Safeguarding children and young people means protecting them from harm, abuse or neglect.
In a sports setting this means making sure you have effective:
- safeguarding policies and procedures
- a code of conduct
- safe recruitment processes
- relevant training for staff and volunteers.
Sports clubs and organisations, including voluntary and private sector providers that deliver any sporting activities to children, including community amateur sports clubs or charities should have the arrangements described in the government guidance Working together to safeguarding children in place and should collaborate to work effectively with their safeguarding partners as required by any local safeguarding arrangements.
Many national governing bodies (NGBs) provide detailed guidance and templates about safeguarding policies and procedures for affiliated clubs, individuals and organisations to adopt and apply. The Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) also has a range of safeguarding information, resources and tools.
Sports clubs have a duty of care towards children and young people. This means that when a child or young person participates in an organised support, the adult has a duty to take reasonable care to ensure their safety and welfare.
Staff
Paid and volunteer staff need to be aware of their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, how they should respond to child protection concerns and how to make a referral to local authority children’s social care or the police if necessary
Sport Welfare Officers
Support for is available from Yorkshire Sport Foundation's Sport Welfare Officers who can provide:
- Support – they can help club welfare officers to create a safer culture within their organisation.
- Training – they can deliver or facilitate training and workshops for staff, volunteers, parents and participants, in person or online on a variety of sport-specific and safeguarding topics.
- Critical friend – they can help with self-assessments to ensure clubs are meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements set out by National Governing Bodies.
- Signposting – they can direct clubs to appropriate services and sources of support.
- Networks – they can make connections for people to share news, information and best practice.
- Events – they can attend events to raise awareness of safeguarding and wellbeing amongst participants, parents and carers.
Concerned about a child
Sport Welfare Officers are unable to advise on specific safeguarding concerns. If you are a member of staff or volunteer at a sports club and you have a safeguarding concern please report this to your National Governing Body as per their guidance and your safeguarding policy or contact the Leeds Duty and Advice Team.
In this context, the term “practitioner” includes paid employees, volunteers, casual/agency staff and self-employed workers who will have contact with children as a part of their role.
Managing Allegations
To manage allegations against practitioners, including sports providers, every Local Authority appoints a Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO). The LADO works within Children’s Services and should be alerted to all cases in which it is alleged that a person who works with children has:
- behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed, a child
- possibly committed a criminal offence against children, or related to a child, or
- behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates s/he may pose a risk to children.
- behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children.
The LADO is involved from the initial phase of the allegation through to the conclusion of the case. The LADO should be informed within one working day of all allegations that come to an employer’s attention or that are made directly to the police.