responsibility taken on by leaders when they travel with juniors to  events.  When travelling with juniors you should:

·        Inform parents of the child why and how long the journey will take.

·        Attempt to have more than one child in the car or seek parental permission to transport an individual child

·        Alternate drivers if possible and which child is dropped off last or drop off at a central location

·        Ensure the driver has a point of contact/mobile phone.

·        Have a person other than the planned driver talk to the child about transport arrangements to check they are comfortable about the plans.

·        Ensure that they have insurance to carry others.

·        Ensure use of safety belts

·        Ensure drivers representing and volunteering on behalf of a club are vetted through Access/National Vetting Bureau if driving regularly, and therefore meting the regulated activity criteria.    

·        Consider the need for booster seats.

·        Parents and coaches can also download Sport Ireland’s Safeguarding App.

 https://www.sportireland.ie/Participation/Code_of_Ethics/Code-Of-Ethics-App/ and one of the features of the App is a ‘Travel Tracker’ function. This allows parents and coaches who are driving someone else’s child/children home for example after a training session, to permit the child’s parent or guardian to view and have oversight of their journey.

Booster Seats

From 2006, the law in Europe requires all children in cars, vans and other goods vehicles to be carried using an appropriate child restraint until either they have reached the age of 12 years or are 150cm (5” in Republic of Ireland) and 135cms (4’ 5” in Northern Ireland) or whichever comes first with very few exceptions. The European law allowed countries to opt for minimum height of between 135cm and 150cm.  For more information visit;

www.rsa.ie

www.thecpsu.org.uk

www.carchildseats.org.uk

Supervision

•      Make sure there is an adequate adult: child ratio. This will depend on the nature of the activity, the age of the participants and any special needs of the group. As a guide a ratio of 1:8 for under 12 years of age and 1:10 for participants over 12 years of age. This is only a guide and will change depending on the circumstances, e.g. players with special needs or away trips  

•      Where there are mixed groups there should be leaders of both genders

•      Avoid being alone with one participant, if you need to talk separately do so in an open environment, in view of others

•      Leaders should not need to enter the changing rooms unless juniors are very young or need special assistance, where supervision should be in pairs of appropriate gender

•      Clearly state time for start and end of training sessions or competitions, leaders should remain in pairs until all participants have been collected

•      Keep attendance records and records of any incidents / injuries that arise  

•      Facilitate parents who wish to stay and supervise sessions, (for safety and supervision, not necessarily for their ‘technical’ expertise)  

Away trips / Overnight stays

•      Separate permission forms should be signed by parents and participants, containing emergency contact number and any other relevant information.

•      Young participants should sign a Code of Conduct agreement  

•      Appoint a group leader who will make a report on returning home to the Union/club committee who organised the trip  

•       A meeting with parents and participants is useful to communicate travel times, competition details, other activities, gear requirements, medical requirements, special dietary needs and any other necessary details

•      Rooming arrangements – adults should not share rooms with juniors. Juniors should share rooms with those of same age and gender and adults should knock before entering rooms

•      All group socialisation should take place in communal areas (i.e. no boys in girls’ rooms and vice versa)

•      Alcohol, smoking or any illegal substances are not permitted to players

•      There must be at least one adult of each gender with a mixed party, there should be a good adult – child ratio, 1:5/6

•      Lights out times should be enforced  

•      Juniors should be under reasonable supervision at all times and should never leave the venue or go unsupervised without prior permission  

Safety

All clubs / organisations must have a safety statement, including specific risk assessments
linked to the activity. They should also have procedures in place for safeguarding against such risks. In addition, clubs / organisations should:  

·        Officials (convenors and referees, etc.) should ensure the conduct of the game

·        Participants should know and keep the etiquette guidelines of golf, keeping in mind that many rules are there for safety 

·        Leaders should hold appropriate qualifications required by the governing body 

·        Ensure there is adequate insurance cover for all activities

·        Ensure parents / guardians are present at finishing time of sessions or events

Physical Contact

    Golf on occasion requires a ‘hands on approach’, especially in a teaching or coaching situation, e.g., it may be necessary to assist a junior when learning how to grip the club for the first time but the following should be taken into consideration  

·        Avoid unnecessary physical contact

·        Any necessary contact should be in response to the needs of the junior and not the adult

·        It should be in an open environment with the permission and understanding of the participant and parent/guardian.

