This policy statement demonstrates the importance that this Academy places on the protection of children who participate in the Academy programmes.  The Academy is committed to ensuring that its young members are able to enjoy a wide range of activities in a safe environment.

The Academy:

• has adopted BADMINTON England’s child protection and procedures and is working to the guidance laid down

• ensures that BADMINTON England DBS checks are undertaken for volunteers and coaches who have regular and unsupervised contact with young people and vulnerable adults within regulated CBA activities. If adults are providing lifts to badminton events, this would not be considered to be regular unsupervised contact within a CBA regulated activity, so a DBS check would not be necessary.

• has an appointed Welfare Officer

• will implement procedures to provide a duty of care for children and vulnerable adults to safeguard their well-being and protect them from abuse

• will respect and promote the rights, wishes and feelings of young people

• will ensure that advice, guidance and training is available for all volunteers involved with the management of the club

• will adopt best practice to safeguard and protect young people from abuse and volunteers and coaches from false allegations

• requires all members and visitors to abide by the club’s codes of conduct and equity policy

• will respond to all incidents of suspicious poor practice and allegations seriously, swiftly and appropriately

• will report allegations or incidence of suspicious poor practice to the Club Welfare Officer

Anti-Bullying

Bullying is unacceptable behaviour. It happens in all environments and many young people are involved at some time. The Academy is committed to creating a safe environment where players can train, socialise and talk about their concerns confident that an adult will listen and offer help.

We will make it clear to all players, coaches, helpers and parents that when bullying happens we will work as a club to help victims and perpetrators. We will ensure the safety of the victim and attempt to support improved behaviour from the bullies.

We wish to encourage players’ individual responsibility, adaptability, self-reliance, self-confidence, sound judgement and self-respect while developing understanding, tolerance and respect for others. We will support the well-being of the whole child by recognising that success in these areas is integral to their moral, psychological, emotional and physical health.

Bullying takes many forms – emotional, verbal, physical, racist, sexual with emotional and verbal bullying being more prevalent in sport.

We are all responsible for checking our own behaviour –parents, coaches, players – and everyone must do all they can to check for signs of bullying. No form of bullying will be accepted at the Academy.