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SECTION13

GOOD PRACTICE IN THE RUGBY SETTING

It is the aim of the RFU/RFUW and Guisborough RUFC that all young people enjoy the game in a safe enjoyable setting and that clubs,  schools, Constituent Bodies and individuals who provide young people with the opportunity to play, are aware of their responsibilities.  The following section sets out good practice procedures which all those involved in the delivery of rugby union to young people should adhere to.

13.1    Good Practice Procedures

In order to ensure that the game is enjoyed by everyone, that all young people are safe and all adults are aware of their responsibilities when working with young people:

13.1.1    The club has adapted the RFU’s young peoples’ welfare policy with an
               associated implementation plan and monitoring programme;

13.1.2    A designated Welfare Officer has been appointed with representation
              on relevant club committees;

13.1.3     The following policies/codes of good practice exist within Guisborough
   RUFC:

·        Equal Opportunities

·        Anti-Bullying policy (see Appendix 5)

·        Guidelines for the control and monitoring of the use of        photographic images of children (see Appendix 8);

13.1.4   All of these policies/codes have been widely disseminated to show the
              organisation’s commitment to providing a safe environment and all 
              coaches have signed up to those codes;;

13.1.5    Procedures are in place to deal with complaints or concerns;

13.1.6    Training opportunities are provided for adults working with players and
               feedback is provided with particular reference to poor practice.

13.1.7    Parents/carers have been made aware of the correct procedures to
              express any concerns that they may have;

13.1.8    All adults who regularly supervise young people are required to
              undertake a CRB disclosure;

13.2    Codes of Good Practice for Coaches and Officials

Codes of Conduct have been developed to ensure that all youngsters and the individuals who work with them enjoy the game in safe environment. When working with young people, coaches and officials must adopt the following guidance:

13.2.1   Always be publicly open when working with young people. Avoid
             situations where you and an individual child are completely unobserved;

13.2.2   Rugby is a physical game. Situations will occur when, in order to teach or
             coach certain techniques, it is necessary to make contact with the player.
             However, the following must apply:

·        Parents and young players will be made aware of situations in which this may happen when they join the club;

·        Physical handling will only be used for safety reasons or where there is no other way of coaching the technique.

13.2.3   Contact, or touching which is inappropriate (not directly related to the
             coaching context) or aggressive, will not be tolerated;

13.2.4   Wherever possible, young people will not change at the same time or in
             the same place as adults.  However, when it becomes necessary for
             adults/coaches to supervise groups in changing rooms, care will be taken
             to try and ensure that individuals always work in pairs and that gender is
             appropriate.

13.2.5   Where mixed teams compete away from home, they should always
             be accompanied by at least one male and one female adult;

13.2.6   Coaches will ALWAYS place the well being and safety of players above
             the development of performance, such that Coaches will:

·        Avoid overplaying of players (particularly talented players).

·        Ensure that ALL  players are given an equal opportunity to play;

·        Remember that young people play for fun and enjoyment and that winning is only a part of it;

·        Motivate youngsters through positive feedback and constructive criticism
 

·        Ensure that contact skills are taught in a safe, secure manner, paying due regard to the physical development of young players;

·        NEVER allow young players to train or play when injured;

·        Ensure equipment and facilities are safe and appropriate to the age and ability of the players.

13.2.8   ALL Coaches should hold, or be working towards, a current RFU
             coaching or equivalent recognised award;

13.2.9   ALL Coaches will only work within the limitations of their knowledge and
             qualifications; and will take steps to ensure that they keep up to date with
             knowledge and technical skills at an appropriate level.

13.2.10  ALL coaches will ensure that the activities which they direct or advocate
              are appropriate to the age, maturity and ability of the players under their
              supervision.

13.2.11   Coaches will always strive to promote the positive aspects of the sport
               (e.g. fair play), and never condone activities such as law violations or
               the use of prohibited substances;

13.2.12   ALL coaches will consistently display standards of personal behaviour
               and appearance which represent a good example for the players
               under their supervision;

13.2.13   Coaches will NOT overtly criticise players or use language or actions
               which may cause any player to lose self-esteem or confidence;

13.2.14   NO young people will either be allowed, or encouraged, to drink alcohol
               if they are under the legal age to do so.

Practice to be avoided

ALL coaches will be made aware that, as a general rule, it does not make sense to:

·        Spend amounts of time alone with a child, or small group of children, away from others;

·        Take children alone on car journeys, however short

If it should arise that such situations are unavoidable, they should only take place with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge and/or a person with parental responsibility for the player.

If:

·        any coach accidentally hurts a player, or causes distress in any manner, or

·        a player appears to respond in a sexual manner to a coach’s actions, or misunderstands, or misinterprets something he/she has done;

report the incident to a colleague supported by a written report of the incident as soon as possible. Parents/carers should also be informed of the occurrence.

13.2    Practice that is prohibited by the RFU/RFUW

Individuals must never:

13.3.1   Take young people to their home or other secluded places where they
              will be alone;

13.3.2    Engage in rough, physical games, sexually provocative games or
              horseplay with young people;

13.3.3    Take part in any dynamic games or training sessions with young people.
              If there is a need for an adult to facilitate learning within a coaching
              session through the use of coaching aids, e.g. contact pads, this should
              be done with the utmost care and with due regard to the safety and well
              being of the young players;

13.3.4    Share a room with a young person unless the individual is the
              parent/guardian of that young person;

13.3.5    Allow any form of inappropriate touching (not specifically related to the 
              coaching of the game);

13.3.6    Make sexually suggestive remarks to a young person, even in fun;

13.3.7    Use inappropriate language or allow young players to use inappropriate
              language unchallenged;

13.3.8    Allow allegations by a young person to go unchallenged, unrecorded, or
              not acted upon; 

13.3.9     Do things of a personal nature for a young person that they can do for
   themselves, unless you have been requested to do so by the
   parents/carer. (Please note that it is recognised that some young people
   will always need help with things such as lace tying, adjustment of tag
   belts, fitting head guards, etc.);

13.3.10   Depart the rugby club until the safe dispersal of all young people is
               complete;

13.3.11   Cause an individual to lose self-esteem by embarrassing, humiliating or
               undermining him/her;

13.3.12   Treat some young people more favourably than others;

13.3.13   Agree to meet a young person on your own on a one-to-one basis. 

13.4    POSITIONS OF TRUST

All adults who work with young people are in a position of trust which has been invested in them by the parents, the sport and the young person. This relationship can be described as one in which the adult is in a position of power and influence by virtue of their role. In rugby union, most adults in a position of trust recognise that there are certain boundaries in the coach/player relationship which must not be crossed. The relationship is no different to that between a school teacher and the pupils in their care.

RFU Code of Conduct on the Abuse of Trust

13.4.1    Any behaviour, which encourages a physical or emotionally dependant
              relationship to develop between the person in a position of trust and the
              young person in their care must be avoided;

13.4.2    All those within the organisation have a duty to raise concerns about the
              behaviour by coaches, officials, volunteers and administrators which may
              be harmful to the young people in their care, without prejudice to their
              own position;

13.4.3    Allegations relating to a breach of the Code of Conduct will be
              investigated according to RFU disciplinary procedures.

13.5    WHISTLE BLOWING