Use of Electronic Communication 

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Contacting children and young people by phone, text or e-mail should never be undertaken without parental knowledge or consent. Ideally contact by coaches would be primarily on a face to face basis. Additional communication relating to events, training and other information should be directed to the child or young person's parents or legal guardian.

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It is our view that coaches should not be e-mailing children and young people directly as individuals, but may do so as part of a disclosed list (having received prior permission to disclose in group e-mail) where they are disseminating information in relation to training or competitions. We also encourage the use by clubs of disclosed lists for sending club information via a designated and suitably trained adult (because of their position this person should also have been subject to appropriate selection and vetting processes). Group e-mails should also give individuals the opportunity to have their contact details removed from the list by including a statement such as: "If you wish to be removed from this e-mail list please contact the administrator".

Whilst we recognise that we live in free society, and that communication between individuals regardless of age is part of daily life, we do not consider it good practice for coaches to text or e mail individual children or young people at any time, on any matter.