Potters Bar Synchronised Swimming Club
Anti-Bullying Policy
Potters Bar Synchronised Swimming Club is committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all our members so they can swim in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at our club. If bullying does occur, all swimmers or parents should be able to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively. We are a TELLING club. This means that anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell the Club Secretary, Welfare Officer or any other club official. The Club takes bullying very seriously and will not tolerate any form of bullying. There are several forms of bullying, including:
Emotional – being unfriendly, excluding (emotionally and physically), sending
hurtful messages by any electronic means (for example, texting, Facebook), tormenting (for example, hiding goggles, threatening gestures)
Physical – pushing, kicking, hitting, punching or any use of violence
Racist – racial taunts, graffiti, gestures
Sexual – unwanted physical contact or sexually abusive comments
Homophobic – because of, or focussing on the issue of sexuality
Verbal – name-calling, sarcasm, spreading rumours, teasing.
We will respond promptly to any issues of bullying in accordance with the guidelines and procedures laid out within the ASA Child Protection and Anti-Bullying Policies.
All ASA policies and guidelines are available at http://www.britishswimming.org
ASA Swimline 0808 100 4001
Who is the ASA SwimLine for?
The ASA SwimLine is provided for anyone involved in swimming, including children
and young people who believe that the welfare of a child is at risk. This could be
neglect or abuse, bullying or fear of someone, or anything that is worrying you and
you do not know who to discuss this with.
Who will take the calls and what happens?
When you ring SwimLine you will hear a message. This will explain that if you wish
to speak to someone urgently – or it would not be convenient or safe for someone to
call you back – you can press a number to transfer you straight to the NSPCC Child
Protection Helpline. This will be answered by trained and experienced counsellors
who will advise you and will act to protect children. If there is no problem with
someone calling back and you wish to speak to someone who understands
swimming, you will need to leave your telephone number and a time convenient for
one of the SwimLine volunteers to ring. These people are members of swimming
clubs who work in child welfare as a profession and have volunteered to help the
ASA. If there is an issue which causes concern the ASA will act to protect the child.
Other things you should know
SwimLine calls are free and do not appear on itemised bills unless the call is made
from a mobile phone. SwimLine does not use the 1471 code or any other call return
or call display facilities. If you leave a message a SwimLine volunteer will aim to ring
back during the next working day. If you phone over a weekend they will aim to
contact you on Monday.
You can call the NSPCC Child Protection Helpline direct on 0808 800 5000. This
line is open for 24 hours each day and calls are free of charge. If you have a
textphone you can call the NSPCC Textphone on 0800 056 0566