Junior Member Guidance
For parents, carers and players under 18. This is a summary of the arrangements for junior players in the Sudbury Chess Club Safeguarding Policy. If anything here differs from the policy, the policy applies.
Welcome
Sudbury Chess Club welcomes players of all ages and abilities, and we want junior players to enjoy their chess in a safe and friendly environment. This guidance explains what the Club does to keep junior players safe, what we ask of parents and carers, and what we ask of junior players themselves.
The venue
The Club meets in the evening at the Sudbury Institute Club, a licensed members' club with a bar. Other activities, such as snooker, darts and social events, take place at the same time, and the Club has no control over who else is in the building.
During a session the Club uses the private events room at the front of the building and the tables next to the bar area. The Club's arrangements cover those areas, from the start to the end of the session. Elsewhere in the building, before and after the session, and on the way to and from the Club, junior players are the responsibility of their parent or carer.
The Institute's own rules apply to everyone on its premises. For junior players this means:
- junior players must keep away from the bar area;
- no one may buy or supply alcohol for anyone under 18;
- junior players must not use the gaming machines, and must not use the snooker tables unsupervised;
- junior players must be signed in as the Institute requires.
Children under 14
A parent, guardian or carer must stay on the premises for the whole of any session or match their child attends, and remains responsible for their child throughout.
If a parent cannot attend, they may nominate another responsible adult to take their place. This can be a standing arrangement, recorded on the registration form, or a one-off arrangement for a particular session, agreed by emailing the Club Secretary beforehand. The nominated adult takes on the parent's responsibility for the child while they are there.
Young people aged 14 to 17
A junior aged 14 to 17 may attend club nights and matches without a parent or carer present, if a parent, guardian or carer has given permission on the registration form. The form asks separately for permission to attend without a parent, and for permission to travel to and from the Club alone.
Young people attending on their own are expected to stay in the Club's area for the whole session. Their parent or carer remains responsible for them at all times.
Travel and away matches
Junior players of a suitable standard may play in league matches, at home and away. The Club does not arrange transport for junior players. Getting to and from matches is the responsibility of the parent or carer. Any lift or supervision a parent arranges with another adult, including a Club member, is a private arrangement between them; the Club does not arrange, approve or take responsibility for it.
What the Club does and does not do
The Club and its members do not take on parental responsibility for junior players, and Club members must not be asked to supervise a child in place of a parent or carer. Within its area and during its sessions, the Club takes reasonable care for junior players' safety and wellbeing, and will act on any safeguarding concern.
The Club follows the "Rule of Three": an adult, other than a junior's own parent or carer, should not be alone with a junior player. If an adult needs to speak with a junior one to one, for example to go over a game, it happens in the open playing area where others can see.
What we ask of junior players
- Treat everyone with respect.
- Stay in the Club's area during sessions, and follow the Institute's rules.
- Tell a Safeguarding Officer, your parent or carer, or any adult at the Club you trust, if anything or anyone makes you feel uncomfortable. You do not need to be sure that something is wrong.
The Club WhatsApp group
Junior players are welcome to join the Club's WhatsApp group, provided a parent or carer is also a member of the group. Adults will not message junior players privately, and the Club will contact junior players about Club matters through their parent or carer.
Photographs
The Club will only photograph or film a junior player, or publish their image, with a parent's or carer's consent, which is given or refused on the registration form and can be withdrawn at any time. Published images use group photos where possible, and never a junior's full name alongside their image. Photography at the Institute also needs the Institute's permission. Other clubs and events may take photographs at away matches, which the Club cannot control.
If you have a concern
If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
Otherwise, tell one of the Club's Safeguarding Officers as soon as possible:
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Lead Safeguarding Officer | Jon Pascoe |
| Deputy Safeguarding Officer | Steven Hembery |
| Deputy Safeguarding Officer | Antony Voller |
Email: safeguarding@sudburychessclub.co.uk
If no Safeguarding Officer is at the session, tell a committee member, who will pass your concern to a Safeguarding Officer the same day.
Junior players can raise a concern themselves, with a Safeguarding Officer or any adult at the Club they trust. They do not need to go through a parent. Young people can also contact Childline on 0800 1111, free and in confidence.
Concerns are treated confidentially and shared only with those who need to know. If someone may be at risk of harm, the Club will share information with the appropriate authorities, even if asked not to.
Registration
Before a junior player's first session, a parent, guardian or carer must complete the Club's online junior registration form at www.sudburychessclub.co.uk/junior-registration. The form records contact details, an emergency contact, and the permissions and consents described above. It must be renewed each season. Registration, and agreement to this guidance, is a condition of attendance.
The Club handles the information on the form in line with its privacy notice.
This guidance was last updated in November 2026. It is reviewed alongside the Safeguarding Policy.