Last updated 20 January 2021.
Code of Conduct Charter.
As a small club the success of Midhurst Milers is dependent on the active participation of all members. The Club is run and managed by a small committee of volunteers and we ask all members to support the committee and get involved where possible. Midhurst Milers is your club and we’d like you to make the most of what it has to offer. The following Code of Conduct Charter is mainly common sense but we encourage all members to read it and adopt its principles.
The purpose of this Charter is to uphold standards of ethical behaviour for both coaches and athletes. The components of ethical behaviour are: integrity, responsibility, competence and confidentiality.
It compliments but does not supersede, the Codes of Practice and stated welfare policies of UK Athletics, which can be found at: www.uka.org.uk/governance/policies/
Club members participating in coached group sessions or receiving personal coaching from the clubs qualified coaches will be deemed to have accepted the Charter and those of UK Athletics, and to endorse and subscribe to the principles and responsibilities embodied in them.
“A Coach” in this context is anyone qualified by UKA to coach or lead. “An Athlete” is anyone participating in any coached or lead session with Midhurst Milers.
The athlete-coach relationship is a two way relationship where the athlete’s well-being comes first. The core of the relationship is a mutual commitment by both the athlete and the coach, to the sport in general and to athletics training in particular.
Coaches and athletes agree that participating in, or continuing a training session, is a decision that can only be made by each individual athlete. Coaches will not exert undue pressure on athletes, beyond reasonable encouragement. Bullying, ignoring someone, use of critical language and sarcasm, or otherwise undermining an athlete’s self-esteem are all totally unacceptable.
Coaches will treat everyone whom they are coaching or who is participating in a coached session with equal dignity and respect, irrespective of their ability, gender, age, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability or political persuasion.
Athletes and coaches will treat each other with mutual trust and respect.
A coach may collect a great deal of personal information about an athlete in order to help him/her achieve his/her goals. The coach and athlete must agree on what is considered confidential and the coach must respect this agreement.
Roles and Responsibilities.
The coach will:
Respect the rights, dignity and worth of every athlete regardless of background and ability.
Place the welfare and safety of the athlete above the development of performance.
Create and lead a training programme and sessions that are fun, inclusive and tailored for the age, experience, ability and motivations of the individual athlete.
Lead sessions with enthusiasm and to the best of their abilities, consistently promoting the positive aspects of the sport (e.g. health and social benefits and fair play).
Never condone rule violations or the use of prohibited or harmful substances, such as tobacco, narcotics and performance enhancing drugs.
Create an encouraging environment where individual performance improvements and developments as well as (appropriate) competitiveness is encouraged.
Be available to offer advice and support to any individual club member concerning their participation, enjoyment and progress with the club.
Turn up in good time for each session and /or assure there is adequate cover for each session provided or adequate notice of cancellation.
Encourage and guide athletes to accept responsibility for their own performance and behaviour.
Remain mindful of the varied goals of individual club members e.g. performance improvement, simply participating, building confidence, etc. and where possible adapting the coaching approach.
Encourage, listen to and where required act on feedback from individual club members.
To the best of their ability, will look after all athletes ensuring no one runs too far off to the front and that no one is left behind on their own.
Be appropriately qualified including obtaining DBS clearance, update their licences and education as and when required by UKA. Adhere to the terms of their coaching licence.
Act as a good role model by consistently displaying good standards of behaviour, appearance and safe training practice in their own training.
Whilst in a coaching role, strictly observe a clear boundary between friendship and intimacy with an athlete.
Never put themselves in a position where exploitation or abuse of vulnerable athletes could occur or could have thought to have occurred.
Challenge inappropriate language or behaviour by others.
Never exert undue influence to obtain personal benefit or reward.
Develop appropriate working relationships with athletes based on mutual trust and respect, being mindful of the position of responsibility that comes with coaching. This is especially important with vulnerable adults and appropriate boundaries must always be kept.
The athlete will:
Recognise the voluntary nature of coaches, leads and committee members, and will respect the ongoing time, energy and effort people put into the club.
Make every effort to be on time, be dressed appropriately and to be responsible for one’s own needs.
Inform the run leader if they have any injury or long term medical condition that may affect their running performance. It’s recommended that all athletes carry In Case of Emergency details (ICE) on their person.
Not divert from planned routes without the knowledge and consent of the run leader.
Not run too far off the front of the group but will loop back at regular intervals or when requested to do so by the run leader.
Give other athletes encouragement and recognise the efforts and achievements of team /club members.
Consistently promote positive aspects of the sport such as fair play and never condone rule violations or the use of prohibited or age inappropriate substances.
Will look after other members within their group. If someone is struggling make sure that they are not left on their own or inform the run leader.
Recognise that all club activities are voluntary and whenever possible be available to assist in training sessions, attend training sessions and social events.
Recognise that a key to the success of the club is making new members feel welcome.
Recognise that although the club will create and lead sessions for the enjoyment and development of runners, each athlete takes responsibility for their own performance and behaviour.
Be honest about their ability. Taking note of recommendations given by run leaders as to which group is right for them.
Be responsible for their own safety and the safety of others and warn other runners of any impending hazards that they may see.
Resect and acknowledge other road and footpath users. Be courteous and run in single file where appropriate. Close gates after passing through.
Always thank coaches and officials who enable you to participate in athletics.
Ensure the payment of annual membership fees is made promptly.
Avoid swearing and abusive language and irresponsible behaviour that is dangerous to yourself and /or others, acts of violence, bullying, harassment and physical and sexual abuse.
Challenge inappropriate behaviour and language by others.
All members of Midhurst Milers are volunteers and participating because we want to enjoy the benefits of the sport and our club activities. Unfortunately there are occasions when the standards written within the Club Charter and various policies are felt to have been breached. In these circumstances coaches and athletes should follow the Club’s Grievance Procedures to ensure that any issues are dealt with fairly and appropriately.
Grievance Procedure.
Step One
If you have a grievance that involves another club member (including coaches, volunteers, committee members), you should first try to resolve the matter by speaking directly with the other member about the matter, if possible. The discussion should be conducted with courtesy, discretion and aim to reach a resolution as soon as possible.
The same process may apply if a grievance relates to a policy, process or activities within the club, rather than towards particular individual/s.
Step Two
If you do not wish to discuss the matter directly with the other member or would like additional assistance, you can contact the Welfare Officer who can investigate and assist on the matter. To the extent that you can, please provide as much detail as possible on the following:
What has been happening or has happened?
Who are the members involved?
What contact (if any) have you made with the member?
What steps (if any) have you taken to resolve the matter on your own?
What would you like to happen e.g. ideal resolution?
You may contact the Welfare Officer in person, by phone or by email.
Step Three
The Welfare Officer will investigate the matter as soon as practicable. If the grievance is against an individual, such individual may be invited to respond to the grievance to the Welfare Officer at the earliest opportunity. In seeking to resolve the grievance, the Welfare officer may request for more time to investigate, suspend the investigation or defer the decision if more information is required.
Step Four
After the investigation is completed, the Welfare Officer shall inform you and all relevant parties on how the matter should be settled and update the committee on the matter and related settlement at the next Committee meeting.
If you are not satisfied with the settlement/resolution provided by the Welfare Officer, you may request the Committee to review the matter. If the matter involves a person on the Committee, then that individual shall excuse him/herself from the review process.
If the settlement /resolution involves disciplining or excluding a member from the Club’s membership, such decision must be made in accordance with the Club’s Rules on Disciplinary Procedure and not by the Welfare Officer.