Digital and Social Media Policy
Chepstow RFC
Date: 1st August 2024
Review date: 1st August 2025
Table of Contents
Policy statement
Procedure.
Conduct online.
Individual Accounts.
Official Club Accounts.
Media and legal enquiries.
Disciplinary consequences.
Availability and Review..
Chepstow RFC understands that digital and social media can be powerful and positive tools. They include blogs, message boards, chatrooms, electronic newsletters, online forums, social networking sites, and other sites and services that permit users to share information with others.
This policy promotes the safe and responsible use of digital and social media technology. This policy does not form part of any contract and Chepstow RFC may update it at any time.
Digital and social media content is publicly available and may never be removed fully. Consequently, Chepstow RFC expects that workers and volunteers behave responsibly online, and that in particular digital and social media activity could never be reasonably considered as derogatory, discriminatory, bullying, threatening, defamatory, offensive, intimidating, harassing, creating legal liability for the Club, bringing the Club into disrepute, or breaching any other Club policy.
Confidential information, or information which would not normally be shared with the public must not be shared online.
Additionally, any digital or social media content posted, or photos uploaded (especially of children) must be in line with the Chepstow RFC safeguarding policy.
Chepstow RFC recognises that individual accounts may be used for a combination of personal and professional purposes. Workers and volunteers should not state or imply that their opinions and content are authorised or endorsed by the Club. There should be a disclaimer on the individual’s profile such as, “The opinions expressed here are my own and not those of Chepstow RFC” or “Tweeting in a personal capacity” to avoid misunderstandings.
Workers and volunteers should avoid participating in digital or social media when the topic being discussed may be considered sensitive (e.g., political, religious, defamatory, or potentially libellous discussions). Workers and volunteers should avoid ‘oversharing’ any personal content that could reflect negatively on their role at Chepstow RFC. Individuals should not share photos of other people without their permission.
If workers or volunteers have an account that is purely for professional purposes and solely focused on communicating in relation to their role at Chepstow RFC, this must be made clear in their profile. They should use their real name and role at the Club, and the account should look very different from any other accounts the person may use to post personal content.
Workers and volunteers should never represent themselves or Chepstow RFC in a false or misleading way. All statements must be true and not misleading; all claims must be substantiated.
Workers or volunteers who post through Chepstow RFC’s officially sponsored accounts will be expected to meet the same standards of conduct as those posting through individual accounts (as above).
Additionally, workers or volunteers posting through Chepstow RFC’s official accounts must abide by data protection policy and observe laws on copyright, trademarks, plagiarism and fair use.
Chepstow RFC will ensure that permission is obtained from individuals prior to sharing photos of them online.
Digital and social media activity can sometimes generate press and media attention, or legal questions. These enquiries should be directed to Club Secretary or Chairman. Nobody else within Chepstow RFC is authorised to respond.
Where appropriate, Chepstow RFC reserves the right to monitor the use of digital and social media as it relates to the Club and take appropriate action to protect against any misuse that may be harmful to the Club, where the law permits.
Chepstow RFC may require workers or volunteers to remove digital and social media postings which are deemed to constitute a breach of these standards and failure to comply with such a request may result in disciplinary action.
Workers and volunteers may well be personally legally liable for every item that they post online whether on professional or personal accounts.
Disciplinary action will be taken if digital or social media activity could reasonably be considered derogatory, discriminatory, bullying, threatening, defamatory, offensive, intimidating, harassing, creating legal liability for Chepstow RFC, bringing the Club into disrepute, breaching the safeguarding policy, or breaching any other Club policy. This may include comments, videos, or photographs, which have been posted on digital or social media sites about the Club or any workers, volunteers, or members.
Digital / social media and networking sites may be referred to when investigating possible misconduct/gross misconduct.
Chepstow RFC will keep this policy available in the Club and on the Chepstow RFC website. Anyone who needs to read it (such as any workers, volunteers, contractors, members of the public etc) can do so.
The Committee will review this policy annually, or earlier if necessary.
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