SAFEGUARDING AND WELFARE

Telford and Wrekin Hockey Club has welfare officers available to players and parents, in the event of an incident that they are concerned about.

If you have any concerns about safeguarding or wish to report something to the club please see contact details below.

If you would like any further information from England Hockey regarding their safe guarding good practice or have a concern to report to them please email safeguarding@englandhockey.co.uk 

You can contact each officer from here. Please click on the officers name to open up a secure message page.

Everyone in hockey has a responsibility to safeguard and protect young people. 

The role of a welfare officer is primarily to promote good practice within our club, to be a named point of contact for young people, parents, coaches and volunteers and to understand England Hockey’s reporting procedures in case a concern is raised.

The information below outlines the role, and skills and knowledge to look for in a welfare officer. 

ROLE

• To be the first point of contact for staff, volunteers, parents and young people where concerns about welfare, poor practice or child abuse are identified.
• Implement the club’s reporting and recording procedures.
• Promote the club’s best practice guidance/code of ethics within the club.
• Assist the club to fulfil its responsibilities to safeguard young people.
• Assist the club to implement its child welfare implementation plan.
• Assist volunteers in keeping their certificates and qualifications up to date.
• Sit on the club’s management committee
• Ensure confidentiality is maintained.
• Promote anti-discriminatory practice.
• Be the first point of contact with the England Hockey Lead Child Welfare Officer
• Maintain contact details for local social services, police and the Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB) in case of an emergency.

EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE

• Own club’s policy and procedures related to safeguarding and protecting young people.
• Own club’s role and responsibilities to safeguard the welfare of young people – boundaries of the club welfare officer role.
• Knowledge of the England Hockey’s Safeguarding and Protecting Young People in Hockey Policy & Procedures
• Basic knowledge of roles and responsibilities of local statutory agencies (social services, police and Local Safeguarding Children Board).  This can be gained through training. The Welfare Officer should have full contact details for their local agencies.
• Awareness of equalities issues and child protection.
• Basic knowledge of core legislation, government guidance and national framework for child protection – This can be gained through training

SKILLS

• Approachable
• Child focused
• Basic administration
• Basic advice and support provision
• Communication
• Maintain records
• Ability to promote organisation’s policy, procedures and resources
• Interpersonal

Telford and Wrekin Hockey Club believes that all young people have the right to be safe and enjoy their involvement in hockey and is committed to promoting the welfare of all young people in our sport to protect them from harm alongside the hockey family. In this instance, a young person is defined as anyone under the age of 18.

England Hockey have created a safeguarding young people policy and are actively aiding affiliated hockey clubs and associations in adopting and implementing their own policy. Safeguarding advice and support is also provided through the England Hockey Ethics and Welfare Team for anyone who reports concerns about the welfare of a young person.

England Hockey’s safeguarding young people policy is named SafeD. This policy covers the commitments of those who created and adopt the policy, how to recognise poor practice and abuse, how to report safeguarding and welfare concerns, useful contacts and provides links to templates and further guidance. All hockey clubs, areas and individuals are bound to this policy, regardless of their role or whether they have links to young people. All hockey clubs and areas should adopt SafeD and have their commitment to it available to view for all current and prospective members.

Telford and Wrekin Hockey Club has adopted, and is committed to the England Hockey SafeD policy.

To view the England Hockey SafeD Good Practice when working with Young People document please click on the link below.

Telford and Wrekin Hockey Club has adapted and implemented the England Hockey ‘Young People playing in Senior Teams’ Guidance. A link to the guidance can be found below.

Welcome to Telford and Wrekin Hockey Club’s guide to parents.

The Hockey Club is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and positive environment for all young people involved in hockey; we embrace and apply the framework and guidelines set by England Hockey to make sure we are using the most up-to-date and appropriate process to look after our Junior Players.

What can you expect from the club?

