From Policy to Action: Creating a Culture of Safety in Sports Clubs
In our last article, I wrote about the pressing need for a safer environment in sports. Unfortunately, the situation isn’t looking great, and it’s time we take action. Today, I want to share best practices I’ve gathered from around the world on how we can start addressing the issues within our sports communities and clubs.
To begin with, I found the framework provided by Keeping Children Safe to be useful and straightforward. They emphasize four guiding standards: policy, people, procedures, and accountability.
The ultimate goal is to foster a safe culture for everyone involved. The first step is establishing clear policies that outline the club’s commitment to preventing and appropriately responding to harm against children and adults. While every community has its own set of rules, it’s highly recommended to align with standards set by government bodies. They offer abundant resources and ensure compliance with the latest regulations. Whether you opt for templates from organizations like International Tennis Federation, Tennis Australia, Lawn Tennis Association, or USTA is up to you. Ensure the club’s management approves these policies and are accessible to all staff, volunteers, children, and parents.
Now, let’s talk about the most critical aspect: people. Policies provide guidance, but it’s the individuals within the community who can either perpetrate or prevent abuse. Two crucial steps can set your community apart: appointing a designated member to safeguard your community and ensuring proper hiring and screening of coaches and volunteers. This designated member plays a pivotal role in safeguarding. They are the anchor in ensuring everyone’s safety. Once appointed, everything else tends to fall into place.
Unsure where to start?
Begin here: appoint a “Safeguard officer,” “Welfare Officer,” or “Member Protection Information Officer” for your community. The specific title isn’t crucial; what matters is that everyone understands who this individual is and what their role entails!
Furthermore, hiring and screening practices for coaches and volunteers are paramount. Each staff member and volunteer must possess a clean criminal record and undergo safeguarding training. This requirement is already mandatory in some organizations like the LTA and is likely to become widespread due to the high stakes involved. Initiatives like Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), Get Approved, or The Working with Children Check (WWCC) are instrumental in keeping our industry to the highest standards.
Implementing child safeguarding procedures throughout the organization is another essential step. Again, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Government bodies have already outlined the necessary line of action; your responsibility is to communicate and educate your community about them.
Lastly, let’s address the elephant in the room: accountability. Rather than pointing fingers, let’s focus on being part of the solution. We need transparency from government bodies regarding who our welfare officers are, their certifications, and how to access education and compliance pathways. While this may seem daunting, we can start by taking accountability within our communities. Appoint a safeguarding officer, create a safe environment, and communicate transparently about ongoing efforts to ensure everyone’s safety.
You’re still figuring it out, but you’re diligently working to ensure the safety of everyone in your community. You’re proactive and committed to the cause.
In the upcoming article, we’ll dive deeper into the responsibilities of a Safeguarding Officer and what an effective hiring process could entail. Until then, stay safe, and let’s continue working towards a safer sporting environment together!
