Lothian Running Club

Welfare Resources

Club Welfare Officers

The first port of call for any welfare issue are the club’s Welfare Officers.

  • Judith Thomson (07961 339015)
  • Sandy Orr (07714 764699)

email: welfare_officer@lothianrunningclub.co.uk

Club Policies

Scottish Athletics Policies & Procedures

In June 2021, new Safeguarding structures were launched by UKA and the Home Nations.

The current safeguarding policies and procedures, the corresponding safeguarding regulations as well as the Codes of Conduct, safe recruitment guidance and the Safeguarding Toolkit can be accessed by clicking on the link below:

Safeguarding – Scottish Athletics

Bullying

We are committed to providing a caring, friendly and safe environment for all of our members so they can participate in a relaxed and secure atmosphere. Bullying of any kind is unacceptable at our club. If bullying does occur, all athletes or parents should be able to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly and effectively. Anyone who knows that bullying is happening is expected to tell the club Welfare Officer or any committee member.

Additional Resources for Bullying:

Lothian Running Club – Volunteers/Coaches – Role Description

Like all amateur sports clubs the success of Lothian in providing safe and rewarding training, development and interaction relies on qualified coaching staff and volunteers.

Prospective volunteers should be clear about what the roles entail and their likely time commitment.

Role Description

Coaches plan, organise and run training sessions and events in accordance with their coaching qualifications and philosophy but always to the strict standards demanded and declared by the governing body – Scottish Athletics.

All sessions should be supervised by a Level 2 coach as minimum – volunteers can lead groups within a session as long as a level 2 coach is present on site.

All coaches and volunteers need to be PVG cleared. The Club will organise the PVG process.

The coach is responsible for the safety and well being of all participating in sessions. The content of the session should be mindful of this and all equipment and facilities used should be enclosed within a manageable, secure safe space – and checked to ensure rigour, safety and fitness for purpose.

Coaches and assistants will deal with individuals of all age groups with respect and be prepared to offer advice and opinion on specific individual or general topics around the sport.

Time Commitment

Coach led sessions usually last a minimum of an hour and normally require around 30 minutes to plan and an equivalent period of on sire preparation if specific equipment or facilities are required.

If agreed, more time might be committed to individual training needs and supportive presence at events. There may also be a team manager role at national competitions.

Qualifications

The Club will pay for all coaching qualifications and courses taken by prospective coaches and volunteer assistants. Scottish Athletics run full training for Coaching assistants, and Coaching at Levels 1 -4. There are also courses that cover individual events and techniques.

The club will also fund courses in welfare areas e.g. First Aid and Child Protection

Skill sets  :

Good communication skills

Experience in the sport as participant, parent, guardian, spectator

Organisational skills

Good record keeping for attendance registers and activity logging

Understanding of the effect of comments and actions as a responsible person on club members – especially younger individuals

Flexibility, tolerance and a sense of humour

Club Responsibilities

Where appropriate, prospective volunteers should complete an application form, including providing reference’s and carry out an informal interview as this will give all an idea if the person is right for the role

Clubs must submit a PVG Application Request to scottishathletics for any volunteer who is carrying out regulated work with U18’s or vulnerable adults

All new volunteers should be given an induction into the club

Lothian Running Club