Junior club rugby and child protection

sarahpix

sarahpix

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Sarah
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I recently suggested to my son's rugby club that they use photos as a club fundraiser at a forthcoming Minis tournament and immediately came up against "child protection and consent issues".
I see from a number of discussion threads that photographers clearly do this in England (football mostly), posting photos for sale on their websites and selling on the day. I don't know if child protection laws are different in Scotland and England but how have clubs met legal requirements?
My son's club has a box to tick on the annual registration form permitting taking and using photos and I assume, but have not checked, that other clubs are similar. Do organisers have paperwork specific to a tournament? Help and suggestions please so I can take this back to the committee.
 
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Personally, I can't see why they don't have a line in the conditions of membership or participation that says the parent consents to use of photos, with an 'opt out' tick box. If the kids name isn't mentioned, I can't see the problem. Standard procedure, use photo (press, web), mention club, not child's name. End of. I think its more to do with risk assessment than law. Determine the hazard. Assess the risks. Decide what to do.
 
Yep anything I shoot with kids contact the home club and ask them to contact the visiting club to see if there are any issues on either side. It is mainly to prevent photos of kids and vulnerable people to protect them so that photos of them dont appear in locations that they could be recognised by the people they are being hidden from.

Most clubs have the tick box to consent to photos etc and if it is more sensitive then the carer of said person usually makes the situation clar to the coach of the team anyway so they know if photos can or can't be taken.

If you are asked to photograph a game or event then it it up to the person who asks you to make sure it is all ok, if you get challenged while shooting point them to the organizer or person who asked you to shoot.
 
Thanks, all good sense but I think they are backing off gaining consent from about 7+ teams at 4 different age levels and I dont know how motivated they are.
 
The rfu actively encourages photography in juniors and minis rugby. I've never had a problem, used to sell prints to fund the team ( my lads has now given up rugby).
You can get the rfu to crb you just in case of any issues. You should be able to do this through your clubs child protection officer ( they must have one for youth rugby, the rfu insists). if you have any issues ( and I did with ours) then you can apply to the rfu and they will crb you. I have a crb that covers me for any club.

Do check the rfu policy
http://www.rfu.com/ManagingRugby/Sa...es/2009/Safeguarding/Photographic Policy.ashx
Especially the bit about full names.
 
Thanks Byker, had to check the Scottish Rugby Union guidelines and nothing drastic there, if a little contradictory. I think it is a lack of interest by certain club officials.
 
My experience covering hockey in Scotland is that I've never had a problem at a junior event. I never put names to photos, and I suppose I'm well enough known in the sport now that nobody worries about me when I go to national status events.

The only time I had a problem was at a minor senior level indoor game when one team demanded I leave as they had a couple of juniors in their team. Presumably it was ok for the senior players to share the dressing room facilities with these kids, but somebody taking a few photos of the game was too risky.....


Anyway, as an aside, I like this sign which appears at the canoe slalom course at Grandtully
6181996556_e03c161592.jpg

(apart from the punctuation)
 
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I've recently been photographing my son playing football for his team. I haven't asked for permission from the manager or other parents on the premise as asking for permission it is easier to give someone an excuse to say no (It's not good manners, I know, but I want to take the pics unless I was really upsetting someone). So far I've had no problem other than parents telling me to submit some pics to the club...if only I could take something stunning to offer :bang:

I've even taken pics of a premiership players son (who was far too good for my son's team!!) with their dads brother (ex player, now pundit - guess who that is :lol:) and other family members in tow - not an issue.

I'd always listen to objections to me taking photo's but I don't really want to go out of my way and give the easy option to people to say 'No'
 
If I am open and people are aware of my direction then I have no problem at all with parents, coaches or touchline managers.

I think if you ask first, no one will then go behind your back and say something to the powers that be..... by not asking you are leaving yourself open ... Just my opinion.
 
I've taken pictures at a kids footy event (official tog) and in the programme it basically says, this is a public domain and pictures will be taken. Pics are sold on the day and sometimes I upload to private galleries, but something like .com/under7, so ALL the under 7's teams can see ALL the under 7's pictures. Same with under 8's etc etc.

I've taken pictures for a private nursery, which is sort of upto the parent to bring their child to me to take at a mobile studio. Some sessions the parents stay clear of me, so I go in the room and announce I'm 'going in' to take action shots unless someone has an objection.

I've taken pics of my own boys playing footy and mentioned to both teams managers prior to taking.

I've taken pics of friends kids without permission from anyone else, apart from the friends I'm taking for, BUT, I am related to the club and most people know me or have seen me around.

I am crb'd with the local school for their school PTA and also with the local kids footy club as I get involved now and again.

I have to say though...it's all gone a bit mad in my opinion. I'm for pictures being taken, so maybe that's why I think like this?

At my boys primary school, parents with kids in KS2 couldn't take pics or vids of their kids in the xmas play or sportsday because of 1 or 2 objections at the start of the school year (asked by the school each year). ALL the parents in KS1 agreed this could happen, so pics and vids were ok. Fortunately for me, both my kids were in KS1 at the time.
 
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