England Hockey is the national governing body for the sport of hockey in England, with over 1050 affiliated clubs. As part of its commitment to ensuring that young people are able to enjoy the sport of hockey, England Hockey has developed this Policy on Safeguarding and Protecting Young People in Hockey.
England Hockey believes that all young people involved in hockey have a fundamental right to be protected so that they can enjoy the sport free from all forms of abuse and exploitation. It therefore seeks to help protect and promote the welfare of all young people in hockey by having in place clear policies and guidance for its affiliated clubs and associations and all others involved in the sport.
England Hockey views all those within hockey as part of the Hockey Family. This includes all clubs, associations, other organisations and individuals with any involvement at any level. England Hockey believes that all members of the Hockey Family have responsibilities to help protect young people and England Hockey has developed this Safeguarding and Protecting Young People policy to help ensure that this happens.
Safeguarding means promoting the safety and welfare of young people. Safeguarding is a term used to incorporate good practice and is wider than “Child Protection”. Child protection is still an essential element of this policy and is about acting on concerns about a young person or individual.
This policy has been formulated in accordance with guidance from the NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) and in line with Government guidance.
We have set the policy out in four sections to make it as user friendly as possible. The four sections are:
- Section One: Policies
- Section Two: Recognising and Responding to Concerns and Reporting Procedures
- Section Three: Good Practice
- Section Four: Appendices and Templates
You can find each section of the policy on the pages below this one. For your convenience they are also available as downloads.
England Hockey’s Safeguarding Young People policy will be updated every three years or more frequently as required and in line with changes to legislation, government guidance and industry standard practice.
We hope that the policy will assist your club/association as we all work towards a safer environment for the future of our sport.
