Safeguarding and Child Protection

Our Safeguarding Principles

The welfare of children and young people is our priority. We are committed to developing and maintaining safeguarding arrangements that promote their safety, protect their wellbeing and support their right to participate in sport.

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Our approach is built around the following principles:

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Every child has the right to feel safe. Children should be treated with kindness, dignity and respect, regardless of their background, ability, identity or circumstances.

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Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Coaches, assistants, volunteers and other adults involved with the academy must understand and respect their responsibilities towards children.

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Children must be listened to. We want young people to feel comfortable expressing concerns, asking for help and telling a trusted adult if something makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

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Boundaries must be clear. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu involves close physical contact. Training must always be conducted with appropriate supervision, respect for personal boundaries and attention to each child's welfare.

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Concerns must be taken seriously. Any safeguarding concern will be handled promptly and appropriately, following our safeguarding procedures and involving the relevant authorities where necessary.

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Creating a Safe Training Environment

​We want children to experience Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as something positive, enjoyable and rewarding. A safe environment is essential to that experience.

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We are committed to establishing clear expectations for behaviour, appropriate supervision and safe training practices. Coaches and anyone assisting with children's sessions must understand the standards expected of them and the importance of maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

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Our approach includes:

• Appropriate supervision: children's sessions will be organised with their safety, age and developmental needs in mind.

• Safe physical training: techniques and activities will be taught progressively, with suitable control, supervision and attention to the abilities of the children involved.

• Respect for boundaries: children should never be pressured to participate in physical contact or an activity that causes concern. Their questions and expressions of discomfort must be taken seriously.

• Appropriate conduct: bullying, intimidation, humiliation, harassment and discriminatory behaviour are unacceptable.

• Safer recruitment and checks: people working with children will be subject to appropriate recruitment, vetting and safeguarding requirements for their roles.

• Training and awareness: those responsible for children's welfare must understand the relevant safeguarding procedures and know how to respond to concerns.

• Appropriate communication: contact between adults and children must remain within appropriate boundaries, including in relation to messages, photographs, social media and other online communication.​

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These arrangements will be supported by our written safeguarding policy and codes of conduct, which set out the procedures and responsibilities in greater detail.

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Our Responsibilities as Coaches

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Teaching martial arts to children involves more than passing on techniques. It requires patience, sound judgement and an understanding of the responsibility that comes with working with young people.

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We believe children learn best when they feel supported rather than intimidated. Our teaching approach is built around encouragement, clear instruction, positive role modelling and respect for individual differences.

We will work to ensure that children are treated fairly, that expectations are appropriate to their age and development, and that their physical and emotional well-being remains central to the training environment.

We recognise that children may communicate concerns in different ways. A child may be reluctant to speak openly, may struggle to explain what has happened or may express distress through changes in behaviour. Such concerns should never be dismissed simply because a child cannot fully explain them.

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Where a concern arises, our responsibility is to respond appropriately, record and report information in accordance with our procedures, and seek advice or assistance from the relevant safeguarding authorities when necessary.

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Safeguarding decisions must always be guided by the child's welfare, rather than a desire to protect the reputation of an individual or the academy.

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Parents and Carers

We want parents and carers to feel confident that their children's welfare is taken seriously. We encourage open communication and welcome reasonable questions about our teaching, supervision, training practices and safeguarding arrangements. If you have a concern about your child's experience, we want you to feel able to raise it.

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Parents and carers can help us by ensuring that we are aware of relevant information affecting their child's safe participation, respecting the academy's codes of conduct and encouraging children to speak openly if something worries them.

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We will treat concerns respectfully and take appropriate action. Where a concern requires referral to an external safeguarding agency, we will follow the relevant procedures rather than attempting to manage a serious matter informally within the academy.

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We also recognise that confidentiality is important. Information about a safeguarding concern will be handled sensitively and shared only as appropriate, including where sharing information is necessary to protect a child.

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Raising a Safeguarding Concern

If you have a concern about the safety or well-being of a child at Mid Wales BJJ, please raise it with our designated safeguarding lead using the contact details provided below. You do not need to be certain that abuse or harm has occurred before reporting a concern. If something worries you, we would rather it be raised so that it can be considered appropriately.

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If a child tells you that something has happened, listen calmly, take them seriously, avoid leading questions and do not promise to keep the information secret. Share the concern promptly with the appropriate safeguarding professional.

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Our safeguarding procedures explain how concerns are recorded, assessed, reported and followed up. Serious concerns will be referred to the appropriate statutory services or police where required.

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If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. Do not wait for a response from the academy.

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If you are concerned about a child's welfare and would prefer to seek independent advice, you can contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or visit the NSPCC website. Children and young people can contact Childline free on 0800 1111.

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Our Commitment

We want Mid Wales BJJ to be a place where children can learn, challenge themselves, form friendships and grow in confidence, knowing that their safety and wellbeing matter. We understand that trust must be earned through our actions. Safeguarding requires clear procedures, responsible leadership, appropriate training and a willingness to listen and respond when concerns arise.

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We are committed to developing a culture in which children are protected, parents are heard and everyone involved understands their responsibility to help maintain a safe environment.

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Every child deserves the opportunity to participate in sport without fear of harm, intimidation or humiliation. That principle is fundamental to the academy we are building.

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The welfare of our students comes first. Always.

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Safeguarding contact

Designated Safeguarding Lead: [Name to be added]

Safeguarding email: [Email address to be added]

Safeguarding telephone: [Telephone number to be added]

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For independent advice about a child in Wales, visit GOV.WALES — reporting suspected abuse, neglect or harm.

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