·        It should be determined by the age and developmental stage of the participant - Don’t do something that a child can do for themselves 

·        Never engage in inappropriate touching

Late Collection

It is important to have some clear and easy guidelines if a parent is late to collect a junior, such as, contact the parent using the emergency contact number. If there is no answer, ask the junior if there is another family member to contact. Wait with the junior at the club or venue, preferably with other staff or volunteers. Remind parents of the policy in relation to good practice and supervision.

Adults and Juniors playing together

One of the reasons for the popularity of golf is that the game is not restricted either competitively or socially by skill, age or gender. Golf can be enjoyed and keenly contested by players from and between any number and/or apparently diverse groups. That this diversity,
almost unique to golf, is encouraged is essential to ensure the continuity of one of the most endearing traditions of the game. Every effort must be made to promote this mix of physical and technical ability.

Responsible interaction between adults and juniors helps bring mutual respect and understanding and helps the standards of the club to be understood and maintained. Nevertheless, when playing golf with a junior, adults should always be aware that certain age-related differences do exist and should conduct themselves in a manner that recognises this.

Juniors playing on the course without adults

Golf courses may have a number of unmanned access and egress points which limit the control of juniors playing alone or with another junior, but this in itself should not preclude the club from attempting to minimise potential problems involving juniors playing together. Golf clubs should endeavour to have procedures in place for juniors to register in and out when using the golf club. This is to help ensure that they are aware when juniors are playing or on club premises.

If possible, it is advisable to have some method for juniors playing on their own or with another junior to sign in and out. If it is not practicable to hold a register, then at least permission should be gained from parents for their children to be on the club’s premises by including this in their Code of Conduct. (appendix 4)

The organisation is not responsible for  providing adult supervision of juniors, except for formal junior golf coaching, matches or competitions

Changing Rooms

As golf clubs are seen as a recreational facility, members, visitors and juniors are entitled to the use of the changing rooms, this means that often people of all ages regularly need to change and shower during the same period. Therefore, the following guidance in relation to adults and juniors using the changing rooms should be followed: 

·        Adults should exercise care when in the changing rooms at the same time as juniors 

·        Parents/guardians should be made aware that adults and juniors may need to share the changing facility.The parent/guardian should discuss this with their child ensuring their child is aware of who to talk to if any issues arise in unsupervised areas.  

·        Parents can choose to supervise their child while they change.  

·        If juniors are uncomfortable changing or showering in public, no pressure should be placed on them.  Encourage them to do this at home.  

Mobile Phones

Young people value their mobile phones as it gives them a sense of independence and they can often be given to young people for security to enable parents to keep in touch. However,
technology has given direct personal contact between adults and juniors and in some cases adults have used this to cross personal boundaries placing themselves and young people at risk. The following guidelines should be followed:  

As a Leader    

Use group texts for communication among players and teams and inform parents of this at the start of the season, tournament or event.  

·       It is not appropriate or acceptable to have constant contact with an individual athlete.  

·       Don’t use your phone in inappropriate locations, such as changing rooms, especially if your phone has a camera. 

·       Do not send messages late at night 

·       Remember the principles of the Leaders Code of Conduct apply to social media communication as well and consider your digital footprint before posting. 

As a Junior golfer  

·       If you receive an offensive message, email or photo don’t reply to it, save it, make note of times and dates and tell a parent, children’s officer or responsible adult you trust.  

·       Be careful about whom you give your number or email address to and don’t respond to unfamiliar numbers.  

·       Don’t use your phone in inappropriate locations, such as changing rooms, especially if your phone has a camera. 

·        Treat your phone as you would any valuable item so that you can guard against theft.

Child Welfare and Protection Procedures

The following are the procedures for dealing with any welfare or protection issue that may arise.  Child welfare and the protection of juniors is the concern of all adults at all times, irrespective of their role within the organisation.

