Supervision of Children & Young People

Welsh Lawn Bowls welcomes the participation of children – they are the future of the sport. Safe participation by children is the key to them enjoying bowls and continuing to play. Parents/carers are encouraged to attend with children to support their safe participation and enjoyment of bowls.

“ The law states that someone is a child up to their 18th birthday.”

Correct supervision is part of an organisation’s duty of care to safeguard and protect children. It will: -

minimise any risks to participants

enhance the benefits children draw from the activity

help deliver the activity safely

ensure there is enough appropriate adult support should any issues arise

reassure parents/carers

Children at Bowls roll ups or matches.

An individual child attending a bowls event such as a roll up or match which is not age specific, as a player, volunteer or spectator, should be accompanied by an appropriate adult such as their parent, another responsible adult or carer. If a parent/carer wishes to leave their child, they can identify another suitable adult who is staying, with their agreement, as being responsible for their child. They should ensure their own contact details are left with an appropriate club member such as a team captain or coach who is present at the session or match.

The law does not say an age when you can leave a child on their own, but it’s an offence to leave child alone if it places them at risk. The NSPCC says children under 12 are rarely

mature enough to be left alone for a long period of time. The law on leaving your child on their own - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Bowls events for or including children.

The guidance below relates to bowls events and activities planned specifically for children plus mixed age coaching sessions.

It is not possible to recommend ‘one size fits all’ guidance to coverall activities involving children. There are, however, many key considerations that are recommended by the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) as good practice.

What makes an individual suitable to supervise children?

It is the responsibility of bowls clubs and organisations, planning, or providing sessions and activities for or including children, to ensure the suitability of those running the activity. This includes:

coaches being appropriately qualified for their role

the activity being subject to a safe recruitment process, for coaches and other volunteers including criminal records checks for eligible roles

coaches having insurance appropriate to the activity

coaches and volunteers signing up to comply with a code of conduct which highlights their responsibility to safeguard children

Risk assessment of bowls activities involving children

In the planning of all activities, and regardless of any other assessments that may be required (for health and safety purposes, for example), a risk assessment should be undertaken that specifically informs decision making about appropriate supervision levels.

Key factors to include in a risk assessment.

numbers and ages of the children,

whether parents/carers or another appropriate adult is required to stay for the duration of the session – will the age of the child mean this is different for different children or not?

length of time of the event/activity and whether there are any planned breaks,

supervision arrangements during any breaks,

additional supervision and support needs of some or all participants (for example, due to disability or age),

as far as possible, include input from children and their parents in risk assessments to ensure the children’s needs are met,

nature of the club’s or venue’s public liability insurance,

competence and experience of the staff involved including at least one trained first aider,

competence and experience of participants for the specific nature of the activity,

whether private and exclusive to the group or open and accessible to the public,

what types of equipment children may use,

adult volunteers who do not meet the criteria for vetting and barring checks are supervised at all times.

Recommended minimum supervision ratios

Whatever the recommended ratio of adults to participants is, a minimum of 2 adults should be present. This ensures at least basic cover in the event of something impacting on the availability of one of the adults during the activity (such as in the event of one participant requiring the attention of an adult during the activity following an accident).

The adults should cover the genders of the child participants. If this is a drop-in session where participants are not known in advance, there should be at least one female and one male adult supervisor.

While your risk assessment may well indicate the need for an enhanced level of supervision and staffing for a particular activity,table 1 shows recommended adult-to-child ratios which would be suitable for most bowls activities/events involving children.

Table 1 – minimum supervision ratios

Age of Children	Number of Adults	Number of Children
0-3	1	3
4-8	1	6
9-11	1	8
12-18	1	10

Toilet supervision

If the group has both boys and girls there should be at least one male and one female responsible adult supervising visits to the toilet. Adults who have not previously volunteered and have not had the necessary vetting checks should not be left alone with children or take them to the toilet unaccompanied.

