The following is the adopted Safeguarding Policy of Purpose Wrestling, a professional wrestling events promotion currently based in London.
Purpose of this policy
The purpose of this policy is to protect people, particularly children and at risk adults from any harm that may be caused due to their coming into contact with Purpose Wrestling. This includes harm arising from:
- The conduct of staff or personnel associated with Purpose Wrestling
- The design and implementation of Purpose Wrestling’s activities
The policy lays out the commitments made by Purpose Wrestling, and informs Talent and Crew of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. This policy does not cover:
- Safeguarding concerns in the wider community not perpetrated by Purpose Wrestling, including other wrestling promotions, training schools and venues.
What is safeguarding?
In the UK, safeguarding means protecting peoples’ health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.
Who does this policy apply to?
- Purpose Wrestling Management
- Talent working with Purpose Wrestling
- Crew members working with Purpose Wrestling
- Associated persons whilst engaged with work related to Purpose Wrestling
- Purpose Wrestling Customers
Policy Statement
Purpose Wrestling believes that everyone we come into contact with, regardless of age, gender identity, ability, sexual orientation or ethnic origin has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation. Purpose Wrestling will not tolerate abuse and exploitation by staff or associated persons.
This policy will address the following areas of safeguarding:
- Child safeguarding
- Vulnerable adult safeguarding
- Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse
Purpose Wrestling commits to addressing safeguarding throughout its work, through the three pillars of Prevention, Reporting and Response.
Prevention
Purpose Wrestling responsibilities:
We will:
- Ensure all staff have access to, are familiar with, and know their responsibilities within this policy
- Design and undertake all activities in a way that protects people from risk of harm due to their involvement in Purpose Wrestling. This includes the way in which information about individuals in our programmes is gathered and communicated.
- Implement safeguarding procedures when recruiting, managing and deploying staff and associated personnel.
- Ensure Management receive training on safeguarding at a level commensurate with their role in the organisation.
- Follow up on reports of safeguarding concerns promptly and according to due process
- Ensure that all members of Management have been DBS checked
Staff responsibilites:
Child Safeguarding
Purpose Wrestling associated persons must not:
- Engage in sexual activity with anyone under the age of 18
- Sexually abuse or exploit children
- Subject a child to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect
- Engage in any commercially exploitative activities with children including child labouror trafficking
Purpose Wrestling will exhaust all available options for safeguarding Talent and Crew that are under 18, ensuring an open and clear communication with their parents/legal guardian. We will ensure a parent/legal guardian or someone who was directly appointed by them is present at all times, and that these parents/legal guardians are made aware of Purpose Wrestling’s Safeguarding policies.
Additionally, Purpose Wrestling associated persons are obliged to:
- Contribute to creating and maintaining an environment that prevents safeguarding violations and promotes the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy
- Report any concerns or suspicions regarding safeguarding violations by a member of Purpose Wrestling Talent and Crew or associated person to the identified Direct Liaison.
Reporting
Purpose Wrestling will ensure that safe, appropriate, accessible means of reporting safeguarding concerns are made available to those we work with.
Any trainer or trainee reporting concerns or complaints through formal whistleblowing channels will be protected by the Purpose Wrestling Disclosure of Malpractice in the Workplace Policy.
Purpose Wrestling will also accept complaints from external sources such as members of the public, partners and official bodies.
How to report a safeguarding concern
Staff members who have a complaint or concern relating to safeguarding should report it immediately to the Safeguarding Lead. If the staff member does not feel comfortable reporting to that person, they may report to any other appropriate Management member.
The current Safeguarding Lead is David Francisco (dfranciscowrestler@gmail.com)
Purpose Wrestling guarantees that this email address is entirely private and for the viewing solely of the named Direct Liaison.
Purpose Wrestling undertakes that the contact details of the Direct Liaison will also be featured on premises.
This policy document will be provided to all Talent and Crew on their first day of working with Purpose Wrestling (and retrospectively, when it is updated, to current Talent and Crew).
Response
Purpose Wrestling will follow up safeguarding reports and concerns according to policy and procedure, and legal and statutory obligations.
Purpose Wrestling will apply appropriate disciplinary measures to Talent and Crew found in breach of policy.
Purpose Wrestling will offer support to survivors of harm caused by Talent and Crew or associated persons regardless of whether a formal internal response is carried out (such as an internal investigation).
Decisions regarding support will be led by the survivor.
Confidentiality
It is essential that confidentiality is maintained at all stages of the process when dealing with safeguarding concerns.
Information relating to the concern and subsequent case management should be shared on a need to know basis only and should be kept secure at all times.
Associated policies
Purpose Wrestling Code of Conduct
Purpose Wrestling Disclosure of Malpractice in the Workplace Policy
Glossary of Terms
Child
A person below the age of 18
Harm
Psychological, physical and any other infringement of an individual’s rights
Psychological harm
Emotional or psychological abuse, including (but not limited to) humiliating and degrading treatment such as bad name calling, constant criticism, belittling, persistent shaming, solitary confinement and isolation
Safeguarding
In the UK, safeguarding means protecting peoples’ health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.
Safeguarding applies consistently and without exception across Purpose Wrestling. It requires proactively identifying, preventing and guarding against all risks of harm, exploitation and abuse and having mature, accountable and transparent systems for response, reporting and learning when risks materialise. Those systems must be survivor-centred and also protect those accused until proven guilty.
Safeguarding puts beneficiaries and affected persons at the centre of all we do.
Sexual abuse
The term ‘sexual abuse’ means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions.
Sexual exploitation
The term ‘sexual exploitation’ means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. This definition incudes human trafficking and modern slavery.
Survivor
The person who has been abused or exploited. The term ‘survivor’ is often used in preference to ‘victim’ as it implies strength, resilience and the capacity to survive, however it is the individual’s choice how they wish to identify themselves.
At risk adult
Sometimes also referred to as vulnerable adult. A person who is or may be in need of care by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care of themselves or unable to protect themselves against significant harm or exploitation.