If there are grounds for concern about the safety or welfare of a junior, you should react to the concern. Persons unsure about whether or not certain behaviours are abusive and therefore reportable, should contact the duty social worker in Tusla – Child & Family Agency or An Garda Siochana where they will receive advice. (details in Appendix 11)

Reasonable Grounds for concern

TUSLA or Health and Social Care Trust (HSCT) should always be informed when there are reasonable grounds for concern that a child may have been abused, or is being abused, or is at risk of abuse.

The following examples would constitute
reasonable grounds for concern: 

·        A specific indication from the child that he or she was abused (disclosure) 

·        An account by a person who says the child is being abused  

·        Evidence, such as an injury or behavior, that is consistent with abuse and unlikely to be caused in another way 

·        An injury or behavior that is consistent both with abuse and with an innocent, explanation, but where there are corroborative indicators supporting the concern that it may be a case of abuse e.g. a pattern of injuries, an implausible explanation, and other indications of abuse and/or dysfunctional behavior  

·        Consistent indication, over a period of time that a child is suffering from emotional or physical neglect  

A report may be made by any member in the organisation but should be passed on to the National Children’s Officer & Designated Liaison Person, who may in turn have to pass the concern to the local Statutory Authorities. It is not the responsibility of anyone working within golf, in a paid or voluntary capacity, to take responsibility or decide whether or not child abuse is taking place. That is the job of the local Statutory Authorities. However, there is a responsibility to protect juniors by assisting the appropriate agencies so that they can then make enquiries and take any necessary action to protect the junior.

Everyone should follow both procedures  outlined below, firstly the procedure for responding to a junior in distress and secondly the procedure for reporting the concern.

Response to a Child Disclosing Abuse 
When a junior discloses information of suspected abuse you should:

(a) Deal with any allegation of abuse in a sensitive and competent way through listening to and facilitating the junior to tell you about the problem, rather than interviewing the junior about details of what happened

(b) Stay calm and don’t show any extreme reaction to what the junior is saying. Listen compassionately, and take what the junior is saying seriously  

(c)  Understand that the junior has decided to tell something very important and has taken a risk to do so. The experience of telling should be a positive one so that the junior will not mind talking to those involved in the investigation

(d) Be honest with the junior and tell them that it is not possible to keep information a secret but you will maintain confidentiality  

(e) Make no judgmental statements against the person whom the allegation is made

(f)   Do not question the junior unless the nature of what s/he is saying is unclear. Do not use leading questions. Open, non-specific questions should be used such as “Can you explain to me what you mean by that” 

(g)  Check out the concerns with the Golf DLP and then advise the parents/guardians you are contacting the statutory authorities unless doing so would possibly place the child at any further risk.

(h) Give the junior some indication of what would happen next, such as informing parents/guardians, or Statutory Authorities. It should be kept in mind that the junior may have been threatened and may feel vulnerable at this stage.  

(i)   Carefully record the details 

(j)     Pass on this information to the National Children’s Officer & DLP 

(k)   Reassure the junior that they have done the right thing in telling you

Reporting Suspected or Disclosed Child Abuse

The following steps should be taken in reporting child abuse to the Statutory Authorities: 

(a)  Observe and note dates, times, locations and contexts in which the incident occurred or suspicion was aroused, together with any other relevant information 

(b)  Report the matter as soon as possible to the Mandated Person (NGB level only) or Designated Liaison Person within the organisation who has responsibility for reporting abuse. If the Mandated Person & DLP has reasonable grounds for believing that the junior has been abused or is at risk of abuse, s/he will make a report to local Statutory Authorities who have statutory responsibility to investigate and assess suspected or actual child abuse 

(c) In cases of emergency, where a junior appears to be at immediate and serious risk and the Mandated Person & DLP is unable to contact a duty social worker, An Garda Síochána/Police authorities should be contacted. Under no circumstances should a junior be left in a dangerous situation pending intervention by the Statutory Authorities

(d) If the Mandated Person & DLP is unsure whether reasonable grounds for concern exists s/he can informally consult with the Statutory Authorities. S/he will be advised whether or not the matter requires a formal report.  

A Mandated Person & DLP reporting suspected or actual child abuse to the Statutory Authorities will first inform the family of their intention to make such a report, unless doing so would put the child at further risk or undermine an investigation. 

