Safeguarding – Introduction
Chichester Chess Club is an organisation run by volunteers.
Further to the re-opening after the Covid shutdown, there has been a most welcome influx of Junior players. It is timely therefore that the Club addresses the topic of safeguarding, as is the case for most clubs and settings with children present.
The Club has members that are sensible, upright people and a Committee exercises due governance over day to day running. As the Club is affiliated to the English Chess Federation, the safeguarding guidelines the club publish refer somewhat to the policy from ECF.
The Club has a zero-tolerance approach to inappropriate behaviour in whatever guise.
Safeguarding Guidelines at CCC.
The wellbeing of all club members is the top priority of CCC. The club welcomes members of all ages and is a great learning environment for all players.
Children are of course the future of the game and the ethos of the club is around developing and supporting all members with their game.
The club does not appoint or employ anyone to oversee or care for children at the club.
Children are to be accompanied at all times whilst at the club, and responsibility for children rests with their parent/guardian. This is the default position.
OR
Children remain the responsibility of their parent/guardian at all times when at the club. If
parents are not in attendance, they should ensure that they accept the arrangements they
have put in place and provide the Chairman and/or Secretary with written documentation to confirm this situation as per the pro forma below. This approach should be confirmed
annually by parents soon after each AGM.
In case of any questions or concerns about a child’s safety, any or all of the following can be contacted:
CCC safeguarding contact: Joel McDonald 07968 689464 joelmcdonald@hotmail.com
CCC safeguarding contact: Hester McDonald 07950 928579
hestermcdonald@rocketmail.com
Club Chairman: Steve Smith 07703195537 steve.smith@maybushltd.co.uk
West Sussex LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) Service: 0330 222 6450
or LADO@westsussex.gov.uk.
The safeguarding contact will refer any concerns raised about a specific child’s safety directly to West Sussex Children’s Services as above. CCC is affiliated to the ECF; the ECF Safe-guarding policy: https://www.englishchess.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/ECF-Safeguarding-Policy-6.0-2.pdf
The guiding principles of this ECF policy are shared by CCC. The Club is run by volunteer
members, and there are no requirements for DBS clearance checks. The club recognises that vulnerable adults may also benefit from reassurance about the Club, its ethos and any
concerns they may have around playing at Club. They may also contact anyone on the CCC
Committee, ecf board, or the club contacts above.

Further to wide ranging discussions at the AGM he following text has been added:
In practical terms, those parents or guardians who do not wish to remain at the Club with
their children should have completed a pro-forma as below to state that they accept the
situation and continue to have responsibility during such times.
As a quid pro quo, for the avoidance of ambiguity, Club members should give thought to
logistics so as to avoid situations where they might find themselves closeted with a junior in a one with one situation. Care should be taken with travel arrangements when juniors are involved e.g. with the order of collection or drop off.
The CCC position is that parents who have had juniors attending CCC prior to the 2023 AGM
date have given de facto consent to continue with current arrangements. This policy will not be retro fitted to cover such situations; de facto, the pro forma below is not required.

As discussed at CCC AGM on 14 th August 2023. Next review pre-AGM 2025

Chichester Chess Club Parent / Guardian Consent Pro Forma (please print)

Name of Parent / Guardian ………………………………………………………………………………………………
Name of Junior Member ………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Age of Junior Member …………………………………………………………………………………………………….
I sign below to indicate I agree to the above junior member attending Chichester Chess Club without
me being in attendance for any or all of that time. Furthermore, I have made arrangements for said
junior member to get to and from the Club venue.

Signed by Parent or Guardian …………………………………………………………………………………………….

Date ………………………………………