Safeguarding at Woodlane Ishinryu Karate
Our number one priority at Woodlane is the safety of our students – especially the children who train in our Dojo.
This page consolidates and documents our process and procedures around safeguarding.
If anything on this page is unclear please contact our Club Safeguarding officer: Pearl Vant (07711 919290) pearl@ishinryu.org
In addition, you can contact our Ishinryu Association Safeguarding officer: Chris Fennessy (07713 654554) chris.fennessy@ishinryu.org
Our governing body, the English Karate Federation (EKF) also publish safeguarding at https://www.englishkaratefederation.com/safeguarding-policy and act as external oversight to our safeguarding activities. There should never be any conflict between our Safeguarding policies and those of the EKF; however, if any conflict were ever to arise, EKF policies will take precedence.
Our Safeguarding procedures are documented on this page and fall into the following sections which are documented below:
- Child Safeguarding Policy
- Adult Safeguarding Policy
- Reporting Concerns
- Recording, acting on, and storage of incidents
- Dealing with complaints
- DBS Procedure
- Code of Conduct
- Events, Social Media and photography
- Contacting Childline
- Safeguarding training
- Risk Assessment
- Club Insurance
- First Aid
(1) Child Safeguarding Policy
Child safeguarding is taken very seriously at Woodlane Ishinryu and we always make sure that younger students train in a safe, supportive, and respectful environment.
Our governing body is the English Karate Federation (EKF) and we fully adhere to all their guidelines on child safety. These guidelines are fully aligned with national legislation and guidance from the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit. Measures include thorough background checks for instructors (enhanced DBS checks), clear codes of conduct, a designated safeguarding officer, and ongoing training to recognise and respond to any signs of abuse or neglect.
Woodlane Ishinryu Karate will, at all times, foster open communication with parents and guardians and maintain a culture where the wellbeing of children is our top priority, helping them develop not only karate their skills but also confidence and resilience in a safe setting.
Please report any Child Safeguarding Concerns at Woodlane to Pearl Vant (07711 919290) pearl@ishinryu.org
(2) Adult Safeguarding Policy
Adult safeguarding at Woodlane Ishinryu Karate is also important, ensuring that all participants—particularly those who may be at risk due to age, disability, mental health conditions, or other vulnerabilities—can engage in Karate without fear of harm, abuse, or exploitation.
Please report any Adult Safeguarding Concerns at Woodlane to Pearl Vant (07711 919290) pearl@ishinryu.org
Click on the pdf icon to view and/or download the document.
(3) Reporting Concerns
Any member of our club, including parents and guardians of younger students, should feel able to raise a concern and be assured that their concern will be treated seriously.
In the first instance, please address any concerns to a senior club instructor. For Woodlane Ishinryu this will be sensei Chris Vant or sensei Chris Fennessy. They (and you) should also inform our Woodlane Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Pearl Vant.
If, for any reason you feel unable, to raise a concern with the club instructors you have other options:
(1) Contact our senior UK Instructor Lee Smith on Lee@ishinryu.org
(2) Talk to any other Club Instructor in our association.
Click on the pdf icon to view and/or download the document.
(4) Recording, Acting On, and Storage of incidents
This section outlines the procedure for recording, acting on, and storing incidents that occur within the club. It is designed to ensure transparency, accountability, and the safety of all members, and is in line with good practice guidelines for UK sports clubs.
Click on the pdf icon to view and/or download the document.
(5) Dealing with Complaints
This procedure is designed to ensure that any concerns or complaints about the club, its Instructors, coaches or members are handled fairly, consistently and promptly.
Click on the pdf icon to view and/or download the document.
(6) DBS Procedure
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is the UK public agency that processes requests for criminal record checks. An enhanced DBS check is the highest level of criminal record check, showing all spent and unspent convictions, cautions, warnings and reprimands, plus any relevant information held by local police forces.
Both instructors at Woodlane hold an enhanced DBS certificate that is renewed within every three years. Instructors carry these certificates to every lesson and course. Students, and student parents or guardians are free to see these at any time before or after a lesson.
All Ishinryu DBS checks are processed through Essex County Council by the Ishinryu association secretary, Chris Fennessy. Chris can be contacted on 07713 654554 or emailed at chris.fennessy@ishinryu.org.
(7) Code of Conduct
This Code of Conduct sets out the standards of behaviour expected from all members, instructors, volunteers, parents, and visitors involved with Woodlane Ishinryu Karate. It applies to all club activities, whether on or off the Dojo premises.
Our club is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment where everyone can enjoy and benefit from the practice of Karate. We expect everyone to uphold the values of integrity, respect, discipline, and perseverance.
Click on the pdf icon to view and/or download the document.
(8) Events, Social Media and Photography
Events – from time to time some club members may attend Ishinryu Courses and Open Competitions. These activities will not involve our members staying away from home overnight or traveling abroad.
All members must make their own arrangements for travel. Individual instructors or coaches will never travel alone with an underage (under 16) club member, irrespective of parental permission.
Social Media – Our club uses WhatsApp and Facebook to communicate with members and to promote our activities. Children under 14 will not be invited (or encouraged) to use these platforms. These platforms are aimed at parents and older members only.
Woodlane Ishinryu has a dedicated website at https://woodlane.ishinryu.org/. This is a non interactive site without any facility for members to login. Any club images used on that site are there with parental permission and children (under 16) will never be identified by surname in any image. The association website at Ishinryu.org does provide the ability for registered Ishinryu members to login, and in this case they are able to view their own registration details only, alongside some content only available to Ishinryu members, such as photos from Ishinryu events.
Photography – Images of children will never be used without explicit parental permission. All posts and images relating to members under 16 years will refer to first names only. Surnames are never used.
(9) Contacting Childline
You can talk to Childline about anything. No problem is too big or too small.
Call Childline on 0800 1111.
For more information visit the Childline website at https://www.childline.org.uk/
(10) Safeguarding Training
All Ishinryu Instructors are trained in best safeguarding practise. This training is revisited every 3 years.
We recommend NSPCC training for all our instructors. Full details can be found at the NSPCC Learning website at https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/
(11) Risk Assessment
This risk assessment document relates to the Ishinryu training Dojo at the Harold Hill Community Centre. Separate and additional Risk Assessment documents will apply when attending Ishinryu courses at other Ishinryu Dojos.
Click on the pdf icon to view and/or download the document.
(12) Insurance
Ishinryu Members training within our Woodlane Dojo must be insured. Third Party Insurance is included in the annual Ishinryu licence, which is why we require all students to hold a currrent licence at all times. The only excepton relates to ‘new starters’ who are allowed to train unlicenced for the first four weeks of attendance, during which time they will not be allowed to participate in some activities (such as free sparring or pair work).
Ishinryu Club Instructors have additional instructor insurance in force at all times.
In both cases insurance cover is provided by Pulse (STB) Insurance brokers. Pulse (STB) are endorsed by our governing body (the English Karate Federation) and full details can be found at https://stbinsurance.co.uk/insurance/ekf/ including policy cover details.
(13) First Aid
At Woodlane Ishinryu a trained first aider is present at every session (both Dan Grade Instructors are trained in First Aid).
A first aid kit is brought to every training session and is available in the training area at all times.
Any incident involving an injury in the training area is recorded in an accident book dedicated to Woodlane Ishinryu.
From time to time our members and Instructors may attend open competitions. We only attend competitions supported by our governing body (the English Karate Federation) and a requirement for these competitions is that trained first aiders are always on-site.
From time to time our members and Instructors may attend Ishinryu courses open to all Ishinryu clubs. At least one trained first aider is present throughout every course. First aid kits are available on all courses.