• A friendly welcome, an opportunity to meet new friends play and watch hockey
• Opportunities for your child to have fun and develop their game as much as they want to
• A safe environment
• Qualified coaches and responsible volunteers
• Relationships based on trust, honesty and respect where your child is valued and listened to
• Your child’s welfare and safety is paramount
• Club members will recognise your child’s rights, whatever your age, gender, culture, ability, language, religious belief, racial origin, and/or sexual identity
• Opportunities for you to get involved in the club Safeguarding and Protecting Young People / Child Protection Policy and Complaints Policy are available for you on request 
• Clear lines of communication with you about your child, fixtures, training and events
• If you child is playing in a senior team, please be aware that travel is usually via a shared car agreement with senior club members and that they will be entering changing rooms with the rest of the squad.

What does the club expect from my child?

• To adhere to the club’s and England Hockeys codes of conduct

The club does expect you to….

• accompany your child to and from the Astroturf for training, and the designated drop-off and collection point for matches – PLEASE do not just drop them off in the car-park, as you will have no guarantee that the session for that day is definitely on, or that the coaches are there to look after your children (as they may have been unavoidably detained for some reason).
• Adhere by the club rules and codes of conduct
• Register your child on the club website (by registering yourself) AND MAINTAINING ALL REQUIRED EMERGENCY CONTACT DETAILS AND MEDICAL INFORMATION that the club should know about – it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to ensure it is up to date on the website, as this is the source the club will use for its most up- to-date information
• Be aware that the club and its coaches only expect to look after the wellbeing of your child whilst they are on the Astroturf training/playing – at all other times they are YOUR responsibility.

The club will expect you to….

• ensure that your son/daughter is dropped off and picked up promptly from training
• accept the guidance that coaches provide and umpire’s decisions within matches
• use correct language at all times
• never force your child to participate.

The Club would like you to…

• become involved in the club as much as possible. This provides your child with the support to enjoy their hockey
• feel able and willing to take on a volunteer role within the club
• ensure your plays within the rules of the game
• encourage fair play
• encourage your child to recognise good performance, not just results

Communication

• The club will need to ensure they can contact if required, so they should ask you for your contact details.
• It is part of the hockey philosophy that you are involved in your child’s interest. Please ensure that you build a relationship with the coach and support the club where possible
• Communication is two way and if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s participation in hockey please talk to his/her coach.

What do I do if I am concerned about my child’s safety, well-being or behaviour?

• Club has a team of Welfare Officers – contact details on our website
• Please ask to speak with them and explain you concerns
• All concerns will be taken seriously and investigated
• All concerns will be treated in the strictest confidence, with only the people who can help the situation becoming involved if required

If you have any questions or queries please get in touch with any captain or committee member or come and speak to a member of the coaching staff before, during or after training.

Telford and Wrekin Hockey Club is committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which everyone involved in hockey are free from bullying. The Hockey Club is also committed to ensuring that concerns relating to bullying of anyone in hockey are taken seriously and acted upon swiftly and appropriately.

Principles

• Anyone acting for, or on behalf of, Telford and Wrekin Hockey Club should have an understanding of what bullying is, and act in accordance with England Hockey’s anti- bullying policy (EH Anti-Bullying Policy).
• Bullying of any kind is not acceptable in hockey and should not be tolerated by anyone within the Hockey Club.
• The Hockey Club promotes a telling culture and anyone who knows, or suspects, that bullying is happening must take the matter seriously and report it to either the club’s Welfare Officer, Head of Hockey or Chair.
• All incidents or concerns of bullying must be acted upon swiftly.

Bullying:

Bullying is anything that is done with the intention of hurting or intimidating, frightening or upsetting another person. Bullying is not always physical but it results in distress to the victim. Instances of bullying can occur not only between young people but also from adult to young person.

Bullying can be:

• Emotional - persistently being unfriendly, excluding, tormenting, threatening gestures

• Physical - pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence

• Racist - racial taunts or language, graffiti, gestures

• Sexual - unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments

• Homophobic - because of, or focusing on the issue of sexuality

• Verbal - name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing

It should be noted that bullying may not only occur through face to face contact. Increasingly, bullying may occur through other forms of communication e.g. internet, email and text messaging.

Telford & Wrekin Hockey Club

Injury Reporting and Under-18 Parent Notification Policy

Introduction

England Hockey is strongly committed to ensuring the safety and integrity of hockey and all those who participate in the sport.

