SAFEGUARDING

Our Commitment

The R&A is committed to providing a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone attending or working at The Open and the AIG Women’s Open. We ask all players, spectators, officials, volunteers, staff, contractors and other attendees to:

• treat others with respect and courtesy;

• help create an inclusive and welcoming environment;

• report any safeguarding or welfare concerns immediately in accordance with the process below; and

• support our commitment to ensuring The Open and the AIG Women’s Open are safe, enjoyable and welcoming for everyone.

All children and vulnerable adults have the right to be protected from abuse, harm and neglect. The R&A has implemented and will follow procedures to promote safe practice and to safeguard children and vulnerable adults.

Training and Awareness

To support a safe championship environment, we provide safeguarding training and guidance for officials, staff and volunteers appropriate to their roles.

Those working at The Open and the AIG Women’s Open are expected to:

• remain alert to signs of abuse, neglect or harm;

• act immediately if they see, hear about or suspect a safeguarding concern;

• if they witness, suspect or are informed of any safeguarding concern, report it immediately to the designated Safeguarding Officer; and

• follow any instructions given by the designated Safeguarding Officer.

Reporting a Safeguarding Concern

If you are worried about the safety, welfare or wellbeing of any person, please report your concern as soon as possible. It is always better to report a concern than to assume someone else will.

Examples of safeguarding concerns include:

• a child or vulnerable adult appearing lost, distressed or unsafe;

• bullying, harassment, discrimination or abusive behaviour;

• inappropriate conduct towards a child or vulnerable adult;

• behaviour that makes you or another person feel unsafe; or

• any situation where you believe someone may be at risk of harm.

If you have a safeguarding concern, please report it to an official, marshal or police officer immediately. If you are not comfortable reporting a concern at the venue, you can also do so:

• Online by completing our online form and selecting ‘Fan Feedback’ as the enquiry type

• By Emailing us at fanfeedback@theopen.com

All safeguarding concerns will be treated seriously, handled sensitively and shared only with those who need to know. The designated Safeguarding Officer will assess the concern and, where appropriate, arrange support and investigate further. They may refer the matter to the Police and/or local social services where necessary.

Missing Person Procedure

If a child or vulnerable adult is believed to be missing during the championship:

1. Notify the nearest official, marshal or police officer immediately.

2. They will obtain essential information, including a description of the individual and their last known location, and share this information with Event Control.

3. Event Control will coordinate an organised search of the venue and notify appropriate personnel. Where concern over the safety of a missing person is raised by the police, details of that person may be circulated more widely, including through messages on electronic scoreboards and public address broadcasts.

4. Where a person who has been reported missing has been found, their welfare will be checked, appropriate support provided and the incident recorded.

Children Under the Age of 16

Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult aged 18 or over who holds a valid ticket to attend the Championship.