A warm welcome to Swift-tees! We are a community based group and our mission is to help and support people enjoy the health and social benefits of running. We meet at the Habinteg Centre, 6 Cresswell Close, Hemlington, Middlesbrough TS8 9QB (near Hemlington Lake) at 9.15 for 9.30 am on Tuesday mornings and 6.15 pm for 6.30 pm on Wednesday evenings. Run Leaders offer a number of other runs starting from different locations at other times during the week.  

Below is some important information and advice about running. Please read carefully and have a word with any of the Run Leaders for further information or clarification.

Information and Advice 

Medical conditions and injuries.  If you have any medical conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis, a heart condition or a joint problem, please consult your doctor to make sure running is a safe activity for you to participate in. Carry any medication you require when running. You must inform the Run Leader of your medical condition prior to the session.   Likewise, inform the Run Leader if you have any running injuries.                       

Eating and drinking. The general advice is to eat two hours prior to running and drink plenty of water to keep hydrated. During running you will lose body fluids so it is important to bring a water bottle to keep hydrated (even in the winter!). On longer runs or training sessions it is a good idea to carry a sugary snack to keep up your energy levels.

Footwear. Well fitting footwear suited to your gait will help to minimise running injuries. Talk to Run Leaders or experienced runners in the group for advice.

Clothing.  Dress to suit the conditions! Our body temperature rises with exercise and falls when we slow down or stop, so consider layering. A windproof top is a good investment.

Reflective tops are recommended for your personal safety generally and essential for dark night road running. In the summer wear sun screening to avoid skin damage.

Children under 11 years of age must run with an adult or guardian and be within arms reach at all times.

Off Road Running. Run Leaders will advise about suitable footwear, clothing and what to carry for your personal safety

General safety. Follow the instructions of the Run Leader, especially when crossing roads and respect other users of paths, tracks and roads.

Group Policy information

Swift-tees Social Media Policy

Introduction

Social media is the term given to websites and online tools which allow users to interact with each other – by sharing information, opinions, knowledge and interests. As the name implies, social media involves the building of communities or networks, encouraging participation and engagement. Social media is therefore a useful means of communicating and engaging with others.

Policy overview and purpose

Social media is changing the way we communicate.  This policy has been developed to inform the Swift-tees community about using social media so people feel enabled to participate, while being mindful of their responsibilities and obligations. In particular, this policy provides practical guidance allowing all parties to benefit from the use of social media, while minimising potential risks and protecting those involved. 

This policy assists to establish a culture of openness, trust and integrity in all online activities related to Swift-tees. It aims to compliment the core values of Swift-tees and should be read in conjunction with the organisations constitution.  This policy is designed to provide helpful, practical advice to members in respect of using social media effectively and positively. Swift-tees has an active Facebook community and encourage the responsible use of social media.  

Swift-tees Child Protection Policy

Introduction

Everyone involved with Swift-tees should be able to participate in an enjoyable and safe environment. This certainly is the case when considering the number of children and young people who form part of the group.

All children are entitled to a duty of care and to be protected from abuse. Abuse can occur anywhere. Swift-tees is committed to devising, implementing and updating policies and procedures to promote best practice when dealing with children.  

It is imperative that all members of Swift-tees understand and accept their responsibilities to safeguard children from harm and abuse. This means taking action to report any concerns about their welfare.

Aims of the Policy

Swift-tees aims to create an environment which is safe and wholesome for all members, irrespective of age.  This Policy is designed to assist all members to identify neglect, exploitation and abuse and give them the confidence to act appropriately to safeguard those at risk of harm.

All suspicions and allegations of abuse against young people will be responded to, and followed up appropriately in accordance with this policy and local area Child Protection Policy guidelines and procedures.

Good Practice Guidelines

The following are common sense examples of how to create a positive culture and climate.

* Promote an open environment avoiding private or unobserved situations

* Treat all young people/disabled adults equally with respect and dignity.

* Always put the welfare of each young person first. 

* Maintain a safe and appropriate distance with other runners. 

* Build balanced relationships based on mutual trust and empowering children to share in decision making.

* Make participation fun, enjoyable and promote fairness. 

