Safeguarding Policy

1. Southgate Weld LTC is committed to prioritising the well-being of all children and adults at risk, promoting safeguarding in our club at all times, including all programmes and events we run. This Policy strives to minimise risk, deliver a positive tennis experience for everyone and respond appropriately to all safeguarding concerns/disclosures.
2. Adult at risk of abuse or neglect: a person aged eighteen years or over who is, or may be, in need of community care Weld LTC Safeguarding and Whistle Blowing Policy

Safeguarding children and adults at risk requires everyone to be committed to the highest possible standards of openness, integrity and accountability. As a club, we are committed to encouraging and maintaining a culture where people feel able to raise a genuine safeguarding concern and are confident that it will be taken seriously.

What is whistle blowing?
In the context of safeguarding, “whistle blowing” is when someone raises a concern about the well-being of a child or an adult at risk.
A whistle blower may be:
 a player;
 a volunteer;
 a coach;
 other member of staff;
 an official;
 a parent;
 a member of the public.
How to raise a concern about a child or an adult at risk at the club
If a child or an adult at risk is in immediate danger or risk of harm, the police should be contacted by calling 999.
Where a child or an adult at risk is not in immediate danger, any concerns about their well-being should be made without delay to the Club Welfare Officer. The Club Welfare Officer will pass the details of the concern on to the LTA Safeguarding Team at the earliest opportunity and the relevant local authority and the police will be contacted, where appropriate.
If, however, the whistle blower does not feel comfortable raising a concern with the Club Welfare Officer, the whistle blower should contact the LTA Safeguarding Team directly on 020 8487 7000, the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) or the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000.
Information to include when raising a concern
The whistle blower should provide as much information as possible regarding the incident or circumstance which has given rise to the concern, including:
 their name and contact details (unless they wish to remain anonymous);
 names of individuals involved;
 date, time and location of incident/circumstance; and
 whether any witnesses were present.
What happens next?
All concerns raised by a whistle blower about the well-being of a child or an adult at risk will be taken seriously and every effort will be made to deal with each concern fairly, quickly and proportionately.
If the whistle blower does not believe that the concern has been dealt with appropriately and wishes to speak to someone outside the club or the LTA Safeguarding Team, the NSPCC Whistleblowing advice line should be contacted on 0800 028 0285 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk.

Diversity and Inclusion Policy

This Diversity and Inclusion Policy, Standards, Code of Conduct and Reporting Procedure are applicable to Southgate Weld LTC and is based on similar policies of:

• The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)
• Tennis Scotland
• Tennis Wales
• The Tennis Foundation.

As a club we contribute actively to enable more people to play tennis more often, in a manner that it is safe, inclusive, and fair. This applies regardless of a person’s age, disability, gender reassignment status, sex, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, race or sexual orientation, socio-economic status or any other background.

We recognise that many concerns and/or disclosures may have both safeguarding and diversity and inclusion elements to them. This policy reflects this through its reporting procedures, which replicate the safeguarding concern reporting procedures. 

This Policy strives to minimise risk and support our venue, programmes, events and individuals to deliver and experience a positive tennis experience for everyone.  A full version of the club's policy is available from Denisegandhi@gmail.com