The purpose of this policy statement is to:

·      Protect children and young people who take part in Family Karate Clubs related activities and events where photographs and videos may be taken.

·     Communicate the expectations and restrictions in taking photographs and/or videos of children and young people during our events and activities.

·      Ensure that we comply with relevant legislation and guidance for creating, using and sharing images of children and young people.

This policy statement applies to all Club members, parents/carers, and visitors attending Family Karate Clubs activities and events. It acknowledges the Club’s responsibilities to; prevent abuse, promote the welfare of all children and ensure that any imagery is taken, used and shared safely and appropriately.

The Club recognises the value of imagery in celebrating the achievements of children and younger people. It also acknowledges the benefits of sharing these images in raising the profile of the Club. The welfare of children and younger taking part in our activities is of paramount importance though. The parents and carers of children, therefore, have the right to decide whether images of their children are taken and how they may be used. The Club, therefore, seeks to keep children and younger people safe by:

·         Seeking consent from a child’s parents or carers before any imagery is taken, or used.

·         Clearly stating; what images will be used for, how they will be stored and if there are any potential risks associated with this.

·         Explaining that it may not be possible to delete images once they are shared, even if consent is later withdrawn.

·         Not disclosing the full names, and other personal details of children whose images are used in any published material.

·         Not taking, or sharing any images of partially clothed children and only using images of children inappropriate clothing.

·         Limiting images to those that positively represent each child/young person and their involvement with the Club.

The Club is fully aware of the difficulties in enforcing rules regarding taking, and sharing photographs and/or videos. Every phone is a potential camera and provides almost immediate access to a variety of social media platforms. It is therefore really easy to take and share images within a few seconds. We will though reinforce our expectations by; making everyone associated with the Club aware of this policy and reminding parents/carers, and visitors attending our activities and events of the requirements of the policy.

Our expectations also extend to taking images for personal use, for example, a parent

taking photographs of their child at a grading test. The Club will provide additional

guidance in this respect though by:

·         Reminding everyone that consent needs to obtained for taking, or sharing any pictures or videos of children that are not family members.

·         Requesting that photos taken during the event are not shared on social media, particularly if prior consent has not been obtained.

·         Advising everyone to check the privacy settings on their social media accounts.

·         Reminding everyone about how they can report any concerns about imagery being shared.

Policy Review Date: 7th May 2022