Child Safeguarding & Protection Policy
Mauricio Gomes Jiu-Jitsu Legacy West London
Head Coach & Owner: Ash Hoque
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Ash Hoque
Last Reviewed: September 2026
Next Review: September 2028
Our Commitment
Mauricio Gomes Jiu-Jitsu Legacy West London is committed to providing a safe, welcoming and respectful environment for every child and young person who trains at our club.
The welfare of children is our highest priority. Everyone involved with the club—including instructors, coaches, volunteers and anyone acting on behalf of the club—has a responsibility to help protect children from abuse, neglect, bullying and other forms of harm.
This policy sets out the principles and standards we follow to safeguard children participating in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Mauricio Gomes Jiu-Jitsu Legacy West London.
Our Principles
We recognise that:
Every child has the right to feel safe, respected and listened to.
The welfare of the child is paramount.
All children have the right to equal protection from harm regardless of age, disability, gender, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or gender identity.
Some children may be particularly vulnerable because of previous experiences, disability, communication needs or other circumstances.
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.
Children and their parents or carers should be able to raise concerns without fear of being ignored or treated unfairly.
Safeguarding concerns should be dealt with promptly, appropriately and sensitively.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu involves physical contact, and this must always take place within appropriate professional and safeguarding boundaries.
We aim to create an environment in which children can enjoy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, develop their skills and confidence, build positive relationships and participate in training in a safe and supportive setting.
How We Safeguard Children
Mauricio Gomes Jiu-Jitsu Legacy West London will seek to protect children by:
Appointing a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
Ensuring instructors and volunteers understand their safeguarding responsibilities.
Maintaining appropriate recruitment and background-checking procedures.
Ensuring appropriate safeguarding training is undertaken.
Following clear procedures for reporting and responding to safeguarding concerns.
Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries between instructors and children.
Providing training appropriate to each child's age, ability, experience and physical development.
Promoting an environment in which children are treated with dignity and respect.
Taking safeguarding concerns seriously.
Referring concerns to the appropriate external organisation or authority where necessary.
Instructor & Coach Responsibilities
Everyone working with children at Mauricio Gomes Jiu-Jitsu Legacy West London is expected to:
Complete appropriate safeguarding checks, including a DBS check where applicable.
Complete appropriate safeguarding training.
Read and follow this policy and the club's safeguarding procedures.
Follow the club's instructor code of conduct.
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries with children at all times.
Treat every child fairly and with respect.
Raise safeguarding concerns promptly with the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Cooperate with safeguarding investigations or referrals where required.
Ensure training is appropriate for the child's age, ability, experience and physical development.
Where appropriate, the club will obtain references and provide suitable supervision and support when new instructors or volunteers begin working with children.
Recognising Abuse
Child abuse can take a number of forms. Everyone working with children should remain alert to changes in behaviour, unexplained injuries, comments made by a child or other circumstances that may indicate that a child is experiencing harm.
A safeguarding concern does not have to involve obvious or immediate evidence of abuse. If something causes an instructor to be concerned about a child's welfare, it should be reported.
Physical Abuse
Physical abuse involves deliberately causing physical harm to a child. This may include hitting, kicking, shaking, burning, choking or deliberately causing injury.
Because Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu involves physical contact and training-related injuries can occur, instructors should remain alert to injuries or behaviour that cannot reasonably be explained by normal training or accidental contact.
Physical punishment is never acceptable at the club.
Emotional Abuse
Emotional abuse involves persistent behaviour that causes a child emotional harm. This may include humiliation, intimidation, threats, persistent criticism, rejection or making a child feel worthless or afraid.
At Mauricio Gomes Jiu-Jitsu Legacy West London, instructors must never use humiliation, intimidation, threats or degrading behaviour as a method of coaching or discipline.
Neglect
Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child's basic physical or emotional needs.
Possible indicators may include consistently inadequate clothing or equipment, lack of appropriate supervision, persistent hunger or exhaustion, or other significant concerns about a child's welfare.
A single incident does not necessarily indicate neglect, but repeated or significant concerns should be reported.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse involves involving a child in sexual activity or behaviour that they cannot or do not freely consent to.
This may include inappropriate touching, sexual communication, grooming, exploitation or exposure to sexual material.
Any sexualised behaviour towards a child by an instructor, volunteer, adult or another young person must be treated seriously and reported in accordance with this policy.
Bullying
Bullying can be physical, verbal, emotional or online. It may involve another child, an adult, an instructor or another person connected with the club.
Bullying, intimidation, humiliation and discriminatory behaviour are not acceptable at Mauricio Gomes Jiu-Jitsu Legacy West London.
If a Child Tells You Something Concerning
A child may disclose something directly, indirectly or through changes in their behaviour.
If a child chooses to speak to an instructor about something concerning:
Stay calm. Do not appear shocked, angry or disbelieving.
Listen carefully. Allow the child to explain in their own words.
Take them seriously.
Do not investigate the allegation yourself.
