Teampix Safeguarding and Child Protection Statement:
All children and young people have the right to play sport and fulfil their potential in a safe and enjoyable environment. Teampix Sports Event Photographers recognises its moral duty and legal obligation to protect 'vulnerable persons' when photographing events. Our aim is to do everything possible to create and promote a safe environment to minimise the risk of harm to vulnerable persons.
'Vulnerable persons' include children, young adults under the age of 18 and vulnerable adults. We aim to deliver first class services within a sporting environment that puts welfare first.
Context
It is widely recognised that Sports can have a powerful, positive influence on people of all ages in terms of health and for social, physical and educational development. Being involved in Sport is fun! It is therefore very natural for parents and carers not only to want to see their child enjoying a full range of sporting activities both indoors and outdoors, but also to want to capture those moments in photographs. There is something priceless in photographing a child's first kick of the ball, them passing the finishing line, a fantastic tackle, a great strike, or a sublime goal. A picture is invaluable for recording the pride of a child lining out in their team or school kit. What could be more precious than capturing these fleeting moments in photographs and saving them forever?
However because of the world we now live in there is so much fear, suspicion and uncertainty about actually taking a photograph at an event or tournament where children, young people and vulnerable adults are involved. Many parents and carers are terrified of pointing a camera even vaguely in the direction of their own child, let alone a crowd of others.
Transparent Approach
At Teampix Sports Event Photographers, we acknowledge these fears and rather than avoid the issue, we believe in being open and transparent in what we do and how we manage the issue of child protection and safeguarding. Please refer to our Child Protection Policy outlined below for details of our approach.
It is important to be clear and very open about what Teampix do. We photograph children and young people, at play in sporting events, in team and individual games, in clubs and schools and in competitions. We photograph them as individuals in portraits, or in more candid moments during games. We photograph them in team groups, in opening parades and in award ceremonies. But above all else we capture your children in the full flow of action at their event. These are the pictures you will want to see, want to cherish – that is our business.
We bring our vast experience of professional editorial Sports Photography to this area of sporting life and we do so in full knowledge of the fears and suspicions that abound in modern society. For your reassurance we have developed an open and transparent policy that mirrors those used by a range of sporting clubs and associations.
We endorse the principles outlined in the “Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children's Sport" produced by Sport Northern Ireland. This document can be found at www.sportni.net
Further Discussions
We are happy to discuss any aspect of this policy with you as parents, coaches, event organisers and teachers. In addition, we will endeavour to comply with any further good practices which are deemed necessary to enable us to work at your events.
Please call Teampix Sports Event Photographers on 07752774127 or email us info@teampix.co.uk to discuss any concerns you may have or for help and advice in ensuring that your event is photographed in a safe, transparent and professional manner.
Teampix Approach to Safeguarding Issues in photographing sporting events
Access NI Checks:
1. All those working for Teampix , whether in a paid, voluntary or placement capacity will have undergone a satisfactory check and certification from Access NI. This covers both photographic and support workers.
Teampix will only be permitted to participate in tasks at public events once the Access NI check and certification is complete.
Teampix will accept Access NI checks and certification previously obtained, provided they are equal to or less than six months old (as stated on the certificate).
Copies of Access NI certificates are available to event organisers upon request.
2. Members of Teampix will take every opportunity to attend Child Protection training courses provided by the various sporting bodies.
3. Teampix photographers will never have sole access to children.
4. Teampix photographers will only use verbal commands for setting up posed photographs. Photographers are advised that they should never physically move children into specific groups or poses.
5. Pictures are taken to record and celebrate events in a safe environment. As such:
Pictures will only be taken where children are appropriately kitted out for their sporting event.
No picture will be taken of children in distress, in pain, or in any situation that may be deemed embarrassing.
No personal details such as name, address or email will be accredited to any image whatsoever.
No photographic or image-capturing equipment will be used or taken into changing rooms unless at the express request of event organisers in relation to team celebrations.
6. If requested by the event organiser, children's photographs uploaded to the Teampix website can be password protected. This password will be supplied to a named event organiser only and it will be at his or her discretion to supply this password to parents, coaches and club officials. Under no circumstances will such a password be disclosed to anyone other than the event organiser. If such a request is made directly to Teampix then that person will be redirected to the event organiser.
7. If Teampix photographers are requested by a parent, guardian or a child not to take their picture at an event, then we will respect any such request and will endeavour to take all necessary steps to ensure that pictures of any such child are deleted from our image files and are not displayed in any public or closed gallery.
8. If a parent, guardian, child or coach request that certain images are removed from our website galleries then Teampix will immediately take all necessary steps to comply with any reasonable request of this nature.
9. Members of Teampix will be easily recognisable at any given event. Each person working for Teampix will be issued with outdoor wear with a Teampix logo that clearly identifies them as working for Teampix.
10. Image Usage:
- Teampix website has disabled the ability to right-click thus preventing unauthorised copying and image manipulation. .
- Teampix does not sell or give any images of children to the national, local or international press without the express permission of the event organisers. In such rare cases we will endeavour to contact parents seeking relevant permissions.
11. Members of Teampix will always act in a professional manner. Drinking alcohol, smoking and using inappropriate language in the company of children and young adults is unacceptable and should be reported to senior Teampix staff.
12. Any incident which breaches these guidelines should be reported immediately to staff in the Teampix tent during the event or emailed afterwards to info@teampix.co.uk
13. All allegations of inappropriate behaviour will be thoroughly investigated with the support and guidance of appropriate specialist bodies and appropriate action taken. The team member involved will be immediately suspended until the investigation is completed. If appropriate the incident will be reported to PSNI or Garda Siochana.