Social media, blogs and chat room are all potentially dangerous places the site http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/   provides some tips on how you can keep children and youth safe online.

While social media provides excellent tools for helping engage with members and the public, it can also present a number of risks such as:

• Cyber bullying- through posts which are upsetting to people and often inaccurate.
• Causing offence to individuals, or other clubs and organisations.
• Exposure to inappropriate content, or nasty comments and pictures.

The British Aikido Board has published the following supplementary documents to its Safeguarding policy:-

• Photographic & Recorded Images of Children  (Download Jan20)
• Electronic Communication (Download Appendix 22)

The Club adopts the governing body's guidance as provided in our constitution.

The purpose of this policy / document is to suggest how volunteers with Trafford Aikido Club, its parents and member's use social media in relation to the Club. This social media policy is seen as an extension of our Codes of Conduct.

Social media (including personal and professional websites, blogs, chat rooms and bulletin boards; social networks, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram; video-sharing sites such as YouTube) are a common means of communication and self-expression and can be personal or reference others.

Everyone involved in our club has the responsibility to safeguard both in and away from the Dojo, this includes communications. It's essential that volunteers, members and Aikidoka make informed decisions about how they use the internet, mobile phone and email / message communications to protect our club and our people.

 

Our core pointers:-

• Think before posting - use common sense - if in doubt don't post.
• Be respectful and factual. Respect copyright and give credit to others for their work
• Avoid controversial or potentially inflammatory subjects.
• Avoid hostility or harassment.
• Confidentiality and Privacy - avoid posting personal information such as name, address, contact details.
• Refrain from publishing what could be subjective comments about other Clubs, Coaches or Aikidoka.
• Images should not be taken or posted of U18s other than by the Club. {See note below re Parental consent}

The Club has a website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. Access to create/update pages & posts are restricted to appointed individuals in the Club. The purpose of these channels being to promote the club and provide information for both members and the public.  Rarely is personal information used but when it is prior consent is obtained.

Communications: the Club uses Mailchimp to send information to parents for U16, those on the Senior mat and those who have signed up to the distribution list.

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Parental consent is on the additional Membership application form – "Trafford Aikido will, from time to time, take photographs and videos solely to promote Aikido and the Club. No personal information will be published of those under 18. This is within the policy for use of images set out by the governing body the British Aikido Board. Others may not take images to prevent intrusive and inappropriate images being obtained."

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Our Social Media / Website policy »