The Protection for Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act, 1998 (ROI only) provides immunity from civil liability to persons who report child abuse ‘reasonably and in good faith’ to the Tusla Child and Family Agency or An Garda Síochána. The act also covers the offence of ‘false reporting’.  The main provisions of the Act are:  

1. The provision of immunity from civil liability to any person who reports child abuse “reasonably and in good faith” to designated officers of Tusla Child and Family Agency or any member of An Garda Síochána 

2.  The provision of significant protections for employees who report child abuse. These protections cover all employees and all forms of discrimination up to and including, dismissal 

3. The creation of a new offence of false reporting of child abuse where a person makes a report of child abuse to the appropriate authorities “knowing that statement to be false”. This is a new criminal offence designed to protect innocent persons from malicious reports

Allegations against Golf Leaders

Golf has agreed procedures to be followed in cases of alleged child abuse made against Golf Leaders. If such an allegation is made against a Golf Leader working within the organisation, two procedures should be followed: 

·        The reporting procedure in respect of suspected child abuse (reported by the Mandated Person & DLP), see previous page 

·        The procedure for dealing with the Golf Leader

The safety of the child making the allegation

should be considered and the safety of any other children who may be at risk. The organisation will take any necessary steps that may be needed to protect children in its care.

The issue of confidentiality is important.
Information is on a need to know basis and the Golf Leader should be treated with respect and fairness.

The reporting procedure

If the Mandated Person & DLP has reasonable grounds for concern, the matter should be
reported to the Statutory Authorities, following the standard reporting procedure. See appendix 10 a for ROI.  

The procedure for dealing with Golf’s leader

The Mandated Person & DLP makes the report to the Statutory Authorities and seeks advice about how and when to inform the person the allegation is made against.

·        
In golf, the Unions following advice from statutory agencies will inform the Leader that  

(a) an allegation has been made against him/her, and

(b) the nature of the allegation. He / she should be afforded an opportunity to respond. His / her response should be noted and passed on to the Statutory Authorities

·        The Leader may be asked to step aside pending the outcome of the investigation. When a person is asked to step aside it should be made clear that it is only a precautionary measure and will not prejudice any later disciplinary proceedings 

Disciplinary action on the Leader should be considered but only if this does not interfere with the investigation of the Statutory Authorities. It is important to consider the outcome of the investigation and any implications it might have. The fact that someone an allegation has been made against has not been prosecuted or been found guilty does not automatically mean that they are appropriate to work with juniors in the future.

Irrespective of the findings of the Statutory Authorities, the Golf Unions & PGA Disciplinary Committees will assess all individual cases to decide whether a member of staff or volunteer should be reinstated and if so how this can be sensitively handled. This may be a difficult decision, especially where there is insufficient evidence to uphold any action by the Statutory Authorities. In such case the Golf Disciplinary Committees must reach a decision based upon the available information which could suggest that on the balance of probability, it is more likely than not that the allegation is true, and the implications of this for the safety of juniors.
The welfare of the junior should remain of paramount importance throughout. The Unions and PGA may need to disclose information to ensure the protection of juniors in its care, in NI clubs are obliged to pass information to the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service).

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CATEGORIES OF ABUSE

All Sports Leaders should be familiar with signs and behaviours that may be indicative of child abuse.

Though a child may be subjected to more than one type of harm, abuse is normally categorised into four different types: neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse. For detailed definitions of abuse, refer to Children First: National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children R.O.I. The categories of abuse may be briefly summarised as follows:  

NEGLECT 
Neglect is normally defined in terms of an omission, where the child suffers significant harm or impairment of development by being deprived of food, clothing, warmth, hygiene, intellectual stimulation, supervision and safety, attachment to and affection from adults, and/or medical care. It may also include neglect of a child’s basic emotional needs.

Harm can be defined as the ill-treatment or the impairment of the health or development of a child. Whether it is significant is determined by the child's health and development as compared to that which could reasonably be expected of a child of similar age.

Neglect generally becomes apparent in different ways over a period of time rather than at one specific point. For example, a child who suffers a series of minor injuries may not be having his or her needs met in terms of necessary supervision and safety. A child whose height or weight is significantly below average may be being deprived of adequate nutrition. A child who consistently misses school may be being deprived of intellectual stimulation.

