Welfare and Conduct

Welfare Officers

VAC’s Welfare Officers are Stuart Matthews and Anna Garnier. They can be emailed at welfare@vetsac.org.uk. Alternatively, they can be contacted individually via their email addresses or phone numbers shown on the  Officers webpage.

VAC’s Welfare Officers play a key role in ensuring that club members have a safe and positive experience at the club.  They are the people whom members should contact if they have a safeguarding or discipline or conduct concern. The Welfare Officers will also manage lower-level club issues and disputes and flag concerns for early intervention to prevent escalation and behaviours which might spoil enjoyment of the sport. 

VAC’s Welfare Officers form part of the club’s committee and have a leading role in implementing good safeguarding governance at VAC. The Welfare Officers, with the support of VAC's Committee, undertake the relevant roles and responsibilities set out in the UK Athletics Code of Conduct for Welfare Officers. By completing the training provided by England Athletics and understanding the policies and procedures set out by UK Athletics, the Welfare Officers have the right level of knowledge for the role and know whom to contact within the sport for further advice or to escalate a matter if necessary.   

Code of Conduct for Athletes 

VAC has adopted the UKA Code of Conduct for senior athletes. It is a condition of VAC membership that VAC members must agree to abide by the Code of Conduct. This is included in the Terms and Conditions that members must accept when joining VAC or renewing their membership.  

UKA Code of Conduct: Senior Athletes

Safeguarding  

VAC has adopted the UKA Club Safeguarding Code of Conduct  

UKA Club Safeguarding Code of Conduct 

and will follow the policies, procedures and processes set out by the UKA and the Home Countries Athletics Federations for managing safeguarding concerns at these links: 

UK Athletics and HCAF Adult Safeguarding Policy 

UK Athletics and HCAF Adult Safeguarding Procedures

 

Terms and Conditions for entering and participating in a VAC event 

Entry and participation in a VAC event are conditional on the acceptance of VAC’s Terms and Conditions for Competitions. Note that one of the T&Cs has the effect of giving permission for participants’ photographs to be taken during the competition and thereafter used for website and promotional purposes by the organiser and/or England Athletics. An individual has the right to request that such images of themselves are removed from publication across all channels. VAC will use best endeavours to ensure this is carried out at the earliest possible time. 

Terms and Conditions for Entering and Participating in a VAC Event 

Anti-Doping 

VAC has adopted the following statement as part of the club’s Terms and Conditions for entering a VAC event: 

“An entrant shall be deemed to have made him/herself/their self, familiar with, and agreed to be bound by the UKA Anti-Doping Rules and to submit to the authority of UK Anti-Doping in the application and enforcement of the Anti-Doping Rules. The UKA Anti-Doping Rules apply to entrants participating in the sport of Athletics, for 12 months from the [date of entry], whether or not the entrant is a citizen of, or resident in, the UK.” 

Further information about anti-doping rules including prohibited substances can be found on the England Athletics and BMAF websites at these links: 

England Athletics “Clean Athletics” 

BMAF Anti-Doping Advice and Rules