Policies

📍73 Dudley Road, Wolverhampton, UK

✆ 07980 068 165

📧 info(@)academyforkarate.org.uk

Equal Opportunity Policy

1. Introduction

1.1 The Academy for Karate Goju-Ryu is commitment to equal opportunities:

“No discrimination on the grounds of political opinion, age, colour, disability, ethnic or national origin, gender, marital status, race, religion or sexual orientation shall be exercised by the Academy in the admission of students, or the appointment of staff or the awarding of any Grading or qualification or Certificate, or generally, in the execution of any of its Objects.”

1.2 This Policy is intended to support the commitment set out by the Committee in the inception of the Academy and applies to both staff and students of the Academy. It sets out overarching provisions in relation to all areas of equality and diversity within the Academy and it is intended that this Policy will be supplemented from time to time by appropriate schemes, strategies, codes of practice, guidelines and the like, developed to support this Policy and to take account of changes in legislation.

1.3 The Policy will be reviewed by the Academy’s Equality and Diversity Committee on a regular basis and in any event not less than every five years.

2. Policy Statement

2.1 The Academy for Karate Goju-Ryu recognises the value and dignity of each individual and will treat them with fairness and respect. The Academy acknowledges the adverse effect any form of discrimination will have on its members as regards their lives or training progress and their loss of self-worth.

2.2 The Academy will therefore use its best endeavours to:

2.2.1 Create an inclusive community, which promotes diversity and equality of opportunity for all;

2.2.2 Provide its students, staff, parents and members of the public with a welcoming, secure and supportive environment in which all members are free to achieve their full potential;

2.2.3 Implement strategies aimed at promoting equality of opportunity and reducing and eventually eliminating discrimination

3. Responsibilities

3.1 The Academy

The overall responsibility for compliance with equal opportunities legislation and the implementation of this Policy lies with the board of the Academy to:

3.1.1 Delegate the management of obligations to relevant staff and committees including, but not limited to the Academy’s Equality and Diversity Committee

3.1.2 Establish such procedures as are necessary to ensure that the Academy meets its obligations both under statute and also pursuant to this Policy.

3.2 Individuals

Notwithstanding the Academy’s overall responsibilities above, individual members are also required to support and uphold this Policy to ensure its success. Specifically, members of the Academy:

3.2.1 Must not directly or indirectly discriminate (or encourage others to discriminate) unfairly in relation to:

3.2.1.1 The admission and supervision of students

3.2.1.2 The recruitment, promotion and management of instructors or administrative staff

3.2.1.3 The provision or procurement of equipment and services on behalf of the Academy;

3.2.2 Must not victimise any person who has complained of harassment or unfair discrimination or who has assisted in connection with such a complaint;

3.2.3 Should actively seek to promote equality of opportunity for others and endeavour to create an inclusive community which promotes diversity and equality of opportunity for all.

3.3 Visitors/Parents

All visitors to the Academy events and venues and those whose children are students of the Academy, will be expected to comply with this Policy.

4. Complaints

4.1 Notwithstanding its commitment to tackle discrimination and to promote diversity, the Academy recognises that problems may still arise from time to time. Any complaint will be taken seriously and dealt with in a timely and sensitive manner and in accordance with the relevant complaints procedures.

5. Further Information and Guidance

Equality Challenge Unit – www.ecu.ac.uk

Equal Opportunities Commission – www.eoc.org.uk

Commission for Racial Equality – www.cre.gov.uk

Disability Rights Commission – www.drc-gb.org

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Child Protection Policy

1. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Academy for Karate Goju-Ryu is an organization teaching karate, a Japanese based Martial Arts for the purpose of self defence to children and adults of both sexes including those individuals with disabilities. The Academy aims to promote good health as part of the learning process by encouraging exercise and self discipline in a safe environment. Competitions are encouraged to promote self confidence and a sense of achievement. Sport karate also encourages good health.

1.1 CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER

The appointed Club Welfare Officer for the Academy (CWO) is Mr. Bruno Gabriel. Mr. Gabriel has worked with young people since 2011, he is a qualifies FA coach. The role of the CWO is to ensure safety of the students and to report any serious incidence to the Child Protection Team, Social Services, Police, or any other relevant authorities.

The CWO can make recommendations about safety to the Academy and can take necessary steps to ensure safety for both students and Instructors. The CWO is responsible to ensure that all Instructors, and any adult working with children, have criminal record checks by providing Disclosure Barring Service certificates. Mr. Gabriel can be contacted by phone 07957 875 908 or by email to info[@]academyforkarate.org.uk.

2. SEX DISCRIMINATION

The Academy encourages boys and girls to participate in activities equally without preference. Self defence classes are aimed at both sexes and emphasis is applied to the attacker not gender. All students are treated with respect and dignity.

3. BULLYING

The Academy will not tolerate bullying by students or Instructors. It is the principle of the discipline in martial arts that all individuals are treated with respect. Any individual found to be bullying within the Academy will face disciplinary action. (see section 8 )

4. ACCESS TO DOJO

Parents have full access to the teaching area at all times. Parents are encouraged to participate in all aspects of the Academy except during grading when access is limited to the Academy instructors and the Club Welfare Officer. Parents can wait outside while proceedings go through, but have access to children and are allowed in in case of emergency.

5. PHOTOGRAPHY

The Academy has a policy of no photography during karate practicem, unless permission has been granted. Photography by members of the public is strictly forbidden. Any person found to be taking photographs will be asked to leave the venue and reported to the Club Welfare Officer who will take the appropriate action and all breaches will be reported to the police. Permission for photography is only limited to parents/relatives and members of the Academy (with the exception of Academy Competition). Parents have the option to raise objection to anyone taking photographs of their children. The Academy Application form has a photography disclosure statement. Parents who object to photographs being taken of their children have the opportunity of opting out. The Academy keeps an album of karate photographs of events. This album is open to inspection by any parent or student. Parents have the right to withdraw any photographs of their children from the album. Similar files are held in the Academy computer. Photographs of students will only be published on the Academy website with prior permission from all parents.

