Participation in paddling should support and promote the wellbeing of participants and all sports clubs and providers have the responsibility to ensure a safe environment for participants. Furthermore, under the Children’s Act 2014, we have a special duty to protect and care for children under the age of 18.
This week (4-10 September) is Child Safeguarding Week, and is a great time to check in and consider the practices your club is undertaking to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment for your young paddlers.
The purpose of Child Safeguarding Week is to raise awareness, support and educate, and to spread the word about what you can do to help protect the children across Aotearoa New Zealand.
“We strongly believe and always promote the notion that safeguarding children and child protection takes people, services, agencies and communities working together.” – Safeguarding Children, founders and sponsors of Child Safeguarding Week in Aotearoa New Zealand
“If everybody does their piece of the puzzle, children will be safer everywhere they go.”
Is your club a child-safe organisation??
To ensure your club is doing what it can to ensure all children in your care are safe, check out this FREE 30-minute webinar on safeguarding in organisations from Safeguarding Children.
This webinar will introduce you to the core elements of a child safe organisation and the steps an organisation can take to make their places safer for children. You will be guided to the development work your organisation needs to make to move forward on this journey.
Click here to access this free webinar: https://safeguardingchildren.org.nz/seminar-register-form/?InfoodleFormName=7ae34586-d49d-4e63-9684-a3e6581d3662
Child Safeguarding Education
An important part of creating and being a child-safe organisation is that all coaches, officials and volunteers who regularly interact with children (under the age of 18years) should undergo Child Safeguarding education.
Sport New Zealand and Safeguarding Children have put together a free e-learning course “Child Protection in Play, Active Recreation and Sport”, which Canoe Racing NZ recommend should be a compulsory requirement of anyone interacting with children regularly at paddling clubs/organisations, and events.
Check out the Child Protection in Play, Active Recreation and Sport e-learning module.
The online course takes about 60-90minutes to complete, and you can stop and come back to it anytime. A certificate is awarded upon completion.
“I completed the online course last night, well worth doing and everyone who is involved with Children should do this course.” – Grant Morrish, Hawkes Bay Kayak Racing Club coach
If your or your club would like support or to discuss further how to ensure you are meeting your obligations regarding child safeguarding, contact Danika, CRNZ Participation Lead – danika.mowlem@canoeracing.org.nz 0212026154