Safeguarding

Safeguarding Policy

Many sailors using our platforms are under 18. Protecting them isn't a feature — it's a starting condition. Here's how we approach it across Maintenance, Learn, and Race.

Last updated: April 2026 5 min read
On this page
  • 1. Our commitment
  • 2. Who this covers
  • 3. Responsibilities
  • 4. Young people's accounts
  • 5. Coach & adult conduct
  • 6. Photos, videos & media
  • 7. Communication
  • 8. Raising a concern
  • 9. How we respond
  • 10. External resources

1. Our commitment

FleetFixer is committed to creating a safe environment for every user, and especially for children and young people participating in sailing programmes through our platforms.

Safety first The welfare of young sailors comes before product features, growth, or convenience.
Listen & act Concerns raised through FleetFixer are reviewed promptly and taken seriously.
Support clubs We back up clubs' own safeguarding policies — we don't replace them.
Review often This policy is reviewed at least annually and whenever our product changes materially.

2. Who this policy covers

This policy applies to every user of every FleetFixer platform, with particular relevance to those under 18 and the adults who interact with them through the Service.

Maintenance

Junior crew members reporting faults or using shared club equipment.

Learn

Young sailors accessing guides, quizzes, and gamified content.

Race

Athletes logging training, plus coaches, parents, and squad administrators.

3. Responsibilities

Safeguarding is shared. Each party has a role:

WhoResponsibility
FleetFixer Provide a safe platform, respond to safeguarding concerns, enforce these terms, and act on credible reports.
Clubs & squads Maintain their own safeguarding policy, appoint a designated safeguarding officer, vet coaches, and ensure parental consent where needed.
Coaches & adults Follow their club's code of conduct and the conduct rules set out in this policy.
Parents & guardians Provide appropriate consent, review their child's account activity, and raise concerns early.
Young people Tell a trusted adult or use the report channel below if anything feels wrong.

4. Young people's accounts

  • Accounts for users under 13 are created by a parent, guardian, or club admin — not by the child themselves.
  • Accounts for users aged 13–17 require parental consent and can have parent-portal visibility enabled on Race.
  • Junior athletes' personal data is minimised: we collect only what's necessary for the training log, coach feedback, and squad administration.
  • Junior accounts never receive marketing emails.
  • Parents can request access, correction, or deletion of their child's data at any time.

5. Coach & adult conduct

Coaches, volunteers, and other adults with access to junior athletes' data must:

  • Follow their club's safeguarding policy and national governing body guidance
  • Keep communication with junior athletes transparent — ideally visible to parents or squad managers
  • Not share junior athlete contact details outside the Service without parental consent
  • Use the in-platform communication features (rather than private channels) wherever possible

Conduct that is unacceptable and will lead to immediate account suspension pending review:

  • Any form of bullying, grooming, or abusive language
  • Sharing inappropriate content with junior users
  • Attempting to contact a junior athlete outside club-sanctioned channels
  • Misusing a junior athlete's personal data or media

6. Photos, videos & media

Photos and videos uploaded to FleetFixer are covered by our Terms of Service. FleetFixer reserves full rights to uploaded photos and videos. Read the full clause in our Terms of Service.

Before uploading any media that features a young person, you must:

  • Have the young person's agreement and their parent or guardian's consent
  • Only upload media taken in appropriate, public, training-related contexts
  • Avoid identifying details (full names, personal contact info) in captions or descriptions
  • Not upload images of a child in a state of undress, changing, or in any vulnerable situation

If a photo or video featuring a young person is uploaded and consent is withdrawn, or a safeguarding concern arises, contact safeguarding@fleetfixer.io and we will review and remove as appropriate.

7. Communication within the platform

Where the platform supports messaging, notes, or comments between users:

  • All communication between coaches and junior athletes is logged and can be audited by club administrators and parents (on Race)
  • Moderation tools allow club admins to remove inappropriate content and suspend user access
  • We reserve the right to review communications where a safeguarding concern has been raised

8. Raising a safeguarding concern

If you see or experience something that feels wrong — on any FleetFixer platform — please raise it straight away.

Email us directly safeguarding@fleetfixer.io — monitored on working days.
Report an issue Use the report form for non-urgent concerns about the platform.
Tell your club Your club's designated safeguarding officer is the first point of call.
Call the authorities If a child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999 (UK) or local emergency services.
Confidentiality. We treat every safeguarding report confidentially and share information only with those who need it to act — including, where appropriate, the relevant authorities.

9. How we respond

  1. Acknowledge — we confirm receipt of every safeguarding email within one working day.
  2. Assess — we review the concern, gather any necessary information, and decide on immediate action (such as suspending an account).
  3. Act — where appropriate we notify the club's safeguarding officer, the parent or guardian, and the relevant authorities.
  4. Follow up — we close the loop with the person who raised the concern (unless doing so would compromise the investigation).

10. External resources

If you need support beyond FleetFixer, these organisations can help:

  • NSPCC — 0808 800 5000 · nspcc.org.uk
  • Childline — 0800 1111 · childline.org.uk
  • RYA Safeguarding — rya.org.uk/about/safeguarding
  • Child Protection in Sport Unit — thecpsu.org.uk

Raise a safeguarding concern

Monitored directly by our leadership team.

safeguarding@fleetfixer.io
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