Safeguarding for Sport - Joe's Blog

As an Active Partnership Sports Welfare Officer (SWO), I am responsible for working with National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and sports clubs to enhance safeguarding provision within sport. There is a network of SWOs across the country, covering all counties, which I cover Hertfordshire.

Throughout this blog series, I'll be sharing with you my experiences in the role, and any best practice examples that could benefit the wider sporting sector. In this first blog post, I'll be discussing some of the recent updates to safeguarding in sport and provide relevant context as to why safeguarding has become a focus for many sports. 

We all have a responsibility to safeguard others, which includes being aware of what actions to take when we have a concern. Every adult and child should have the ability to participate in sport and thrive in a safe environment, free from abuse or harassment. An effective way for sports clubs to ensure they have a safe and inclusive environment is by adopting a participant-centred approach. This approach means ensuring that every action and decision is made with the best interests of the person at the centre, and understanding
that no two situations will be the same. Participants' needs will vary and being flexible will support them in the best way possible.

For me, every sport, and sports club, should be focusing on adopting this approach. This will help create an inclusive culture that puts its participants at the centre. Do you think your club has this approach in place?

The Whyte Review was a significant step towards increased action from NGBs regarding safeguarding participants in their sport. The independent review investigated abuse allegations in British Gymnastics and found that there was a failure to put the welfare of the participants at the centre of the sport. Additionally, it was felt that the culture within Gymnastics resulted in the community feeling unable to voice their concerns.

Following the review, Sport England made 19 commitments to improving safeguarding in sport. These commitments include an investment of nearly £15 million into a new national network of SWOs. The recruitment process for these officers began in November 2023, with almost all of the network now in post. Several NGBs have also taken action to reflect on and improve their safeguarding standards, highlighting the togetherness of our networks, and shared priority of improving safeguarding across sports.

Since the implementation of the network, NGBs have been working closely with SWOs across the country to identify target areas of work within various sports, and regularly communicating updates and progress toward their shared goals. 

Highlighting a change I have already seen from an NGB. At the beginning of 2024, Swim England updated their ‘Wave Power’ safeguarding policy to reflect the changing needs of the sport and focus on improving safety within changing rooms. The updated version also introduces new measures for safeguarding adults at risk for the first time, including directions for clubs and individuals on reporting such concerns. A positive change in the right direction.

We can all agree that safeguarding should be a key focus for all sports clubs. The question is, how can we do that at our club? In our sport? What are the things we can do to ensure safety is the priority? Through my role, I have been made aware of many planned safeguarding improvements by different National Governing Bodies (NGBs), which will be great steps towards improving safeguarding in sport. However, this doesn't mean that the job will be complete. There is still much more we can all do to support the participants in our sports. Safeguarding is a shared responsibility, and we must work together to ensure that sports are safe for everyone.