Karate Issues - Child Protection in Sport
As well as working with key organisations like the NSPCC, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport helped establish the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) in 2001 to improve child protection in sport.
The unit has already worked to:
- Put in place child protection policies in all funded sports in England
- Ensure that qualified coaches working with children in all sports National Governing Bodies have Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks
- Helped to institute CRB checks for all officials and coaches working with children
- Guide all organisations, in the private and public sectors, who provide activities for children
The CPSU helps sports and other organisations to:
- Recognise their responsibility to protect children and young people left in their care
- Develop strategies and standards to protect children and young people
- Identify and respond to adults who are a threat to children and young people
- Develop child protection knowledge and skills among all staff and volunteers
What can you do?
Everyone, especially parents, can check that any sports club they come into contact with is safeguarding the welfare and well-being of children and young people.
The CPSU website provides a list of questions that you can ask to satisfy yourself that the club is fit for children.
In conjunction with DCSF, DCMS has also produced a guidance leaflet for parents and carers which provides advice to help them ask the right questions about important child protection measures that sports providers should have in place, wherever and whatever their child participates in: "Helping keep your child safe in sport" leaflet.
The consultation on the scope and implementation of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in relation to sports coaches
Following analysis of the consultation responses and follow-up meetings with the sports National Governing Bodies(NGBs) , the joint conclusion of DCMS and Home Officials was that there was insufficient evidence to extend the legislation to sports coaches.
In reaching that decision, DCMS, working closely with the Home Office listened carefully to the views of the respondents, particularly those of the NGBs and charities with an interest in sport and leisure.
Other aspects considered as part of this work were the potential implications of the Departments for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Health’s work on Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups(SVG).
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 lays the foundation for a new scheme which aims to help avoid harm, or risk of harm, to children and vulnerable adults. The scheme will aim to do this by preventing those who are deemed unsuitable to work with children and vulnerable adults from gaining access to them through their work. This will be done by:
- Providing employers with a more effective and streamlined vetting service for potential employees
- Barring unsuitable individuals from working, or seeking to work, with children and vulnerable adults at the earliest opportunity
The new scheme was phased in from autumn 2008.
The responsibility for taking barring decisions under the new arrangements (previously referred to as the Vetting and Barring Scheme) will lie with a new Independent Safeguarding Authority (previously referred to as the Independent Barring Board), which will be an independent statutory body. The application processes for decisions will be run by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB).
For further information on the new legislation and the role of the new Independent Safeguarding Authority please visit: www.everychildmatters.gov.uk.
Standards for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport
The need for a recognised system of assessing the commitment of sports organisations to safeguarding children has been recognised by all the Home Nations and each have embraced standards appropriate to the legislation and structure in each country. Although the structure of the standards assessment process may differ, the principles are consistent.
The standards provide a framework for all those involved in sport to help them create a safe sporting environment for children and young people and protect them from harm. The standards also seek to provide a benchmark to help those involved in sport make informed decisions, promote good practice and challenge practice that is harmful to children.
The NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit is committed to advising and supporting sports organisations in this important work and they hope these standards will provide them with the confidence to safeguard children in their care. On these pages you can view the standards in:
England
Standards for safeguarding and protecting children in sport (PDF, 5.43MB)
The need for standards for sports organisations was originally identified in the 2000 National Action Plan for Child Protection in Sport. Initial work was carried out by Sport England Governing Body Services, including consultation with stakeholder groups. This work was then taken forward and built on by the Sport Task Force on Policy and Standards.
The Task Force is co-ordinated by the CPSU. The first version of the standards were approved by NSPCC, Sport England and the Sports Minister in September 2002, and published in February 2003. This second edition of the standards incorporates an additional tenth standard. Standard 10 reflects the changes within sport and the growing role some sports organisations have in influencing the delivery of local sports. Through this sport organisations have the opportunity to encourage and promote the adoption and implementation of measures to safeguard children by partner organisations.
Sport England has made working towards achieving the standards a condition of grant aid and they are mandatory for English governing bodies and County Sport Partnerships. The ten areas covered are:
- policy
- procedures and systems
- prevention
- codes of practice and behaviour
- equity
- communication
- education and training
- access to advice and support
- implementation and monitoring
- influencing
Standards for safeguarding and protecting children in sport gives full details of the standards for England, including their purpose, principles, use, and other relevant information resources.
