Training & Support

Safeguarding

Everyone has a shared responsibility for safeguarding and creating safe, enjoyable environments in Orienteering whether as an Orienteer, parent, coach, club official or spectator. 

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.

Quick Report Form

British Orienteering has introduced a quick report form which can be used to make immediate reports to the Lead Safeguarding Officer. This can be accessed here. This form is user friendly on mobile devices.

On completion of this form the Lead Safeguarding Officer will follow up with you directly.

Reporting Forms

Incident reporting form children and young people

Incident reporting form adults

Reporting a concern report form

Safeguarding reporting flowchart

Scotland

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

Children 1st Position of Trust update for Scotland

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 

Supplementary Safeguarding Guidance

British Orienteering membership terms and conditions

 

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.

 

All Resources & Guidance

BRITISH ORIENTEERING – O-Safe CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY

BRITISH ORIENTEERING - Safeguarding Adults at Risk Policy 

British Orienteering Position of Trust update July 2022

Position of Trust Update 2022 FAQ's

Code of Ethics and Behaviour

Safeguarding Regulations

Children and Young People code of conduct

Parents code of conduct

Remote (online) teaching and coaching 

British Orienteerings Safeguarding Newsletters

CPSU guidance on transporting children

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

The CPSU was founded in 2001 in response to a series of high-profile cases of abuse of young athletes. They work to help improve safeguarding and child protection practices within sport organisations, to ensure all children and young people are safe while participating in sport and physical activity at all levels.

Tel: 0116 366 5580

Ann Craft Trust website 

The Ann Craft Trust (ACT) is a national charity which exists to minimise the risk of abuse of disabled children and adults at risk. Through pioneering training, practice reviews and contributing to world-leading research, they support organisations to safeguard disabled children and adults at risk and minimise the risk of harm.

Tel: 0115 951 5400

Childline

Childline is here to help anyone under 19 in the UK with any issue they’re going through.

You can talk about anything. Whether it’s something big or small, tjeir trained counsellors are here to support you.

Childline is free, confidential and available any time, day or night. You can talk to them:

Tel: 0800 1111

Stonewall 

At Stonewall, they stand for lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning and ace (LGBTQ+) people everywhere. They imagine a world where all LGBTQ+ people are free to be ourselves and can live our lives to the full.

Safeguarding is extremely important to Stonewall and sits at the heart of their programmes and events. They believe that no one should ever experience abuse, exploitation or neglect.

They believe it’s everyone’s responsibility to safeguard children and adults at risk from abuse and to take action when made aware of the risk of harm.

Child Exploitation and Online Protection command website

Are you worried about online sexual abuse or the way someone has been communicating with you online?

Make a report to one of CEOP's Child Protection Advisors

Activity Alliance

Activity Alliance is the leading voice for disabled people in sport and activity. Established in 1998 as a national charity, they were previously known as the English Federation of Disability Sport.

Sporting Equals

Sporting Equals exist to promote ethnic diversity across sport and physical activity, and are the only organisation in the UK to do so. Originally set up in 1998 by Sport England, in partnership with the Commission for Racial Equality, they are now a fully independent body and a national partner of Sport England. 

Mind

When you're experiencing a mental health problem, supportive and reliable information can change your life. That's what Mind do. They empower people to understand their mental health and the choices available to them through the following:

  • An Infoline, which offers confidential help for the price of a local call.
  • Legal Line, which provides information on mental health related law to the public, service users, family members,carers, mental health professionals and mental health advocates