Oxford Archers

This club believes that when dealing with young people* their welfare should always be of paramount importance. We are committed to providing an environment where young people can learn and participate in archery free from harassment and abuse.
All those working with young people have a moral responsibility to safeguard and promote that person's welfare. This club has therefore adopted the GNAS “Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy” to ensure peace of mind for both adults and children.
*Young people also refers to archers with disabilities and vulnerable adults

Principles of Policy Statement
The Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy is based on the following three fundamental principles:
1.Whilst dealing with children and vulnerable adults, their welfare is paramount. As defined in The Children Act 1989 (England & Wales), a child is a young person under 18 years of age.
2.All children and young adults, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious beliefs and/or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse or neglect.
3.The rights, dignity and worth of every child and vulnerable adult should always be respected.

Responsibilities
Oxford Archers ensure that the following guidance is adhered to:
1.Under the Government Guide “Working Together to Safeguard Children” all organisations have a responsibility to protect children and young people from abuse and neglect.
2.All incidents of suspicion, poor practice and allegations should be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.
3.Confidentiality should be upheld in line with the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Human Rights Act 2000.
4.It is the responsibility of the child protection experts to determine whether or not abuse has taken place but it is everyone’s responsibility to report any concerns.
5.Recruitment of staff and volunteers is undertaken according to the guidelines for best practice contained in this policy.

Specific Policies
Oxford Archers require a parent, carer or guardian to remain present at all times in order to provide constant supervision of their child. The responsibility for the care of that child remains with the parent, carer or guardian, in line with GNAS policy guidelines. This ensures that Club Members will not be in a position to take advantage of any substantial access to the child.
All qualified Coaches are CRB checked as part of their GNAS coaching course and follow the GNAS “Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy”.

Zero Tolerance Of Bullying
Oxford Archers does not tolerate the bullying of any member by another member. Bullying is difficult to define and can take many forms, which can be categorised as:
Physical e.g. hitting, kicking, theft, etc.
Verbal e.g. homophobic/racist remarks, threats, name calling.
Emotional e.g. Isolating individuals from activities.

Bullying may also include:
Other forms of violence, including sexual.
Sarcasm, spreading rumours, persistent teasing.
Tormenting, ridiculing, humiliation.
Racial taunts, graffiti, gestures.
Unwanted physical contact or abusive comments, possibly of a sexual nature.

Any issues regarding the welfare of young people or bullying should be reported to the Child Protection Officer This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or an appointed Deputy Child Protection Officer.
For further details regarding the Children and Vulnerable Adults Protection Policy, including Bullying, visit this link.