Staff Handbook

Our culture is created through everyday behaviour. Staff are expected to model the standards we ask athletes to demonstrate.

Staff should

• Treat athletes, parents, colleagues, visitors and other programmes with respect.
• Communicate clearly, calmly and professionally.
• Encourage effort, improvement, teamwork and resilience.
• Avoid favouritism and apply expectations fairly.
• Support colleagues rather than undermining them.
• Keep disagreements between staff away from athletes and parents.
• Protect the reputation of Hotshots at competitions, events and external venues.
• Raise concerns constructively with the appropriate member of leadership.

Leadership structure

Strategic or operational decisions made by the academy leadership team should be supported professionally once communicated.

Coaches are encouraged to contribute ideas and challenge constructively in the correct setting. Public disagreement in front of athletes or parents is not appropriate.

General conduct

Staff must behave in a way that supports athlete safety, trust and confidence in the academy.

• Use appropriate language around children and young people.
• Do not shout abusively, intimidate, humiliate or deliberately embarrass an athlete.
• Do not make discriminatory, sexualised, threatening or degrading comments.
• Maintain appropriate physical and emotional boundaries.
• Do not use a position of authority to create inappropriate personal relationships with athletes.
• Do not attend work impaired by alcohol, recreational drugs or medication that makes coaching unsafe.
• Smoking and vaping must not take place around athletes or in prohibited areas.

Dress and presentation

Staff should wear clothing appropriate to their role and activity. Coaches should be able to move safely, spot athletes where required and represent the academy professionally.

Personal relationships

Staff friendships and relationships must not interfere with professional decisions, team placements, athlete treatment or confidentiality.

If an athlete makes a disclosure

• Listen calmly.
• Take what they are saying seriously.
• Do not interrogate or repeatedly question them.
• Do not promise secrecy.
• Explain that information may need to be shared with somebody responsible for helping keep them safe.
• Record facts and, where possible, the athlete's exact words.
• Report the concern promptly through the academy's safeguarding process.

Staff must report

• A disclosure of abuse or neglect.
• Unexplained injuries or concerning patterns of behaviour.
• Concerning interaction between an adult and a child.
• Bullying, harassment or serious peer-on-peer concerns.
• Online behaviour that may place an athlete at risk.
• Any allegation made against a coach, volunteer or other adult.

Before a session

• Check the training space is suitable and free from obvious hazards.
• Check mats and equipment before use.
• Ensure exits, emergency access and walkways remain clear.
• Be aware of athlete injuries or restrictions communicated through approved systems.
• Ensure the activity being coached is appropriate to athlete ability and coach competence or qualification.

Injuries

If an athlete is injured, stop the activity where necessary and assess the immediate situation. Appropriate first aid or emergency support should be sought.

Significant injuries and accidents must be recorded through the academy reporting process.

Head, neck and serious injuries

A suspected head, neck, spinal or otherwise serious injury should be treated cautiously. Stop participation, seek appropriate first aid or emergency assistance and avoid unnecessary movement where movement could increase risk.

An athlete should not simply be encouraged to continue because a competition, routine or important session is approaching. Coaches must prioritise safety and follow any appropriate medical, first-aid or return-to-activity guidance.

Emergency evacuation

Staff should know the evacuation arrangements for the venue they are working in. Athlete supervision remains a priority during evacuation and staff should follow venue-specific procedures.

Before training

• Arrive early enough to be prepared before the session starts.
• Review the session objective and planned progressions.
• Check attendance information and relevant athlete restrictions.
• Prepare music, equipment and formations where required.
• Check the floor or training area.
• Confirm that appropriate staffing and supervision are available.

During training

• Take or verify the register.
• Use an appropriate warm-up.
• Coach using suitable progressions rather than rushing skills.
• Maintain active supervision.
• Monitor fatigue and athlete wellbeing.
• Keep transitions organised so training time is used effectively.
• Adapt where necessary rather than forcing unsafe participation.
• Personal mobile-phone use should not distract from active athlete supervision.

Coach handovers

A coach must not simply leave athletes unsupervised because their scheduled session has finished. Where responsibility is being transferred to another coach, make sure that coach is present and the handover is clear.

Collection and late collection

Athletes should be released according to the academy's normal collection arrangements. A child who has not been collected must remain appropriately supervised while the agreed parent or emergency-contact process is followed.

