Child Wellbeing and Protection Policy

As detailed in the Ethos page of the Budo website, under Gavienas Sensei’s guidance, the Club has always sought to demonstrate an ethos of tradition, etiquette, mutual respect, effort and fairness aimed at optimising the development of all students as both persons and karateka.

The Club has a proud history of inclusive practice, having welcomed students from a diverse range of backgrounds, circumstances and abilities over many years. This inclusive ethos has witnessed the benefits of training gained by students with a range of Additional Support Needs, including Special Educational Needs, Physical Impairment and Emotional Vulnerability.

Testament to the Club’s inclusive ethos is the range of ethnicities, faiths and cultural backgrounds currently represented by the students and their families. These include students with backgrounds from Poland, India, Pakistan, Nigeria and Angola, with parental origins in Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Warsaw, Gdansk and the Punjab, representing a religious spectrum which includes Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism.

Central to this ethos is a commitment to the safety and wellbeing of all Club members, and in pursuit of this goal, the Club has a number of safeguards in place.

1. All active coaches in the Budo Club are registered and approved to teach children under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme (Disclosure Scotland).
2. All active coaches in the Budo Club hold a valid Coaching Licence issued by The Scottish Karate Governing Body (Karate Scotland) which certifies that they have been cleared and approved to teach children, vulnerable adults and adults in karate.
3. All active coaches in the Budo Club have completed both the Child Wellbeing and Protection in Sport Course and the Child Wellbeing and Protection in Sport Officer Course.
4. All active coaches are required to complete a Certified Course in Emergency First Aid, organised by the Scottish Karate Governing Body, and to renew this Certification every four years in order to rensure these skills are maintained.

Within this context, the Club adheres to the Scottish Karate Governing Body’s Codes of Conduct for adults working with children and young people, parents/carers, and children and young people. These codes fulfil several important functions :

1. They set out what behaviour is acceptable and unacceptable, and provide transparency for all on what practice and behaviour to expect from others.
2. They define standards of practice expected from those to whom they apply.
3. They form the basis for challenging and improving poor practice and behaviour.

More specifically, the Budo Club, under Gavienas Sensei’s direction, seeks to implement the Standards of Good Practice identified by The Scottish Karate Governing Body (Karate Scotland):

• Make Traditional and Sport Karate fun, enjoyable and promote fair play.
• Treat all children and young people equally, with respect, dignity and fairness. Challenge where you see other adults or children and young people participating in disrespectful or bullying behaviour.
• Involve parents/carers wherever possible.
• Build balanced relationships based on mutual trust.
• Include children and young people in decision-making processes as appropriate.
• Always work in an open environment, wherever possible. Avoid private or unobserved situations.
• Put the wellbeing of each child or young person first, before winning or achieving performance goals.
• Be an excellent role model, including not smoking, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, or swearing in the company of children and young people.
• Recognise the developmental needs and capacity of children and young people.
• Avoid excessive training and competition, pushing children and young people against their will and putting undue pressure on them.
• Follow Karate Scotland Digital Communication and Social Media guidance in relation to communicating with children and young people.

With its coaches holding Child Wellbeing and Protection in Sport Officer qualifications, and with one of the Club’s coaches being a member of the Scottish Karate Governing Body’s Child Wellbeing and Protection Committee, the Club is well-placed to monitor the wellbeing of its students, ensure good practice and respond timeously and appropriately should any issues arise regarding abuse, neglect or other concerns. In addition, for the purposes of information and transparency, all students, parents and carers are encouraged, as appropriate , to familiarise themselves with the contents of this section of the Club website, and thereby be aware of the opportunities and channels for dialogue, expression of concerns, requests for information, and reassurance on any matters relating to Club membership.

Where Wellbeing concerns about a child are identified ( and these can arise from a broad range of such negative experiences such as bullying, mental health concerns, bereavement, family separation, poor instruction practices etc.) the Club follows the protocols of Responding, Recording and Reporting.

In Responding, such concerns will always be discussed with the child or young person and their views taken into account. Furthermore, following Karate Scotland guidelines, wellbeing concerns should also be discussed with parents/carers, who have the primary responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of their children.

In Recording, a written record of the wellbeing concern will be made as soon as possible using the Concern Recording Form, and passed to the Karate Scotland’s Child Wellbeing and Protection Officer that day.

In Reporting, all wellbeing concerns will be reported to the CWPO as soon as possible and the appropriate course of action agreed.

In the more serious instance of concerns about Abuse, (of which there are four commonly recognised categories – Emotional Abuse, Physical Abuse, Neglect and Sexual Abuse) the same protocols of Responding, Recording and Reporting apply, but with slightly different parameters and outcomes.

In Responding, allegations of abuse will always be taken seriously. If a child says or indicates that they are being abused, or information is obtained which gives concern that a child is being abused, the information will be responded to on the same day. The Child Wellbeing and Protection Officers in the Budo Club have received appropriate training on what constitutes good practice in dealing with such a disclosure of abuse, and what actions to avoid.

In Recording, a written record will be made of the information as soon as possible, using the Concern Recording Form, completing as much of the form as possible. Reporting such concerns will not be delayed by gathering information to complete all sections of the form. It is important to record the actual words used by the child/young person, even if this makes the person recording feel uncomfortable.

In Reporting, the information will be passed to Karate Scotland’s CWPO immediately and on the same day. Upon receipt, the CWPO will pass this information on to the Police or Social Work Services without delay, and take advice regarding the necessary next steps. This may involve taking advice from the Police or Social Work Services regarding when or who should inform the parents/carers about the concerns, since the parents/carers may be responsible for, or have knowledge of the abuse, and sharing such concerns could place the child at further risk.

Hopefully, these details will prove supportive, sufficient and provide reassurance that all children and young people in the Budo family are learning in a safe and caring environment, one which has their best interests at heart, and one in which they can continue to grow and progress at a pace appropriate to their age and abilities.