Safety of children's sports club

[HundredPercent]

DS age 3 has just started a new sports club which he enjoys. I did not realise when I signed him up that parents are not allowed in the hall to watch, there are no windows and there is no live stream to a tv screen outside or anything like that. The club is run by a man on his own with some older children as helpers. No other adults present. The man seems to have a limited understanding of child protection / safeguarding although said he had a DBS check. I have researched him online and spoken to him on the phone about my concerns as politely as I could. He will not allow me to watch inside the hall as the children will be distracted, make less progress and he would have to ask all the other parents permission for me to be there as I am not background checked. I still worry if I am putting DS at risk by allowing him to attend the club. Reality check needed please.

IABU - stop stressing, no need to worry.
IANBU - I'm right to be concerned, you wouldn't send your child to the club.

Thanks xx

Here's the DfE guidance on what policies and procedures he should have in place

www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-out-of-school-settings-code-of-practice

I think it is very naive of him not to have a second adult there for his own protection as much as anything else. It only takes one child to say something which is misinterpreted or someone to make a false accusation and it is one word against another and in what sound like unusual circumstances in the first place.

Please don't read that as me suggesting you are making a false accusation if you were to do anything about this. I certainly wouldn't be comfortable with the arrangement. I can understand the whole banning parents thing but not in these circumstances. If he is that worried about them making progress, the class should either be in smaller groups or with more coaches

Our daughter goes to martial arts, the youngest class is for 4 - 5 year olds.

They too are on an industrial estate, the parents are free to stand inside to watch, peer in the door way, approach the instructors before and after lessons with any questions and queries.

They are also transparent with safeguarding etc and will email when training updates have been done for instructors. It is also clear and up to date on website - we are able to ask and get a clear answer on any thing.

We had one incident, where our daughter was being taught a self-defence move, and she told me that it hurt a little. I felt able to openly contact the instructors to talk about it and they were grateful for feedback, also emailed me a response, logged it and spoke to all classes supporting the children to be able to let them know if they do any thing that hurts them in the slightest. They would rather be overboard with things like this than not do enough.

I feel safe and my daughter is thriving there, her confidence has grown and she loves it, has made new friends and is happy to go.

That to me is a safe martial arts club - I would too be worried about the one your son is signed up to and would be taking him out immediately. Do not be afraid of your gut feeling, or trampling on the club's expectations. It needs to be right.

This guy is old school. Understand the need for safeguarding all sorts of red flags. I hope you took your child out and I hope you reported him.

Yes, to both. For anyone interested, I reported to the LADO at the council who has responsibility for safeguarding in the county. It didn't meet the threshold for them to do anything but they referred to do other agencies connected to the club and the sport who will / have got on the case. Presumably these agencies will have responsibility to report to the LADO if they uncover anything.

Thank you for letting us know and congratulations on doing absolutely the right thing. Hope you find a better set up your son