Safeguarding

The Wado-Ryu Karate-Do Academy is affiliated to the English Karate Federation, and as an affiliate, we operate under their safeguarding policies, which can be found at English Karate Federation Safeguarding Policy.

There are two policies available via the above link, one relating to safeguarding children, and one relating to adults at risk. There is also a ‘Summary of Safeguarding’ which provides a useful quick reference point of the headings that are dealt with in greater depth in the full policy.

If you are concerned about possible child abuse or bad practice within an EKF affiliated club, then you should immediately contact your club/association welfare officer, whose details are below:

Gill Mackenzie
07531 840032
gillmac@btinternet.com

Corin Pegden is also able to assist with safeguarding matters, in the event that you are unable to contact Gill. Corin can be contacted on 07876 577675.
Alternatively, you can contact the EKF Safeguarding Team by e-mailing a completed copy of the below form to cpo@englishkaratefederation.com

child-protection-safeguarding-incident-form_1.pdf (englishkaratefederation.com)

(N.B. The following requirement applies whether you are a paid instructor or a volunteer, and applies irrespective of the number of times you carry out instruction)

All individuals who run a karate club / organisation, as well as anyone who runs training sessions unsupervised by the lead instructor or another person who already holds a valid Enhanced DBS certificate, within their club, MUST hold a valid Enhanced DBS Certificate. The EKF no longer provides a processing service for DBS checks, so it is up to each individual who needs one to make their own arrangements to acquire one, or if this is not possible, please contact Gill to discuss how this can be done for you.

The agency currently used by Gill for Academy DBS applications is DBS Checks Online | Criminal Record Check | Care Check and this is recommended if you are looking to process DBS applications for your club, however you are free to source your own agency, if you wish to do so.

The cost of obtaining a DBS certificate may vary depending upon the agency that carries out the check, and is greater for a paid instructor than it is for a volunteer.

Once a DBS certificate is obtained, it is recommended that the applicant registers with the DBS Update Service without delay – applicants have only 30 days from the certificate issue date to register for this service. Once the Update Service reference is obtained, this should be provided to Gill, along with consent to use the reference number to check for any updates since the certificate was issued. Registering with this service removes the need to keep submitting new DBS application each couple of years. There is a small annual cost for this service.

Any person working as a karate instructor should ensure that they have knowledge of safeguarding principles and practice. As well as having an awareness of the Safeguarding Policy, it is advisable that you have evidence of training in the subject. Completion of training such as that available via the below links will provide you with a certificate that you can display at your dojo, or on your website, if you have one.

Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults | Alison – this is a free online course which will take 1-5 – 3 hours to complete. It is CPD certified and provides training on protecting children and vulnerable adults.

Prevent duty training: Learn how to support people susceptible to radicalisation | Prevent duty training (support-people-susceptible-to-radicalisation.service.gov.uk) – this is a free, online course that takes 30-40 minutes to complete, and provides a basic awareness for those new to the government Prevent strategy.

Child protection in sport and physical activity training | NSPCC Learning – this is a 3-hour, CPD-certified course, which you can complete online at your own pace, anytime and anywhere. This costs £30 (as at May 2024)