Child Welfare

British Ski and Snowboard (BSS) is committed to ensuring all young people (aged under 18) who participate in any of our programmes have a safe, rewarding and positive experience.

We have a Child Protection Policy which must be complied with by all who work or volunteer within, or for our organisation. This promotes good practice, helps raise awareness and ensures people know what to do if they have any concerns about children, or about the behaviour of adults within BSS.

Our Lead Welfare Officer is Bridget Owen and she can be contacted on:

Phone: +44 (0) 1303 840095

Email: owensafeguarding@gmail.com

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Information for Under 18 Athletes and their Parents/Carers

U18 Athlete Guide Information

All children under 18 taking part in our activities should feel supported, and have their rights, wishes and feelings respected without the fear of discrimination or degrading treatment. The needs and welfare of children is paramount. We take all concerns seriously including bullying.

If your concern relates to the training or coaching programme, you may feel it appropriate in the first instance to talk to your coach. However, if you have any concerns about your/your child’s welfare please do not hesitate to contact Bridget Owen, our Lead Welfare Officer.

Prior to all camps abroad you will be given a contact sheet with all the necessary contacts on and will be required to provide emergency contact details for parents/carers for the full duration of the camp.

NEW Under 18 Athletes

An U18 Athlete Pack is sent to all new under 18 athletes joining British Ski and Snowboard, including the following documents:

• U18 Athlete Pack Introduction (to be signed and returned)
• Lead Welfare Officer Introduction Letter to Athlete and U18 Athlete Guide Leaflet
• Lead Welfare Officer Introduction Letter to Parent
• Athlete Code of Conduct (to be signed and returned)
• Child Safeguarding List of Contacts & LWO Safeguarding Contact Card
• Photographic Consent Form (to be signed and returned)
• U18 Athlete Parental Declaration (to be signed and returned)

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Information for Coaches and others Working with BSS

If you are going to coach or work for BSS with children aged under 18, and this work involves coaching, supervising, transporting or caring for children, you will be required to undertake the following:

1. An enhanced DBS disclosure (previously called CRB disclosure), with DBS barred list check for working with children, carried out by BSS, SSE, SSS, or SSW (see DBS below).

2. Complete a self-declaration form and return it to the Lead Welfare Officer

3. Read and agree to abide by our Child Protection Policy

4. From May 2014: Have a valid First Aid Certificate and have attended a Safeguarding course in the last 3 years

Please note even if you are not coaching under 18s yourself, if you are responsible for supervising them during camps, you will be required to comply with the above.

DBS Disclosures

Snowsport England (SSE) carries out our DBS disclosures and we can usually accept disclosures, or a PVG Scheme Record (Scotland) issued by other snowsport National Governing Bodies in the UK. If you have had a DBS disclosure carried out for another organisation after 17 June 2013 and are a member of the DBS Update Service, provided your check is the level we require (Enhanced with DBS barred list check for working with children), we will do an on line status check and may be able to accept this. Contact Bridget Owen for further information.

Applying for a DBS disclosure

If having read the information above you need to apply for a DBS disclosure, please complete the SSE short pre-application form. You will see you can visit a local ID checker to verify your documents, or choose APCS remote ID verifying for which there is a charge of £12.00. You will be required to pay this but it can work out cheaper than the petrol costs involved to see an ID verifier, and is certainly time saving and more convenient for some people. You will then be e mailed a link to the on line application form and given a User ID. DBS disclosures can take between one day and 2 months to be processed, so please apply early.

Paying for your DBS disclosure

BSS expects most coaches and others working with them to already have a snowsports DBS disclosure for other roles they carry out, or pay for their own disclosure. You can ask your Head of Discipline to consider reimbursing you for the cost. If you are a volunteer for BSS, we will consider paying for the disclosure. For more information contact the Lead Welfare Officer.

The NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) has launched a new website which provides up to date advice, guidance and good practice on safeguarding children in sport - see https://thecpsu.org.uk/