To support the continued safety of participants, England Hockey requires information relating to injuries sustained across the sport so that trends can be identified and reported to both the England Hockey Board and the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

This information helps England Hockey understand injury trends, influence rule changes and improve safety within the sport.

Telford & Wrekin Hockey Club supports these requirements and, in addition, has established the following process to ensure that injuries to players under the age of 18 are managed consistently and that parents or guardians are appropriately informed.

1. Scope

This policy applies to injuries sustained during hockey activity by any member of Telford & Wrekin Hockey Club.

The additional parent/guardian notification requirements within this policy apply to all players under the age of 18, including U18 players participating in senior training or senior matches.

2. Responsibility

The responsible adult in charge of the player at the time of the incident is responsible for ensuring that this process is followed.

This will normally be:

• the coach during a training session;
• the team manager during a junior match;
• the captain or nominated responsible adult where an U18 player is participating in senior hockey; or
• another nominated club official where appropriate.

The responsible adult does not necessarily have to personally complete every action, but must ensure that responsibility is clearly allocated and not simply assumed to have been dealt with by somebody else.

The responsible adult must ensure that:

• appropriate first aid or medical assistance is obtained;
• the parent or guardian is contacted within the appropriate timescale;
• the Club Accident Book or injury record is completed where required; and
• potentially reportable injuries are passed to the Welfare Officer or nominated injury-reporting officer.

3. Under-18 Injury and Parent Notification Process

England Hockey requires the parent or guardian of a young person to be informed of any injury sustained while participating in hockey activity.

Telford & Wrekin Hockey Club applies the following proportionate process.

Minor Injury

Examples may include:

• small grazes;
• minor bruising;
• minor knocks;
• little or no first aid being required; and
• the player being comfortable and able to continue normally.

Appropriate first aid should be provided where required.

The parent or guardian should be informed as soon as practicable, where appropriate.

Injury of Note

An injury should be treated as an injury of note where:

• the player has to stop participating for a period;
• the player cannot continue normally;
• more than very minor first aid is required;
• there is notable pain, swelling or restricted movement;
• there is significant bleeding;
• there has been a significant impact from a ball, stick or another player; or
• it is an injury that a reasonable parent or guardian would expect to be told about.

Appropriate first aid should be provided.

The parent or guardian should be informed promptly.

Significant Injury

Examples may include:

• suspected fracture or dislocation;
• significant eye or facial injury;
• severe pain or loss of movement;
• significant bleeding;
• an injury requiring medical assessment; or
• any injury where the player is clearly unable to continue.

The player should be removed from play.

The parent or guardian must be contacted as soon as possible.

The player should remain appropriately supervised until responsibility has been transferred to the parent, guardian or appropriate medical professional.

Head Injury or Suspected Concussion

Any suspected concussion or significant head injury must be treated seriously.

The player should be removed from play and must not return to the activity where concussion is suspected.

The parent or guardian must be contacted as soon as possible.

England Hockey concussion guidance should be followed.

If in doubt, sit them out.

Serious Injury or Emergency

Where urgent medical attention is required, the welfare of the player takes priority.

Appropriate medical assistance should be obtained immediately, including calling 999 where necessary.

The parent or guardian should then be contacted as soon as possible.

A player under the age of 18 who has suffered a serious injury must remain appropriately supervised and should not be left to make their own arrangements or travel home alone.

4. First Aid and Young People

The Club has a duty of care towards young people participating in hockey.

Those responsible for delivering hockey activity should have appropriate access to:

• relevant medical information;
• emergency contact details for parents or guardians; and
• appropriate first aid provision.

This information must be processed, stored and accessed in accordance with the Club's Privacy Notice and applicable data protection legislation.

5. Club Accident Book / Injury Record

All clubs and associations have a responsibility to record injuries using appropriate accident report forms or accident books.

Where an injury occurs at St Georges, an entry should be made in the Club Accident Book where:

• first aid has been provided;
• the player has had to stop participating because of the injury;
• the injury is classed as an injury of note, significant injury, head injury or emergency; or
• there is a reasonable possibility that further medical treatment may be required.

The responsible adult must ensure that the entry is completed.

The entry should record:

• what happened;
• the injury sustained;
• first aid or other action taken;
• who dealt with the incident;
• who was informed; and
• the approximate time and method of parent/guardian notification.