Do not ask leading or unnecessary questions.
Do not promise to keep the information completely secret. Explain, where appropriate, that you may need to share information with someone who can help keep them safe.
Make a written record as soon as possible, using the child's own words where possible.
Clearly distinguish between what you personally know and what you have been told.
Report the concern promptly to the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
The instructor's role is not to investigate or determine whether abuse has occurred.
Their responsibility is to listen, record and report appropriately.
Confidentiality
Safeguarding information must be handled sensitively.
Instructors must not discuss allegations or safeguarding concerns with other members, children, parents or colleagues unless this is necessary and authorised as part of the safeguarding process.
Information should only be shared with those who need to know in order to protect the child or respond appropriately.
Professional Boundaries
Adults working with children at Mauricio Gomes Jiu-Jitsu Legacy West London must maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
Instructors should:
Treat every child fairly and with respect.
Avoid favouritism or inappropriate special relationships.
Use appropriate language at all times.
Avoid unnecessary physical contact.
Explain physical contact when demonstrating or correcting techniques where appropriate.
Use physical contact only where it is relevant to teaching, demonstrating a technique or ensuring safety.
Avoid being alone with a child wherever reasonably possible.
Conduct one-to-one interactions in an open or observable environment.
Avoid inappropriate private communication with children.
Maintain appropriate boundaries on social media and messaging platforms.
Never engage in sexualised behaviour, comments or communication with a child.
Never use physical punishment, humiliation, threats or intimidation.
Never deliberately degrade or embarrass a child as a form of coaching or discipline.
Physical Contact in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu necessarily involves close physical contact. Physical contact between instructors and students may therefore be appropriate when teaching, demonstrating, correcting or ensuring safety.
However, instructors must always consider the child's age, circumstances and comfort.
Where physical contact is necessary:
Explain what is going to be demonstrated where appropriate.
Keep physical contact relevant to the technique or safety requirement.
Avoid unnecessary or prolonged contact.
Respect a child's reasonable request to stop or modify a demonstration.
Use another instructor or appropriate adult where a situation could reasonably be misunderstood.
Never use physical contact as punishment.
Children should also be taught that they have the right to tap or ask to stop whenever they feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
Training & Sparring Safety
Training must be appropriate for the participant's:
Age
Size
Ability
Experience
Physical development
Individual circumstances
Instructors are responsible for creating an environment in which children can learn and train safely.
This includes:
Appropriate supervision.
Suitable pairing of training partners.
Clear instruction regarding tapping and stopping.
Immediate respect for a child's tap or request to stop.
Appropriate control during sparring.
Intervention where behaviour becomes unsafe, excessively aggressive or inappropriate.
Appropriate consideration of injuries, illness or distress.
Ensuring children are not pressured into training or sparring beyond their reasonable limits.
Children should never be encouraged to regard injury, fear or significant distress as something they must simply tolerate in order to prove themselves.
Bullying & Discriminatory Behaviour
Mauricio Gomes Jiu-Jitsu Legacy West London does not tolerate bullying, harassment or discriminatory behaviour.
This includes behaviour relating to:
Race or ethnicity
Religion or belief
Disability
Sex or gender
Sexual orientation
Gender identity
Appearance or body size
Ability or experience
Family circumstances
Concerns about bullying or discriminatory behaviour should be reported to an instructor or the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
Online & Social Media Conduct
Adults working with children must maintain appropriate professional boundaries online.
Instructors should not use private social-media accounts or private messaging to develop inappropriate relationships with children.
Where communication with young members is necessary, the club will use appropriate and transparent communication channels wherever reasonably possible, with parents or carers included where appropriate.
Photographs or video of children should only be taken, stored or published in accordance with the club's consent and privacy procedures.
Reporting a Safeguarding Concern
Anyone who has a safeguarding concern should report it as soon as possible to the club's Designated Safeguarding Lead.
You do not need to be certain that abuse has occurred before raising a concern.
The responsibility of an instructor is to report a concern, not to investigate it.
If a concern involves the Designated Safeguarding Lead, it should be reported directly to the appropriate external safeguarding authority.
If a child is in immediate danger or requires urgent medical attention, contact the emergency services on 999.
For advice about safeguarding children in England, concerns can also be discussed with the NSPCC or the relevant local authority children's social care service.
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Name: Ash Hoque
Role: Head Coach, Owner & Designated Safeguarding Lead
Email: ash@smartclix.com
Useful Contacts
Emergency Services: 999
NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000
NSPCC: Advice and support relating to child protection and safeguarding.
Policy Review
This policy will be reviewed regularly and whenever there are significant changes to legislation, safeguarding guidance, club activities or safeguarding arrangements.
All instructors, coaches and volunteers working with children are expected to familiarise themselves with the current version of this policy and follow the club's safeguarding procedures.
Mauricio Gomes Jiu-Jitsu Legacy West London is committed to creating a club where children can train, learn and develop in an environment that is safe, respectful and supportive.
Our Story