Introduction
Sadili Oval Sports Academy recognizes that:

• the welfare of the child is paramount
• all children, whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin religious beliefs and/or sexual identity have the right to protection from abuse
• all suspicions and allegations of abuse and poor practice will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately
• all children, parent and staff/volunteer of Sadili Oval have a responsibility to report concerns to the appropriate officer.
• The best interests of the child is paramount and at the core of our child protection policy as addressed through the following laws and conventions: Art. 53 (2) Constitution of Kenya Children’s Act African Protocol on the rights of the Child . International Convention on the Rights of the child Art. 3 (1)
• We must entrench gender equity, empowerment and equality
• We must continue to strengthen key actions to ensure the human rights of women, girls, boys and men are equally promoted and protected

Policy statement/aims
Sadili Oval Sports Academy has a duty of care to safeguard all children involved in our activities from harm. All children have a right to protection, and the needs of disabled children, girls and others who may be particularly vulnerable must be taken into account. Sadili Oval will ensure the safety and protection of all children involved in Sadili Oval through adherence to the Child Protection guidelines adopted by Sadili Oval.

A child is defined as a person under the age of 18.
Policy aims

The aim of the Sadili Oval Sports Academy Child Protection Policy is to promote good practice in order to: provide children and young people with appropriate safety and protection whilst in the care of Sadili Oval Sports Academy.

• allow all staff /volunteers to make informed and confident responses to specific child protection issues.
• Effect a No harm approach: Any action meant for the benefit of the child must add value and that value must be greater than any harm that might be caused by that action
• Do no harm: actions should empower them to enable them take greater control of their lives rather than enhancing vulnerabilities and risks
• Assure enjoyment of all rights without discrimination based on sex, gender, disability, ethnicity, class and age amongst others.
• Understand and address the individual, group, and or societal discrimination
• Empowering children to engage in the protection of themselves through identifying concerns/risks and decision making that affects their lives, and enhance self esteem.
• Promote a Child representative in the decision-making committees
• Adopt a zero-tolerance policy for violence against women in both contractual agreements and codes of conduct for professional and amateur athletes
• Foster inter-agency linkages: Sadili Oval shall not work in isolation from other agencies or from the community as a whole; there must be dialogue with all stakeholders regularly through meetings and community activities. All stakeholders must be committed to working together, sharing information, exchanging ideas and providing relevant information or organized structures
• Create and sustain an environment that that is willing to share experiences and foster partnerships that support protection of children Promoting good practice Child abuse, particularly sexual abuse, can arouse strong emotions in those facing such a situation. It is important to understand these feelings and not allow them to interfere with your judgement about the appropriate action to take.

Abuse can occur within many situations including the home, school and the sporting environment. Some individuals will actively seek employment or voluntary work with young people in order to harm them. A coach, instructor, teacher, official or volunteer will have regular contact with young people and be an important link in identifying cases where they need protection. All suspicious cases of poor practice should be reported following the guidelines in this document.

When a child enters an academy activity having been subjected to child abuse outside the sporting environment, sport can play a crucial role in improving the child’s self-esteem. In such instances the organiser must work with the appropriate agencies to ensure the child receives the required support.

Good practice guidelines
All personnel are encouraged to demonstrate exemplary behaviour in order to promote childrens welfare and reduce the likelihood of allegations being made. This includes:

• Always working in an open environment (e.g. avoiding private or unobserved situations and encouraging open communication with no secrets).
• Treating all young people/disabled adults equally, and with respect and dignity.
• Always putting the welfare of each young person first, before winning or achieving goals.
• Maintaining a safe and appropriate distance with players (e.g. it is not appropriate for staff or volunteers to have an intimate relationship with a child or to share a room with them).
• Building balanced relationships based on mutual trust which empowers children to share in the decision-making process.
• Making sport fun, enjoyable and promoting fair play.
• Ensuring that if any form of manual/physical support is required, it should be provided openly and according to guidelines provided by Sadili Oval’s Coach Education Programme.
• Keeping up to date with technical skills, qualifications and insurance in sport.
• Involving parents/caregivers wherever possible. For example, encouraging them to take responsibility for their children in the changing rooms. If groups have to be supervised in the changing rooms, always ensure parents, teachers, coaches or officials work in pairs.
• Ensuring that if mixed teams are taken away, they should always be accompanied by a male and female member of staff. However, it is noted that same gender abuse can also occur.
• Ensuring that at tournaments or residential events, adults should not enter children’s rooms or invite children into their rooms.
• Being an excellent role model - this includes not smoking or drinking alcohol in the company of young people.
• Giving enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism.
• Recognizing the developmental needs and capacity of young people and disabled - avoiding excessive training or competition and not pushing them against their will.
• Securing parental consent in writing to act in loco parentis, if the need arises to administer emergency first aid and/or other medical treatment.
• Keeping a written record of any injury that occurs, along with the details of any treatment given.
• Requesting written parental consent if Sadili Oval officials are required to transport young people in their cars.