* Unless in emergency circumstances, never engage in physical touching of a young person.

* Keep up to date with technical skills, qualifications and insurance.

* Involve parents/carers wherever possible, encouraging them to take responsibility for their children.

* Remember as an adult you are a role model.

* Give enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism.

* Recognise the developmental needs and capacity of young people and disabled adults – avoiding excessive training or competition and not pushing them against their will. 

* Secure parental consent in writing to act in loco parentis, if the need arises to administer emergency first aid and/or other medical treatment. 

* Keep a written record of any injury that occurs, along with the details of any treatment given. 

Poor Practice

You should never:

* Engage in rough physical or sexually provocative games, including horseplay. 

* Share a room with a child. 

* Allow or engage in any form of inappropriate touching. 

* Allow children to use inappropriate language unchallenged.

* Make sexually suggestive comments to a child, even in fun.

* Reduce a child to tears as a form of control. 

* Allow allegations made by a child to go unchallenged, unrecorded or not acted upon. 

* Do things of a personal nature for children or disabled adults that they can do for themselves. 

* Spending excessive amounts of time alone with children away from others.

Dealing with Complaints

An adult may become aware of abuse/poor practice in a number of ways. A child may well tell you, a third party may report incidents or suspicions or you may have seen an incident or have strong suspicions.

Do:

Stay calm and do not rush into inappropriate action. Reassure the child.  Communication should be at the child's pace, without pressure. Listen to what a child is saying and show that you take him/her seriously. Keep questions to a minimum. Use open-ended questions, i.e., those where more than a 'yes' or 'no' is required. Explain to the child what steps you intend to take having heard their account. Ensure that you clearly understand what the child has said and record it as soon as possible after the conversation.

Your report should include.

1. Child's name address and date of birth.

2. You name and contact details

3. Date, time and nature of incident. 

4. Details of person accused of misconduct.

5. Your observations of the behaviour (if witnessed directly)

6. The emotional state of the child and any obvious injuries. 

7. The child's own account of what happened.

8. An account of any action you took and comments/advice made to the child. 

9. You should state whether parents/carers had been informed. 

10. The report should be signed and dated and made immediately available to the relevant authority.

Do not: 

1. Ignore what has been disclosed.

2. Make the child repeat the story unnecessarily.

3. Delay.

4. Take sole responsibility for further action. 

Reporting the Concern

All suspicions and allegations MUST be reported appropriately.  It is recognised that strong emotions can be aroused particularly in cases where sexual abuse is suspected or where there is misplaced loyalty to a friend.  It is important to understand these feelings but not allow them to interfere with your judgement about any action to take.

Swift-tees expects its members to discuss any concerns they may have about the welfare of a child immediately with the Welfare Officer and subsequently to check that appropriate action has been taken.

If the Welfare Officer is not available you should take responsibility and seek advice from the NSPCC helpline, the duty officer at your local social services department or the police.

Where there is a complaint against an individual, there may be three types of investigation.

* Criminal in which case the police are immediately involved

* Child protection  in which case the social services (and possibly) the police will be involved

* Disciplinary or misconduct in which case Swift-tees committee will be involved

Members of Swift-tees are not child protection experts and it is not their responsibility to determine whether or not abuse has taken place.  All suspicions and allegations must be shared with professional agencies that are responsible for child protection.

Social services have a legal responsibility under The Children Act 1989 to investigate all child protection referrals by talking to the child and family (where appropriate), gathering information from other people who know the child and making inquiries jointly with the police.

If there is any doubt, you must report the incident: it may be just one of a series of other incidences which together cause concern

Allegations of abuse are sometimes made sometime after the event.  Where such allegation is made, you should follow the same procedures and have the matter reported to social services.  This is because others may be at risk from the alleged abuser.  

Confidentiality

Every effort should be made to ensure that confidentiality is maintained for all concerned.  Information should be handled and disseminated on a need to know basis only.  This includes the following people:

* The Club Welfare Officer

* The parents of the child

* The person making the allegation

* Social Services/police

* The alleged abuser (and parents if the alleged abuser is a child)

Seek social services advice on who should approach the alleged abuser.

All information should be stored in a secure place with limited access to designated people, in line with data protection laws.