Bulletin (29 Apr 08)

The BAF have been successful in completing the initial phase of implementation of the BAB safeguarding under-18 policy. All instructors and assistants that have contact with under-18s should now be familiar with the BAF under-18 policy. All have had their CRB checks in line with the BAB deadline of March 2008 and have been able to renew their insurance.

The next stage of implementing the policy requires that each club appoints a Welfare Officer.

Appointment of a Club Welfare Officer

Each club that teaches under-18s needs to identify a person responsible for acting as the Club Welfare Officer. Ideally the Club Welfare Officer is someone other than one of your club instructors.

Summary of Welfare Officer Responsibilities

  • Core knowledge of national framework for child protection and roles and responsibilities of statutory agencies.
  • Knowledge of local arrangements for managing child protection referrals.
  • To keep up-to-date with the BAF under-18 policy.
  • To ensure accurate and confidential record keeping should a referral be indicated.
  • Assist the BAF in its responsibilities to safeguard children at club level and in implementing the child protection policy at club level.
  • Act as a point of contact for under-18 matters at your club.
  • Ensure appropriate arrangements for supervision and safeguarding of under-18s at regional courses and events for your club.

Under-18 Club Information Pack

All under-18 clubs should have:

  • Emergency contact list with local information
  • Contact list of each student's parents
  • Referral Flowchart for Serious Abuse
  • Referral Flowchart for Poor Practice
  • Blank BAB Incident Forms
  • The current BAB and BAF Under-18 Policies
There is material available on the CPO website to help you assemble these.

http://www.jjb.demon.co.uk/baf_cpo/

The flowcharts are in the process of being updated. For the moment please use the flowcharts from the BAB Policy on pages 18 and 19.

Clubs are reminded to refer to the policy regarding your responsibilities around new members, written consent for photography, travel to and from the dojo and the arrangements for changing before and after the session.

CRB Check

The Club Welfare Officer will need to apply for a CRB check.

The BAF CPO is available at BAF courses to complete CRB check applications. To see if the BAF CPO will be at a course, you can check with BAF Head Office. News is also posted on the BAF CPO website. (The BAF CPO will be available at Summer School.)

Summer School Workshop

The BAF CPO is arranging for a BAB under-18 safeguarding training seminar. Provisionally, this will take place at Summer School on Sunday July 27th. The seminar will last about three hours. Details will be made available closer to the time.

All Club Welfare Officers and instructors of under-18s are strongly recommended to come to this training. It will also be open to local BAB members.

BAB Audit of Under-18 Clubs

The BAB have begun to audit clubs which teach under-18s. These are pre-arranged visits with a few days' notice. It is expected that the club will be abiding by the best practice as outlined in the BAB and BAF under-18 policy.

Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006

The Bichard Inquiry into the Soham murders made a number of recommendations. Some of these have been taken up and legislated for in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

The Act provides a legal basis for a new `Vetting and Barring Scheme'. At this date it is not clear what form this will take. It is therefore not clear what impact this will have on the BAF under-18 policy.

As and when the impact becomes apparent, the BAF CPO will issue further updates.