In order to continue to provide
a safe and positive environment for children, ALL CLUB SAFEGUARDING OFFICERS
AND ALL CLUB COMMITTEE MEMBERS MUST READ AND BE FAMILIAR WITH REGULATION
21 (SAFEGUARDING) AND RFU SAFEGUARDING POLICY. Anyone involved in rugby union must report
safeguarding concerns to the RFU Safeguarding Team.
The RFU’s Safeguarding Policy,
Toolkit and RFU Regulation 21 sets out our requirements and aims to assist
clubs in ensuring that the welfare of children remains of paramount importance.
We also offer clubs an effective
safeguarding training programme for all members of the game. We would
strongly recommend that anyone involved in rugby (specifically those within the
under the age 18 game) attend. You will
find further information on our training on the England Rugby website.
We have previously communicated
to the game our requirements in managing Safeguarding concerns/incidents and
the DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) applications. In order to ensure you are familiar with our
requirements, please see the following information -
Safeguarding Children
The RFU believes that the
wellbeing of children involved in rugby is of paramount importance and has
jurisdiction to deal with any allegation of abuse of a child, any breach of the
Safeguarding Policy and or any breach of Regulation 21.
Concerns must be dealt with in
accordance with the RFU Policy and Regulations to assess the most appropriate
manner of dealing with them. Some
incidents may need referral to Statutory Agencies, such as police or children’s
services, while if the child is not in immediate danger the RFU Safeguarding
Team will take action. However, even
apparently low-level concerns may require the RFU to seek initial advice from
Statutory Agencies.
It is essential to refer
concerns to the RFU at the earliest opportunity to ensure that children are
kept safe. Concerns may then be
delegated back to a club or CB to manage.
It is vitally important that no
investigation is carried out by the club, other than gathering information
prior to informing the RFU. This is so
as not to jeopardise any police investigation or criminal proceedings and also
to preserve evidence. This is especially
relevant when dealing with cases involving inappropriate use of the internet
and social media.
When referring matters to the
RFU Safeguarding Team please use the incident report form which can be found
here:
Disclosure and Barring Service
- DBS
The DBS process is a crucial
part of an effective recruitment process. Any club operating
rugby for those under the age of 18 is deemed a children’s service
provider, which means that certain legislation and commitments must be adhered
to.
RFU Regulation 21.2 describes the requirements of the RFU DBS process,
further information is provided in the RFU Safeguarding Policy of the requirements within a rugby setting.
One significant aspect of
providing a children’s service is ensuring that a thorough recruitment process
is followed, including interviewing potential volunteers, seeking references,
checking qualifications are valid, on-going monitoring and carrying out DBS
checks via the RFU.
All DBS applications must be
obtained through the RFU Safeguarding Department and DBS disclosures issued
through other Registered Bodies are not accepted.
The DBS issue a certificate for
ALL DBS applications - therefore, simply having a DBS certificate does
not mean applicants have been approved by the RFU. The certificate is sent directly from the DBS
to the applicant’s home address and the RFU does not receive a copy of the DBS
disclosure. All applications and results
are, however, actively monitored by the RFU Safeguarding Team.
Only when an individual appears
on GMS with a “current” DBS status are they deemed “approved/cleared” to work
unsupervised with U18s, so it is crucial that clubs monitor GMS, have an
up-to-date Child Workforce list and manage those engaged in the youth game.
If a DBS returns containing
information, the RFU will instigate the DBS Case Management Process and failure to comply with this process will
result in the individual being removed from coaching U18s.
On occasion, the RFU will
contact a club requesting a reference for an individual. It is imperative that written communication is
supplied upon request so that the RFU can carry out a thorough risk assessment
when managing a DBS disclosure.
Applicants (and clubs where
necessary) will be informed of the outcome of the DBS Case Management Process
in writing. Additionally the GMS site
will be updated to reflect a Current or Rejected DBS status.
Only when a “current” status
appears against an individual on GMS are they deemed “DBS cleared” by the RFU.
RFU Safeguarding Team
Rugby House, Twickenham
