Joint Safeguarding Policy for Baseball and Softball (Draft)
Sport can and does have a powerful and positive influence on its participants, especially young people. Not only can it provide opportunities for enjoyment and achievement, it can also develop valuable qualities such as self-esteem, leadership and teamwork. These positive effects can only take place if sport is in the right hands – in the hands of those who place the welfare of all participants first and adopt practices that support, protect and empower them.
The reality, however, is that abuse does sometimes take place in sport and in some cases coaches and other trusted adults in sport have been convicted of criminal offences. The British Baseball Federation (BBF), the British Softball Federation (BSF) and BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK) are committed to working together and in partnership with all relevant agencies to ensure that we fulfil our legal and moral obligations to safeguard and promote the welfare of all participants, and specifically young people and vulnerable adults.
This policy and the accompanying procedures have been produced to offer guidance to everyone involved with baseball and softball: paid staff, volunteers, administrators, coaches, officials, parents and players. This policy applies to all BBF, BSF, BSUK officials, staff and members, and to members of all affiliated organisations when engaged in baseball and softball activities with young people or vulnerable adults.
Staff and volunteers are not trained to deal with situations of abuse or to decide if abuse has occurred. Where a concern is raised that a child has been or may have been abused, or that a criminal act may have been committed, the matter must be referred immediately to the relevant statutory service or the police.
Read the full Joint Safeguarding Policy for Baseball and Softball (Draft).
The draft policy is pending final approval by BSUK Board of Directors, which includes representatives from the British Baseball Federation and British Softball Federation. Until a final version of this policy is ratified, all three organisations will be working under the draft version. Please also see the existing Welfare Policy.