Staff must not leave a child alone simply because the scheduled session has ended.

After training

• Confirm athletes have been appropriately collected or handed over.
• Return equipment safely.
• Leave the training space tidy.
• Pass relevant information to the next coach or leadership team.
• Complete incident or injury reports promptly.
• Upload suitable approved content where available.

Staff attendance

Coaches are expected to attend sessions they have committed to and arrive with sufficient time to prepare.

If absence or lateness is unavoidable, leadership should be informed as early as possible so safe cover arrangements can be made.

Athlete attendance

Coaches should reinforce attendance standards consistently and report patterns of unexplained absence or lateness where appropriate.

Current calendar

TimeTree should be checked before communicating important dates externally.

Coaching athletes

Coaches should challenge athletes appropriately while maintaining a safe and supportive environment.

• Give clear and constructive corrections.
• Recognise effort as well as results.
• Avoid comparing athletes in a humiliating way.
• Never use exercise as degrading punishment.
• Adapt communication for age, maturity and individual needs.
• Take reports of pain, injury or feeling unwell seriously.

Physical contact and spotting

Physical contact should have a legitimate coaching, safety or first-aid purpose and should be appropriate to the activity and circumstances. Coaches should explain spotting or physical corrections where appropriate and respect athlete dignity and boundaries.

Body image and appearance

Cheer and dance involve physical performance, but coaching language must not shame athletes about weight, body shape, development, appearance or food. Performance corrections should focus on the skill, technique or presentation actually being coached.

Mental wellbeing

Coaches are not expected to diagnose mental-health conditions. However, meaningful changes in an athlete's behaviour, distress, withdrawal or concerning comments should not be ignored. Raise welfare or safeguarding concerns through the appropriate route.

Behaviour

Minor behaviour issues should usually be corrected calmly and consistently during the session. Persistent, serious or unsafe behaviour should be escalated appropriately.

Inclusion

Every athlete should be treated with dignity and respect. Staff must not discriminate against or harass an athlete or colleague because of a protected or personal characteristic.

Communication principles

• Be clear, polite and factual.
• Avoid responding emotionally when challenged.
• Do not argue with parents in front of athletes.
• Move sensitive placement or athlete-feedback conversations away from group chats.
• Escalate difficult or repeated parent concerns to leadership where appropriate.
• Do not discuss another athlete's confidential information with a parent.

Communication with children and young people

Academy-approved communication routes should normally be used. Staff should avoid unnecessary private one-to-one communication with children through personal accounts, disappearing-message services or other channels that prevent appropriate oversight.

Where direct athlete communication is legitimately required for a role or team, it should remain professional, relevant and consistent with academy safeguarding arrangements.

Academy communication hours

Group chats

Team groups should primarily be used for relevant training, competition and logistical information. Staff should avoid gossip, speculation or unnecessary discussion of individual athletes.

Photography and video

• Check appropriate photography permissions.
• Capture positive, appropriate content.
• Never record changing areas.
• Never upload medical treatment, injuries, confidential paperwork or private conversations.
• Do not share athlete content through personal channels unless specifically authorised.

AI and digital manipulation

Photographs, videos, voices or other identifiable athlete content must not be uploaded into generative-AI tools or used to create AI-generated, face-swapped, manipulated or synthetic content for academy purposes unless the use has been specifically authorised and is consistent with the academy's privacy, safeguarding and media arrangements.

Do not use AI tools as a substitute for safeguarding judgement, medical advice, incident reporting or leadership decisions.

Personal social media

Staff should remember that public online behaviour can affect trust in the academy. Content that is discriminatory, abusive, threatening, sexually inappropriate or otherwise incompatible with coaching children may result in review by leadership.

Content handover

Suitable approved content captured during sessions, performances, competitions or academy activities should be uploaded through the dedicated staff content system.

Staff may have access to athlete or family information as part of their role. That information must be handled carefully.

• Do not share athlete contact, medical or personal information unnecessarily.
• Do not copy confidential information onto public or general staff pages.
• Use approved academy systems for sensitive records.
• Keep passwords secure and do not share personal account credentials.
• Do not retain confidential athlete information on personal devices longer than necessary.
• Do not screenshot or download athlete information unless there is a legitimate operational need.
• Be careful when accessing academy systems on shared devices.
• Lock or sign out of devices where other people could access confidential information.
• Report a lost device promptly where it may contain academy information.
• Report suspected accidental or unauthorised disclosure promptly.

