Forward

Kho Kho Federation of England (KKFE) believes that all people have the right to be safe and enjoy their involvement with Kho Kho. We accept a responsibility to promote the welfare of young people and protect them from harm in partnership with the Kho Kho community.

We will endeavour to safeguard children and young people by: Adopting safeguarding guidelines through our Respect Policy (code of conduct for staff and volunteers).

The policy recognises that the welfare and interests of children are paramount in all circumstances. It aims to ensure that regardless of age, ability or disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, socio-­economic background, all people

• have a positive and enjoyable experience of Kho Kho in a safe and child centred environment
• are protected from abuse whilst participating in Kho Kho by KKFE or outside of the activity.

KKFE acknowledges that some children, including disabled children and young people or those from ethnic minority communities, can be particularly vulnerable to abuse and we accept the responsibility to take reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure their welfare.

As part of our safeguarding policy KKFE will

• promote and prioritise the safety and wellbeing of children and young people
• ensure everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in respect of safeguarding and is provided with appropriate learning opportunities to recognise, identify and respond to signs of abuse, neglect and other safeguarding concerns relating to children and young people
• ensure appropriate action is taken in the event of incidents/concerns of abuse and support provided to the individual/s who raise or disclose the concern
• ensure that confidential, detailed and accurate records of all safeguarding concerns are maintained and securely stored
• prevent the employment/deployment of unsuitable individuals
• ensure robust safeguarding arrangements and procedures are in operation.

The policy and procedures will be widely promoted and are mandatory for everyone involved in KKFE. Failure to comply with the policy and procedures will be addressed without delay and may ultimately result in dismissal/exclusion from the organisation.

Monitoring

The policy will be reviewed a year after development and then every three years, or in the following circumstances:

• changes in legislation and/or government guidance
• as required by the Local Safeguarding Children Board, Sport England, UK Sport and/or Home Country Sports Councils.
• as a result of any other significant change or event.

Good Practice, Poor Practice & Abuse

It is not the responsibility of any individual involved in Kho Kho to make judgements regarding whether or not abuse is taking place, however, all KKFE personnel have the responsibility to recognise and identify poor practice and potential abuse, and contact the KKFE Safeguarding Lead Officer.

Responding to Suspicions and Allegations of Abuse

• It is essential that all allegations are taken seriously and appropriate action is taken.
• It is not your responsibility to decide if abuse is taking place.
• It is your responsibility to report your concerns to the KKFE Safeguarding Lead Officer-­ no matter how trivial the concern may appear.
• Not acting is not an option.

People responsible for safeguarding in Safeguarding

As outlined elsewhere in this document everyone involved in Kho Kho has a duty to act if they have a concern about a child, vulnerable person, adult.

There are a variety of actions that can be taken. As a minimum the person concerned should contact the KKFE Safeguarding Lead Officer for help and guidance on how to progress their concerns.

Recruiting and Selecting People to work with Children and Vulnerable People

Anyone may have the potential to abuse in some way and it is important that all reasonable steps are taken to prevent unsuitable people from working with children and vulnerable people. This applies to anyone whether voluntary or paid who is going to have significant access to children or their contact information. The steps that should be taken are the same for volunteers or employees.

KKFE’s recruitment and selection procedures are based on the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and may be revised from time to time.

Awareness and Training

Training should be provided for staff and volunteers on the policy, procedures and professional practices that are in place and commensurate with their responsibilities in the children protection process. Training should take place at all levels of KKFE to ensure that procedures are carried out consistently, it should also be considered as a continuing responsibility to ensure safeguarding knowledge is up to date.