Our safeguarding policy
The policy of Gwent Mountaineering Club is to:
- Promote and actively support the welfare and physical and mental well-being of adult members and minors under their parental supervision or guardianship whilst participating in Club activities and/or interacting with other members;
- Ensure that safeguarding is practiced across the Club and uphold safeguarding in Mountaineering in general;
- Follow and apply guidance on safeguarding given by the British Mountaineering Council (BMC).
The Club’s safeguarding policy and procedures can be found in full here: https://bit.ly/gwentmc-safeguarding-v1.
Your responsibility as a Club Member
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. It’s not just about responding to abuse as that happens but also about preventing harm and promoting welfare in the first place.
Accordingly, if you have a concern about any aspect of abuse, harm or welfare concerning another Club Member, whether that be poor practice in preparation, inadequate equipment, suspect belaying or climbing technique, dangerous navigation, inadequate care in group, party, or event management, verbal or physical abuse, bullying, or sexual harassment – to give just a few examples – you should consider reporting it.
Safeguarding officers
The Club has two safeguarding officers, one male and one female. You can report your concern to either:
- John Jones
- Sian Hayward
What to do if you have a concern
You should call the Police (999) in cases where someone is at immediate risk of serious harm by another person or when someone commits a crime.
In non-emergency cases, report the concern to one of the Club’s Safeguarding Officers – whichever one you feel most comfortable approaching.
Concerns related to safe mountaineering are different from concerns about psychological abuse and bullying, neglect, or sexual harassment. Importantly, you should report a concern of any kind.
When you report a concern, be clear and factual. Share what you’ve observed or heard. Stick to facts and don’t make assumptions. Write down dates, times, and specific details. This helps build a clear picture.
Your role is to report, not to verify or confront. A safeguarding officer will keep your report confidential and will not be share it without your consent – unless someone is at immediate risk. Let the Safeguarding Officer assess the situation and decide on next steps.
END.