Safeguarding

You should have a clear set of written guidelines in place. This helps to make sure that you’re equipped to deal with safeguarding concerns effectively.

If you are affiliated then your governing body will have guidance you need to follow to help shape you policy. They will also tell you what procedures you need to have in place.

The following are areas that should be covered within your policy:

• A policy statement
• Definitions
• Responding to and reporting concerns
• Recording
• Codes of conduct
• Safer recruitment
• Supervision, support and training
• Whistle-blowing
• Complaints
• Links to other procedures/policies your organisation have
• An implementation plan

Since August 2019, Sport England are no longer providing general support for  accreditation through club mark. However, Sport England Club Matters are working on a new tools to help clubs self-analyse their safeguarding procedures and policies.

You can check for updates on the launch of the new tool on the club matters website.

We have a few different course on offer that can help you better understand your role in safeguarding vulnerable people. These are listed in the courses section below.

The CPSU hold frequent webinars, conferences and courses that can help.

There are a number of different places you can find tools to help you put safeguarding procedures into place. We created our Check and Challenge Toolkit to pull together key information, contacts and guidance notes to make it easier for you.

If you are affiliated, your governing body will have their own procedure in place that you will need to follow. These should be used to shape your own policy. They may have templates and guidance to help you on their website.

You can also find resources to help you on the CPSU site.

Firstly, if you think a vulnerable individual is in immediate danger, you should call the police on 999. The welfare of the at risk person is the number one priority. You do not have to decide what is and isn’t abuse, but it is your responsibility to report concerns appropriately.

If a concern is raised to you and you are affiliated to a governing body they will have support in place to help you. In the case that you are not affiliated then you can get support from CPSU or from social care services.

Provided that there is no immediate danger to the at risk individual then there are a number of ways you can report the concern:

• If you are affiliated then you should refer to your governing body’s safeguarding procedures about who to report your concern to.
• Energise Me can help you if you are not affiliated. Contact Sophie or Sharon (details below).
• You can also report your concern to your local social services.
• If no one else is available then contact the police.