For an injured player under 18, the parent or guardian should be made aware of the Accident Book entry.

Where they are present, or where reasonably practicable, they should be asked to sign the entry to confirm that they have been informed.

A parent or guardian signature confirms notification of the incident only and does not represent acceptance or denial of liability by the Club.

Where the parent or guardian is not present, the Accident Book entry should record:

• the name of the person contacted;
• how they were contacted; and
• the approximate time they were informed.

The absence of a parent or guardian signature must not delay treatment, notification or completion of the Accident Book.

Where an injury occurs away from St Georges, the responsible adult should ensure that an appropriate club injury record is completed and that any host venue accident-reporting process is followed where applicable.

Accident reports should be stored for a minimum of 10 years or until the individual reaches 25 years of age, as applicable.

All personal information must be processed, stored and retained in accordance with the Club's Privacy Notice and UK GDPR requirements.

6. England Hockey Injury Reporting

In addition to the Club's own injury records, England Hockey requires the online Injury Monitoring Form to be completed where an injury requires one or more of the following:

• treatment from a first aid specialist, for example a team doctor or first responder;
• hospital treatment; or
• subsequent visit or visits to a GP.

Where the Club becomes aware that an injury subsequently resulted in medical treatment, it should be reported even where it did not initially appear to meet the reporting threshold.

The responsible adult should pass details of any potentially reportable injury to the:

Welfare Officer / nominated injury-reporting officer

That person is responsible for:

• checking whether the England Hockey reporting threshold has been met; and
• completing the England Hockey Injury Monitoring Form where required.

Completion of the Club Accident Book does not replace the requirement to complete the England Hockey Injury Monitoring Form where the relevant threshold is met.

7. Insurance

In the event of an injury, insured clubs and associations may be liable for the actions of their members.

Telford & Wrekin Hockey Club will maintain the minimum standards of insurance required by England Hockey as a condition of affiliation.

8. Non-Compliance

England Hockey takes the safety of its members seriously and commitment to Safe Hockey forms part of the conditions of affiliation.

Failure to complete the England Hockey Injury Monitoring Form for an injury that meets the required criteria, or failure to comply with England Hockey's Safe Hockey requirements, may result in England Hockey reviewing the Club's affiliation status and/or considering disciplinary action.

Quick Reference for Coaches, Captains and Team Managers

Minor knock

→ Provide appropriate first aid

→ Parent/guardian informed as soon as practicable, where appropriate

Injury of note

→ Provide appropriate first aid

→ Parent/guardian informed promptly

Significant injury

→ Remove from play

→ Parent/guardian contacted as soon as possible

Head injury / suspected concussion

→ Remove from play

→ Do not return where concussion is suspected

→ Parent/guardian contacted as soon as possible

Emergency

→ Obtain urgent medical assistance first

→ Parent/guardian contacted as soon as possible

Accident Book required

→ Responsible adult ensures entry is completed

→ Parent/guardian signs where reasonably practicable

Potential England Hockey reportable injury

→ Responsible adult passes details to Welfare Officer / nominated injury-reporting officer

Photography, Filming and Livestreaming Guidance

Telford & Wrekin Hockey Club (Aligned with England Hockey Safeguarding and Protecting Young People Policy)

INTRODUCTION

Positive images of young people enjoying hockey are essential to promote the sport and a healthy lifestyle. Parents and carers wish to celebrate the achievements of their children through photographs and recorded images, and such images can also be a valuable coaching aid.

England Hockey and Telford & Wrekin Hockey Club are committed to providing a safe environment for all young people and to ensuring that all necessary steps are taken to protect them from the inappropriate or uninformed use of images in resources, media publications, on the internet, and elsewhere.

This guidance applies to all forms of image capture, including photography, video recording, and livestreaming, whether captured live or for delayed viewing, using any device capable of recording images (e.g. cameras, mobile phones, tablets, fixed camera systems).

