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Sheffield Workshop

Health, Safety & Safeguarding Policy

The Sheffield Workshop Gymnastics Club recognises the duties it has under health, safety and safeguarding acts and regulations to ensure the safety health, wellbeing and duty of care to gymnasts, coaches, staff members, helpers  and visitors when they are involved in club business.

In particular it recognises its responsibilities to;

Sheffield Workshop ensures that we provide a safe and healthy training and competition environment for gymnasts and coaches through assessing the risks associated with participation and controlling them to ensure they are minimised.

Ensure that adequate arrangements are in place in the event of accident, fire or other incidents.

Ensure the coaches and helpers have the appropriate gymnastic coaching training and that they follow the BG guidelines for the protection of children and vulnerable young adults and are suitably trained in child protection and Health, Safety and welfare issues.

Sheffield Workshop ensures that our coaches who carry out a supervisory role:-

  • Holds responsibility for care and wellbeing during training.

  • Safe dispersal after training

  • Provides first aid - where emergency medical treatment has been consented to.

  • Supervising and chaperoning.

  • Team managing - including covering safeguarding and welfare, ensuring safe apparatus and equipment, safe development of individuals through appropriate physical and psychological preparation and progressive skill development.

  • Exercising reasonable care at all times.

 

Our arrangements are always under review and will introduce additional measures where necessary and reasonable practicable in relation to the operation of the club's business.

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Policies & Procedures

Sheffield Workshop adopt all policies and procedures from British Gymnastics and can be found through the following link.

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Club Registration​

All gymnasts registering with the club must ensure a consent form is completed for your child prior to their first session with us. Our consent form can be found on our website - Consent Form

In addition to registering with the club, gymnasts must ensure that they register with British Gymnastics and hold a valid membership. British Gymnastics membership sign up.

When registering with Sheffield Workshop and British Gymnastics, information that will be collected are:

  • Name and address

  • Date of birth

  • Parent/carer information

  • Emergency contacts

  • Medical details - allergies, existing conditions including any specific actions to take.

  • Information on any disability or special needs, including English not being their first language.

  • Medical consent

 

All data collected has a lawful reason to use each child's personal information. All personal information stored securely  will be deleted when leaving the club. Consents can be withdrawn at any time.

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Welfare officer

Our clubs welfare officer is Emily Rodgers.

Our appointed Welfare officer is responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people at our club. Her role within the club includes:

  • Responding to safeguarding, child protection and poor practice concerns.

  • Providing support and advice in the implementation of procedures that safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

  • Assisting the club or event to be more child focused in its activities, e.g. involving children in decision making processes.

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Bullying

​The Sheffield Workshop has a zero-tolerance level of poor practice, bullying or any potential form of abuse.

Sheffield Workshop has a strict no bullying policy in place and we ensure that all forms of bullying are taken seriously and responded to appropriately.

To ensure that bullying is discouraged within our clue we ensure that:

  • We create and open environment and provide adequate supervision at all times

  • Encourage children to speak out and share any concerns with coach/Head coach, Club welfare officer or other responsible adult.

  • Take all signs or allegations of  possible bullying seriously and responding to victims of bullying.

  • Offer reassurance to victims of bullying to train and gain trust.

  • Keep accurate records of what happened and what was said, together with names of those involved and actions taken.

  • Report suspicions or concerns to the person in charge. Confronting the Bully(ies)

  • Talk to the bully, or bullies; explain the situation and try to get them to understand the consequences of their actions.

  • Seek an apology from the bully (or bullies) to the victim.

  • Inform the bully's parents.

  • Impose sanctions or disciplinary action if necessary.

  • Provide support for the victim and his/her coach.

  • Encourage the bully (or bullies) to change his/her behaviour.

  • Supporting the Bullied

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SMOKING POLICY

Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the club’s premises.

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Safe Environment

Sheffield Workshop ensures that we:

  1. Provide an open training environment

Sheffield Workshop provide an open training environment and  welcome parents to view our sessions. At your child’s first session with our club, we encourage our parents to view our sessions and remain with their child in our designated viewing areas until your child is happy to be left.