The threshold of significant harm is reached when the child's needs are neglected to the extent that his or her well-being and/or development are severely affected.

EMOTIONAL ABUSE
Emotional abuse is normally to be found in the relationship between a parent/carer and a child rather than in a specific event or pattern of events. It occurs when a child's developmental need for affection, approval, consistency and security are not met. Unless other forms of abuse are present, it is rarely manifested in terms of physical signs or symptoms. Examples may include: 

Emotional abuse can be manifested in terms of the child's behavioural, cognitive, affective or physical functioning. Examples of these include insecure attachment, unhappiness, low self-esteem, educational and developmental underachievement, and oppositional behaviour. The threshold of significant harm is reached when abusive interactions dominate and become typical of the relationship between the child and the parent/carer.

PHYSICAL ABUSE   
Physical abuse is any form of non-accidental injury that causes  significant harm  to a child. 
It may occur as a single incident or repeated incidents.

Physical abuse can involve:  
·        Severe physical punishment; 
·        Beating, slapping, hitting or kicking; 
·        Pushing, shaking or throwing; 
·        Pinching, biting, choking or hair-pulling; 
·        Terrorising with threats; 
·        Observing violence; 
·        Use of excessive force in handling;  
·        Deliberate poisoning;  
·        Suffocation; 
·        Fabricated/induced illness  
·  Allowing or creating a substantial risk of significant harm to a child.

SEXUAL ABUSE

Sexual abuse occurs when a child is used by another person for his or her gratification or sexual arousal, or for that of others.

Examples of child sexual abuse include:  ·     Exposure of the sexual organs or any sexual act intentionally performed in the presence of the child; 
·     Intentional touching or molesting of the body of a child whether by a person or object for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification; 
·    Masturbation in the presence of the child or the involvement of the child in an act of masturbation; 
·   Sexual intercourse with the child, whether oral, vaginal or anal; 
· Sexual exploitation of a child, which includes inciting, encouraging, propositioning, requiring or permitting a child to solicit for, or to engage in, prostitution or other sexual acts. Sexual exploitation also occurs when a child is involved in the exhibition, modelling or posing for the purpose of sexual arousal, gratification or sexual act, including its recording (on film, video tape or other media) or the manipulation, for those purposes, of the image by computer or other means. It may also include showing sexually explicit material to children, which is often a feature of the 'grooming' process by perpetrators of abuse; 
·      It may include non-contact activities, such as involving children in looking at pornographic material or watching sexual activities, or encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways. 

Confidentiality  

Confidentiality should be maintained in respect of all issues and people involved in cases of abuse, welfare or poor practice. It is important that the rights of both the junior and the person about whom the complaint has been made are protected.  

The following points should be kept in mind: 
·      A guarantee of secrecy cannot be given, as the welfare of the junior will supersede all other considerations but confidentiality will be maintained. 
·   All information should be treated in a careful and sensitive manner and should be discussed only with those who need to know 
·       Information should be conveyed to the parents / guardians of the child in a sensitive way following consultation with the Golf DLP and statutory agencies 
·        Giving information to others on a ‘need to know’ basis for the protection of a junior is not a breach of confidentiality 
·    All persons involved in a child protection process (the child, his/her parents/guardians, the alleged offender, his/her family, Leaders) should be afforded appropriate respect, fairness, support and confidentiality at all stages of the procedure 
·        Information should be stored in a secure place, with limited access only to designated people and/or National Children’s Officer & DLP   

The requirements of the Data Protection laws should be adhered to; Breach of confidentiality is a serious matter

Anonymous Complaints

Anonymous complaints can be difficult to deal with but should not be ignored. In all cases the safety and welfare of the junior/juniors is paramount. Any such complaints relating to inappropriate behaviour should be brought to the attention of the National Children’s Officer & DLP. The information should be checked out and handled in a confidential manner.

Rumours

Rumours should not be allowed to hang in the air. Any rumours relating to inappropriate behaviour should be brought to the attention of the National Children’s Officer & DLP and checked out without delay.