Before the event

• Check the latest confirmed schedule.
• Know your team arrival and performance times.
• Understand your assigned staff responsibilities.
• Ensure music and required backups are available where relevant.
• Know athlete meeting and collection arrangements.

At the event

• Be punctual and visibly available to the athletes you are responsible for.
• Maintain appropriate supervision.
• Use athlete checks or headcounts when moving groups where appropriate.
• Follow warm-up and event procedures.
• Represent Hotshots professionally when interacting with event staff and other programmes.
• Do not publicly criticise judges, officials or other teams.
• Maintain appropriate boundaries in changing and preparation areas.
• Do not assume another coach or parent has taken responsibility for an athlete without a clear handover.

If an athlete becomes separated from the group

Notify the appropriate Hotshots lead immediately, maintain supervision of the remaining athletes and follow the venue or event procedure. Do not leave other children unsupervised while searching.

International and overnight travel

Additional trip-specific instructions may apply to international or overnight events. Staff must follow the itinerary, rooming or supervision plan, collection arrangements, safeguarding boundaries and leadership instructions issued for that trip.

Staff should give as much notice as reasonably possible when they are unable to attend a committed session.

When requesting cover

Provide the date, team, session time, venue and essential coaching handover information through the dedicated cover system.

Do not independently appoint somebody to coach a session unless that person is appropriately authorised by the academy.

• Treat mats, equipment and venue property carefully.
• Return equipment to the appropriate storage area.
• Keep walkways, emergency access and fire exits clear.
• Report damaged or unsafe equipment promptly.
• Report spills, cleaning issues or hazards rather than leaving them for the next session.
• Make sure equipment is suitable for the activity before use.
• Do not prop open or compromise access-controlled doors without authorisation.
• Follow any assigned opening or closing procedures for the building.
• Do not assume another staff member has secured the facility without a clear handover.

Reception and building access

Staff should remain aware of who is entering athlete areas and should follow academy arrangements for visitors, contractors and people who do not normally attend the facility.

Staff must maintain the checks, qualifications and training required for their role.

• Keep qualification information current.
• Maintain an appropriate enhanced DBS check where required for the role.
• Complete academy safeguarding or other mandatory training when requested.
• Inform leadership if a qualification expires or circumstances change that may affect suitability or eligibility to coach.
• Coach only skills and activities you are competent and authorised to deliver.
• Upload requested certificates or evidence through the academy certificate system.

Continuing development

Coaches are encouraged to continue developing technical knowledge, communication skills, safeguarding awareness and understanding of their discipline.

Staff should feel able to raise genuine concerns about safety, conduct, working practices or academy operations.

Ideas and general feedback

Ideas, suggestions, positive recognition and constructive feedback about academy systems or working practices can be submitted through the Staff Feedback page.

Incidents and formal concerns

Where something has happened that requires an incident, safeguarding, injury, behaviour or other formal record, use the appropriate reporting route instead.

Safeguarding concerns

Safeguarding concerns must follow the safeguarding route rather than being treated as ordinary workplace feedback or disagreement. Urgent safeguarding matters should not wait for an online response.

Concerns about another staff member

Serious concerns about staff conduct should be reported privately to leadership and should not become staff-room or group-chat gossip.

Leadership may provide feedback where coaching, behaviour, attendance, communication or another aspect of a staff member's role does not meet the expected standard.

The appropriate response will depend on the seriousness and circumstances of the issue, the person's working arrangement and any applicable contract, employment procedure or other formal process.

Examples of concerns

• Repeated lateness or unexplained absence.
• Unsafe coaching practice.
• Inappropriate communication.
• Failure to follow safeguarding procedures.
• Bullying, discrimination or harassment.
• Breach of confidentiality.
• Serious or repeated failure to follow reasonable academy procedures.

Where a staff member leaves the academy or changes role, a suitable handover should be completed.

• Return academy property, keys or equipment where applicable.
• Hand over relevant team or operational information.
• Do not retain confidential athlete records.
• Delete academy information from personal devices where retention is no longer authorised or required.
• Stop using academy systems when access is no longer authorised.
• Do not retain or share passwords, downloads or screenshots from restricted systems.
• Continue to respect confidentiality after leaving the academy.