The club takes the welfare of its members and visitors very seriously. We have a duty of care to everybody when on our premises or taking part in activities in the club’s name elsewhere. We have particular responsibilities for those under 18 years old and for vulnerable adults.
Each year after the AGM we appoint a Club Welfare Officer (CWO) to advise the committee on welfare issues and to be the first point of contact for members or others on welfare matters. Debbie Owens is our current CWO and her details can be found below.
Matters of concern to us would generally fall under one of these four headings:
- Neglect
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Emotional abuse.
Water safety issues are a fundamental part of the overall welfare picture, but we deal with these in detail on another page here.
If you believe that an incident relating to the welfare of a member or visitor has taken place, please contact the CWO immediately. If she is unavailable, try to reach the Secretary or the Chairman. If this fails also, then if urgent you can go straight to the British Rowing child protection officer (available 24 hours - as below). Please do not try to sort the matter out yourself.
To help ensure the welfare of members, especially those under 18, we ask for and record relevant details, including information on relevant medical conditions. These records are kept secure by the Secretary and the CWO and are only made available to officers and coaches as necessary.
Club members who have regular formal contact as session leaders or coaches with junior members are required by the club to seek checks from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) via British Rowing. The CWO maintains records of such checks and ensures they are up to date.
You can find documents to download below with more information, including our welfare policy, our procedures for recording and reporting incidents and contact details. These are also posted on the welfare section of the notice board at the club.
