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Lancashire Aikikai - Child Protection

Policy

The Lancashire Aikikai adopts the British Aikido Board’s Child Protection Policy and the principles expressed therein because it believes that all Children and Young People should enjoy Aikido in a safe and enjoyable setting.

We believe that the Board’s policy will help all the clubs in Lancashire Aikikai to deliver best practice in the teaching of Children and Young People and be well prepared to:

  • Ensure the safety and enjoyment of all Children and Young People in the aikido setting
  • Promote and preserve their opportunity within aikido for healthy personal development
  • Ensure that the Children and Young People attending aikido who experience abuse of any kind, within or outside the aikido setting, are comfortable and safe enough to disclose abuse and receive protection.
  • Ensure any concerns about the welfare of Children and Young People attending aikido are acted upon appropriately and not ignored
  • Ensure that the full legal and moral responsibilities that accompany working with Children and Young People are understood and fulfilled by adults working within the aikido setting.
  • Ensure that all Children and Young People have the opportunity to develop positive and balanced relationships with adults based on mutual trust
  • Ensure that Children and Young People share in decision making about aikido
  • Make aikido fun, enjoyable and promote fair play.
  • Ensure that adults working within the aikido setting are not placed in situations where allegations of abuse could be made

The British Aikido Board’s Child Protection policy is available on their website www.bab.org.uk and must be followed by coaches, parents, and students under the Safeguarding tab.

As young people are juniors in the eyes of the Policy and the law till they reach 18 – all members need to be aware of the policy and how to report concerns its not just those involved with junior classes but 16-18 on a senior mat.

The reporting mechanism is an escalating one from making the Class Coach aware; then the Club Welfare Officer and then the Association Child Protection Officer.

The Appendices to the BAB Child Protection Policy should be adopted and followed by the Association and its Clubs as either policy, guidance, recommendations or best practise as applicable in each case.

Additionally the Aikikai has decided:  

  • CRB checks would be required for all coaches, "assist only" instructors, helpers and Club Welfare Officers in the Association. (The previous caveat of only being needed if you are teaching under 18 is rescinded in favour of blanket cover within the Association).
  • The Permissions system operating from 2008 would be extended from Coaches to now include all, assistants, "assist only" instructors and helpers so that effectively the Principal will approve these people before they can carry out any role within Lancashire Aikikai clubs.
  • When permission has been granted it will be noted on the Aikikai website in order to introduce transparency for all including members of the public.
  • Responsiblity of all members decided as policy & also Job descriptions for those holding positions in the Aikikai and Clubs to follow.

The policy in place from 2008 was superceded by the above wef the AGM on 29th November 2010