Our website is a key part of the daily operation of our club being the most flexible way to communicate with members (which could include our junior members), and to anyone interested in joining our club. In the same way that our club has responsibility for the physical safety of a junior member when visiting the club’s premises, we must also ensure that there is nothing on our website which could harm a child, directly or indirectly.
Our club is legally and morally responsible for the content of its website.

There are 3 key risks we need to guard against:

• abusive or inappropriate content (photos, video or text), on the site itself or on linked sites (including adverts, especially from Google or other ‘sponsored links) and
• disclosing personal information about a child to people accessing the website. This could be the child’s name, address, or any information about a child’s life, interests or activities which would help a stranger target a child; or engage that child in conversation.
• inappropriate content can be perceived as bullying. This could be material on the site which criticises or humiliates a child or information which places undue pressure on the child to participate in some aspect of a club’s activities.

Members of Walsall RFC, regardless of whether they are coaches, parents, players or officials, are not permitted to set up or create Weblogs (also known as Blogs) purporting to represent the club in any way.

No comments from members of the public may be posted to Walsall RFC’s website, social media forum, etc. without it having been checked by the Safeguarding Team before appearing, to ensure the content is appropriate.

Linked sites

Our website contain links to other sites and these are controlled by Pitchero.

Therefore, the content of the other linked websites should be checked thoroughly, both for child protection reasons, and to ensure the content poses no other risk to the club’s reputation. Any link which is identified as causing concern should be highlighted to Pitchero to be removed immediately.

Members of Walsall RFC, regardless of whether they are coaches, parents, players or officials, are not permitted to create links purporting to represent Walsall RFC in any way to another website. Only the Safeguarding Team of Walsall RFC may create links once the content of the other website has been thoroughly checked, both to ensure it is appropriate to be seen by children and that it does not have the potential to bully, as well as ensuring the content poses no other risk to the club’s reputation.
Once a link is included on the site, the club will check its content at least 6 monthly and will require the immediate removal of any link immediately if concerns arise.

Photos and video

Photos and video clips can make any child featured vulnerable to grooming and, images posted carry a risk that the image could be taken and adapted for inappropriate use.
All members, whether they are coaches, parents, players or officials should use group images, rather than individual images.
If a child features in an image on the site, the club requires that all its members, whether they are coaches, parents, players or officials do not use the child’s first name or last name, either in text on the site or in the image file name.
Walsall RFC require that all its members, whether they are coaches, parents, players or officials only use images of children in suitable dress, to minimise the risk of inappropriate adaptation of the image.
If a child is named, for example in a match report, it is required that all members, whether they are coaches, parents, players or officials do not include an image (individual or group).
Walsall RFC recognises that Parents and the child, if old enough to understand, should be notified of the intended use of an image. Walsall RFC will not use the image if the parents or the child object (a requirement of the Data Protection Act as well as good child protection practice), and the club will require positive parental consent relating to the use of any image.
The Club will provide information to the parents of children under the age of 18 and vulnerable adults upon joining the club regarding the use of images.
If consent was given initially, but is subsequently withdrawn by parent or child, Walsall RFC will remove the image from the site.

Video, Webcams and live image streams

Walsall RFC recognises that any image stream, by its nature, cannot be checked before transmission especially if it is live. In addition, depending on the siting of the camera, it may not be possible to limit the people whose image or speech is transmitted. Furthermore, there is a risk that images or speech could help identify children, or contain personal information about those children, and the image stream could attract unwelcome interest from potential abusers.
Walsall RFC requires that all its members, whether they are coaches, parents, players or officials only record and/or transmit image streams that are pictures only, without sound. As far as possible, the images should be of groups of people, not individuals.
The Club will notify all visitors (both adults and children) whose image may be caught that a recording is in operation. This will be through the use of prominent notices placed around all entrances to the area covered by the camera.

Mobile and Online Communication

Technology is moving very fast in this area. There are now many different ways for people to communicate. Online communication can be by email, instant messaging, chat rooms, and social networking sites.
The risks posed by such methods of communication arise from a variety of issues:
• Privacy. It is usually one-to-one (often chat rooms have the facility for individuals to communicate 1:1 within the chat room).
• The wide range of content that can be transmitted, including content of a violent, sexual or hateful nature.
• The ease with which images can be forwarded onto others.
• The difficulty in knowing truly, who you are communicating with. Where grooming happens, it often involves this type of communication.

In sport, there are additional risks:
a. Inappropriate pressure can be exerted by adults, particularly coaches, on children
b. There can be inappropriate criticism of a child’s performance.
c. An official position or role within a club, such as coach, can carry with it a level of authority, and engender a level of trust, that facilitates the control of a child

Walsall RFC requires that Club Officials and Coaches do not communicate with individual children by text or on-line at any time, on any matter, unless there is an immediate risk to the welfare of that child which can be lessened by such contact.
The Club requires that when communication by phone is needed, where possible Club Officials and Coaches should speak to the parent of a child.
Walsall RFC requires that if Club Officials and Coaches speak to individual children on mobile phones they should have prior consent from the child’s parents and have confirmed that the child is old enough to understand.
Walsall RFC requires that when its Club Officials and Coaches need to communicate club-related information to children by email (such as training or match details), it should use email groups comprising email addresses given by and for parents. It is inadvisable for a coach to communicate by email on a one-to-one basis with a child; if replying to an email from a child the parent should be copied into the response. Where possible communication should be made through the RFU Rugbyfirst site.

Coaches and Club Officials should not communicate with children through social networking sites such as Facebook. Coaches should not be “friends” with the children they coach.
Children under the age of 13 should not be included in Facebook/WhatsApp groups and it should be their parent included as a member.

It is impossible to address every issue or cover every scenario as a club or coach we might encounter when communicating with children and it is appreciated that different ages will need to be treated differently. However, in all cases the above guidelines should be considered when determining the most appropriate method of communication in any given circumstances.