In larger groups of children, encourage groups to take a comfort break together with one responsible adult while the other adult(s) supervise the remaining children.

Parents as supervisors

Bowls clubs should encourage parents to accompany children to activities – particularly those aged 16 or under. However, it is not recommended that those planning or providing activities, include parents in supervision calculations, unless the parents are acting in a formal volunteering or other capacity during the activity. In these circumstances, this should mean that those parents meet all appropriate requirements in terms of:

appropriate background checks suitable to their role,

undertaking relevant safeguarding children training,

who has overall responsibility for the group,

what is acceptable practice.

Young people as supervisors

Bowls should provide opportunities for under-18s to coach, officiate, volunteer, or organise events for other children, including achieving qualifications and awards. These opportunities allow young people to develop skills, experience and confidence. However, this should not mean that clubs or organisations should depend on them to take full responsibility for managing groups of children.

Under-18s in coaching or other roles should only be in a supporting role to the adult with overall responsibility for supervising the activity. Therefore, they must not be counted as an adult when calculating supervision ratios.

Transport Of Children & Young People Guidelines

Introduction

The issue of transporting children to and from bowls activities safely can present challenges for bowls clubs. Many bowls clubs could not operate without the good will of volunteers and parent ensuring that children are transported to and returned home from events in a private car.

It is reasonable for clubs and activity organisers to place full responsibility on parents for ensuring appropriate transport arrangements are made.

However, where the activity provider, club or coach is organising transportation of its young members and asks or requires parents to transport other people's children on the club's behalf, the organiser has a responsibility to take reasonable steps to safeguard these young people for whom they have a duty of care.

Welsh Lawn Bowls encourages coaches or other volunteers or staff not to take children on journeys alone in their car. The vast majority of coaches and volunteers will help out through their genuine desire to see children and young people and their particular sport develop. Unfortunately, we must face the reality that a minority of others will join a sports club to gain access to children to harm them.

Note: The terms 'child' and 'young person' describe any person under the age of 18. References to 'parents' should be read as parents and carers inclusively.

Key considerations

Best practice is clearly to avoid transporting a child alone. If all alternatives have been exhausted and an adult has to transport a child, there are a number of safety measures that should be put in place to minimise the risk:

establish the suitability of any driver - the driver, like all coaches or volunteers who have unsupervised access to children in your organisation, should have agreed to a vetting check (where appropriate) and be carried out as part of wider safeguarding process.
parents should be informed of transport arrangements, including details of the person who will be transporting their child, the reasons why and how long the journey will take
a person other than the planned driver should talk to the child about transport arrangements to check they are comfortable about the plans
ensure that the drivers representing the club have valid car insurance, MOT and a driving licence prior to carrying any passengers.
the driver should check their cover with their own insurance company if they want to use their car as part of their paid or volunteer role.
clubs should try to ensure there is more than one child in the
when transporting children after a m or bowls event or training session, should alternate which child is dropped off Ideally 2 children would be dropped off at an agreed point such as one of their family homes or bowls club.
the person who returns the children to the agreed point, such as family home, bowls club should be alternated; this would reduce the risk of any one individual frequently being alone with a child or group.

the driver should have a point of contact, including one for each child they are transporting and a mobile phone should they break down
ensure that children are aware of their rights to be safe and that they have someone to turn to or report any concerns they may have.
late collections can present clubs with particular Parents should be provided with guidelines addressing the issue and outlining their responsibility and the consequences of late collections.
clubs should have contact numbers for parents and if possible be provided with an alternative contact number too. Parents should have a contact number for the club or coach to inform them of emergencies and possible late collections

Seatbelts

Children should wear seatbelts at all times when travelling in a car. The following guidance details the seatbelt law,

Children must have an appropriate child restraint or seatbelt when travelling in a car or goods vehicle.

under 12 years old, or up to 135cm tall, must use the right type of car For more information please visit https://www.gov.uk/child-car-seats-the-rules/using-a-child-car-seat-or-booster-seat
children over 12 years old or 135cm, whichever comes first, should use an adult seatbelt

Alternative transport

If taxis are used by your club or organisation and there is no child restraint available, children can travel in the back seat of the taxi. Those over 3 years old must use the adult seatbelt.

