Child & Vulnerable Adult Welfare

• Meeting the requirements of the Standards for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport (CPSU 2002)
• Implementing and demonstrating best safeguarding practice when support services team, volunteers or others are providing services, activities and programmes for children and young people
• Working with partners to establish and implement agreed, consistent minimum safeguarding standards for sports activities within the county
• Requiring those individuals or organisations that are funded or commissioned to provide any services for children and young people to effectively address safeguarding requirements
• Maximising its influence to promote safeguarding practice and principles within its wider partnership roles and relationships.

• Unexplained or suspicious injuries such as bruising, cuts or burns and reluctance to talk about them
• Unexplained changes in behaviour- becoming aggressive, withdrawn or unhappy
• Something said by a young person or vulnerable adult or a peer, who may identify you as a trusted person with whom to share concerns
• A change observed over a long period of time (losing weight or becoming increasingly unkempt)
• Sexually explicit behaviour

• Stay calm and reassure the person- ensure he/she is safe, feels safe and does not feel to blame for what has happened
• Listen carefully, show and tell the person that you are taking seriously what is being said
• Be honest, explain you will have to tell someone else to help stop the behaviour that is distressing
• Maintain confidentiality- only share the information on a need to now basis and if it will help the young person or vulnerable adult
• Gain medical attention immediately if required

• Always working in an open environment e.g. avoiding private or unobserved situations and encouraging an open environment (e.g. no secrets);
• Treating all young people and vulnerable adults equally, and with respect and dignity;
• Always putting the welfare of each young person first, before winning or achieving goals;
• Maintaining a safe and appropriate distance with players (e.g. it is not appropriate to have an intimate relationship with a child or to share a room with them);
• Building balanced relationships based on mutual trust which empowers children to share in the decision-making process;
• Making sport fun, enjoyable and promoting fair play;
• Ensuring that if any form of manual/physical support is required, it will be provided openly and according to guidelines provided by the national governing body and the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU).
• Involving parents/carers wherever possible (e.g. for the responsibility of their children in the changing rooms).
• If groups have to be supervised in the changing rooms, always ensure parents, teachers, coaches and officials work in pairs;
• Ensuring that if mixed teams are taken away, a male and female member of staff will always accompany them. (NB however, same gender abuse can also occur);
• Ensuring that at tournaments or residential events, adults will not enter children's rooms or invite children into their rooms;
• Being an excellent role model this includes not smoking or drinking alcohol in the company of young people;
• Giving enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism;
• Recognising the developmental needs and capacity of young people and disabled adults avoiding excessive training or competition and not pushing them against their will;
• Securing parental consent in writing to act in loco parentis, if the need arises to give permission for the administration of emergency first aid and/or other medical treatment;
• Keeping a written record of any injury that occurs, along with the details of any treatment given. This should always be written on an accident/incident report form and distributed to the relevant people.

Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs)

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