Welcome to Burton Hockey Club’s guide to parents.

Burton Hockey Club is committed to creating and maintaining a safe and positive environment for all young people involved in hockey; we embrace and apply the framework and guidelines set by England Hockey to make sure we are using the most up-to-date and appropriate process to look after our Junior Players.

What can you expect from the club?

• A friendly welcome, an opportunity to meet new friends play and watch hockey
• Opportunities for your child to have fun and develop their game as much as they want to
• A safe environment
• Qualified coaches and responsible volunteers
• Relationships based on trust, honesty and respect where your child is valued and listened to
• Your child’s welfare and safety is paramount
• Club members will recognise your child’s rights, whatever your age, gender, culture, ability, language, religious belief, racial origin, and/or sexual identity
• Opportunities for you to get involved in the club Safeguarding and Protecting Young People / Child Protection Policy and Complaints Policy are available for you on request 
• Clear lines of communication with you about your child, fixtures, training and events
• If you child is playing in a senior team, please be aware that travel is usually via a shared car agreement with senior club members and that they will be entering changing rooms with the rest of the squad.

What does the club expect from my child?

• To adhere to the club’s codes of conduct

The club does expect you to....

• accompany your child to and from the Astroturf for training, and the designated drop-off and collection point for matches – PLEASE do not just drop them off in the car-park, as you will have no guarantee that the session for that day is definitely on, or that the coaches are there to look after your children (as they may have been unavoidably detained for some reason).
• Adhere by the club rules and codes of conduct
• Register your child on the club website (by registering yourself) AND MAINTAINING ALL REQUIRED EMERGENCY CONTACT DETAILS AND MEDICAL INFORMATION that the club should know about – it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to ensure it is up to date on the website, as this is the source the club will use for its most up- to-date information
• Be aware that the club and its coaches only expect to look after the wellbeing of your child whilst they are on the Astroturf training/playing – at all other times they are YOUR responsibility.

The club will expect you to....

• ensure that your son/daughter is dropped off and picked up promptly from training
• accept the guidance that coaches provide and umpire’s decisions within matches
• use correct language at all times
• never force your child to participate.

The Club would like you to...

• become involved in the club as much as possible. This provides your child with the support to enjoy their hockey
• feel able and willing to take on a volunteer role within the club
• ensure your plays within the rules of the game
• encourage fair play
• encourage your child to recognise good performance, not just results

Communication

• The club will need to ensure they can contact if required, so they should ask you for your contact details.
• It is part of the hockey philosophy that you are involved in your child’s interest. Please ensure that you build a relationship with the coach and support the club where possible
• Communication is two way and if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s participation in hockey please talk to his/her coach.

What do I do if I am concerned about my child’s safety, well-being or behaviour?

• Club has Child Welfare Officers – Ian Whetton & Steph Thandi & Kayleigh Bignell
• Please ask to speak with them and explain you concerns
• All concerns will be taken seriously and investigated
• All concerns will be treated in the strictest confidence, with only the people who can help the situation becoming involved if required

If you have any questions or queries please get in touch with any captain or committee member or come and speak to a member of the coaching staff before, during or after training.