Under 18s policy

1. Purpose and scope

This policy explains how FWD// Go Forward, run by Lee Reece (“we”, “us”), keeps young people under 18 safe when we coach them.

It applies to all 1:1 coaching, sessions and communication with anyone under 18. It forms part of our Terms and Conditions (gofwd.uk/terms) for those clients.

Our digital product, WhatsApp community and online content are for adults only. Under-18s may not buy or join them.

We follow the Children Act 1989 and 2004, the government’s Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance, and the procedures of the Children’s Safeguarding Assurance Partnership for Lancashire.

The welfare of the young person always comes first. Every young person has an equal right to be protected from harm, whatever their age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

2. Who we coach

We coach young people from the age of 12 years. We do not coach anyone younger. This is also part of Gymworks policy that under 12s may not join to use the facility.

A young person can only train with us if a parent or legal guardian has given written consent under section 3.

We may decline or end coaching for a young person if we, the venue or our insurer decide it is not suitable or safe.

3. Written consent before any training

No young person will take part in any training session until a parent or legal guardian has completed and signed our consent form. There are no exceptions, including for free or taster sessions.

The person signing must have parental responsibility for the young person, and must confirm this on the form.

The consent form includes:

• the young person’s name, date of birth and address;
• the parent or guardian’s name, relationship to the young person, address, phone number and email;
• confirmation that they accept our Terms and Conditions on the young person’s behalf and will pay for coaching;
• the young person’s GP name and surgery;
• consent for us to give first aid and call emergency services if needed;
• who may drop off and collect the young person; and
• the signature and date of the parent or guardian.

We will also explain the training to the young person and check they are happy to take part. We will not coach a young person who does not want to be there, even with consent.

Consent forms must be renewed at least every 12 months, and straight away if any details change.

A parent or guardian can withdraw consent at any time by contacting hello@gofwd.uk. Coaching will stop immediately.

4. Health and the PAR-Q

Before the first session, the parent or guardian must complete our under-18s PAR-Q together with the young person. It must declare every injury, illness, medical condition, medication, allergy, additional need or health concern, however minor it may seem.

If the answers suggest medical clearance is needed, training will not start until we have it in writing.

The parent or guardian must tell us before the next session about any new injury, illness or change in health or medication.

Clause A3 of our Terms and Conditions, including what happens if something is not declared, applies to under-18s through their parent or guardian.

5. Emergency contacts

The parent or guardian must give at least two emergency contacts, including at least one person who can be reached during every session.

Emergency contacts must be able to come to the gym if the young person is injured or unwell.

If a young person is injured or becomes unwell, we will:

• give first aid and call 999 if needed;
• contact the parent or guardian, or an emergency contact, straight away;
• stay with the young person until a parent, guardian, emergency contact or emergency services take over; and
• record what happened in our incident log and give the parent or guardian a copy.

We will not train a young person if we cannot reach any of their emergency contacts at the start of the session.

6. Sessions and supervision

Sessions take place only on the open gym floor at Gymworks Skelmersdale, or another public venue agreed in writing, during staffed opening hours. We never coach a young person in a closed room, at a private home or anywhere out of sight of others.

• Under 16: a parent, guardian or adult named on the consent form must stay on the premises for the whole session.
• Aged 16 and 17: a parent or guardian is welcome to stay, and must be reachable by phone throughout.

Parents and guardians may watch any session.

The parent or guardian is responsible for the young person before and after the session. We will stay with the young person until they are collected. A 16 or 17-year-old may leave on their own only if the parent or guardian has agreed this in writing.

We will never give a young person a lift or arrange to meet them anywhere other than the agreed venue.

We will never enter a changing room while a young person is using it.

The venue’s own rules for under-18s also apply.

7. Training and physical contact

Training is age-appropriate, supervised and focused on technique, confidence and building healthy habits. Loads increase gradually, and we do not test maximum lifts with under-16s.