6. DISCLOSURE AND BARRING SERVICE (DBS)

The Diclosure and Barring Service (DBS formely known as CRB) has recently made a new version of the checking service available to employers and voluntary bodies. The AKG requires checks for all instructors and others having contact with children in the Academy. There are three types of check;

Basic disclosure
Available for any member of the public to apply for directly. It shows all “non-spent” convictions, and is sent directly to the individual applying.

Standard disclosure
Needs to be dealt with by an Approved Body. Shows all convictions “on record”, cautions, reprimands and warnings plus information contained on Government lists of people considered unsuitable to work with children.

Enhanced disclosure
Needs to be dealt with by an Approved body. As Standard disclosure, but also containing police comments that will not be available to the individual. These could be details of impending arrest or child protection conference information.

Each individual must give consent before a disclosure can be requested. They will also receive copies of the Standard and Enhanced Disclosures so that there is an opportunity to challenge any details within them. Government guidelines suggest that the Enhanced Disclosure is appropriate for Martial Arts Instructors.

All instructors should obtain a CRB check every 2 years.

7. SAFETY

The Academy endeavors to promote safety according to the Children Act 2004. The Academy practices semi-contact during sparring and punching to the face is not allowed. Sparring without protection is strictly forbidden.

The following protection equipment is compulsory:

GLOVES

CHEST PROTECTORS (females)

GROIN PROTECTORS

The following equipment is recommended:

HEADGUARDS

GUM SHIELDS

SHIN/INSTEP/FOOT PROTECTORS

The Academy supplies head guards at a cost and students are advised to wear head protection where necessary. Head guards are not compulsory. Full contact striking is not allowed. Students who use full contact will be subject to disciplinary. (see section 10). Games are used as team building exercise and safety is paramount during these sessions.

8. INCIDENT / ACCIDENT REPORT

Every incident or accident will be reported in the appropriate form and filed for future reference. All parents/students will have access to these files on request. Every reported incident must be reported to the Club Welfare Officer

9. DISCIPLINARY

Minor breaches of conduct will be dealt with during training sessions. These will take place in form of a verbal warning and exclusion from the session for a period of time to allow the student to reflect on their behavior. A second breach of conduct during the same session will result in exclusion from the rest of the session. Examples of minor breaches of conduct;

TALKING / PLAYING WHILE INSTRUCTOR IS TEACHING

EVADING EXERCISE

LEAVING THE DOJO WITHOUT PERMISSION

REFUSING TO TAKE PART IN TECHNIQUES

Serious breaches of conduct will result in a verbal warning to student and parent. The student can be degraded by removing the belt for a set period of 4 weeks. Further breaches will result in a written warning to the parent and can lead to exclusion from the Academy for certain period of time at discretion of the Chief Instructor.

The Chief Instructor reserves the right to totally exclude any student/instructor from the Academy and AKG membership without verbal warning.

Examples of serious breach of conduct;

REFUSING TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTION FROM SENSEI

BULLYING

SWEARING

FIGHTING

STEALING

USING FULL CONTACT DURING SPARRING

Instructors have powers to exclude any student for a set period. Only the Chief Instructor has the power to totally exclude students from the Academy and AKG membership permanently.

10. COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

If any student or parent is not happy with the service provided by the Academy, or is not pleased with any treatment they may have received from the instructors the first step is to;
1 – Speak to the instructor concerned who will be happy to resolve the issue.
2 – If you do not feel comfortable talking to the instructor, you may go directly to any board member who will treat the matter seriously and in accordance with the Law.

COMPLAINT FORM

Once completed please hand this form to a Boar Member or post it for the attention of the Secretary/Club Protection Officer, Academy for Karate Goju Ryu, 85 Crowther Road, Newbridge, Wolverhampton, WV6 0HX.

Personal details:

Name:		Address:
Telephone Nº:
Date:
Class:		Instructor:

Nature of complaint:
Please outline the details of the complaint giving specific information about dates, times, the person/people involved and the issues that you wish to report. If you need more space than the box below please attach an additional piece of paper.

For office use only:

Date Received	Date of Acknowledgement	Investigated by	Date of Written Response	Sign off Date

Academy for Karate Goju-Ryu

COMPLAINT PROCEDURE FRONT SHEET

No.	Date of Complaint:	Club/Dojo:
Name & Address:
Post Code:	Telephone No.:
Type of Complaint:


Date of Letter of Acknowledgement:		Copied To:
Dates of Telephone Calls:

Dates of Emails sent:
Issues:





Date of Other Letters sent:

Date of Outcome:

COMPLAINTS LOG BOOK PROFORMA

Date Received	Nature of Complaint (see descriptors)	Taken by	Investigated by	Action Taken	Sign off date

Complaint Classification list:

Complaints about staff e.g. attitude, ability to deliver course, staff changes
Complaints about courses e.g. content of course, course structure, cancellations
Complaints about instructor behaviour
Complaints about physical resources/ facilities
Other complaints.

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About Us

Academy for Karate Goju-Ryu (AKG) is a voluntary organisation that was established to uphold excellent quality Martial Arts skills to it’s members.
AKG advocate important values such as courtesy, patience, respect, self-control and integrity and is committed to instil the life skills and character building of a true martial artist. These principles and standards will lead to remarkable improvements in each individual academics, careers and relationships – contributing towards a better community.