SAFEGUARDING POLICY
Desert Falcon Football Club strives to ensure that everyone in our care or attending our activities feel safe and free from risk of harm. The Club takes its safeguarding responsibilities very seriously and we are committed to creating a safe and positive environment for everyone.
We believe that everyone at the DFC shares the responsibility for safeguarding children and adults at risk, so our policy and practices are applicable to everyone involved. The staff and partners working with the club will work tirelessly to embed the culture of safeguarding across every aspect of the club and its activity. We are committed to having the right people involved through a robust recruitment process that includes checks, training, and monitoring.
DEFINITION OF SAFEGUARDING
Safeguarding is the protection of children, young individuals, and vulnerable adults against physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and neglect. This is especially crucial for those unable to safeguard themselves or vulnerable adults aged 18 or above, who are incapable of self-care or prevention from exploitation.
TYPES OF ABUSE
Physical Abuse: Physical Abuse is deliberate physical harm to an individual, or the wilful and neglectful failure to prevent physical harm or suffering. Types of Physical abuse include but not limited to throwing, shaking, poisoning, burning/scalding, hitting, drowning and suffocating. This includes physical harm caused by a parent or carer wishing to fabricate or induce the symptoms of illness.
Emotional Abuse: Emotional Abuse is persistent emotional maltreatment of an individual, leading to severe and adverse effects on the individuals emotional state of mind and development, such examples of emotional abuse; making an individual feel worthless or unloved, inadequate or unvalued. Symptoms may include limitation of learning or prevention of the individual participation in normal social interaction. Emotional abuse can also lead to bullying, making the individual feel frightened, endangerd or lead to exploitation or corruption of the individual. Domestic violence, adult mental issues and parental substance misuse may also expose an individual to Emotional Abuse.
Sexual Abuse: Sexual Abuse involves forcing or enticing a child, young person or vulnerable adult to take part in sexual activities, whether or not they are aware of what is happening, these activities may involve physical contact or non- contact activities (including but not limited to looking at or involving the individual in the production of pornographic material forcing the individual to watch sexual activities, encouraging sexually inappropriate behaviour or making inappropriate sexual remarks).
Neglect: Neglect is the persistent failure to meet an individual’s basic physical, emotional and/or psychological needs, which is likely to result in significant harm, types of neglect may include failure to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, failure to protect the individual from physical harm or danger, failure to provide access to medical care or treatment, or failure to provide adequate supervision.
PHYSICAL INDICATORS:
- Unexplained bruising
- Repeated injuries
- Injuries to the mouth
- Torn or bloodstained clothing
- Burns or scalds
- Bites
- Fractures
- Inconsistent stories or excuses for injuries
EMOTIONAL INDICATORS:
- Unexplained changes in behaviour
- Difficulty in making friends
- Distrustful towards adults
- Excessive attachment to adults
- Sudden drop in performance
- Changes to attendance patterns
- Inappropriate behaviour or language
- Inappropriate sexual awareness
MAKING REFERRALS
Any member of Desert Falcon FC staff or guest coach can make a referral, please contact our team directly. All referrals or concerns will be reported to Our Admin who will follow internal procedures for reporting the case.
Referral can be made/concerns raised by telephone, in person or in writing. To make a referral you will need to provide:
- Any background information and history you are aware of, giving dates/times/events and persons involved.
- Why you are concerned/the nature of the concern and evidence that you have or why you believe it to be true.
The earlier a cause for concern/referral is made the easier it is to action and possibly the safer the child is.
MONITORING AND REVIEW
This Policy will be reviewed annually to ensure it is up to date and reflects the legal obligations for the safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
The policy is to be signed off by Technical Director, it is to visible in workplace and read and signed by all coaches.
