Child Protection Policy

We have a duty of care to all our students but particularly towards the children who practise in our dojos.

In acknowledging this duty of care, we recognise the need to ensure that our younger students feel safe and happy in the dojo and to do all we can to ensure that abuse, in any form, does not occur within the British Ki Society (‘BKS’).

Abuse can take many forms: sexual, physical, verbal, emotional. We must also be aware of the potential for abuse to occur away from practice, in the home or at school and be ready to help any student, who may see his or her instructor as the only person s/he can trust to help with problems occurring elsewhere.

Our Society falls under the umbrella of the British Aikido Board (‘BAB’), which has drawn up a Child Protection Policy, providing procedures and guidelines, with the aim of ensuring that abuse doesn’t occur within its member organisations.

Anyone under the age of 18 is classed as a child in the eyes of the law.

Therefore, all instructors of students under the age of 18 should become familiar with the content of the policy, which is available on the BAB website

If you instruct anyone under 18 years of age, please note that:

• You and any assistant instructors will require a CRB (‘Criminal Records Bureau’) check to be undertaken through the BAB, via the Child Protection Officer for the BKS;
• You should never teach under-18s alone: there must always be at least one other adult assisting you.
  

The CRB is a Home Office department through which applicant organisations can check an individual’s criminal background: information is treated confidentially.

All instructors teaching persons under 18 years of age will have to have a check in place by 1st March 2008, in order for them to be able to renew their Instructors’ Personal Indemnity Insurance through the BAB.

As well as protecting the child, the Child Protection Policy also protects the instructors, by offering guidelines on what is acceptable behaviour/conduct before during and after practice, e.g, first aid, changing facilities, prevention of accidents by exercising care in the way we practise.

To help clubs implement the Child Protection policy and address any issues arising from our desire to safeguard the wellbeing of our younger students, The British Ki Society has appointed a Child Protection Officer, Claire Hughes of Llantrisant Ki Society, assisted by Pat O’Brien of Inverness Ki Society.

Claire is currently piloting new advice and registration documentation for under-18s and will be distributing these to the relevant dojos (with members aged 18 and under) in Spring/Summer 2007.

Claire can be contacted by e-mail at claire@iantomusic.co.uk or by telephone on 07761 834668.