| Organisation | 5UP C.I.C |
| Registered address | 13 Raleigh Industrial Park, Handsworth, Birmingham, B21 8JF |
| Contact / Responsible Person | Nathan Bendon, nathan@5up.co.uk, 07498 603 242 |
| Policy version | 2026.1 |
| Date approved | 18 May 2026 |
| Next review | 18 May 2028 |
| Review triggers | Changes in legislation or government guidance; requirements from Birmingham Safeguarding Children Partnership, Sport England or UK Sport; or any significant change or event. |
1. Purpose
5UP C.I.C is committed to creating a safe and welcoming environment where every young person feels they belong. This policy explains what we mean by bullying, how we prevent it, and what we do when it happens. It applies to all activities run by 5UP C.I.C, in person and online.
2. Our position
Bullying of any kind is not acceptable at 5UP C.I.C. Everyone has the right to train and take part without fear of being hurt, threatened or humiliated. We will not ignore bullying or pass it off as "banter", "part of the sport", or something a young person needs to "sort out for themselves".
3. What bullying is
Bullying is behaviour that:
• Is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time.
• Is intended to hurt someone or carries an obvious risk of hurting them.
• Involves an imbalance of power between the person doing it and the person on the receiving end.
Bullying can be carried out by one person or a group. It can be aimed at a person directly, or behind their back. It can happen in person or online.
3.1 Forms of bullying
• Physical – hitting, kicking, pushing, tripping, taking or damaging belongings.
• Verbal – name-calling, insults, threats, mocking someone's appearance, accent, voice or background.
• Social or relational – deliberately leaving someone out, spreading rumours, turning a group against a person.
• Cyber – abusive messages, group chats that target a person, posting embarrassing images, fake accounts, sharing private content without permission.
• Prejudice-based – bullying linked to a protected characteristic, including racist, religious, sexist, homophobic, biphobic, transphobic or disability-related bullying.
• Sexual – unwanted touching, sexual comments, pressure to share images, spreading sexual rumours.
• Initiation / hazing – forcing or pressuring someone to do things that are humiliating, harmful or degrading as a way of "joining" a group.
3.2 Banter
We hear the word "banter" used a lot. Banter is friendly teasing that everyone is comfortable with. If one person is hurt by it, or is not free to walk away, it is not banter. We treat it as bullying.
4. Why bullying matters
Bullying causes real harm. It can damage a young person's confidence, mental health, schoolwork and sleep. It can lead to anxiety, depression, self-harm and, in some cases, suicidal thoughts. Tackling bullying is part of how we safeguard the young people who train with us.
5. What we do to prevent bullying
• We set a clear standard from day one through our Code of Conduct.
• We talk openly about respect, inclusion and fair treatment during sessions.
• Our coaches model the behaviour we expect to see.
• We make sure new participants are welcomed and paired with someone supportive.
• We pair participants for technique work in ways that promote mutual respect, not dominance.
• We use language carefully – no put-downs, no nicknames that single people out, no jokes at someone's expense.
• We listen to participants and take their concerns seriously.
• We deal with low-level issues quickly, before they grow.
• We train coaches and volunteers to recognise bullying.
6. Recognising the signs
A young person being bullied may:
• Become quieter, more withdrawn, or unusually anxious.
• Lose confidence at training, hesitate to join in, or want to give up the sport.
• Arrive with unexplained bruises, scratches or torn kit.
• Show changes in appetite, sleep, mood or school attendance (where the parent shares this).
• Suddenly avoid certain people or places.
• Become tearful, angry or aggressive without obvious cause.
These signs can have other causes. They are a prompt to ask, not to assume.
7. How to report bullying
If you are being bullied, or you see or hear bullying happening, please tell us. You can:
• Speak to your coach or to any adult you trust at 5UP C.I.C.
• Speak to Nathan Bendon directly, on 07498 603 242 or nathan@5up.co.uk.
• Ask a parent, carer or friend to speak to us on your behalf.
• Write it down and hand it to a coach – a note or a message is fine.
Parents and carers who are worried can contact Nathan at any time.
8. What we do when bullying is reported
Step 1 – Listen and reassure
• We thank the young person for telling us.
• We listen without judging.
