Welfare and well-being

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The safety and well-being of all club members, especially our junior athletes, is at the heart of everything we do at Central AC. We strive to meet all guidelines we receive from Scottish Athletics and UK Athletics in this regard.

Welfare

The Club has adopted the Scottish Athletics Welfare and Safeguarding policy and procedures. As part of that policy, all helpers need to be a member of the Scottish PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) scheme. Our Welfare Officer will explain and help you through the application process.

The club also has a set of Codes of Conduct which all members should be familiar with and abide by.

If you have any questions about the club’s welfare policies or procedures or if you have any welfare concerns you should contact our Welfare Officer (welfare@centralathletics.co.uk).

Links to other policies –

Well-being

There are some excellent resources available to help athletes manage their well-being.

Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) is characterised by low energy availability in an athlete causing adverse effects on all bodily systems: it can seriously compromise long term health and performance. Project RED-S and TrainBrave are two organisations which provide resources for athletes who may be at risk of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, as well as for their coaches and parents.

Project RED-S has an athlete information pack which gives a clear overview of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, warning signs, reducing risk, and seeking support. It also publishes further resources in its Info Hub for coaches, athletes and parents including videos, podcasts and papers. You can follow on Instagram, on Twitter and on Facebook.

TrainBrave aims to inspire more athletes to share their stories and raise awareness of the risks of eating disorders and Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport. It also aims to provide resources to athletes, and encourage an open training environment in which athletes of all ages and levels of competition can flourish. TrainBrave hopes to empower coaches and clubs to offer more support to athletes by creating an ongoing discussion with all stakeholders working together, and providing training and resources to help tackle this issue. You can follow on Instagram and on Twitter.

Kyniska Advocacy advocates for progressive policies in women’s sport, enacting change one campaign at a time and publishes an athlete welfare toolkit. Kyniska’s aim is to instil an equitable sporting culture from grassroots clubs to the Olympic Games and everything in between. Its vision is of a sporting community which fosters a safe environment and has the protection of women at its heart; sport where decisions are made with women in mind, by people who understand us and where women have a seat at the table; and a world where men’s sport isn’t the default standard for women’s sport. You can follow on Instagram and on Twitter.

BEAT Eating Disorders is a UK charity whose mission is to end the pain and suffering caused by eating disorders. The organisation runs helplines and publishes resources to support those with an eating disorder as well as their family and friends. You can follow on Facebook, on Instagram and on Twitter.

Medication

Please ensure you comply with the guidelines regarding any medication currently being taken. UK Athletics provides guidance on checking medication under their Clean Athletics programme.

The Global Drug Reference Online (Global DRO – http://www.globaldro.com/Home) provides athletes and support personnel with information about the prohibited status of specific medications based on the current World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List.