Athletics is about running, jumping and throwing as fast, as high and as far as you can. England Athletics aims to create an environment where everyone involved in athletics feels safe and secure to enable them to achieve their potential – to run, jump and throw, to coach, officiate or to support those who do.
Welfare covers a range of issues such as safeguarding and protecting children, anti-bullying, equity, poor practice in coaching and disciplinary and grievances matters. It encompasses policies and procedures to set out minimum standards of expectations, such as codes of conduct, procedures to follow for dealing with child protection concerns, other welfare issues or complaints, and to ensure that EA, clubs and associations meet their statutory responsibilities to safeguard and protect children. Welfare is essential to contribute to good practice within the sport, develop performance and to ensure the safety and enjoyment of athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers.
It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure the welfare of all those who participate in athletics.
England Athletics has adopted the Athletics Welfare Policies and Procedures which incorporate the Child Protection procedures. Copies of the Welfare Policies and Procedures can be downloaded from the welfare section on the UKA website at www.ukathletics.net
Advice and support regarding any welfare issues can be obtained by contacting the England Athletics Welfare Officer who is Jo Wilkinson at jwilkinson@englandathletics.org or call on 07827315201
Within an athletics club ALL club officers and committee members have responsibility to uphold the welfare policies and procedures, to adhere to good practice and to respond to any suspected breaches. It is strongly recommended that every athletics club appoints at least one welfare officer (preferably two – one male and one female). The Welfare Officer’s role is to advise and support the club officers and committee to implement welfare policies and procedures, to respond to any concerns regarding child protection and to ensure that all coaches/officials/volunteers have completed CRB and Independent Safeguarding Authority checks as required. The Welfare Officer should have attended Safeguarding and Protecting Children Training and Time to Listen Training for Club Welfare Officers within the last 3 years. Information about this training and advice, support and information about the welfare responsibilities of athletics clubs and welfare officers can be obtained from the England Athletics Welfare Officer.
England Athletics recognises the importance of sharing information appropriately in the interests of protecting children from harm. In line with good practice England Athletics has adopted an Information Sharing Protocol based on the protocol drawn up by the Child Protection in Sport Unit. The purpose of the protocol is to provide a framework within which England Athletics, other sports organisations, statutory bodies and relevant others can share information appropriately, clarify the principles upon which information will be shared, how it will be shared, with whom and for what purposes. Any queries regarding the Information Sharing Protocol should be addressed to the Welfare Officer.
Disciplinary and Grievance Policies and Procedures
England Athletics recognises that the vast majority of people engaged in athletics are volunteers and participate because they want to. However, there are certain standards of behaviour that should be expected and unfortunately there are occasions when these standards will be breached. In these circumstances England Athletics has set out Disciplinary and Grievance Policies and Procedures to ensure that any issues are dealt with fairly and appropriately.
The Policies and Procedures are:
· Equity Policy
· Discipline Policy
· Grievance Procedure
· National Disciplinary Procedure
· Regional Disciplinary Procedure
These can all be downloaded from the England Athletics website.
In addition we have created some easy-to-read User Guides to help you to navigate your way through the procedures which can also be downloaded.
· How to Raise a Grievance
· How to Respond to a Grievance
· Grievance Procedure Flowchart
· How to Make a Complaint
· How to Respond to a Complaint
· Disciplinary Procedure Flowchart
If you have any queries or concerns regarding the Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures please contact your Regional Manager or the England Athletics Welfare Officer.
One of the key principles of England Athletics is delegation of responsibility to the Region and to clubs and associations. As part of this principle we believe that clubs and associations should be supported to manage their own disciplinary matters and England Athletics should only become involved as a last resort. As part of this commitment we are currently developing some disciplinary and grievance policies and procedures that athletics clubs and associations can adopt if they wish and England Athletics will provide information, advice and support to clubs to implement their disciplinary and grievance procedures as appropriate.
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