Teach a few clear rules
Use short rules people can remember.
“Keep hands, feet, and equipment safe.”
“Stop when a coach gives the stop signal.”
“Treat people with respect.”
“Tell us when you need help.”
Explain what these look like in a real activity. Do not assume a new participant understands the camp's habits.
Look for the need behind the behaviour
A person may be confused, tired, frightened, in pain, overwhelmed, or unsure how to join in.
This does not make unsafe actions acceptable. It helps you choose a useful response.
Move from blame to a clear next step: “The ball needs to stay on the court. Let us put it down and work out what happened.”
Use calm, safe responses
Reduce the audience where possible while keeping required supervision and visibility. Speak in a calm voice. Give one clear choice or instruction at a time.
Use the person's agreed support plan. Offer an appropriate break with supervision, not isolation as punishment.
Do not use hitting, humiliation, threats, withheld food or water, forced exercise, or public shaming.
This guide does not teach restraint. Any emergency physical intervention must comply with law, policy, and specialist training. Do not use restraint as a routine behaviour tool.
Treat bullying as more than a disagreement
Stop the immediate harm. Protect the affected person. Speak privately with those involved and record the facts.
Do not force a public apology or immediate face-to-face meeting when it may add pressure or risk.
Check for repeated actions, exclusion, online messages, threats, or harassment. Tell the right adults what they need to know without sharing another participant's private file.
Set a follow-up date. A conversation is not enough if the behaviour continues tomorrow.
Plan when participation may pause or end
Write a fair process before you need it. Consider the seriousness of harm, previous steps, required accommodations, and whether the risk can be reduced.
Get appropriate advice where disability, safeguarding, discrimination, or legal rights are involved.
Explain decisions using facts and the policy. State the safe handover and fee outcome, subject to law and the agreement. Do not simply send a child away without an authorised adult or approved release plan.
Give complaints the right route
A complaint about a confusing email may go to customer service.
A complaint about discrimination may need a manager and specialist advice.
An allegation of abuse needs the safeguarding and external reporting process. It must not wait in a normal customer-service queue.
An immediate threat needs emergency help.
Use a clear complaint record
Record the concern, the desired outcome, the facts checked, the person responsible, the next update date, and the decision.
Acknowledge the concern without inventing a finding: “Thank you for telling us. We are checking what happened and will update you by [time].”
Keep the promise to update, even when the final answer is not ready.
Do not condition a lawful refund or needed support on deleting a review or remaining silent about safety concerns.
Your task: Write a behaviour process and a complaint process. Make sure staff can tell when either one must move into safeguarding or emergency response.