Go! Active - Play

It is important that children, parents and staff behave in a way that encourages the fun, safe and secure environment we are committed to providing. Every child is different but there are common behaviours that are needed to ensure a positive experience for all and we ask that parents and children read our Code of Conduct prior to booking and attending Sports Splash Holiday Camps.

Our Code of Conduct includes expected and not-acceptable behaviours and our process for managing behaviour that compromises the well-being of children and staff.  Our intention is to always provide positive experiences for every child and we appreciate your support to ensure this takes place.

Expected Behaviours

• Be helpful
• Be respectful and polite to others
• Get involved and participate
• Kind hands, feet and words
• Take responsibility for your own actions

Yellow Card Behaviours

• Being disruptive
• Damaging equipment or facilities
• Failing to follow the mobile phone policy
• Lack of taking responsibility for your actions
• Negative, hurtful or unkind words and actions
• Not allowing others to be heard
• Not keeping your hands and feet to yourself
• Repeated not listening and following directions

Red Card Behaviours

• Being over physical with others
• Racial, homophobic or discriminatory language or actions
• Repeated incidents of Yellow Card behaviour
• Repeatedly failing to follow the mobile phone policy
• Stealing, vandalism or deliberately damaging equipment or facilities
• Un-safe behaviour like running away, climbing fences or hiding, verbal threats or intent to hurt others

Outcomes of Poor Behaviour

Yellow Card Behaviours

Behaviour Management Stages

Stage 1: Group Coach informs child that behaviour is not acceptable and child is asked not to repeat it

Stage 2: Repeat behaviour – Responsible Officer is informed, incident recorded and parent informed (usually at pick-up time or sooner at responsible officers discretion)

Stage 3: Further poor behaviour – Outcome selected based on severity and frequency of Yellow Card Behaviour

End of Season - Notes are made on child’s profile for future seasons. These form part of the child’s notes to staff for 1 year following the incident. The Team will review a child’s notes from the previous year when considering suitable outcomes.

Outcomes of Yellow Card Behaviour

• Yellow 1. Agreed behaviour management strategy is implemented by Group Coach and responsible officer. Parent to support staff with ideas.
  Strategies that  staff can use – basic sticker/reward chart, creating a safe space nearby their group, having small toy or resource with them for comfort (no screens), showing an emotion card to their group coach, having a now/next card
• Yellow 2. Child’s parent informed of behaviour (via incident report form and speaking to them in-person) and told that any further incident will lead to a cooling off period
• Yellow 3. Child’s parent is called to come and pick them up. A cooling off period is issued and the child may return the following day but any further incident will lead to them not being able to return to camp

When the child returns to camp, both parent and child must understand that further instances of Yellow Card behaviour will result in them not being able to return to camp.

The Team reserves the right to escalate or skip stages where incidents are deemed to have an adverse impact on other children, staff, venue or the safety and experience of others is at risk.

As standard, Incident Report form will be completed by the staff on-site detailing what has happened in order to provide full context for parents. A copy will be given to the parent and the other copy is retained by BDC.

Red Card Behaviours

Behaviour Management Stages

Step 1: Child is informed that behaviour is not acceptable and that parents will be informed. Responsible Officer and Manager informed. Incident reports are completed.

Step 2: The Management Team will agree suitable outcome with Responsible Officer to make recommendation

Step 3: The Management Team to agree outcome and to assist in implementing it e.g. calling parents to inform them

Step 4: The Management Team to review if the child can return in future seasons or not

Outcomes of Red Card Behaviour

• Red 1. Child is picked up from camp that day and has a 24-hour cooling off period
• Red 2. Child is not being able to return to camp for the remaining week
• Red 3. Child is not being able to return to camp for the remaining season
• Red 4. Child is unable to return to camp indefinitely

Incidents will be recorded using Incident Report to ensure that the Management Team are informed of what is happening to be better placed to advise.

The Team reserves the right to escalate or skip stages where incidents are deemed to have an adverse impact on other children, staff, venue or the safety and experience of others is at risk.

As standard, an Incident Report form will be completed by the staff on-site detailing what has happened in order to provide full context for parents. A copy will be given to the parent and the other copy is retained by BDC.

Possible Strategies for Staff to employ

Create a Safe Place

• Set up a safe space (Attention Station) where a child can sit when needing the attention of potentially busy staff. This could be particularly useful for children that are non-verbal or have other communication issues.
• Use cones or a hula hoop to be used exclusively for that child – they can feel ownership of it by choosing the colour and being able to carry it during transitions
• If they are feeling overwhelmed or need some chill out time, they can use their portable safe space to have that time when they are not to be disturbed by other children or excessively by the coach

Silent Signals/Gestures

• These can be used without calling attention to individual children and help to build confidence and a good relationship with coaches and leaders. This may be something as straightforward as a thumbs up, OK or a nod or shake of the head and be useful even for those that may be shy or introverted. However children need to be made aware of the signals to be used and ideally should choose the ones they are comfortable with.

Now and Next

• This is a visual strategy to help children understand and complete activities, keep them on task and help them with transitions. Show a plan for the next hour, the morning or even the whole day, depending on what helps the child most. Keep it updated and explain any changes to the plan
• Use the now/next board to pre-empt transitions with children and explain that one activity is coming to the end and what they will be going to next

Sticker/Reward Chart/System

• Get the child to decorate it themselves so that they feel like it is special, individual for them and they are invested in achieving their goals

• Set 3 individualised targets for the child which positively frames what they need to focus on, for example listening to instructions, follow directions the first time they are given and being kind to other children
• Use stickers, stamps, stars or smiley faces to reward their positive behaviours and re-direct their attention to meeting their targets

Comfort Toy/Resource

• A small stuffed animal, a book or factfile, sticker book etc. all make for good distraction or grounding for a child who is feeling overwhelmed. It can offer comfort or a source of familiarity for them until they are ready to re-join the activity with their group

Emotion Cards

• Small cards with a message on it such as ‘I am feeling overwhelmed’ ‘I am feeling angry’ or ‘I need a break’ that a child can show to their coach if they are struggling to regulate their emotions

• Encourage the child to engage with their coach and express their emotions rather than displaying disruptive behaviour and praise the child when they use it effectively

Success with implementing these strategies would be in Yellow Card behaviours being drastically reduced, the coach being able to successfully manage this behaviour alongside their group responsibilities and the child participating and enjoying the experience