It’s not the responsibility of those working in aikido to decide whether or not child abuse is occurring. But it is their responsibility to act on concerns about inappropriate behaviour, abuse or bullying.

In aikido clubs the first person to contact should be your Club Welfare Officer (CWO). If the club does not have a CWO – or you do not know who they are – you must still take action.

You can contact the BAB’s Lead Safeguarding Officer (details here) or your local Children’s Social Services.

If action needs to be taken urgently to safeguard a child, contact the police by dialling 999.

If you are unsure about what to do then you can always chat through your concerns – in confidence – by calling the NSPCC’s 24 hour Helpline on NSPCC helpline.

• If you are concerned about something that has happened inside aikido then we have a flowchart to guide you through what to do. Click here to see the flow chart
• If you are concerned about something that has happened outside of aikido then we have a flowchart to guide you through what to do. Click here to see the flow chart

Dealing with allegations

Any allegations involving child welfare must be taken seriously, acted upon and treated confidentially. Children have a right to be believed and have their concerns acted on. All information received and discussed must be only be shared with those who will be able to manage and/or resolve the situation.

If an allegation is made against a particular person in aikido, the outcome may include any or all of the following:

• The club may immediately ask the person to leave the club (without prejudice) while an investigation is carried out. This is a precaution to protect all parties involved.
• On completion of the investigation, the BAB will help the club decide whether it’s appropriate for the person to return to work with children in aikido, and how this will be managed.
• The BAB will signpost sources of support for the person about whom allegations have been made