Web & Social Media Policy

Last Updated: 24/11/2022

The Avenue Lawn Tennis, Squash and Fitness Club Web and Social media policy

Introduction

The Avenue LTS & FC uses its website and social media feeds to promote sporting and social activities to a wide audience. In terms of social media this involves the use of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. This policy gives guidance on how the Club will use the internet and social media and how it expects staff, volunteers and members to follow its standards.

Aims

The aims of the policy are to:

• Protect children and young people who use social media and the internet linked to the Club and its activities (or whilst in the Club’s care)
• Provide staff and volunteers with procedures and information about online safety and advise them on acceptable and unacceptable standards and the appropriate ways to respond to incidents
• Ensure that the Club operates within its values and the law in the ways that it carries out its online and social media activities

Managing the Club’s online activities

The Club’s use of its website and social media platforms will be in accordance with the following standards:

• All social media accounts will be password protected with use limited to designated staff
• Accounts will be monitored by a designated person, appointed by the Club’s Management Committee
• The designated person managing the Club’s online presence will seek advice from the Club’s Welfare
  officers on safeguarding requirements
• Inappropriate material will be removed, with explanations given to those involved as to why such action has been taken. Anyone who may be affected will be informed of the situation, especially parents or carers of any children involved.
• Details identifying a child’s address, school or telephone number will not be posted online
• All members, including children and young people, will be advised about who to contact with concerns about anything posted on the Club’s accounts
• Parents and carers will be asked to give their approval for the Club to communicate with their children through social media
• Parents and carers will be asked for permission for photographs or videos to be posted on line e.g. on the Club’s website or on its social media feeds

Inappropriate material

Material will be considered inappropriate if it:

• Is abusive, incites violence or threatening or confrontational behaviour towards others. Material considered abusive or inciting violent or confrontational behaviours will include swear words and potentially inflammatory comments
• Contains discriminatory, racist, indecent, sexually explicit, or offensive comments or images
• Contains promotional information, including any links to third party products or services
• Infringes third party intellectual property, privacy, and/or publicity rights
• Contains false, fraudulent, or misleading claims
• Constitutes spam messages which are corrupt or contain viruses

Expectations of staff and volunteers

In order to make sure that the standards set in the policy are met staff and volunteers will need to:

• Be aware of this policy and follow its requirements
• Seek the advice of the Club’s Welfare officers if they have any safeguarding concerns about the use of the internet and social media linked to the Club’s activities
• Ensure that any messages to be sent out to children and young people via the Club’s website or social media platforms are sent out through the Club’s designated staff
• Make sure that any information sent out is accurate and appropriate as young people may follow the posts on social media
• Avoid communicating with, “friending” or “following” children or young people from personal social media accounts
• Communicate with parents or carers using more formal means e.g. face to face, email, through the Club’s accounts or in writing rather than through a personal social media account
• Copy in at least one other member of staff or volunteer when emailing a child or young person
• Sign off emails professionally, avoiding use of emojis or kisses
• Ensure communications with young people do not involve “sexting” or pictures that are indecent, obscene or menacing
• Ensure any pictures taken by smartphones respect the private lives of others (including those caught in the background of a picture) and do not invade anyone’s privacy
• Ensure that any disclosure of abuse reported through social media is treated in exactly the same way as a face to face report, in accordance with the Club’s procedures on reporting safeguarding or discriminatory disclosures

Expectations of children and young people

In order to make sure that the standards set out in this policy are met children and young people will need to:

• Be aware of this policy and follow its requirements for acceptable use of social media and use of digital devices including smart phones and tablets. Primarily this means avoiding the posting of inappropriate material linked to the Club’s activities
• Seek the advice of the Club’s Welfare officers if they have any safeguarding concerns about the use of the internet and social media linked to the Club’s activities

Using mobile phones during sports activities

To make sure that all children can enjoy and actively take part in the Club’s activities the use of mobile phones during such activities is discouraged.
To assist in this the Club will:

• Make children aware of how and who to contact in the Club in an emergency or if there is a change to previously agreed arrangements for a specific activity
• Advise parents that it may not be possible to contact children during sports or related activities and provide them with a Club contact, should an emergency arise.
• Advise children that use of mobile phones during activities at the club may affect their safety, due to loss of awareness of their environment as well as impact on their level of participation and achievement

Approval

This Web and Social media policy has been approved by:

Club Chair: Richard Marston Date: 24.11.2022

Honorary Secretary: Lee Davies Date: 02.08.2022

Welfare Officer: Julia Baker Date: 02.08.2022

Welfare Officer: Vicki White Date: 24.11.2022

Tennis Secretary: Michael Colbourne Date: 02.08.2022

Squash Secretary: David Bradley Date: 24.11.22

Fitness Secretary: Maggie Clarke Date: 02.08.2022

Review

This policy will be reviewed every two years, or earlier if there is a change in national legislation and/or guidance.