Surrey Rugby

Safeguarding Lead Role Description

Nature and scope

Safeguarding, and making rugby as safe as possible, are the joint responsibility of all involved in the game. Good safeguarding practise must be embedded across all clubs to support the promotion of a proactive approach to safeguarding children and adults in the game.

The Constituent Body Safeguarding Manager is responsible for championing safeguarding and Rugby’s Core Values throughout their CB.

Accountabilities

The CBSM is accountable for:

  • Leading and supporting Club Safeguarding Officers (CSOs) in the Constituent Body (CB) andensuring they are taken through an appropriate induction process, as per RFU guidance.
  • Monitoring the compliance of clubs in their CB regarding DBS checks and applications forvolunteers in regulated activity. Supporting CSOs in managing safer recruitment.
  • Offering guidance and support to clubs in developing their own safeguarding practices
  • Ensuring that the CSO reports all safeguarding concerns appropriately in line with the RFU Policyand Regulation 21.
  • Supporting the CSO in managing and coordinating safeguarding training amongst their club. Thisincludes ensuring the CSO knows the appropriate training requirements for individuals, keepsup-to-date records of training and is proactive in ensuring compliance amongst volunteers
  • Ensuring that clubs within the CB are compliant with the annual RFU Safeguarding audit, andsupporting clubs in ensuring this is completed on time.
  • Providing support to other CB departments where safeguarding advice is needed, for examplerelating to tour applications, festivals and requests to play out of age group.
  • Being proactive in distributing new guidance, updates and information from the RFU to CSOs inthe CB, and encouraging communication and best practise sharing within the CB
  • Engaging in relevant safeguarding training, including attending the RFU’s CB SafeguardingManager Conference, and completing an appropriate induction process
  • Being an active member of the CB Governance or Management/Executive Committee, as well asoffering support and guidance to Sub Committees and Representative Squads
  • Where appropriate, communicate with the Discipline Secretary regarding cases and complaintsthat may involve safeguarding concerns and support the CSO involved in said concerns. Duringthese instances, the CBSM should refer to the RFU’s ‘Collaboration between safeguarding anddiscipline guidance’, and contact the RFU Safeguarding and/or Discipline team for advice

Knowledge, skills and abilities

The CBSM should:

  • Have a working knowledge of safeguarding in rugby and understand the safeguarding referralprocess to external bodies, such as the police and statutory agencies
  • Be aware of, and understand how to apply the RFU Safeguarding Children Policy, SafeguardingAdults Policy, Regulation 21, as well as Regulations 9 and 15 to their role
  • Have a child and/or adult at risk-centred approach to their role and encourage others to do thesame
  • Maintain key relationships within the CB Management Committee, the CSOs, the RFUSafeguarding Team and CB Relationship Managers
  • Be confident in assessing when there is immediate harm, where police or social care need to beinformed as a matter of urgency, and in these situations, be confident in sharing informationwith those agencies and ensuring this is followed by a referral to the RFU Safeguarding Team atthe earliest possible moment
  • Be able to remain calm and professional at all times and understand the requirements ofhandling sensitive and confidential information.

Requirements:

The CBSM must:

  • Undertake the appropriate safeguarding training as prescribed by the RFU, which includesattending the annual RFU CBSM Conference, Play it Safe and In Touch.
  • Be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, with an enhanced check of the barred list.
  • Support the CSO in completing the RFU safeguarding self-audit in line with the requirements ofRegulation 21.

Useful resources: