Everyone has a shared responsibility for safeguarding and creating safe, enjoyable environments in Orienteering whether as an Orienteer, parent, coach, club official or spectator.
At our club we want you to feel safe and welcome and we encourage you to raise any concerns you have or incidents you witness at the earliest opportunity to our Club Safeguarding Officer, Claire Gallagher via safeguarding@grampoc.com, or British Orienteering’s Lead Safeguarding Officer, Jeanette Downing via safeguarding@britishorienteering.org.uk. All reports are taken seriously and dealt with in a sensitive manner.
Our club is committed to the principles of Safeguarding Children and Adults at Risk and our Club Welfare Officer is always there if you need any support or would like any advice.
Gramp is fully committed to the welfare and protection of everyone attending any of our events or activities whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, socioeconomic status, religious belief and sexual identity.
Gramp subscribes to the SOA Child Protection/Safeguarding Policy, a copy of which can be found at https://www.scottish-orienteering.org/wpfd_file/soa-child-safeguarding-and-welfare-policy/. (Updated Jan 2025)
For the purposes of this policy a child is defined as anyone under the age of 18 but the same commitment to protection and respect would equally apply to anyone of any age but especially those who may be classed as vulnerable.
Reporting
In addition to contacting the Club Safeguarding Officer or Lead Safeguarding Officer, there are a couple of forms you can also use to report a concern or incident.
British Orienteering 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 form is user friendly on mobile devices. On completion of this form the Lead Safeguarding Officer will follow up with you directly.
Other Reporting Forms (MSword version)
Incident reporting form children and young people
Incident reporting form adults
If you complete one of these forms, it will then need to be emailed to either your Club Safeguarding Officer or the Lead Safeguarding Officer as soon as possible.
If you need any advice on how to complete a form, or what should you do if someone reports something to you, this short video will help you.
What do we do in practical terms to implement safeguarding at events and activities?
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. Our coaches and officials who have unsupervised regular contact with children and adults at risk have satisfactory PVG checks.
– We take all reasonable steps to ensure that your children will be safe from other participants and strangers. Organisers of events and activities carry out risk assessments and have procedures for managing safety in public places.
– The challenges set will be manageable so that your children are able to find their way around the course. 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.
– 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.
– Our club has a safeguarding officer.
GRAMPIAN ORIENTEERS 