ST IVES SURF SCHOOL SAFEGUARDING POLICY
This policy reflects the working practices of St Ives Surf School. The language and terminology is chosen to be easily understood, relevant to the School and local community.
updated 6th May 2024
We acknowledge our legal responsibility to ensure our operating practices are delivered to support the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults which is paramount when in our care. As part of this process we commit to work together with our partners on the beach, the local community and if necessary statutory authorities.
Responsibility and ownership
Her Majesty’s Government states ‘safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility’ and this policy places an expectation upon all employees and volunteers of the Surf School to understand their individual responsibility and respond to safeguarding concerns or allegations ensuring any response is appropriate and proportionate to the circumstances.
Overall ownership for the implementation of the policy remains with the owner of the School. The owner is the safeguarding lead and will appoint suitable deputies.
Identified risks and how we manage them
In November 2020 an independent review of our working practices and operating sites identified the following safeguarding risks to the School during the delivery of surf lessons, hiring of equipment and engagement with young people from our local community:
Changing
Surf instructors helping students change into wetsuits presents a risk of inappropriate touching customers or misinterpretation.
Students changing into swimwear or wetsuits in a public open site environment presents a risk of voyeurism
Managing the risk
Instructors continue with the established practice of encouraging students to arrive a the school changed into swim wear
If a student needs assistance parents or guardians are encouraged to help their child
Instructors will only assist students in public view preferably in the presence of a parent or guardian
Photography
We do not discourage the taking of photographs, capturing the achievements of young and vulnerable persons is important to share success with family and friends improving self-esteem and overall confidence.
However we do operate in an open site public space and this environment provides opportunity for others to capture images for sinister reasons. The risks are:
Using the image to identify for future grooming purposes.
Adapting images for inappropriate use and sharing online.
A photo or image of a young or vulnerable person becomes a part of their public image. This image especially if altered could have an immediate or future adverse affect.
Managing the risk:
Instructors and beach lifeguards will continue their vigilance for those who seek to capture images for inappropriate purposes and carefully monitor nearby beach users with any photographic equipment. Any such incidents will be reported to the police.
Meeting place for young persons
For many years the Surf School has been used as a meeting place for young people to spend time on the beach with their friends. Similar to taking photographs we do not discourage young people gathering at the School, the benefits of healthy activity, exposure to positive role models and diversion from unhealthy influence are clear.
Several current surf instructors used the School as a meeting place and report favourably on the influence of older peers and the opportunity for seasonal employment.
It is also important to recognise the risks:
A young person becoming fixated on a surf instructor and the potential for disappointment or adverse reaction if feelings are not reciprocated.
Young persons exposed to adult related activities.
Perceived under age employment - young people will often help with washing wetsuits and general cleaning duties and are often rewarded with free access to a popular hire surfboard.
Managing the risk:
Surf instructors will remain vigilant for young persons seeking to spend excessive time with staff members and advise safeguarding lead. Young persons will be asked to leave the School if adult related activities are planned or spontaneously implemented.
No young person under the age of 13 will be paid. The provision of a free hire surfboard to enjoy will be at the owners or managers discretion
Inappropriate touching
The sea is an unpredictable natural environment. The conditions can change quickly and instructors are often required to respond to ensure safety of the students. The opportunity for an instructor to exploit changing circumstances in the water and inappropriately touch a student in a sensitive part of their body, or for an incident to be misinterpreted or used by the student to make a malicious allegation is a risk to both parties.
Managing the risk:
In the event that a sensitive area of the body is touched an explanation, however obvious will be provided to the student and the instructor will check he/she is comfortable to remain in the water.
The instructor should create a record of the incident and report to the safeguarding lead.
The safeguarding lead should advise the parent/guardian of the incident and provide an explanation.
If a student makes an allegation against an instructor the receiving staff member or safeguarding lead will comply with the Safeguarding Guidance document.
If an instructor is concerned about the behaviour of a colleague towards student(s) the Safeguarding lead will be advised and any response will comply with the Safeguarding Guidance document.
Safe recruitment
The School operates in a small community. Naturally this community is fertile for recruitment and as previously recorded local young people seek to commence their employment with the School. There are undeniable advantages to employing from the local community. The School has the opportunity to observe the character and attitude of potential employees and a likely longer term relationship with parents/guardians can foster understanding in regard to working expectations and hours.
As the demand for services increases year on year employment of freelance instructors is necessary at peak times.
There is no room for complacency with recruiting locally or freelance. A person seeking employment with the School as a freelance for sinister reasons will not declare this interest and any employee local or not, with convictions will be equally secretive.
Risks:
Unknowingly employing a freelance instructor with an intention or offending pattern indicating they are a risk to young or vulnerable persons.
An absence of knowledge of the behaviour or sexual preferences of local persons seeking employment.
Managing the risk:
All staff will submit annual DBS checks.
The School will retain copies of the DBS certificates in compliance with DPA and GDPR.
Instructors will be required to produce two acceptable forms of identification - examples include driving licence, passport, utility bill. The School will retain copies of identity documentation in compliance with DPA/GDPR.
Previous employers checks will be undertaken for all new instructors.
All new employees will be given a hard copy of this policy - the Safeguarding Lead will provide explanations as necessary to ensure understanding and encourage compliance.
Training
The Safeguarding lead and deputies will arrange suitable training to improve their individual understanding and awareness of wider safeguarding issues relevant to the School. Relevant knowledge will be shared with all staff and freelance instructors.
Responding to a safeguarding concern Guidance document
Supporting this safeguarding policy is a guidance document providing advice on how to respond to an allegation or concerns about the behaviour of an employees towards vulnerable persons. This document should be stored electronically and hard copy made available.
Communication
Effective communication of safeguarding principles and how we manage our risks is pivotal to embedding this policy into our working practices. Embedment makes this policy meaningful to our employees and customers reassuring both individuals and our community welfare and safety is paramount at the School.
Embedment will be encouraged by:
Publishing this policy on our website for openness and transparency Appropriate use of social media to reenforce key messages in this policy Safeguarding lead and deputies to remind instructors to deliver key safeguarding messages during water safety briefings.
Safeguarding leads and deputies will monitor compliance through dip sample of water safety briefings delivered by instructors
We will display a willingness to listen to staff and customers considering the importance of non-verbal communication and seek to understand how underlying behaviour or messages may relate to a safeguarding experience or concern.
Conclusion
The purpose of this policy is to identify our key safeguarding risks relevant to the working practices unique to St Ives Surf School. Every surf school and water based activity business will be unique with risks varying according to their working practices, their location and operating premises.We recognise there are many aspects to safeguarding, implementing and embedding this policy enables us to manage our key risks. It will also increase our collective awareness to identify and respond appropriately to incidents or concerns this policy has not recorded.
Review
This policy will be reviewed by the Safeguarding Lead on an annual basis before the commencement of working season or when a new risk is identified. The purpose of this review is:
Ensure contact details and numbers in the guidance document remain relevant.
Identify if any changes in our working practices impact upon the delivery of this policy.
Capture any changes or new developments relating to safeguarding from our Governing Bodies or Sport England.