Safeguarding for coaches and clubs
Safeguarding must be central to your organisation; it is to create an environment where the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk are protected.
Here is a guideline for organisations to know when doing activities:
- recognising and responding to safeguarding children and adults concerns
- know how to recognise signs of abuse
- have the confidence to challenge poor practice / conduct
- know how to respond and action concerns correctly – including understanding what steps they need to take to report and record concerns
- create a safe environment by making sure you have policies and procedures in place such as code of conduct, safe recruitment processes and risk assessments
The Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) have created a self-assessment tool for safeguarding in sports. You can also find more information about safeguarding adults in sport from Ann Craft Trust
Safer Recruitment in clubs
Anyone undertaking a role that involves contact with or responsibility for children (or other vulnerable groups such as adults at risk) should be taken through a safer recruitment process. Sport relies on thousands of well-motivated staff and volunteers without whom most clubs, activities and events would not exist. It is essential that your sports club or activity has effective recruitment and selection procedures. This will help to create a safe workforce for both paid staff and volunteers, as well as helping to screen out and discourage those who are not suitable from joining your club or organisation.
Managing allegations against or concerns about people who work or volunteer with children
Any allegation or concern that an employee or volunteer has behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed, a child must be taken seriously and dealt with sensitively and promptly, regardless of where the alleged incident took place.
How to help children disclose abuse as an organisation
It’s important to create an environment where children and young people are comfortable about speaking out if anything is worrying them. They need to:
- be able to recognise abuse and know it is wrong
- know who they can talk to about it.
How to raise a concern
Is the child in immediate danger or are they injured? if yes, contact the emergency services
- If you're affiliated to a national governing body, Reporting or responding to a concern refer to their safeguarding procedures about who to report the concerns to
- If your club or activity isn’t affiliated to a governing body, you can seek support from the active partnership (previously county sports partnership) or your local children’s social care (social services)
- The City of York Council Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is a multi-agency single point of contact for all concerns about children and to make sure that children receive the right level of support.
- Contact MASH Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.00pm:
- telephone: 01904 551900
- email: mash@york.gov.uk
Contact MASH Early Help Team to make an early help referral or access advice:
- telephone: 01904 551900
- email: earlyhelp@york.gov.uk
Outside office hours, at weekends and on public holidays, contact the Emergency Duty Team
- telephone: 0300 131 2131
- email: edt@northyorks.gov.uk
If you have concerns about the welfare of a child
Support is available should you need it, through your national governing body (if you have one), statutory social care services and the NSPCC as well as directly from the Child Protection in Sport Unit.