Wotton Hall chess club

Safeguarding policy

Safeguarding policy statement

Wotton Hall chess club (the Club) wants everyone who plays chess to feel safe, welcome and able to enjoy it. Safeguarding means keeping people safe from harm. Everyone at the Club has a part to play: players, coaches, officials, administrators, staff, volunteers, spectators, parents and carers. What we do, on and off the chess board, helps build a friendly culture where everyone is included.

We will do this by:

  • having the right people in place
  • creating the right culture and environment
  • making sure there are clear steps for reporting and responding to safeguarding concerns
  • adopting the English Chess Federation’s (ECF) Safeguarding Policy and Guidance
  • making sure all Club officers and Team Captains have a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

Having the right people in place

Everyone at our Club is responsible for safeguarding. We also have a named Club Safeguarding Officer.

The Club Safeguarding Officer is:

  • the first point of contact for all children, parents and carers, volunteers and members at the Club
  • a member of our committee
  • a source of safeguarding advice for the Club, its committee and its members
  • the Club’s main contact for the ECF’s Safeguarding Team and other safeguarding bodies outside the Club
  • the person who makes sure there are clear, complete steps for raising and handling safeguarding concerns

Creating the right culture and environment

All participants in chess, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, ability or disability, have the right to enjoy the game in an environment that is safe from abuse of any kind. The Club recognises that safeguarding starts with setting high standards and promoting a positive culture which provides the best environment for participants to enjoy themselves and the game of chess.

We promote a listening culture where the views of children, parents/carers, volunteers and other Club members are proactively sought and acted upon. This helps us to create an environment where people have the opportunity and confidence to raise concerns, including concerns about poor practice, abuse and neglect

We seek to create a partnership with parents/carers so that they know what to expect from us and what we expect of them

In keeping with this intention, the Club expects all Club members to have regard to the following code of conduct.

  • Plan activities which involve more than one other person being present or at least are within sight or hearing of others where possible. This applies to such activities as one-to-one training and travelling to or from chess events
  • Ensure the safety of all children by providing effective supervision and proper planning of organised chess activities
  • Consider the wellbeing and safety of participants before engaging in activities such as coaching or organising playing of chess
  • Encourage and guide participants to accept responsibility for their own performance and behaviour
  • Treat all young people fairly and ensure they feel valued and respected, and have no favourites
  • Not allow any discrimination on the grounds of religious beliefs, race, gender, social classes or disability
  • Not allow any bullying, or the use of bad language or inappropriate behaviour
  • Report accidents or incidents of alleged abuse or poor practice to the designated Safeguarding Officer
  • Refrain from smoking and consumption of alcohol during direct coaching
  • Avoid taking photos or videos without permission, especially of children
  • Not accept or give individual gifts to children and young people without permission from parents/guardians
  • Not add minors to their social media accounts or have telephone numbers unless parents have given permission
  • Never take children to their home, hotel bedroom or similar (e.g. for coaching) without the additional presence of a person who is, or is authorised by, their parent/guardian, or without explicit parental/guardian consent

Wotton Hall chess club and the digital world

Internet and social media

Managing Wotton Hall Chess Club’s online presence is relevant to safeguarding.

Our online presence through our website or social media platforms will adhere to the following guidelines:

  • all social media accounts will be password-protected, and at least 2 members of staff will have access to each account and password
  • the account will be monitored by at least two designated Club members appointed by the Club’s committee to provide transparency
  • the designated members managing our online presence will seek advice from our designated safeguarding lead to advise on safeguarding requirements
  • designated members will remove inappropriate posts by children or staff, explaining why, and informing anyone who may be affected (as well as the parents of any children involved)
  • the Club will ensure children are aware of who manages our social media accounts and who to contact if they have any concerns about something that’s happened online
  • our account, page and event settings will be set to ‘private’ so that only invited Club members can see their content
  • identifying details such as a child’s home address, school name or telephone number should not be posted on social media platforms
  • any posts or correspondence will be consistent with our aims and tone as an organisation
  • parents will be asked to give their approval for Club members to communicate with their children through Club social media accounts, via video conferencing platforms or by any other means of communication
  • parents will need to give permission for photographs or videos of their child to be posted on social media

Using mobile phones or other digital technology to communicate

When using mobile phones (or other devices) to communicate by voice, video or text (including texting, email and instant messaging such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger), the Club will take the following precautions to ensure children’s safety:

  • club members will avoid having children’s personal mobile numbers and will instead seek contact through a parent
  • parental permission will be sought on each occasion we need to contact children directly; the purpose for each contact will be clearly identified and agreed upon
  • a method of accountability will be arranged, such as copies of texts, messages or emails also being sent to another member of staff or to parents
  • smartphone users should respect the private lives of others and not take or distribute pictures or videos of other people if it could invade their privacy
  • texts, emails or messages will be used for communicating information – such as details of upcoming chess matches. The Group Chat may occasionally engage in casual conversation but always in a good spirit. No offensive communications will be tolerated.

Expectations of Club members

  • Club members should not communicate with children via personal accounts
  • Club members should not ‘friend’ or ‘follow’ children from personal accounts on social media and maintain the same professional boundaries online as they would in person when using organisation accounts
  • Club members should make sure any content posted on public personal accounts is accurate and appropriate, as children may ‘follow’ them on social media
  • Rather than communicating with parents through personal social media accounts, Club members should choose a more formal means of communication, such as face-to-face, in an email or in writing, or use an organisational account or website
  • Club members should avoid communicating with children via email or organisational social media such as messaging apps without copying in parents/guardians.
  • Emails or messages should maintain the organisation’s tone and be written in a professional manner, e.g. in the same way you would communicate with fellow professionals, avoiding kisses (X’s) or using slang or inappropriate language
  • Club members should not delete any messages or communications sent to or from organisation accounts

Reporting and Responding to Safeguarding Concerns

It is our aim that everyone at the Club should feel confident to raise a concern, no matter how small. We believe that raising and dealing with concerns quickly, when they occur, supports a proactive safeguarding culture at the Club.

All suspicions, concerns and allegations will be taken seriously. We will follow the 3R’s with every concern: Responding appropriately, Recording confidentially and Reporting where necessary, ensuring that concerns are dealt with in a fair and prompt manner.

The Club recognises that it is not the responsibility of Club members to determine or investigate if abuse has taken place, but to act upon and report any concerns promptly.

We ensure that confidential information relating to safeguarding matters is shared appropriately and only with those who need to know. Information may need to be shared with the ECF Safeguarding Officer or local agencies with statutory responsibility for safeguarding. If we are unsure, we will seek advice from the ECF.

The Safeguarding Officer will present an annual report to the AGM in September which will include notice of any updates to the policy or any relevant new advice from the ECF.

This policy will be on display on the Club’s noticeboard and copies can be requested by players or parents following registration with the Club. A form for recording concerns / allegations of abuse, harm or neglect is available on request from the Club’s Safeguarding Officer, whose details are shown below.

Club commitment

Wotton Hall Chess Club is committed to this Safeguarding Policy Statement.

Date Completed – 3 March 2025

Our Club Safeguarding Officer’s details

  • Our Club Safeguarding Officer’s details are:
  • Name – Frank Jewell
  • Phone number – 07515 880741

Last updated 3rd March 2025