Poole Runners Club Welfare
At Poole Runners we take Welfare of ALL our runners seriously and as part of that we have an appointed welfare officer.
Welfare and the Officer’s Role:
Welfare is essential to contribute to good practice within the sport, develop performance and to ensure the safety and enjoyment of athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers
Welfare covers a range of issues such as safeguarding and protecting, anti-bullying, equality, poor practice in coaching and disciplinary and grievances matters.
The Welfare Officer’s role is to advise and support the club officers and committee, to respond to any concerns and to ensure that all coaches/officials/volunteers have completed relevant checks
Every Members responsibility
It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure the welfare of all those who participate in athletics.
All club members under the code of conduct (particularly those under age 18) should be secure and protected from abuse, maltreatment, discrimination or misconduct and to accept that each has a right to equality regardless of age, sex, race, religious or social background.
We should all remember that members have varying aspirations/reasons for membership, so we should and encourage but never pressure to perform at a level at which they are personally uncomfortable.
Club members need to safeguard themselves from the possibility of false allegations and should conduct themselves accordingly – here are some examples:
Members must:
- Consistently display high standards of personal behavior.
- Remember that someone else might misinterpret their actions, no matter how well intentioned.
- Report any accidental injury, distress, misunderstanding or misinterpretation to a Committee member / welfare officer
- Members should not personally advise potential/or existing members re Health issues (ie suitability to run with medical condition) – we are not qualified to deliver such advice – individuals to be encouraged to direct such enquiries to their Medical Practitioner.
- Report any suspicions of misconduct by others to Welfare Officer plus one other Committee member.
- Avoid transporting a junior club member alone in your car or spending time alone with them unless clearly in the view of others.
- Photographs, videos or other images not to be taken of children without the consent of the child/parents.
A little bit about our Welfare Officers:
Jo Westhead
Jo has been a regular runner for 10 years and joined Poole Runner 4 years ago. She is a regular Poole park runner and tries to get to Wednesday club nights whenever possible. Jo participates in Club Championship races (the road variety!) when she can. Jo has found being a member of Poole Runners a great confidence boost and has met some great people and her running has improved! She has volunteered for this role as she would like to supportthe club and its members. Through her job as an HR Advisor she is also Metal Health First Aider trained by Mental Health England and is passionate that people should feel supported to be the best they can do.
Howard Lewis
Howard had been a Club member for approximately 18 years. He is a Social Worker in an Older People’s Community Mental Health Team, based at Kings Park Hospital in Boscombe. He is also a youth group leader with the Boys’ Brigade, having been a member since 1983! Running wise, Howard loves a weekly parkrun fix and he can often be found at Moors Valley on a Saturday morning. Howard believes that everyone should be free to enjoy running, no matter their ability level and he is very appreciative of the many other runners who have supported and encouraged him over the past 18 years.Welfare Officers
Jo Westhead and Howard Lewis
Poole Runners Welfare Officers
Useful numbers
Pan Dorset Safeguarding Children’s Partnership :- https://pdscp.co.uk/ 01305 228866 NSPCC – 0808 800 5000