Cotswold Allrunners takes the welfare of its members very seriously. We are obliged through our affiliation to England Athletics to implement the policies and procedures that they have established.
Welfare – what it means
The Club aims to create an environment where you feel safe and are able to participate in club events without being subject to any form of harassment, bullying, verbal or physical abuse or excessive pressure.
Welfare covers a wide range of issues such as safeguarding and protecting children, anti-bullying, equality, poor practice in coaching and disciplinary and grievance matters. The Club’s Codes of Conduct and procedures for dealing with child protection concerns, other welfare issues or grievances are provided on this website. In addition, we have adopted UKA’s Safeguarding Policies and Procedures and the latest version can be viewed here. The club has reviewed the 2021 changes to UKA’s Safeguarding Policies and Procedures. A link to our review and what it means for individual runners is here.
Welfare – what we expect from our members
It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all those who participate in club activities.
Children and Vulnerable Adults
Any person with information of a disclosure, allegation or concern about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult must immediately report this to the Welfare Officer who will refer the matter to UKA’s CPLO or Home Country lead welfare officer, as appropriate. These concerns may arise due to:
- an individual disclosing that they are being abused
- the behaviour of an adult towards a child or vulnerable adult
- a number of indicators observed in a child or vulnerable adult over a period of time
Your Welfare Officer
The Welfare Officer will listen confidentially to any issue that may arise, and endeavour to support your individual needs and wellbeing. If you have any queries or concerns, we encourage you to contact the Welfare Officer and discuss your concern directly with them.
The Welfare Officer is Tara Lupton (welfare@cotswoldallrunners.club) and she is available to offer help and advice. A link to our review of current safeguarding procedures and the responsibilities of the welfare office is here.
A note on confidentiality: In order to provide the support for your needs and wellbeing, the information shared with the Welfare Officer may be shared with the Committee, but only on a need to know basis. Exceptions are also made, for example if you may present a danger of violence to others; or if there is a reasonable suspicion that you are likely to harm yourself unless protective measures are taken.