Northern Ireland
Getting it right: standards of practice for the protection of children and young people (PDF, 504KB)
Sport Northern Ireland (SNI) recognises its responsibility in protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse. Their commitment to ensuring safeguarding standards are incorporated into any assessment of a Sports Governing Body receiving funding is based on the recognition that all children and vulnerable adults have the right to protection from abuse regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religious belief, nationality, sexual orientation or disability. It is also recognised that the needs of children with disabilities and others who may be particularly vulnerable must be taken into account.
Sport Northern Ireland has made working towards achieving the standards a condition of grant aid and they are mandatory for NI based governing bodies.
The CPSU NI have worked as part of a steering group sponsored by the DHSSPS and coordinated by the Volunteer Development Agency to develop agreed standards for safeguarding in Northern Ireland for the voluntary sector. This document has been reviewed in 2009.
Getting it right: standards of practice for the protection of children and young people (PDF, 504KB) are the standards endorsed by the DHSSPS as the best practice for the voluntary sector. As an organisation working with children/young people you will want to provide the best care for them, support your staff and volunteers through appropriate procedures and guidelines and reassure parents that your organisation is child centred. Getting It Right is intended to help you to meet recognised and agreed minimum standards for child protection and will guide you towards improving your practice where necessary.
There are six standards within Getting It Right:
- safe recruitment
- effective management of staff and volunteers
- reporting concerns
- code of behaviour
- sharing information
- general safety and management of activities.
Wales
A framework for safeguarding and protecting children in and through sport in Wales (PDF, 5.43MB)
When implemented fully the framework should provide parents with increased confidence and peace of mind. Most important of all, they should help create safer environments for children, where they can enjoy and get the very best from their involvement in sport in Wales.
Purpose of standards:
- to help create a safe sporting environment for children and young people and protect them from harm
- to provide a benchmark to assist those involved in sport to make informed decisions
- to promote good practice and challenge practice that is harmful to children
- to provide clarity for all those involved in sport about how to recognise and respond to concerns.
Principles:
- children and young people have a right to enjoy sport, free from all forms of abuse and exploitation
- everybody has a responsibility to support the care and protection of children and young people
- sporting organisations have a duty of care to children and young people who take part in sport.
Use and Application of the Standards
This is an overarching framework, which is intended to be relevant to all sports at all levels. They apply to sporting activity that takes place in an organised setting.
Umbrella, funding and controlling bodies may choose to use them for a variety of purposes, for example, to raise standards, to assist in decision making or for enforcement purposes.
The Safeguarding Framework
The framework consists of five areas of action that a sports organisation should be able to demonstrate it undertakes at all levels of its sport. Each of these actions will be promoted and supported through effective communication with all those benefiting from the safeguarding activities of the sports organisation:
- policy
- procedures
- practices
- education and training
- implementing and monitoring.
For further information please contact the Child Protection in Sport Unit Wales.
Telephone 029 20 267000 or
email: cpsuwales@nspcc.org.uk.
Scotland
2006 Accord for the Protection of Children in Scottish Sport (PDF)
Since the launch of Children and Young People - Safe and Secure in Sport (National Action Plan, 2002) many sports organisations have taken action to fulfil their responsibility to keep children safe in and through sport. Whilst much has been achieved, changes in legislation and national guidance, and the outcomes of the Scottish Executive's Child Protection Reform Programme have introduced new challenges for all organisations which provide services to children and their families, including sport.
The 2006 Accord for the Protection of Children in Scottish Sport (PDF) presents a support framework to help organisations work towards recommended good practice in protecting children and to fulfil responsibilities introduced as part of the Reform Programme.
The Child Protection in Sport Steering Group encourage all organisations to sign up to the 2006 Accord. Those who wish to sign up should in the first instance contact the Child Protection in Sport Service. It is now a requirement of sportscotland investment that all lottery funded Scottish Governing Bodies sign up to the 2006 Accord.
Within 12 months of signing up, organisations are encouraged to develop, formally adopt and publish an action plan which sets out how they intend to achieve each of the outcomes, with clear and realistic timescales for completion. For some organisations, these may already be reflected within, or can be added to existing strategic plans for example, local authorities’ Children’s Services Plans or Child Protection Committee Business Plans.
To help organisations get started, CHILDREN 1ST and sportscotland have produced a list of suggested tasks to help deliver on each of the areas contained in the 2006 Accord:
- people
- policies
- procedures and practices
- participation
- partnerships.
For further information please contact Child Protection in Sport Service. Visit www.childprotectioninsport.org.uk