Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy

1. Our Commitment

Pure Indigo Limited (trading as Just Karate) is committed to providing a safe, positive, and inclusive environment for children and young people. We recognise that the welfare of the child is paramount and that all children, regardless of age, disability, gender, race, or religion, have a right to protection from all types of harm, abuse, or discrimination, including bullying or exclusion based on neurodiversity or physical disability.

2. Our Approach

As an independent martial arts school, we take direct responsibility for our safeguarding standards. To keep our students safe, we ensure that:

• DBS Checks: All instructors hold an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and are registered with the annual update service to ensure continuous monitoring.
• Safe Instruction: We follow best-practice martial arts instruction methods, ensuring that any physical contact is strictly limited to what is necessary for training and is always age-appropriate. Where physical adjustment is required to correct a technique, instructors will explain the action first and seek verbal "consent" from the student.
• Digital Safety: All formal communication is conducted with parents or guardians via our official email or student portal. We do not engage in private digital communication with minor students.
• Photography: We only take photographs or videos of students for promotional purposes with the explicit consent of a parent or guardian. Students are prohibited from filming other students during class without instructor permission to protect the privacy of all participants.

3. Age-Specific Requirements for Parents & Guardians

To support our instructors and ensure the safety of all students, we have the following requirements based on the student's age:

• Ages 5–11 (Primary School Age): A parent or guardian must remain in the training hall for the duration of the session. They are responsible for all personal care (e.g., toilet breaks) and must be immediately available in the event of an injury or if the child becomes distressed.
• Ages 12–15: Parents may choose to "drop and go," provided the student is mature enough to use the venue’s public facilities independently. However, the parent must be contactable by phone at all times during the session and must arrive 5 minutes before the class ends for collection.
• Ages 16–17: These students may attend and depart the venue independently with parental consent. Parents remain the primary point of contact for all administrative and safeguarding matters.

4. First Aid and Personal Care

Just Karate operates within professional sports and community centres.

• First Aid: Primary first aid cover is provided by the venue management. In the event of an injury, the instructor should be notified immediately. Support will then be sought from the venue staff, who are normally available at the reception desk.
• Personal Care & Toilets: Instructors are not responsible for taking children to the toilet or assisting with changing clothes. For students aged 11 and under, the parent must be present to escort them to the venue’s facilities.

5. Arrival and Collection

• Punctuality: Our responsibility for the student begins at the start of the scheduled class and ends promptly at the class finish time.
• Late Collection Fees: To cover the instructor’s additional time and responsibility, we reserve the right to charge a late collection fee of £10 per 15-minute period (or part thereof) for any student not collected by the end of their scheduled session.
• Safe Handover: Instructors are not permitted to wait alone with a child. If a parent is late, the instructor will attempt to contact them. If the instructor must leave the training hall, the child will be escorted to the venue’s main reception desk to wait in a staffed, public area. The instructor will ensure a 'warm handover' by remaining within sight of the child until they are under the supervision of venue staff or the parent arrives.
• Statutory Notification: In line with standard safeguarding and school protocols, if a child remains uncollected and a parent/guardian cannot be reached within a reasonable timeframe, we are legally required to escalate the matter to local Social Services or the Police.
• Escalation: Persistent lateness is disruptive to our training schedule and may result in a formal review or termination of membership.

6. REPORTING PROCEDURES & CONTACTS

Every concern, regardless of how minor it may seem, must be recorded and escalated according to the following procedure.

Important: When a child makes a disclosure, listen without judgment. Do not "investigate" or ask leading questions. Do not promise to keep secrets; explain that you must tell someone who can help keep them safe.

7. Review

This policy is reviewed periodically to ensure it remains compliant with UK legislation and reflects our current operations.