“Welfare” covers a range of issues including safeguarding and protecting children, anti-bullying, poor coaching practice, and disciplinary matters. Welfare makes an essential contribution to good practice within athletics, it helps develop performance and ensures the safety and enjoyment of athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers.
Please be reassured that we take welfare seriously at Durham City Harriers (DCH). It is everyone’s responsibility to help protect the welfare of our club members.
UK Athletics (UKA) take the lead for safeguarding in athletics and in running within the United Kingdom. They set the policies, procedures and regulations for the sport – setting out minimum standards of expectations, such as codes of conduct, procedures to follow for dealing with child protection concerns, other welfare issues or complaints, and to ensure that England Athletics, clubs and associations meet their statutory responsibilities to safeguard and protect children and adults.
As a club registered with UKA, we like to think that everyone at DCH has a positive experience. Together we are committed to protecting everyone in the club so, if you have any concerns about the safety of a coach, official, volunteer, athlete or runner please report your concerns to any officer in the club (see Roles for email contacts).
Equality and Diversity
DCH is committed to improving it’s inclusion and accessibility to enable opportunity for the widest range of people interested in taking part in running and athletics. At present we may struggle to accommodate needs and abilities of some athletes e.g. wheelchair athletes. The scheduling and availability of the Maiden Castle athletics track and our coach/athlete ratios are limiting factors. Where it is not possible to make reasonable adjustments we will, of course, look at any issues at committee and level and, if the matter cannot be resolved, we can signpost the athlete to alternative clubs and/or facilities.
We are committed to improving our own track record, but acknowledge that there is always more to be done. There is no room in our club for discrimination but, if you do feel discriminated against, in any way, contact our Welfare Officer(s) in confidence via the ‘Roles’ contact given earlier. They will take your concerns taken seriously. Read the UKA Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.
Is your coach or run leader qualified?
All of our coaches and run leaders are qualified under UKA regulations. All are DBS vetted, trained in safeguarding and in first-aid.
Safeguarding – what to do if you have a concern
If you think a child, young person or vulnerable adult is at risk of significant harm or abuse, or requires urgent protection, call the Police on 999 and/or your local Social Services. If the matter is not immediate, please speak to the person on site responsible for safeguarding and welfare (if the Welfare Officer is not available and you would rather not speak to one of the coaches you can contact the England Athletics Welfare Team by calling 07464 522426). In either circumstance, a Safeguarding Incident form should be completed, please see the welfare officer for details of this (Safeguarding Concern form is attached in section 5.2).
UKA will work with the complainant, the club or organisation, the respondent, and any statutory agency that is appropriate in order to manage or address the concern. All safeguarding concerns are treated with confidentiality and information is only shared on a need-to-know basis.
Serious Misconduct
Serious misconduct is defined as ‘unacceptable or improper behaviour by a DCH club member’ (athlete, runner, volunteer, coach, official or paid person). Examples of serious misconduct include (without limitations) theft, doping violations, fraud, physical violence, breach of safeguarding policy, serious breach of applicable health and safety, gambling and/or ticketing regulation or any act or omission of the respondent which, in the opinion of England Athletics, brings, or is likely to bring, the sport of athletics into disrepute.
To report serious misconduct, you should speak with the welfare officer and where possible email welfare@englandathletics.org copying in the welfare officer into the email.
Incident & Accident
DCH is committed to responding, in a timely manner, to all such situations. Coaches and Run Leaders are first-aid qualified and will alert emergency services if necessary. UKA provide a Health and Safety Helpline supported by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. If you need support, you can call 0121 248 2235 or email athleticsafety@RoSPA.com
To report an accident, incident or even a ‘near miss’, complete the appropriate Health & Safety Reporting Form (see attached in section 5.2). Please send a copy of the form to a DCH Welfare Officer.
How to Contact a Welfare Officer
Please ask any coach or official at the club and they will be happy to introduce you to the welfare officer(s) or pass on your message if appropriate to do so. You can contact a Welfare Officer directly via the email address on our Club Officers page.
Further Support
For advice and support regarding Club and Athlete Compliance and Well-being matters, contact England Athletics (welfare@englandathletics.org or call 07464 522426). For advice and support regarding Safeguarding and/or Child Protection concerns, contact England Athletics directly (safeguarding@uka.org.uk). Further information on abuse and neglect in relation to children is available from the NSPCC. The Ann Craft Trust is a national organisation providing information and advice about adult safeguarding.
Welfare Resources
Forms
Submit a Safeguarding Concern (UKA Safeguarding Form)
Accident Reporting Form (myathletics.uk)
Incident or Near Miss Reporting Form (myathletics.uk)
Child and Adult Safeguarding Policy & Procedures are linked on our Policies & Procedures page
UK Athletics Policies
An adult at risk is an individual aged 18 years and over who:
(a) has needs for care and support (whether or not the Local Authority is meeting any of those needs) and
(b) is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect and
(c) as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of, abuse or neglect”
UK Athletics Codes of Conduct
UKA Codes of Conduct (General Document)
UKA Club Safeguarding Code of Conduct
UKA and the Home Country Athletics Federations (HCAF) Codes of Conduct set out national standards of conduct for all clubs, coaches, officials, volunteers and athletes in the sport.
Refer to the UKA website for a full list of UKA policies and codes of conduct.
Additional Local Policies
DCH&AC are committed to eliminating blind spots to further safeguard our athletes. The following club policy, passed by the DCH committee in 2024, helps ensure that there will always be two responsible adults within view of any track-side or field training session.
“Where a coach is coaching only one child (a club member under the age of 18), at least a parent or guardian of that child must be present at the location of that training and be within eyesight during that coaching session. A parent/guardian is expected to be available at the session if one to one coaching is likely. If a parent/guardian isn’t available to watch their child throughout the session, then another responsible adult will need to be present – in this case consent of the relevant parent/guardian must be given. Where this applies – the other responsible adult will either be another relative of the child or club member known to the parent/guardian. Consent must be recorded in all instances”. Additionally, “If the parent/guardian needs a rest break, then they should take their child with them, unless there is more than one coach (or responsible adult) within eyesight of their child at that time.”