Paddle Cymru believes all children and young people have a right to participate in our sport in a safe and supportive environment - and we take our duty of care very seriously.
We work closely with Paddle UK, the other National Associations and the NSPCC's Child Protection in Sport Unit to implement policies and procedures to promote safeguarding and to investigate and act upon any incidents or concerns that are reported to us.
You should follow this procedure whether a concern or allegation has been disclosed to you by someone else, something you have witnessed or something that has been worrying you.
OR
*(If calling out of office hours, leave a message and your call will be responded to as soon as possible the next working day.)
Remember: It is not your responsibility to investigate a concern or allegation, or to decide whether someone is being abused. It is your responsibility to pass the information you have on to the appropriate person or organisation.
ENSURE YOU KEEP A RECORD OF YOUR CONCERN AND HOW YOU REPORTED IT. Try to include the date, time and place, what happened, the name of anyone who may have seen what happened and who you reported it to and when. Try to note as much detail as you remember.
*If calling out of office hours, leave a message and your call will be responded to as soon as possible the next working day.
** How to make a referral if the Paddle Cymru Safeguarding Lead is unavailable to make the referral for you:
You can find all our Safeguarding policies, guidance and key templates here. Please note that many of our policies and guidance notes have been developed jointly with Paddle UK and the other National Associations to ensure consistency in safeguarding practice across the UK.
SCP-P1 Safeguarding Children & Young People Policy
SPC-P2 Safeguarding Whistle Blowing Policy
SPC-P5 Safe Storage and Handling of Sensitive Material Policy
SPC-P6 Safeguarding Adults Policy
CW-P1 Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy
Safeguarding Complaints & Disciplinary Procedures
CWS-G2 Reporting Concerns Outside Paddlesport
CWS-G3 Reporting Concerns Within Paddlesport
CWS-G30 Guidelines for Internet and Social Media Use - for parents and athletes
CWS-G35 Position of Trust Legislative Change Guidance
G2-CWS Reporting Guide for Concerns Outside Paddlesport
G3-CWS Reporting Guide for Concerns Within Paddlesport
SPC-G4 Recording Concerns Form
SPC-G5 Coaches and Officials Code of Conduct
SPC-G6 Guidelines for use of Photographic and Filming Equipment
SPC-G7 Self Declaration Form Working with Children & Adults
SPC-G8 Guidance for Clubs and Centres - Interim Suspension Pending Investigation
SPC-G11 Physical Contact and Young People Guidelines
SPC-G12 Protecting Children and Young People with Disabilities
SPC-G13 Managing Challenging Behaviour
SPC-G14 Equivalent Child Protection Training
SPC-G15 Recruitment and Selection of Individuals Working with Young People
SPC-G16 A Guide to Training Programmes for Young People
SPC-G17 Disclosure and Barring Service - Frequently Asked Questions
SPC-G20 Communicating with under 18 year olds
SPC-G21 Safeguarding Training Requirements
SPC-G23 Portability for DBS Certificates (for those subscribed to the DBS Update Service)
SPC-G25 Social Media Guidelines for Clubs, Centres and Volunteers
SPC-G26 Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Guidance
SPC-G27 Interim Suspension of Individuals Pending an Investigation
SPC-G28 Changing Room Guidance
SPC-G29 DBS Guidance Flowchart
SPC-G30 Young Persons Online Agreement
SPC-G33 Club Guidance for Video Calls
Introduction Pack for Club Welfare Officers
T1 Club Safeguarding Policy Template
T4 Paddlesport Consent Form - under review
T5 Club Safeguarding Officer Role Description
T6 Event Welfare Officer Role Description
T7 Reference Form for Club Volunteer/Coach
T10 Young Paddlers Code of Conduct
Safeguarding Risk Assessment Template
Club Safeguarding Officer Poster
Young Person's Guide to Safeguarding
Let Children Know You're Listening
Keeping Kids Safe Online / Cadw Plant Yn Ddiogel Ar-Lein - NEW
Staying Safe Online for Young People / Cadw'n Ddiogel Ar-Lein - NEW
Young Volunteer Flyer - New Coming Soon
Young Volunteers Log Sheet (Print out to complete by hand) -NEW
Young Volunteers Log Sheet (Word Doc to fill out on device) - NEW
Mental Health & Wellbeing Statement and Resources - for clubs with young paddlers
CPSU Advice for Parents (external link)
CPSU Online Safety Guidance (external link)
Thinkuknow.co.uk (external link) - Guidance for kids and parents on online safety
Welsh Government guidance: Responding to suicidal thoughts and self-harm
People Working with Children Outside Formal Education Factsheet - NEW
A range of safeguarding training courses and learning opportunities are available, from basic awareness to specialist training. These courses are designed to enable staff, coaches and volunteers in various roles to increase their knowledge and skills in order to safeguard children effectively.
Incidental or no contact with children
BCAB Introduction to Safeguarding eLearning
Suitable for coaches, volunteers and staff who do not work regularly or alone with children.
This eLearning covers a basic understanding of safeguarding in paddlesport. It is designed only as an introduction and is suitable for those who have limited interaction with children and vulnerable adults.
Regular contact with children
UK Coaching Safeguarding and Protecting Children (SPC)
Suitable for coaches, volunteers, staff and safeguarding officers who work regularly or alone with children.
This workshop will help raise your awareness of the tell-tale signs of abuse and poor practice, and give you the tools you need to deal with any issues sensitively, appropriately and effectively should the need arise.
Regular contact with children
Safeguarding and Protecting Children (SPC) Renewal
(refreshers are available as eLearning)
Suitable if you're aged 18 or over and have already attended the Safeguarding and Protecting Children workshop.
This eLearning course is a convenient way for you to refresh, consolidate and update your understanding of safeguarding at a time to suit you.
Designated Safeguarding Officer
NSPCC Time to Listen (TTL)
(no accepted equivalent)
Specifically designed for safeguarding officers who have already attended a basic training.
This workshop will help you understand the role and responsibilities of a Safeguarding Officer (aka Welfare Officer) and of statutory agencies, and what this means in practice.
Depending on your role and the frequency of work you do with children and young people, you will be required to complete different levels of safeguarding training. Our Training Requirements Table will help you identify which level of course you need to complete.
We will only accept Level 3 Designated Safeguarding Officer Training as an alternative to these courses.
Following publication of The Care Act 2014, there is an increasing number of Safeguarding Adult training courses available. The Ann Craft Trust is the leading authority on safeguarding disabled children and adults at risk and can provide sport-specific safeguarding training. This includes the "Safeguarding Adults at Risk – An Introduction" eLearning:
For more information - including how to pay for and access the eLearning - click here.
To complete and submit an online form click on the link below, this will take you to the central Paddle UK Report a Concern page, you will also find a downloadable Word version of the form at the bottom of the page.