We give general healthy-eating guidance only. We do not give weight-loss diets, calorie targets or supplement advice to under-18s.

We will only weigh or measure a young person, or take progress photos, if the parent or guardian has agreed in writing and the young person is comfortable with it.

We coach mainly through demonstrations and spoken cues. Physical contact is only used when needed for safety or to correct position, such as spotting a lift. We will always explain why first and ask the young person’s permission each time, and they can say no.

Any contact is kept to the hands, arms, shoulders or upper back, and only in view of others.

8. Communication

Bookings, changes and all arrangements are made with the parent or guardian, not the young person.

If a parent or guardian agrees in writing that we may message the young person, every message will include the parent or guardian, for example in a group chat with them in it.

We will not send private messages to a young person, connect with or follow them on social media, or contact them about anything other than their coaching.

Messages are kept professional and sent only between 8am and 8pm, unless it is an emergency.

We do not give gifts to young people or arrange to see them outside coaching.

9. Photos and filming

We will never film or photograph a young person for social media, marketing or any public use without prior written consent from their parent or legal guardian. The young person must also be happy to take part.

Photo and filming consent is separate from the main consent form and is never a condition of coaching. It states what will be filmed and where it will be used.

When we share content of a young person with consent, we will never use their full name, tag them, or show their school, uniform, address or anything else that could identify where to find them.

Videos taken only to check technique are filmed on our business device with the parent or guardian’s agreement, shared only with the parent or guardian, stored securely, and deleted when coaching ends.

A parent or guardian can withdraw photo or filming consent at any time. We will take down any content we control within 7 days.

We never take photos or videos in changing areas.

We cannot control filming by other gym users, but we will raise any concern with the venue.

10. Our checks and training

Lee Reece is the designated safeguarding lead for FWD// Go Forward.

We hold an Enhanced DBS certificate with a check of the children’s barred list, kept up to date through the DBS Update Service.

We have completed safeguarding training for working with children and young people, refreshed at least every 3 years, and hold a current first aid qualification.

On request, a parent or guardian can see our Enhanced DBS certificate and evidence of our safeguarding training before any training starts.

11. Safeguarding concerns

If we are worried about a young person’s safety or welfare, we will act on it. We will never ignore a concern.

If a young person tells us something worrying, we will listen calmly, take it seriously, and explain that we may need to share it to keep them safe. We will never promise to keep it secret, ask leading questions or investigate ourselves. We will write down what was said, in their words, as soon as possible.

If a young person is in immediate danger, we will call 999.

Otherwise, we will report the concern to children’s social care in the area where the young person lives. In Lancashire, that is Lancashire Children’s Social Care on 0300 123 6720 (out of hours: 0300 123 6722).

We will tell the parent or guardian about a concern unless doing so could put the young person at greater risk, or social care or the police advise us not to.

Concerns about us: if anyone is worried about how we behave with a young person, they can raise it with the venue, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000, or report it to the Lancashire Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) on 01772 536694. We will co-operate fully with any enquiry and follow the LADO’s advice, including stepping back from coaching under-18s if asked.

Young people can also talk to Childline, free and confidentially, on 0800 1111 or at childline.org.uk.

12. Records and data protection

We keep consent forms, PAR-Qs, emergency contacts, incident records and safeguarding records securely, with access limited to Lee Reece.

The parent or guardian provides the young person’s information on their behalf. Health information is only used with their explicit consent. The young person also has their own data protection rights, and we will explain how we use their information in a way they can understand.

We keep consent forms, PAR-Qs and incident records until the young person turns 25, so we can respond to any later claim. Safeguarding records may be kept longer if the law or safeguarding guidance requires it.

Our Privacy Policy also applies.

13. Review

We review this policy at least once a year, after any serious incident or safeguarding concern, and whenever the law or guidance changes. The “Last updated” date at the top shows when it was last reviewed.

FWD// Go Forward · Lee Reece · hello@gofwd.uk · © 2026 FWD// Go Forward. All rights reserved.