• We reassure them that they have done the right thing, and that they are not in trouble.
• We tell them what we are going to do next.
Step 2 – Record
• We write down what was reported, who was involved, when, where, and what was said or done.
• We keep the record secure, in line with our Data Protection Policy.
Step 3 – Look into what happened
• Nathan or a senior coach speaks to the people involved separately and calmly.
• We may speak to witnesses.
• We look at any messages or other evidence that has been shared with us.
• We do not bring the people involved together unless we are sure this is safe and they both want it.
Step 4 – Decide what to do
Our response depends on what we find. Possible actions include:
• A conversation with the person doing the bullying and their parent or carer.
• A clear warning about expected behaviour.
• Sitting out the next session, or a longer suspension.
• Permanent exclusion in serious cases or where behaviour does not change.
• Restorative work between the people involved, where both agree and it is safe to do so.
• A referral to safeguarding partners (Birmingham Children's Trust on 0121 303 1888) or the police, where the behaviour involves a crime such as assault, harassment, or sexual offences.
Step 5 – Support
We make sure both sides are supported:
• The young person who was bullied – we check in with them, adjust pairings or sessions if needed, and keep an eye out for further incidents.
• The young person who bullied – we help them understand what was wrong and what to do differently. Bullying behaviour often has a cause. We work to understand it and to help the young person change.
• Witnesses – we check in with them too, and thank them for speaking up.
Step 6 – Follow up
• We follow up with everyone involved after one week, and again after a month.
• We adjust our approach if the behaviour starts again or if support is not working.
9. Online bullying
Bullying online is treated the same as bullying in person. If a session-based incident has spilled over online, or if young people connected through 5UP C.I.C are being bullied online by other participants, we will:
• Take the same steps set out above.
• Keep copies of messages or posts as evidence, where shared with us. We will never ask a young person to share a nude or indecent image.
• Report criminal offences (such as threats, harassment, hate crime, or sharing of indecent images of a child) to the police.
• Work with parents, carers and – where appropriate – the young people's schools to make sure the right support is in place.
We follow our Safeguarding Policy for any concern that involves indecent imagery or grooming.
10. Bullying by adults
Bullying is not only done by young people. Where a coach, volunteer, parent or other adult is bullying a young person, the matter is treated as a safeguarding concern and handled under our Safeguarding Policy. Where the matter involves bullying between adults connected with 5UP C.I.C, we use our Complaints Policy or Whistleblowing Policy as appropriate.
11. Confidentiality and information sharing
We keep information about bullying incidents confidential. We share details only with people who need to know in order to act. This may include parents and carers, safeguarding partners or the police where appropriate. See our Data Protection Policy and Safeguarding Policy for more.
12. Equality
Some young people are at greater risk of being bullied because of who they are – for example, disabled young people, young people from minority ethnic or religious backgrounds, LGBTQ+ young people, or young people whose first language is not English. We are alert to this and challenge prejudice-based bullying whenever we see or hear it. See our Equal Opportunities Policy.
13. Working with parents and carers
• We tell the parent or carer of a young person who has been bullied or who has been bullying others (unless doing so would put a young person at greater risk – in which case we follow our Safeguarding Policy).
• We listen to parents' and carers' concerns and keep them informed of what we are doing.
• We expect parents and carers to support our approach and to behave in line with our Code of Conduct.
14. Records, monitoring and learning
• We keep a confidential log of bullying reports and how they were handled.
• Nathan reviews the log at least every three months and shares a summary with the board each year.
• Where we see patterns (for example, repeated bullying involving a particular group, type of language or session time), we adjust how we work.
15. Other useful contacts
| Childline (for young people) | 0800 1111 / childline.org.uk |
| NSPCC helpline | 0808 800 5000 |
| Anti-Bullying Alliance | anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk |
| Kidscape | kidscape.org.uk / 020 7823 5430 |
| Birmingham Children's Trust (CASS) | 0121 303 1888 |
| Police (non-emergency) | 101 / 999 in an emergency |
16. Review
This policy will be reviewed by 18 May 2028, or sooner if it needs updating.
Approved by: Nathan Bendon, Director and Major Heran, Director from 5UP C.I.C
Date: 18 May 2026