NEWTONMORE CAMANACHD CLUB

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR THE PROTECTION= OF CHILDREN

May 22^nd, 2007

A= Code of Conduct provides clear expectations of members and the specific responsibilities they must uphold as a member. The Code of Conduct provides= a set of standards of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour for members when working with children and young people.

T= he Code of Conduct was developed to achieve good practice and to reinforce common s= ense principles. All members of the Newtonmore Camanachd Club are bound by this Code of Conduct.

This code of conduct details the type of practice required by all members of the Club when in contact with children and young people. The types of practice are categorised into good practice, practice = to be avoided and practice never to be sanctioned. Suspicions or allegations of non-compliance of the Code by a member will be dealt with according to the clubs Child Protection Policy.

Good Practice

Newtonmore Camanachd club suppo= rts and requires the following good practice by members when in contact with children and young people.

· Make spo= rt fun, enjoyable and promote fair play.

· Always w= ork in an open environment, e.g. avoid private or unobserved situations and encour= age an open environment for activities.

· Treat all children and young people equally, with respect and dignity.

· Put the welfare of each child or young person first before winning or achieving performance goals.

· Be an excellent role model including not smoking, drinking alcohol, swearing or u= sing other inappropriate language in the company of children and young people.

· Give enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism.=

· Ensure t= hat if any form of manual or physical support is required for a children and young people, it is provided

· openly, = the children and young people are informed of what is being done and their cons= ent is obtained.

· Deliver educational instruction first verbally; secondly role-modelled; and thirdly, and only if necessary, with hands on - which must be accompanied by telling= the children and young people where you are putting your hands and why it is necessary and obtaining their consent.

· Involve parents, guardians and carers wherever possible.

· Build ba= lanced relationships based on mutual trust that empower children and young people = to express their views and to share in the decision-making process.=

· Recognis= e the developmental needs and capacity of children and young people and avoid excessive training or competition and either pushing them against their wil= l or putting undue pressure on them.

First Aid Treatment of Injuries<= /span>

I= f, in your capacity as a member of Newtonmore Camanachd Club, a child requires fi= rst aid or any form of medical attention whilst in your care, then the following good practice must be followed:

<= o:p>

· Be aware= of any pre-existing medical conditions, medicines being taken by participants = or existing injuries and treatment required.

· Keep a w= ritten record of any injury that occurs, along with the details of any treatment given.

· Where possible, ensure access to medical advice and/or assistance is available.

· Only tho= se with a current, recognised First Aid qualification should respond to any injuries.

· Where possible, any course of action should be discussed with the child or young person and their permission sought before any action is taken.

· In more serious cases, assistance must be obtained from a medically qualified professional as soon as possible.

· The chil= d's parents/guardians or carers must be informed of any injury and any action t= aken as soon as possible, unless it is in the child’s interests and on professional advice not to do so.

For taking and transporting children and young people away from home

I= f it is necessary to provide transport to take children and young people away from home, the following good practice must be followed:

<= o:p>

· Where practicable, request written parental/guardian consent if members are requi= red to transport children and young people

· Always t= ell another member that you are transporting a child or young person, give deta= ils of where you are going, the expected departure and return time.<= /span>

· Ensure a= ll vehicles are correctly insured (members driving must give this assurance to club officials).

· All reas= onable safety measures are taken, e.g. children in the back seat, seatbelts are wo= rn.

· Ensure, = where possible, a male and female accompany mixed groups of children and young people. These adults should be familiar with and agree to abide by the clubs child protection policy and procedures.

· Be prepa= red to provide a written note of the proposed journey and event to which the journ= ey pertains. This should be provided to other members and parents/guardians, if requested.

Practice to be Avoided=

I= n the context of your role with Newtonmore Camanachd Club, the following practice should be avoided:

· Avoid ha= ving 'favourites' - this could lead to resentment and jealousy by other children= and young people and could lead to false allegations.

· Avoid sp= ending excessive amounts of time alone with children and young people away from others.

· Ensure t= hat when children and young people are taken away from home overnight, that adu= lts avoid entering their rooms unless in an emergency or in the interests of he= alth and safety. If it is necessary to enter rooms, the door should remain open whenever possible.

· Avoid ta= king children and young people to your home, unless it can be clearly demonstrat= ed that this is relevant to the role you are undertaking within the game.=

· Avoid, w= here possible, doing things of a personal nature for children and young people t= hat they can do for themselves.

<= o:p>

Important Note

It may sometimes be necessary for members to do things of a personal nature for children and young people, particularly if they are very young, affected by disability or vulnerable. These tasks should only be carried out with the f= ull understanding and consent of the child or young person and, where possible, their parents or guardians. It is important to respect their views. If a pe= rson is fully dependent on you, talk with him/her about what you are doing and g= ive choices where possible, particularly so if you are involved in any dressing= or undressing of outer clothing, or where there is physical contact, lifting or assisting a child or young person to carry out particular activities. Do not take on the responsibility for tasks for which you are not appropriately trained.

<= o:p>

Practice never to be sanction= ed

I= n the context of your role within Newtonmore Camanachd Club, the following practi= ces should never be sanctioned:

&nb= sp;

· Never en= gage in 'rough and tumble' games which could be misinterpreted.

· Never en= gage in rough or physical contact except as permitted within the rules of the ga= me of shinty.

· Never fo= rm intimate emotional or physical relationships with children or young people.=

· Never al= low or engage in touching a child or young person in a sexually suggestive manner.=

· Never al= low swearing or the use sexualised language by children and young people to go unchallenged.

· Never ma= ke sexually suggestive comments to a child or young person, even in fun.<= /o:p>

· Never re= duce a child or young person to tears as a form of control.

· Never al= low allegations made by a child to go unrecorded or not be acted upon.

· Never sh= are a room with a child or young person for sleeping accommodation.

· Never in= vite children or young people to stay with you at your home.

I= mportant note

In special cases sharing a room may be requir= ed for health and safety reasons or if the child is very young or particularly vulnerable. If so, explain why this is necessary to the child or young pers= on and their parent or guardian and seek their consent. Where possible ensure = that at least two adults are in the room, preferably male and female.=

Reporting

If members have concerns about an incident involving a child or young person t= hat seems untoward or unusual, they must report their concerns as soon as possi= ble to the club child protection officer. Parents should also be informed of the incident as soon as possible unless it is not in the child's or young perso= n's interests to tell them.

R= eport, record and inform if the following occur:

· If you accidentally hurt a child or young person

· If a chi= ld or young person seems distressed in any way.

· If a chi= ld or young person misunderstands or misinterprets something you have said or don= e.

· If a chi= ld or young person seems to be sexually aroused by your actions.

· If a chi= ld or young person appears to be forming an inappropriate attachment (e.g. crush)= to you or a fellow coach.

· If a chi= ld or young person needs to be restrained.

<= o:p>