Child Wellbeing and Protection Responding to Concerns Procedure

Who this procedure applies to

This procedure applies to every Scottish Esports activity, online and in person, and to people of all ages, including children (anyone under 18) and adults at risk. Our people (everyone who works, volunteers or represents Scottish Esports in any capacity) must follow it. Anyone, including players, Team Managers, parents/carers and spectators, can use it to raise a concern. You do not need proof: deciding whether harm has happened is for the CWPO and the statutory agencies.

If someone tells you something

If it is said in a public channel (all-chat, Discord or broadcast chat), move to a safe, official setting. Never start a private one-to-one conversation with a player under 18.

Online concerns

• Stop the harm where you have the role to: mute, kick or ban a user, remove a message, pause a match or cut a broadcast feed. Record what you removed first.
• Sexual extortion: tell the young person not to pay or send anything more, not to delete the conversation, and to block the account once evidence is recorded. Tell the CWPO and Police Scotland straight away.
• Young people can get their own images removed through Report Remove (Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation). Scottish Esports will also report accounts to the game publisher, Discord or platform provider.

Concerns about our people

• Report any allegation about one of our people to the CWPO (or the Deputy CWPO or Chair of the Board if it involves the CWPO). Never deal with it only through a line manager or colleagues.
• Scottish Esports may remove the person from their role as a precaution while the concern is looked into. This is not a finding of wrongdoing. Where police or social work are involved, we wait for them before starting our own inquiry.
• If someone is permanently removed from regulated work and the conditions in the Making a Referral Guidance and Policy are met, we will refer them to Disclosure Scotland within 3 months, as the law requires..
• Concerns about a Team Manager or other staff of an institution or organisation are passed to their employer to deal with. We may suspend them from our activities in the meantime.

Working with institutions and organisations

Scottish Esports is responsible for its own people and spaces (the tournament platform, Discord servers, broadcasts and events). An institution or organisation is responsible for its own students, members and staff under its own safeguarding policy, and normally leads on anything involving them. Where a concern involves both, the CWPO and the designated safeguarding lead agree who does what.

Confidentiality and records

• Concerns are shared only with those who need to know to keep someone safe. Confidentiality can never be promised, and data protection law must never stop a concern being reported.
• In competitions, identify players under 18 by placeholder username and institution only. Scottish Esports does not routinely hold their personal information (General Competition Rules section 5).
• Records are kept securely by the CWPO with restricted access. Never keep copies on personal devices or accounts.

Incident report form

Complete within 24 hours and send to safeguarding@scotesports.org. Record facts, not opinions, and use the person’s own words. For players under 18 in competitions, use placeholder username and institution only. Do not attach indecent images.

For the CWPO: date received; actions and by whom; agencies contacted (with reference numbers); outcome; date closed.

Useful contacts

Support, whistleblowing and review: anyone who raises a concern in good faith will be supported, and victimising them is a serious breach of the Code of Conduct. If you feel a concern has not been dealt with properly, contact the NSPCC Whistleblowing Advice Line, Police Scotland or the local council’s social work service. Reviewed with the Child Wellbeing and Protection Policy, after any significant concern, and at least every three years.

Related documents: Child Wellbeing and Protection Policy; Making a Referral Guidance and Policy; Code of Conduct; Online Safety Policy Statement; General Competition Rules; Secure Handling of Disclosure Information Policy.