Sometimes parents may be asked to drive a minibus on behalf of the club. Passengers on minibuses will be required to wear seat belts, where fitted, and the driver will be responsible for making sure that children under 14 use their seatbelts. If seatbelts are fitted on a bus, passengers must use them. The driver will be responsible for letting people know that they must use seat belts.

International Woman’s Trial 2024

Venue: Llandrindod Wells Bowls Club

Arrival: 9:00am

Start: 9:30am

Date: Saturday 11^th May 2024

Dress Code: Black Trousers/Shorts & Club Tops

Lunch will be provided.

Congratulations to the following players who have been selected for consideration for all Senior International events for the Calendar Year 2024.

Caroline Taylor Berriew

Emma Gittins Berriew

Kathy Pearce Berriew

Sophie Gittins Berriew

Debbie Taylor Bridgend Municipal

Megan Jones Bridgend Municipal

Laura Daniels Brynhyfryd

Emma Woodcock Cardiff

Lauren Gowen Cardiff

Sarah Beynon Coedgwilym

Lauren Selway Gilfach Ladies

Alis Butten Lampeter

Melanie Thomas Lampeter

Naomi Evans Llanidloes

Hannah Williams Loughor

Rebecca Williams Loughor

Amy Williams Merthyr West End

Estee Parry Merthyr West End

Chloe Jackson Penylan

Karen Lewis Penylan

Olivia Jackson Penylan

Bethan Russ Port Talbot

Jasmine Staton Port Talbot

Jodie McCarthy Port Talbot

Sara Marie Nicholls Port Talbot

Ceri Homes Resolven

Ysie White Tenby

Andrea Thomas Whitland

Katie Dickinson Whitland

Katie Thomas Whitland

The following players have been selected as non-travelling reserves.

Nicola Squires-Clarke Barry Athletic

Carman Brooks Barry Athletic

Whistleblowing Policy

Introduction:

Welsh Lawn Bowls of bowls are committed to creating and maintaining the safest possible environment for children, adults at risk and adults to participate in the sport of bowls. They each recognise their responsibility to promote a safe environment and for any concerns to be reported without fear of reprisal.

What is Whistle Blowing?

Whistle blowing is an early warning system. It is about revealing and raising concerns over misconduct or malpractice within an organisation or within an independent structure associated with it.

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 protects those who raise legitimate concerns about specified matters. It makes provision about the kinds of disclosure that may be protected and the circumstances in which disclosures are protected.

This policy is therefore intended to comply with the Act by encouraging everyone in bowls to make disclosures about fraud, misconduct or wrongdoing in the sport and anyone within it, without fear of reprisal, so that problems can be identified, dealt with and resolved quickly.

Principles

You should be aware of the importance of eliminating fraud or wrongdoing, and report anything that you become aware of that is illegal.

You will not be victimised, subject to detriment or dismissed for raising a legitimate matter under this procedure.

Covering up someone else’s wrongdoing is also a disciplinary offence. Never agree to remain silent about a wrongdoing, even if told to do so by someone in authority.

You will not be penalised for raising a qualifying disclosure even if it is not upheld, unless the complaint was both untrue and made in bad faith.

It is not the responsibility of the person reporting the disclosure to investigate – it is the responsibility of the respective Welsh Lawn Bowls Executive to investigate.

Confidentiality should be upheld in line with legislation and government guidance. Confidentiality will be maintained during the process to the extent that it is practical and appropriate in the circumstances.

Maliciously making a false allegation is a disciplinary offence.

