Bespoke Ride Sports Services is committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for children and young people who participate in our fitness, swimming, running, and cycling programs, and it is essential to be able to do so in a safe and secure environment. Bespoke Ride Sports Services recognizes and accepts its responsibility to safeguard the health and welfare of children under its care by protecting them from physical, sexual, or emotional harm; and neglect or bullying. Therefore, Child Protection in Sport core values presented by the UAE Ministry of Interior Child Protection Centre are adopted and used as a foundation for how we communicate to children and our stakeholders (Which is the primary federal entity responsible for overseeing and ensuring safety and security of children in the UAE https://www.moi-cpc.ae/en/About.us/Values.aspx).

This policy outlines our commitment to child safeguarding. It provides clear step-by-step guidance on what to do in different circumstances if concerns arise about children’s welfare or protection.

1. Scope

1.1 This policy applies to all BR staff, volunteers, contractors, and third-party providers who have contact with children and young people as part of our programs and services.

2. Purpose

2.1 Ensure that children and young people are safe and protected from abuse and neglect

2.2 Guide our staff, volunteers, and partners on how to prevent, identify, and respond to incidents of abuse and neglect

2.3 Promote a culture of transparency, accountability, and openness concerning child safeguarding

2.4 Comply with all relevant laws, regulations, and best practices concerning child safeguarding in Dubai, UAE.

3. Definitions

3.1 BR: Bespoke Ride Sports Services.

3.2 DSL: Designated safeguarding lead

3.3 Child: refers to any person under the age of 18 years.

3.4 Abuse: refers to any action, inaction, or behavior towards a child that causes harm, or has the potential to cause harm to the child’s physical or mental health, wellbeing, or development. Abuse can take various forms, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect.

3.5 Neglect: refers to the failure to provide a child with the basic needs and care required for their physical or mental health, wellbeing, or development.

3.6 Staff: refers to all employees of BRs, including full-time, part-time, and temporary staff.

3.7 Volunteers: refers to individuals who offer their services on a voluntary basis to BRs.

3.8 Partners: refers to third-party providers who have a contractual relationship with BR to deliver programs or services to children and young people.

4. Responsibilities

4.1 Designated safeguarding lead (DSL):

4.1.1 Review and update the company policy to ensure children’s welfare is a top priority.

4.1.2 Monitor the implementation of all company safeguarding policies.

4.1.3 Receive and respond to all relevent cases and investigate accordingly.

4.1.4 Communicate with parentes/guardians as indicated.

4.1.5 Maintain a direct communication with BR managers.

4.1.6 Responsible for reporting any allegations of child abuse or neglect that arise within the company to the relevant authorities for Child protection services in Dubai, UAE.  

5. Policy and Procedures for Identifying and Responding to Concerns

5.1 According to the UAE Ministry of Interior Child Protection Centre, all BR staff, volunteers, and partners are encouraged and responsible by law to:

5.1.2 Understand their legal obligation to report suspected cases of abuse or neglect to the relevant authorities in Dubai, UAE.

5.1.3 Report any concerns or suspicions of abuse or neglect to the DSL to follow the UAE child safeguarding regulations.

5.1.4 Address and report any possible emotional implication of abuse to the DSL, as there is a vital requirement by religion and law to show love and mercy towards children. And to preserve their dignity, this is just as much a right of the child as the right to be fed, clothed, and educated.

5.1.5 BR’s staff, volunteers, and partners are required to cooperate fully with any investigation conducted by the relevant authorities for Child protection services in Dubai, UAE, and as instructed by the DSL.

BR will take immediate action to identify and respond to any incidents of abuse or neglect of children in our programs and services in Dubai, UAE.

5.1.6 The reporting procedure in UAE is:

5.1.6.1 For Emergencies, call 999. 

5.1.6.2 For non-emergency abuse reports, call the hotline at 116111 or fill electronic form https://www.moi-cpc.ae/en/Report.Abuse.aspx

6. Prevention

6.1 BR is committed to preventing abuse and neglect of children and young people in our programs and services in Dubai, UAE. We will achieve this by:

6.1.1 Screening all staff, volunteers, and partners who have contact with children and young people to ensure they have the necessary qualifications, experience, and character to work with children and young people.

6.1.2 Providing regular training and support to our staff, volunteers, and partners on how to identify and respond to incidents of abuse or neglect, and how to promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in our programs and services.

6.1.3 Conducting regular risk assessments to identify potential risks to children and young people in our programs and services and taking appropriate measures to manage these risks.

6.1.4 Encouraging open communication and feedback between children and young people, their parents or guardians, and our staff, volunteers, and partners

7. Monitoring and Review

7.1 BR guarantee the proper implementation of our children’s safeguard policy and continuously monitors and reviews the practice to ensure that our intentions concerning safeguarding children are taking place.

7.2 BR conducts quarterly evaluation rounds of our programs and services to evaluate actions, effectiveness, and to detect areas for improvement to ensure maintaining our service excellence concerning child safeguarding, health, and safety.

7.3 BR seeks feedback from children, parents/guardians, staff, volunteers, and partners on our child safeguarding practices to ensure that we are meeting their needs and expectations.

8. Staff Requirement in Education and Training

8.1 Everyone in contact with children has a role to play in their protection. All staff members, including coaches and teachers, must meet specific requirements to ensure the safety and well-being of children and young people participating in our programs and services. These requirements include:

8.1.1 Undergoing a thorough background check and providing evidence of their clear criminal record.

8.1.2 Providing references from previous employers or relevant authorities.

8.1.3 Completing mandatory training on child safeguarding and health and safety practices.

8.2 BR will ensure that all staff members are aware of their responsibilities concerning child safeguarding and health and safety and have received adequate training and support to carry out their roles effectively. We will also conduct regular performance reviews to ensure that all staff members

9. Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct

9.1 BR is committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all children and young people participating in our programs and services in Dubai, UAE.

9.2 BR recognize that safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility, and will work to ensure that all staff, volunteers, and partners are aware of and committed to this policy.

9.3 BR’s stance on safeguarding is made clear to all staff, volunteers, and partners by ensuring the following:

9.4 Partnership, funding, commissioning, and venue leasing/booking criteria include a requirement to address safeguarding.

9.5 BR actively promotes safeguarding within all partnership working arrangements and seeks to establish minimum safeguarding standards.

9.6 The BR provides, or signposts to, safeguarding support and resources for partner organizations.

9.7 BR operate a code of ethics that embeds the organization’s values and principles.

9.8 The organization clarifies its expectations of the behavior of adults towards children and young people.

9.9 The BR have a guidance on the expected and acceptable behavior of children towards other children.

9.10 There is a process for individuals to confirm that they understand and will comply with the code of conduct.

9.11 There are processes and guidance for dealing with unacceptable behavior.

9.12 All disciplinary measures/sanctions are non-violent and do not involve humiliating children and young people.

9.13 Managers and senior staff promote a culture that ensures children are listened to and respected as individuals.

10. References

10.1 Ministry of Interior Child Protection Centre – https://www.moi-cpc.ae/en/CHILD.PROTECTION.DIMENSION.aspx

10.2 The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) – Child Protection in Sport Unit https://thecpsu.org.uk/media/445556/web_cpsustandards.pdf