Everyone should operate within an accepted ethical framework and demonstrate exemplary behaviour to both safeguard children, adults at risk and protect all personnel from allegations of abuse or poor practice. 

Reporting a Safeguarding or Safety concern

Please report any potential matters relating to safeguarding children or adults to safeguarding@britishorienteering.org.uk 

Or by calling the British Orienteering Lead Safeguarding Officer -

Peter Brooke on 07540 150963

This includes any concerns about safeguarding either within orienteering or outside of orienteering and any concern over adult behaviour related to the welfare of children or adults at risk, including those away from the sport that involves members or participants.

Scotland

There are different regulations within Scotland. To find out specific information visit the Scottish Orienteerings dedicated webpage here.

Responding to a Safeguarding Concern advice

British Orienteering Welfare and Safeguarding Policy

BRITISH ORIENTEERING – O-Safe CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY

BRITISH ORIENTEERING - Safeguarding Adults at Risk Policy Coming soon

When you bring your children orienteering we will help you to ensure their welfare and safety by ensuring that;

• The people who run the sport are safe to be with.

• We take all reasonable steps to ensure that your children will be safe from other participants and strangers.

• The challenges set will be manageable so that your children are able to find their way around the course.

• They are not likely to be injured but if they are there are people and procedures in place to look after them.

• Your children’s individual needs will be considered as far as possible within the nature of the sport.

The people who run the sport are safe to be with:

Our coaches and officials who have unsupervised regular contact with children and adults at risk have satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service checks (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or Disclosure Scotland checks.

Our clubs have welfare officers.

We take all reasonable steps to ensure that your children will be safe from other participants and from strangers:

Organisers of events and activities carry out risk assessments and have procedures for managing safety in public places.

We have had no reported incidents of children coming to any harm from strangers in public places whilst orienteering

The challenges set will be manageable so that your children are able to find their way back, the ground they cross is not too rough for their experience/strength:

Planners of courses and activities follow rules and guidelines to provide courses or activities with different levels of challenge to meet different needs.

We keep track of every individual at every event or activity to ensure that they are accounted for. We will give you information so that you understand the level of challenge on courses offered.

We expect you to follow our guidelines about which course is appropriate for you or your children to complete. In order to meet our safeguarding and insurance responsibilities, we may refuse to let you do a course if we consider you are taking undue risk.

They are not likely to be injured but if they are there are people and procedures in place to look after them:

Officials organising events and activities carry out risk assessments.

They have procedures for finding and looking after lost children and for providing first aid.

Your children’s individual needs will be taken care of as far as possible within the nature of the sport:

At events, we will explain what physical and navigational skills are needed to complete a course and how we can help with an individual need.

At activities led by coaches if you tell us about any special needs we will tell you what adaptations can be made to make our activities accessible.

Resources & Guidance

BRITISH ORIENTEERING – O-Safe CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY

BRITISH ORIENTEERING - Safeguarding Adults at Risk Policy Coming soon

Code of Ethics and Behaviour

Safeguarding Regulations

Remote (online) teaching and coaching 

DBS, PVG and Access NI information can now be found here: www.britishorienteering.org.uk/safeguardingchecks 

Find out more: (external websites)

Child Protection in Sport Unit website

Child Exploitation and Online Protection command website

Ann Craft Trust website