Objective of the policy

All club and county members, committee members, coaches, volunteers and parents/carers should have an understanding of whistle blowing.

All club and county members, committee members, coaches and volunteers should know where to access this Policy for whistle blowing and to follow it when anything is reported.

All players and parents/carers should be aware of the policy of the Welsh Lawn Bowls Association, club or county and of what action should be taken when legitimate concerns arise. Individuals should be assured that they will be supported when concerns are reported.

Qualifying Disclosures

Welsh Lawn Bowls would expect their members or participants to report any of the following:

A criminal offence (including fraud)

A failure to comply with a legal obligation

The endangering of an individual’s health and safety

Deliberate concealment of information relating to any of the above

Where the nature of the disclosure is not included in the above list, it should be made by way of the relevant to Welsh Lawn Bowls Safeguarding Policies and not under the Whistle Blowing procedure.

Your belief must be reasonable, but it need not be correct. It might be discovered subsequently that you were in fact incorrect, but you must be able to show that you held the belief in good faith and that it was a reasonable one to hold in the circumstances at the time.

Disclosure Procedure

If you wish to make a qualifying disclosure you should in the first instance report the situation to an appropriate person. This could be within your club, county association or Welsh Lawn Bowls

Such disclosures should be made promptly so that investigation may proceed, and any action taken quickly.

All qualifying disclosures will be taken seriously. The disclosure will be promptly investigated and as part of the investigatory process, you will be interviewed and asked to provide a written statement setting out the nature and details of your qualifying disclosure and the basis for it. Confidentiality will be maintained during the process to the extent that it is practical and appropriate in the circumstances.

In order to investigate a disclosure, Welsh Lawn Bowls must be able to determine the scope of the investigation and the individuals who should be informed about the disclosure. Welsh Lawn Bowls reserves the right to appoint another investigator to investigate the disclosure other than the designated person to whom you reported.

Welsh Lawn Bowls may ask you to attend a meeting at a reasonable time and place at which your disclosure can be discussed. You should take all reasonable steps to attend that meeting and you have the right to bring with you an appropriate other individual of your choice.

Once the investigation has been conducted and completed, you will be informed in writing of the outcome and the Welsh Lawn Bowls decision as soon as possible.

If you wish to appeal against the Welsh Lawn Bowls decision, you must do so in writing within five working days of the decision. On receipt of an appeal a senior officer shall make arrangements to hear your appeal. Welsh Lawn Bowls may ask you to attend a meeting at a reasonable time and place at which your appeal can be discussed. You should take all reasonable steps to attend that meeting and you have the right to bring with you an appropriate other individual of your choice.

Following Welsh Lawn Bowls appeal hearing, you will be informed in writing of the outcome and their conclusion and decision within five working days.

Once Welsh Lawn Bowls decision has been finalised, any necessary action will be taken. If no action is taken, the reason will be explained to you.

If, on conclusion of the above stages, you reasonably believe that appropriate action has still not been taken, you may report the matter to the proper authority in good faith. The Act sets out a number of prescribed bodies or person/s to which qualifying disclosures can be made. However, NGBs always encourage members and staff to raise their concerns directly in the first instance, rather than externally.

This enables issues to be dealt with promptly and speedily.

Implementation

Welsh Lawn Bowls will endorse this policy and will ensure that it is followed by all affiliated counties and clubs that fall within their remit.

This policy should be implemented within all bowling organisations.

Key Legislation The key legislation can be found at Whistleblowing policy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk

Full draw for the 2024 mixed competitons can be found on the work sheet below.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zC3Jh889zxWxZNVbPQEqEn9IW1imvhnY/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=103580790677289046190&rtpof=true&sd=true

WELSH LAWN BOWLS

Supervision of Children and young adults

Transport for children and young adults.

Introduction

Key considerations

Seatbelts

Alternative transport

Ladies Trial Team 2024

Whistle Blowing Policy

Mixed Competitions