MONTESSORI SPORTS SAFEGUARDING POLICY STATEMENT

This policy applies to all staff, including the owners, paid staff, volunteers/ sessional workers, agency staff, students or anyone working on behalf of Montessori Sports.

The purpose of this policy is:
• To protect children and young people who receive Montessori Sports services. This includes the children of adults who use our services.
• To provide students, staff and volunteers with the overarching principles that guide our approach to safeguarding.

Montessori Sports believes that a child or young person should never have to experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and to keep them safe. We are committed to practice in a way that protects them.

Legal framework

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of law and regulations that seeks to protect children, namely:
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018
• ‘Algemene Verordening Gegevensbescherming (AVG)’ 2016 (Dutch privacy regulations)
• ‘Wet Bescherming Persoonsgegevens’ 2017 (2017 Dutch Legislation on personal data protection)
• ‘Richtlijn voor strafvordering seksueel misbruik minderjarigen’ 2015 (2015 Dutch Penal Code: Government Directive sexual abuse minors)
• Relevant Government guidelines on safeguarding children

Policy

We recognise that:
• The Welfare of the child is paramount, as displayed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Some children and young adults are especially vulnerable due to the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, their communication needs, physical abilities or other issues
• All children regardless of their age, disability, gender, race or religious have the right to equal protection from harm
• Working in partnership with teachers, coaches and parents is essential in promoting the welfare of those we need to protect.

We will aim to keep children safe by:
• Emphasizing the importance of treating all children with respect, dignity, and fairness which also means valuing them and listening to them
• Implementing thorough procedures and a code of conduct for staff and volunteers which adopts child protection best practices
• Provide training on appropriate behaviour when working with children
• Providing effective management for all students through supervision, support and training
• Sharing information about child protection and good practice with staff, students, partners, parents and volunteers
• Sharing concerns with relevant agencies and involving parents and children appropriately
• Informing all students and partners of Montessori Sports of policies and safeguarding expectations
• Establish a clear and confidential reporting mechanism for any concerns or suspicions of child abuse or neglect
• Train staff on how to recognize signs of abuse and the steps to take if they suspect abuse
• Request that the facilities where sports activities take place are safe and child-friendly
• Request regular safety assessments of equipment, playing fields, and facilities
• Provide ongoing support and resources for students and members to help them cope with the emotional challenges of working with children and responding to child protection concerns

Ruben Jongkind
Founder
Montessori Sports