Safeguarding In Sport

Everyone deserves to feel safe in sport, and safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Whether you are a participant, coach, volunteer, parent, or spectator, you play an important role in creating an environment where people are respected, included, and protected from harm.

Knowing how to recognise concerns and where to report them helps ensure that safeguarding remains at the centre of everything we do.

The resources below bring together guidance from a range of sports organisations to support safe practice, wellbeing, and positive experiences for children, young people, and adults.

Report a Safeguarding Concern for Children in Sports
If you have concerns about child abuse or concerns for a child, contact the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).

If you are worried that someone who works or volunteers with children in sport may have harmed a child, behaved inappropriately, or may pose a risk to children, the concern should be reported to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) within 24 hours.

General Principles of Safeguarding

Safeguarding is key to every organisation. Here you can find tools to check safeguarding, roles and responsibilities. You can also find guidance on raising a concern.

Safeguarding – Energise Me

Energise Me Safeguarding Check and Challenge Toolkit. Guidance on what clubs and organisations should have in place for safeguarding, roles and responsibilities, and FAQs. Link to Sports Welfare Officer network. https://www.energiseme.org/support-resource/safeguarding/

Safeguarding – Sport England

How to raise a concern and what to do if a safeguarding concern is raised - advice for sports clubs and organisations. Safeguarding | Sport England

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Parents and Carers

Here you can find expectations of parents and carers engaging with sport and guidance on supporting children in joining and enjoying sports.

Safeguarding In Your Pocket for Parents Leaflet - Energise me

Expectations of parents and carers engaging with sport and advice on how to support your child engaging in sport. Links to trusted organisations. Safeguarding: Guidance and Resources - Energise me

Parents' hub for keeping children safe in sport

choosing safe clubs and activities and positive support for children in sport. Guidance by The Child Protection In Sport Unit (CPSU), part of the NSPCC. Parents' hub for keeping children safe in sport

Youth Sport Trust

The Youth Sport Trust works with schools and young people across the UK. Opportunities for children and young people to join sports and physical activity programmes. Youth Sport Trust - Youth Sport Trust

Play Their Way

Play Their Way offers practical advice and support from and for sports coaches. The app child-first ideas and helps to improve coaching. Play Their Way - Our Philosophy / Play their Way

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Sports Clubs and Organisations

Clubs and organisations should understand their own safeguarding practices. Here you can find resources to assess practices and improve inclusivity and wellbeing.

Safeguarding Essentials - Buddle

There are safeguarding essentials that all organisations should have in place, including sports. Buddle offer useful advice and resources on safeguarding policies and procedures, safer recruitment, and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.

Safeguarding In Your Pocket for Clubs Leaflet - Energise me

Guidance for clubs on safeguarding, welfare and wellbeing, including how to be welcoming, supportive and inclusive

Safeguarding adults - Buddle

All you need to know about keeping adults safe, from the policies you need, to how to make them, implement them and keep them up to date.

Creating an inclusive culture - Buddle

Guidance on protected characteristics and how the Equality Act impacts on what you do as an organisation.

Creating inclusive spaces for women to be physically active - Energise Me

Advice and guidance for creating inclusive spaces for women to be physically active.

Duty to care hub - UK Coaching

Resources for coaches to learn about the six pillars of the 'duty to care' when working with children and adults. Provides a route to a Sport England accreditation.

LADO guide for sport and physical activity - CPSU

This guidance is for anyone working in the sport and physical activity sector. It will explain how and why you need to report safeguarding allegations to LADOs, and what to expect when doing so.

Sport England Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts

This project has been created to reward martial arts clubs or organisations who exercise good safeguarding practices. Clubs can also work towards attaining the Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts. This website contains details of the project, how clubs can be accredited, as well as training materials linked to safeguarding in martial arts.

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Regulatory Bodies and Unaffiliated groups

Sports clubs and organisations operate in a variety of ways. Some are affiliated with recognised governing or regulatory bodies, while others operate independently within their local communities. Affiliated clubs may have access to established policies, training, guidance, and support frameworks that promote good practice in areas such as coaching, safeguarding, and participant welfare.

Independent and grassroots clubs also play an important role in sport and physical activity, often providing accessible opportunities for people to participate, develop skills, and engage with their local communities.

Sharing knowledge, resources, and examples of effective practice can help clubs and organisations of all sizes support safe, inclusive, and positive experiences for everyone taking part in sport and physical activity.

National Governing Bodies
If you would like to find the recognised National Governing Body (NGB) for a particular sport, Sport England provides a directory of governing bodies and partner organisations:
National governing bodies | Sport England

Support for Grassroots and Independent Providers
Grassroots clubs, community groups, after-school clubs, and other independent providers may find additional guidance and support through:
After-school clubs, community activities, and tuition - Safeguarding guidance for providers

This guidance includes information on creating safe environments, safeguarding responsibilities, and promoting the welfare of children and young people participating in activities.

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Online safety and social media

Many sports clubs use WhatsApp groups, social media, email and team apps to share information with children, young people and families. Clubs may also take and share photographs and videos to celebrate achievements and promote activities.

While technology can be a great way to keep everyone connected, it is important that it is used safely. Clubs should have clear rules about online communication, the use of photographs and videos, and how adults and young people interact online. Open and transparent communication helps protect everyone and creates a safe and positive environment for children and young people. For more information see Online safety and social media in sport

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Low-level concerns and professional boundaries

Creating a safe sporting environment relies on everyone recognising and responding to concerns at the earliest opportunity. A low-level concern may involve behaviour that is inconsistent with a club's code of conduct, professional boundaries or expected standards, even if it does not meet the threshold for a safeguarding referral. Recording, sharing and responding proportionately to low-level concerns can help identify patterns of behaviour, promote a positive safeguarding culture and prevent issues from escalating.

Examples of low-level concerns may include:

Over-familiarity or favouritism towards a child or young person
Swearing or displaying aggressive behaviour around children
Coaching while smelling of alcohol
Giving overly personal compliments alongside unnecessary physical contact
Messaging young athletes privately through social media or other digital platforms

Whilst a single incident may not meet the criteria for a safeguarding referral, such behaviours should be recorded and addressed in line with organisational procedures. Clubs and organisations should ensure staff and volunteers understand professional boundaries, know how to raise concerns, and feel confident to challenge and report behaviour that causes unease.

For more information see What is a lower-level concern - NSPCC

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LADO guide for sport and physical activity

Most concerns about behaviour can be managed within a club's own safeguarding procedures. However, there may be occasions when concerns about an adult working or volunteering with children are more serious and need to be discussed with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).

A LADO provides advice and guidance when concerns are raised about someone who works or volunteers with children and may have:

Behaved in a way that has harmed, or may have harmed, a child
Possibly committed a criminal offence involving a child
Behaved in a way that suggests they may pose a risk to children

It is important that clubs, welfare officers, coaches and volunteers understand when and how to seek advice. Early consultation can help ensure concerns are managed appropriately and children are protected. The LADO guide for sport and physical activity explains what a LADO does, when a referral may be needed, and what to expect during the process

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Safeguarding In Sport

Everyone deserves to feel safe in sport, and safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Whether you are a participant, coach, volunteer, parent, or spectator, you play an important role in creating an environment where people are respected, included, and protected from harm.

General Principles of Safeguarding

Parents and Carers

Sports Clubs and Organisations

Regulatory Bodies and Unaffiliated groups

Online safety and social media

Low-level concerns and professional boundaries

LADO guide for sport and physical activity

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