The interests and welfare of young people taking part in hockey are paramount.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES FOR IMAGES OF YOUNG PEOPLE

• Written consent to take and use images must be obtained from the player and their parent or legal guardian.
• If a player is named, avoid using an image that enables the name and image to be linked.
• If an image is used, avoid naming the player.
• Never publish personal details (email addresses, telephone numbers, home addresses, school names, or location data).
• Only use images of players in suitable hockey attire.
• Focus on the activity rather than a particular individual.
• Where possible, use images that represent the broad range of young people involved in hockey, including:
• Boys and girls
• Players from ethnic minority communities
• Players with disabilities
• Images must reflect positive aspects of young people’s involvement in hockey.

LIVESTREAMING AND FIXED-CAMERA RECORDING

Livestreaming Context

Telford & Wrekin Hockey Club operates livestreaming at home matches using a fixed-position, elevated, wide-angle camera covering the synthetic turf pitch at St Georges Recreation Ground.

• This form of recording differs from handheld or close-range filming:
• The camera captures the entire pitch only
• There are no close-ups, zoom, tracking, or focus on individual players
• Players are not singled out or targeted
• The view is comparable to that seen by a spectator watching from pitch-side

Because of the fixed and wide-angle nature of the system and the dynamic nature of hockey, it is not reasonably practicable to exclude individual participants from the livestream without stopping the broadcast entirely.

Livestreaming and England Hockey Guidance

England Hockey guidance advises caution around the simultaneous streaming of images of young people. Telford & Wrekin Hockey Club recognises this guidance and applies it proportionately, taking into account:

• The public nature of competitive hockey matches
• The wide-angle, non-intrusive camera setup
• The absence of close-up or individual-focused footage
• The safeguarding controls and consent processes in place

Livestreaming is used to promote hockey positively, support player development, and engage the wider community, while maintaining safeguarding as a priority.

CONSENT AND RESPONSIBILITY

Club Players (Under 18)

Written parental or guardian consent is required for all Telford & Wrekin Hockey Club players under the age of 18 to participate in matches that may be filmed or livestreamed.

Where consent is not in place, the player will not be permitted to take part in a livestreamed fixture.

Visiting Clubs and Opposition Players

Visiting clubs are notified in advance where matches may be filmed or livestreamed.

Responsibility for informing players and obtaining any required parental or guardian consent for players under the age of 18 rests with the visiting club.

By participating in a match that is filmed or livestreamed, the visiting club confirms that appropriate consent has been obtained in line with England Hockey safeguarding guidance.

Telford & Wrekin Hockey Club will not routinely request proof of age or individual consent from visiting teams and is entitled to rely on confirmation provided by the visiting club.

OBJECTIONS AND CONCERNS

Concerns relating to photography, filming, or livestreaming should be raised in advance of fixtures wherever possible.

The club will consider concerns in good faith. Where reasonable adjustments can be made, these will be explored. However, where concerns cannot be accommodated without preventing livestreaming entirely, the club reserves the right to proceed where it has a legitimate interest in doing so.

Any safeguarding concerns must be reported immediately to the Club Welfare Officer.

USE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC OR RECORDING EQUIPMENT AT HOCKEY EVENTS

In addition to the above principles:

• Individuals using handheld or mobile devices to capture images beyond normal spectator use may be asked to register their details.
• The club reserves the right to question or challenge any person deemed to be taking inappropriate images.
• Notices will be displayed to inform attendees that photography, filming, and livestreaming may be taking place.

If an individual is taking photos or recording images in a way that causes concern and refuses to cooperate:

• The matter should be reported to the Welfare Officer
• If behaviour becomes aggressive, it should be reported to the Police

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS AND MEDIA

Where professional photographers or press are present:

• Their identity and role must be verified
• They will be provided with a clear brief on acceptable behaviour and content
• Supervision may be required
• Consent must be in place for both taking and publishing images
• Unsupervised one-to-one photo sessions or sessions away from the event are not permitted.

USE OF IMAGES AS A COACHING AID

• Written consent must be obtained from players and parents/guardians
• The purpose of filming must be clearly explained
• Opposition teams should be informed before competition starts

FIVE RULES TO REMEMBER

• If a player is named, avoid using their photograph
• If a photograph is used, avoid naming the player
• Never publish personal details
• Ensure appropriate dress and positive representation
• No consent, no photo (or targeted filming)

The matrix below demonstrates the safeguarding training required or recommended for roles within the club.