Practices to be avoided
The following should be avoided except in emergencies. If cases arise where these situations are unavoidable it should be with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge in the academy or the child’s parents. For example, a child sustains an injury and needs to go to hospital, or a parent fails to arrive to pick a child up at the end of a session:

• avoid spending time alone with children away from others
• avoid taking or dropping off a child to an event or activity.

Practices never to be sanctioned
The following should never be sanctioned. You should never:

• engage in rough, physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay
• share a room with a child
• allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching
• allow children to use inappropriate language unchallenged
• make sexually suggestive comments to a child, even in fun
• reduce a child to tears as a form of control
• fail to act upon and record any allegations made by a child
• do things of a personal nature for children or disabled, that they can do for themselves
• invite or allow children to stay with you at your home unsupervised.

N.B.
 It may sometimes be necessary for staff or volunteers to do things of a personal nature for children, particularly if they are young or are disabled. These tasks should only be carried out with the full understanding and consent of parents and the players involved. There is a need to be responsive to a person’s reactions. If a person is fully dependent on you, talk with him/her about what you are doing and give choices where possible. This is 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 to carry out particular activities. Avoid taking on the responsibility for tasks for which you are not appropriately trained.

Incidents that must be reported/recorded
If any of the following occur you should report this immediately to the appropriate officer and record the incident. You should also ensure the parents of the child are informed:

• if you accidentally hurt a player
• if he/she seems distressed in any manner
• if a player appears to be sexually aroused by your actions
• if a player misunderstands or misinterprets something you have done.

Use of photographic/filming equipment at sporting events
There is evidence that some people have used sporting events as an opportunity to take inappropriate photographs or film footage of young and disabled sportspeople in vulnerable positions. All clubs should be vigilant and any concerns should to be reported to the Sadili Oval Child Protection Officer.

Videoing as a coaching aid:
there is no intention to prevent coaches and teachers using video equipment as a legitimate coaching aid. However, performers and their parents/caregivers should be made aware that this is part of the coaching programme and their consent obtained, and such films should be stored safely.

Recruitment and training of staff and volunteers
Sadili Oval Sports Academy recognises that anyone may have the potential to abuse children in some way and that all reasonable steps are taken to ensure unsuitable people are prevented from working with children. Pre-selection checks shall include the following:

• All volunteers/staff should complete an application form. The application form will elicit information about an applicant's past and a self disclosure about any criminal record.
• Consent should be obtained from an applicant to seek information from the CID, and Local Area Chief.
• Two confidential references, including one regarding previous work with children is required. These references must be taken up and confirmed through telephone contact.
• Evidence of identity (passport or driving licence with photo).
• A Certificate of Good Conduct where possible.

Interview and induction
All employees (and volunteers) will be required to undergo an interview carried out to acceptable protocol and recommendations. All employees and volunteers should receive an induction, during which:

• A check should be made that the application form has been completed in full (including sections on criminal records and self-disclosures).
• Their qualifications should be substantiated.
• The job requirements and responsibilities should be clarified.
• Child protection procedures are explained and training needs are identified.
• They should sign up to the Sadili Oval Sports Academy’s Code of Conduct and Child Protection policy.

Training In addition to pre-selection checks, the safeguarding process includes training after recruitment to help staff and volunteers to:

• Analyse their own practice against established good practice, and to ensure their practice is not likely to result in allegations being made.
• Recognise their responsibilities and report any concerns about suspected poor practice or possible abuse.
• Respond to concerns expressed by a child or young person.
• Work safely effectively with children.

Sadili Oval Sports Academy requires:

• Coaching staff to attend a regular internally organized 2-hour good practice and child protection awareness training workshop, to ensure their practice is exemplary and to facilitate the development of a positive culture towards good practice and child protection.
• Non-coaching staff and volunteers to complete a regular internally organized 2-hour awareness training on child protection.
• Relevant personnel to receive advisory information outlining good practice and informing them about what to do if they have concerns about the behaviour of an adult towards a young person.
• Select personnel in each sport must gain a national first aid training sponsored by Sadili.
• All personnel, athletes and parents must attend update training when necessary.

Responding to allegations or suspicions It is not the responsibility of anyone working in Sadili Oval Sports Academy in a paid or unpaid capacity to decide whether or not child abuse has taken place. However there is a responsibility to act on any concerns by reporting these to the appropriate officer or the appropriate authorities.

Sadili Oval Sports Academy will assure all staff/volunteers that it will fully support and protect anyone, who in good faith reports his or her concern that a colleague is, or may be, abusing a child. Where there is a complaint against a member of staff there may be three types of investigation:

• a criminal investigation
• a child protection investigation
• a disciplinary or misconduct investigation.

The results of the police and child protection investigation may well influence and inform the disciplinary investigation, but all available information will be used to reach a decision.

Action if there are concerns

1. Concerns about poor practice: