Established hockey clubs such as ours are where the majority of young people gain their hockey knowledge by not only developing their hockey specific skills but also gaining experience in life skills, communication, confidence and team work.

Braintree Hockey Club is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and positive environment for all young people involved in hockey, so that they can enjoy all the benefits of our great game. All of us involved with the game have a responsibility to ensure the safety and welfare of young people, and this is particularly crucial for adults who work with young people in hockey – such coaches, volunteers, umpires and team captains.

Staying up to date with good practice in this field can be really challenging: Some practices that might have been considered acceptable once upon a time are clearly no longer deemed as such today, but the boundary between what is and what isn’t good practice is often unclear - and coming up with practical solutions is not always easy.

As Welfare Officer, my role is to promote good practice within the club and to be the point of contact for young people, parents, coaches and volunteers.

If anyone has any questions or concerns, or would like advice about good practice in safeguarding, then please feel free to contact me by email or by phone (07584 193340).

Further information about Safeguarding within our club is available in our DOCUMENTS section.

There is also comprehensive information for anyone involved in hockey on the England Hockey website HERE

On a related note, the club is required to ensure that all staff and volunteers who work with young people undertake a Disclosure & Barring Service check (previously known as a ‘CRB’ check). Many of you have already had your check done, but if you have not yet done so then please get in touch with me via the Contact page so that we can discuss whether or not a check will be needed for your role.

Thanks

Alex Bishop, Welfare Officer