Fleckney and Kibworth Running Club are committed to maintaining the highest standards of athlete protection in all club activities.

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We're an adult only (18+) running club based in Leicestershire. 

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Our members will adhere to the following policy:

• Accept the moral and legal responsibility to implement procedures to provide a duty of care for all athletes within the sport, safeguard their well-being and protect them from abuse;

• Respect and promote the rights, wishes and feelings of all young people taking part in athletics including those disabled and/or vulnerable;

• Recruit, train and supervise its members and volunteers to adopt best practice in all equality issues, to safeguard and protect all athletes from abuse, and themselves against false allegations;

• Require staff/volunteers to adopt and abide by the UK Athletics Welfare Policy and Procedures, Athletics Codes of Conduct and Investigatory, Grievance, Disciplinary and Appeals procedures;

• Respond to any allegations appropriately and implement the appropriate disciplinary and appeals procedures;

• Promote adherence to the Welfare policy through providing education, training and information;

• Develop good practice guidance in relation to recruitment, selection, training of coaches, officials and volunteers;

• Establish a club welfare officer to enforce these measures;

• Produce information material for those involved in athletics

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The aims of Fleckney and Kibworth Running Club in relation to the ‘Athletics Welfare’ policy are to:

• Ensure the highest possible standards of safety and welfare for all athletes of all ages and others engaged in running club activities and events, especially children and vulnerable adults;

• Embed a process of continuous improvement in its ongoing work on welfare in the sport;

• Adopt and promote good practice in the welfare and protection of athletes and other athletics personnel;

• Demonstrate ethical standards of leadership and behaviour in all its work.

 

The main principles underpinning this policy are:

• Safety – the welfare of the athlete will always be paramount;

• Equality – the right of everyone involved in athletics to equitable treatment, regardless of age, gender, race, religion, ability, sexual orientation or social background, will be upheld;

• Responsiveness – all allegations or suspicions of abuse or violations of athlete welfare will be taken seriously and acted upon appropriately and speedily.  Those found to be spreading malicious or false allegations will be disciplined according to the relevant procedures;

• Consent – those with parental responsibility will be consulted if it becomes necessary to invoke the procedures that accompany ‘Athletics Welfare’;

• Compliance with the statutory system in each of the areas of the law including guidelines and rules set down by the CRB, CRBS and PECS and the Home Office. Fleckney and Kibworth Running Club will work in partnership with Social Services/Work departments, Police Child Protection Unis, ACPCs, CPCs, the CPSU, Children First and other relevant agencies in order to ensure compliance with this policy;

• Fairness – the human rights of staff, coaches, athletes or volunteers facing allegations will be embodied in disciplinary and appeals procedures;

• This policy recognises and builds on legal and statutory definitions of children and other vulnerable athlete categories. 

• The distinction between ages of consent, civil and criminal liability are recognised but in the pursuit of good practice in the delivery and management of athletics a child is recognised as being under the age of 18 years.  

• All athletes, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious belief and/or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse.

• All incidents of suspicious poor practice and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.

• All athletes have a right to participate in athletics in an enjoyable and safe climate.

 

Scope 

All members of Fleckney and Kibworth Running Club involved in the coaching of athletes are responsible for:

• Recognising and referring to the appropriate agency anyone who has been subjected to poor practice, abuse or misconduct by someone else, whether inside sport (by another staff member of athlete) or outside sport (such as the family or peer group);

• Observing and encouraging good practice when working with athletes in order to avoid perpetrating poor practice, abuse or other types of misconduct

• Taking precautions to avoid false allegations against themselves;

• Safeguarding the good name and integrity of the sport of athletics.
   

This area of the website is dedicated to our aim, as a club, to achieve Clubmark status.​

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