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Across the country, thousands of dedicated volunteers and welfare officers work hard to keep everyone safe and free from harm when engaging in sport and physical activity.

However, creating an environment where everyone feels welcome, safe and supported, while ensuring the required policies and procedures are in place and lived out, can feel overwhelming, challenging and come with a large amount of responsibility.

The Sport Welfare Officer (SWO) network can help clubs, groups and welfare officers by providing advice, support and guidance, to make their responsibilities less isolating and ensure they feel more connected.

What’s the SWO network?

The SWO network is a team of professionals across England who support community sports clubs, physical activity groups and work alongside national governing bodies (NGBs). They help local organisations follow best practice and create safer, more inclusive environments.

The SWO network is led by the Active Partnerships National Organisation (APNO), who support the 42 local Active Partnerships (APs) across the country. The APNO connects, strengthens and enables APs by supporting them in their work to promote sport and physical activity and tackle inequalities, helping everyone to live active lives.

What’s an SWO?

Working in regions and cities across England, SWOs provide impartial and free advice to organisations, supporting the development of safe environments, inclusive cultures and positive experiences for all.

SWOs approach conversations in a supportive and positive way, providing additional capacity, resource and expertise. Through dedicated one-to-one support, SWOs aim to support organisations and their volunteers to implement effective welfare, wellbeing and safeguarding practices.

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Benefits of working with SWOs

There are lots of benefits of working with the local SWO, including: 

  • accessing expert advice and support to develop, implement and live out safeguarding policies and procedures
  • making safeguarding feel less overwhelming and isolating by connecting organisations, volunteers and welfare officers with a wider support network
  • helping to make safeguarding a priority within an organisation by raising awareness and getting support to create a culture of safeguarding
  • receiving ideas and tips on creating an environment where everyone has a voice
  • ensuring an organisation meets the required standards for their activity, including those outlined by their local authority or NGB.

How to find your local SWO

You can find contact details for your local SWO on the APNO website.

Or find your local Active Partnership’s website and see if they have more information about the SWOs and the work they do in your local area.

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SWO activities

SWOs can provide a variety of support in line with an organisation’s needs. To promote safeguarding in their local areas and with community organisations, SWOs use the CORE approach:

SWOs can provide lots of dedicated advice and support, but they’re unable to help with specific safeguarding concerns or issues.

If you have a safeguarding concern, please follow your organisation’s policies and procedures, which could include reporting this to your NGB, statutory body or emergency services.