Code of Conduct
Wallsend Harriers & AC is committed to offer all members: coaching, participatory and competitive opportunities in the sport of Athletics.
As a club, we actively oppose:
- Any form of cheating or efforts to gain an unfair advantage over fellow competitors, in particular the taking of performance enhancing substances.
- Any behaviour by our members which is likely to adversely affect the health, welfare or well-being of any athlete.
- Any behaviour which is likely to have an adverse affect on the good name and reputation of the club.
Code of Conduct
1) All members must respect basic human rights and act without discrimination on grounds of gender, race, colour, language, disability, religion or politics.
2) All members should take particular care of the welfare of young athletes, in terms of their physical, social and emotional development.
3) All coaches must have or be working towards a recognised UK Athletics Coaching qualification.
4) All members actively supervising young athletes must have or be seeking Police clearance and must be approved for supervision by the General Committee of the club.
5) All coaches should encourage, and all members should display, a spirit of fair play and good sportsmanship in athletics.
6) The safety of all young athletes in their care is the responsibility of the coach or member providing supervision. Equipment and resources should be checked and used in accordance with approved guidelines.
7) Coaches and supervisors of young athletes should observe basic good practices and avoid:
- situations in which an individual young athlete and an individual coach/supervisor may be unobserved
- handling or touching of young athletes beyond the needs of reasonable coaching.
- transport of individual young athletes in private cars without the presence a third, adult, party.
- any situation in which a young athlete would visit the home of a coach/supervisor without parental/guardian accompaniment.
8) The General Committee of the club have appointed a Welfare Officer(s). The club will ensure that these members have access to any suitable training programmes in order to help them fulfil their duties.
9) Any new coaches must apply to the General Committee for permission before undertaking any supervision of young athletes, and must initially act under the direct supervision of an established coach.
10) It is the responsibility of all members to report to the General Committee any behaviour that they feel may be breach of this code of conduct.
11) A member against whom any allegations of misconduct may be made, may be suspended from the club without prejudice, with the approval of a majority of the General Committee, until the matter has been investigated and considered by the General Committee.
12) Press and Media Contacts. In all matters relating to suspensions from the club, or to the alleged use of performance-enhancing substances, only the Club Chairman or person designated by the General Committee shall issue statements on behalf of Wallsend Harriers.
13) This code of conduct shall be regularly reviewed and shall be approved annually at the AGM.
Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances
14) In the event of a member testing positive for taking performance-enhancing substances, Wallsend Harriers will observe and respect any judgement passed by UK:Athletics, notwithstanding any protest or appeal by the individual. The General Committee shall meet to consider the situation and:
- may interview the athlete and his/her representatives to determine all relevant facts
- will determine whether or not the club should support any claims of innocence by the athlete
- will determine what steps should be taken to safeguard other athletes and/or the reputation and good name of the club
- will agree on the contents of any statements to be made to the Press.
15) No athlete shall be accepted as a member of the club whilst currently serving a suspension from the sport for taking prohibited substances.
16) Any member suspected of encouraging athletes to take performance enhancing substances shall be immediately suspended from the club, without prejudice, until the General Committee have reviewed the situation.
17) Wallsend Harriers shall take every endeavour to issue guidelines and advice to members on all issues relating to performance-enhancing substances and the use of prohibited drugs.
Agreed & Approved: AGM, February 2007
