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Child Protection Policy

Safeguarding (Child Protection) Policy

Norwich Kung Fu Academy
Last reviewed: June 2026

1. Statement of commitment

Norwich Kung Fu Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

We believe that:

the welfare of the child is paramount
all children have the right to be protected from harm
all concerns, disclosures, or allegations will be taken seriously
all staff, instructors, and volunteers share responsibility for safeguarding

We aim to provide a safe, positive, and respectful training environment for all students.

2. Scope of this policy

This policy applies to:

all instructors (paid or unpaid)
volunteers and assistant instructors
all students under 18
parents and guardians where relevant to safeguarding

A child is defined as anyone under the age of 18.

3. Safeguarding responsibilities

Norwich Kung Fu Academy has a duty of care to safeguard all children involved in training.

All instructors and volunteers must:

act in the best interests of the child at all times
report any safeguarding concerns immediately
follow academy safeguarding procedures
avoid placing themselves in situations where they are alone with a child where avoidable
behave in a professional, respectful, and appropriate manner at all times

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

4. Designated safeguarding responsibility

The academy’s safeguarding responsibility is held by the Chief Instructors.

Any safeguarding concerns must be reported to:

the Chief Instructors, or
the most senior instructor present if a Chief Instructor is unavailable

If a child is at immediate risk, appropriate external services (such as the police or social services) will be contacted without delay.

5. Good practice guidelines

To promote a safe training environment, all instructors and volunteers should:

work in open and visible environments wherever possible
treat all children with respect and dignity
place the welfare of the child before performance or progression
promote fair play, inclusion, and enjoyment
give constructive and appropriate feedback
maintain professional boundaries at all times
involve parents and guardians where appropriate
keep records of incidents, injuries, and concerns
ensure appropriate consent for physical contact when used for coaching purposes

Where physical correction or demonstration is required, it must be:

appropriate to the child’s age and ability
relevant to training
carried out in an open and professional manner

6. Practices to avoid

Where possible, instructors and volunteers should avoid:

being alone with a child in a private or unobserved setting
transporting children alone in personal vehicles
physical contact that is unnecessary for instruction or safety
favouritism or exclusive relationships with individual students

If unavoidable due to circumstances, another adult should be informed where appropriate.

7. Practices that must never occur

The following are strictly prohibited:

any form of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual, or neglect)
inappropriate physical contact
sexually suggestive behaviour or comments
rough or unsafe physical play
humiliating, degrading, or intimidating behaviour
acting in a way that could be misinterpreted as inappropriate
allowing a child to stay unsupervised in a private setting with an adult

8. Reporting concerns

If any instructor, volunteer, or member of staff has concerns about a child, they must:

Report it immediately to the Chief Instructor
Record the concern factually and accurately
Do not investigate or question the child beyond listening and clarifying basic facts
Follow guidance from safeguarding authorities if escalation is required

We may contact:

social services
the police
the NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000)

9. Responding to a disclosure

If a child discloses abuse or harm:

listen calmly and without judgement
do not promise confidentiality
reassure the child they have done the right thing
record what was said as soon as possible
report immediately to the Chief Instructor

10. Recording and confidentiality

All safeguarding concerns will be:

recorded factually
stored securely
shared only with those who need to know
handled in line with data protection requirements

11. Photography and video

Photography and video may be taken during classes, gradings, demonstrations, and events.

Images may only be used for promotional purposes where explicit parental or individual consent has been given.

We will:

respect any decision not to give consent
avoid identifying children without permission where practicable
ensure images are used appropriately and respectfully

12. Recruitment and volunteers

All instructors and volunteers are expected to:

be suitable for working with children
understand and follow safeguarding procedures
be supervised appropriately according to their role

DBS checks and safeguarding training will be carried out where appropriate to the role and in line with current guidance and insurance requirements.

13. Training and awareness

The academy ensures that:

instructors are appropriately trained in safeguarding awareness
safeguarding knowledge is kept up to date
volunteers are briefed on key safeguarding procedures relevant to their role
first aid training is held by appropriately qualified instructors

14. Bullying

The academy takes bullying seriously.