Providing an open training environment also includes:

  • Regular written and oral communication with parents

  • Provide regular feedback on child’s progress

  • Opportunities to discuss child’s progress and training regime

  • Opportunities to raise concerns and receive feedback on the outcome

  • Encourage parents to become involved in the club

  • Encourage parents to attend events of keep in close contact with their child.

  • Encourage setting up or being involved in parent forums

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2.Changing room and toilets

Sheffield Workshop ensures that we have sufficient changing and toilet facilities within our gymnasium.

  • We have separate changing facilities for male and female.

  • Adults are not permitted to use these facilities at the same time as children.

  • Mobile phones are not permitted to be used in changing rooms

  • Parents to only be in the changing room with their child only if the age range <8 years or under if parental help is generally required.

  • We encourage parents of children aged 3-4 years or any child who require assistance to use the toilet to remain nearby and contactable in case their child becomes distressed or requires assistance.

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3.Maintain apparatus and equipment and other club property

Our facilities and apparatus are regularly checked to ensure safe and suitable to use.​

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Communication

  • Mobile phones should be turned off in the gym except in the case where a phone is used as a club contact number or for emergencies.

  • All communications will be sent either by email, text or phone call to parents.

Photography

Sheffield Workshop comply with British Gymnastics Guidelines by following:

  • The use of image or video of any gymnasts is only used when consent by child’s parent has been obtained.

  •  We ensure that gymnasts and/or the person with parental responsibility is fully aware, in advance of the details of where images of the gymnast may be published and are afforded the opportunity to object.

  • Ensure secure storage of images.

  • Parents have the right to withdraw consent at any time.

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Sheffield Workshop ensures that coaches are screened, suitably trained, qualified and suitable to undertake their coaching duties and follow our code of conduct (found on our website at all times).

Spotting and Manual Support Supporting and shaping the gymnast is an essential part of coaching gymnastics in that it helps the gymnast to understand shapes, movement patterns and complex skills, but also reduces the risk of injury due to a fall or error in performance.

At Sheffield Workshop we ensure that we follow British Gymnastics guidance on supporting gymnasts.

We ensure:

  • Coaches that support is only used when necessary and “over-handling” is avoided.

  • The coach must always be alert to the possibility of performance errors or anxiety, which may increase the risk of injury.

  • Supporting techniques must not inhibit performance.

  • Physical contact should not be invasive of sensitive areas of the body, i.e. genital areas, buttocks or breasts. Infrequent non-intentional physical contact can arise out of error on the performer or coach’s part. Such situations will be acknowledged and reported to head coach, parents and club welfare officer

  • We use a range of techniques and types of exercise for extending flexibility that involve the application of force. These techniques can also lead to the person applying the force coming into close proximity with the gymnast and having prolonged contact with areas of the gymnast’s body. Our coaches ensure:

    •  Use slow, progressive and prolonged stretching exercises, within the “discomfort zone”, rather than what might be considered to be excessive force.

    • Avoid exercises that place the coaches and gymnasts body in “close proximity” and might be seen as unnecessary by the less-informed parent or observer.

    • Be sensitive to how the exercise might be perceived by the parents and children.

    • Use partner exercises with more experienced gymnasts where possible.

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Late collection of children

In the event that parents are delayed collecting their child, parents are to contact the club at the earliest opportunity and provide clear guidance on what they wish the club to do e.g. consent for another parent to transport their child home.

No child or young person will be left alone unless they are over 16 years and with parents’ permission.

In the event that parents are late without acknowledgement we will:

  • Contact parents with information provided on registration.

  • If there is no reply, we will attempt to contact other family members.

  • We will wait with your child at the club with at least another official/coach/volunteer or parent.

  • If no one can be reached, we will contact the local police or Children’s Social Care Services to enquire about the best course of action.

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COMPLAINTS AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

Sheffield Workshop is committed to providing a safe, stimulating, consistent and accessible service to children and their parents/carers. We always aim to provide high quality services for everyone, but accept that sometimes things do not always go to plan. In such circumstances, we want to know so that we can put them right and learn from our mistakes. 

The Sheffield workshop complaints procedure is on our website.

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