BRIGADE Children In The Gym Policy

Purpose of This Policy

BRIGADE is a professional training facility designed primarily for adults. The presence of children introduces additional health, safety, and safeguarding considerations.

This policy exists to:

- Protect the safety and wellbeing of children

- Protect members, staff, and visitors

- Clarify responsibility and supervision at all times

- Ensure compliance with UK Health & Safety and Safeguarding legislation

- Protect BRIGADE from legal, insurance, and safeguarding risk

General Principle

BRIGADE does not operate a childcare or child-minding service.

To ensure the safety of our members, staff, and children, we strongly encourage parents and guardians to make alternative childcare arrangements and leave children at home wherever possible.

- Parents or legal guardians remain fully responsible for their children at all times

- BRIGADE staff are not responsible for supervising children

- Children attend the facility entirely at the parent or guardian’s risk

Supervision & Responsibility

Parental Responsibility

- Children must remain under the direct supervision of their parent or legal guardian at all times

- Parents must be able to see and intervene immediately if required

- Children must not be left unattended anywhere on the premises

Staff Responsibility

- BRIGADE staff are not permitted to supervise, care for, or monitor children

- Staff are not DBS-checked for childcare purposes

- Staff may intervene only in an emergency or immediate safety situation

Children in Training Areas (Gym Floor)

The gym floor contains:

- Free weights

- Resistance machines

- Cardio equipment

- Moving parts

- Trip hazards

- Heavy loads

- These present significant risk to children.

Access Rules

- Children are not permitted to roam freely on the gym floor

- Children must not touch, climb, or play with any equipment

- Children must remain within sight of their parent or guardian at all times and within the designated area allocated by the Coach

Safeguarding & Legal Position

- BRIGADE does not provide regulated childcare

- Staff are not DBS-checked for childcare

- BRIGADE does not accept safeguarding responsibility for children on site

- Parents acknowledge that gyms are high-risk environments for minors

Prohibited Situations

- The following are strictly not permitted:

- Leaving children unattended anywhere on the premises

- Leaving children with staff or asking staff to “keep an eye” on them

- Children playing on or around equipment

- Children entering restricted areas

- Children disrupting sessions or distracting other members

Right to Refuse or Remove Access

BRIGADE reserves the right to:

- Refuse entry to children

- Ask parents to remove children from the premises

- Suspend or terminate membership if this policy is repeatedly breached

- This decision may be made immediately if safety is compromised.

Insurance & Liability

Children attend BRIGADE at the parent or guardian’s own risk.

BRIGADE accepts no liability for injury to children resulting from:

- Failure to supervise

- Use or proximity to equipment

- Breach of this policy

Agreement

By entering the premises with a child, parents and guardians confirm that they:

- Have read and understood this policy

- Accept full responsibility for their child

- Agree to comply with all rules and staff instructions

Questions or Clarification

If you are unsure whether bringing your child is appropriate for a particular session or time, please speak to a member of the management team in advance.