All organisations working with children have both a legal and moral duty of care for those children.
These are defined by the following pieces of legislation and government guidance.
The Children's Acts (1989 and 2004)
These define children as anyone under the age of 18 years.
Working together to safeguard children (2018)
This provides government guidance for organisations working with children.
It includes explicit mention of sport and the requirement that all funded sports organisations should achieve the CPSU Safeguarding Standards.
It includes explicit mention of sport and the requirement that all funded sports organisations should achieve the CPSU Safeguarding Standards.
Every child matters: change for children (2004)
This outlines the five key outcomes for all children:
Be healthy - physical and mental health and wellbeing
Stay safe - protection from harm and neglect
Enjoy and achieve - education, training and recreation
Make a positive contribution - the contribution made by them to society
Achieve economic wellbeing - social and economic wellbeing
Be healthy - physical and mental health and wellbeing
Stay safe - protection from harm and neglect
Enjoy and achieve - education, training and recreation
Make a positive contribution - the contribution made by them to society
Achieve economic wellbeing - social and economic wellbeing
Children and Social Work Act (2017)
This includes reference to changes of Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards to “local safeguarding arrangements”, which could include sports organisations.
Data Protection Acts (1998 and 2018)
They provide guidance around safe storage and sharing of information including safeguarding information.
The latter refers to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The latter refers to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Information sharing guidance for safeguarding practitioners (2015)
This provides guidance around what, how and when to share safeguarding information, including the seven golden rules of information sharing.
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)
This introduced the offence of an employer knowingly employing someone in a regulated position if they are barred from doing so, and for an individual who has been barred to apply for a regulated position (one which involves spending regular time working with children).
Protection of Freedoms Act (2012)
This reduced the scope of "regulated activity" by focusing on whether the work is unsupervised (in which case it counts as "regulated activity") or supervised (in which case, organisations can request an enhanced criminal records check, but this will not include a check of the barred list).
The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 created a single, new, non-departmental public body called the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 created a single, new, non-departmental public body called the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Safeguarding in sports organisations
- If you're an organisation providing sport or leisure for children - whether voluntary, private, charity, social enterprise or faith based organisation - this toolkit will help you to ensure that you have the appropriate safeguards in place for children and young people.
- Further information on the topic is also available from the Sport and Recreation Alliance.
- If you're a leisure provider (local authority or private/Trusts providers), the Child Protection in Sport Unit can help you out.
- For more information about the DBS, these guidance leaflets will provide advice and more information about wider safer recruitment.
- For information on a range of safeguarding training, including access to free webinars on various safeguarding topics, the CPSU has a list available.
- If you need to deal with a concern about a child you can find information and guidance on the CPSU website about safeguarding links to national governing bodies and Active Partnerships.
- You can also call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000.
Guidance and legislation
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Children's Act (1989)Children's Act (2004)Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)CPSU - safeguarding standardsEvery child matters: change for children (2004)Children and Social Work Act (2017)Data Protection Act (1998)Data Protection Act (2018)Information sharing guidance for safeguarding practitioners (2015)Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)Protection of Freedoms Act (2012)
Safeguarding is a key responsibility for every organisation that delivers sport and physical activity.
There are safeguarding essentials that all organisations should have in place, such as having stand-alone safeguarding adults and child protection policies and procedures.
If you now have safeguarding policies and procedures in place but want to know what to do next, then read on.
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Spread the word
Create a culture that means members can discuss issues and know where to go if they have a concern.
Read morePutting up posters, updating your website and including safeguarding information in your newsletters and social media pages will all help spread the word.
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Give your welfare officer a platform
Having a designated welfare officer is critical for people feeling supported - this person can be the same for safeguarding adults and children.
Read moreIt's vital this person is chosen carefully and is proactive in their role.
It's also vital they have a platform to get key information to all participants, members and volunteers.
Similarly, it should be easy for members to contact the welfare officer if necessary.
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Up-skill your members
It's vital that members are given the opportunity to up-skill themselves - for example, are they aware of the differences in policies and procedures between safeguarding adults and child protection?
Read moreEncourage all your key volunteers and staff to make the most of the resources available to them, such as our own online adult safeguarding workshop, so they know what abuse is, what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour and how they can report it if they feel something isn't right.
You should also identify who needs more in-depth training about safeguarding and suggest they attend relevant workshops.
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Have a monitoring system in place
Safeguarding policies and procedures have to be implemented correctly throughout your organisation.
Read moreYour organisation should have arrangements in place to monitor compliance with your child protection policy and adult safeguarding policy in line with your specific national governing body's requirements.
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Make sure emergency contact details are accessible
Emergency contact details are often locked away somewhere, but it's vital that these can be accessed by all.
Read moreAsk yourself, how available are then? Are they included on the website and throughout club facilities?
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Provide practical examples
Members and participants need to have practical examples of what to do in a specific situation if there's a safeguarding concern.
Read moreMake sure these examples are included in all your safeguarding resources.
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There are different levels of safeguarding training which can be completed, which is determined by the role to be undertaken, the level of engagement with children/adults at risk and the frequency of the engagement.
Introductory levels
While it's not essential, everyone can benefit from taking an introductory course, such as the NSPCC’s Child protection in sport – online course.
These courses provide basic information only but are sufficient for those with:
- no contact with children and young people or adults at risk
- incidental contact with children and young people or adults at risk
- regular contact, but no direct responsibility for them.
Alternative introductory courses include:
- Duty to Care Course suite of courses (Safeguarding element) - this course is free
- Introduction to Safeguarding course children and young people from the NSPCC or via Educare
- Introduction to Safeguarding course - adults at risk from the Ann Craft Trust (ACT)
The video opens with the Buddle logo shown in the centre of a white screen, with the Ann Craft Trust logo underneath, which has the strapline ‘acting against abuse’. Beneath that, the National Lottery and Sport England logos are shown.
The video changes to a background that has sections of navy blue, teal blue and orange as a backing track starts. On top of the background, the text ‘Safeguarding adults is everybody’s responsibility’ appears. This text is white, but ‘everybody’s’ is highlighted in orange. Underneath, the text ‘What you and your organisation should know?’ appears in white. All text shown in the video is white unless otherwise specified.
The background changes to one with sections of orange, dark yellow and navy blue. In one section, an image of two older women taking part in swimming activity is faded into the background and is tinted dark yellow. On top of this background, the text ‘What does safeguarding adults mean?’ appears at the top of the screen. The text is underlined. Underneath, in the middle of the screen, the text ‘Safeguarding adults means protecting and keeping adults free from abuse and neglect. Everyone has a responsibility for this.’ appears. At the same time as this text appears, a male voiceover begins.
Voiceover: Safeguarding adults means protecting a person’s right to live in safety free from abuse and neglect. Safeguarding adults is a responsibility for every sport and physical activity organisation.
The text in the middle of the screen changes to ‘Getting this right will improve participation levels and keep people involved.’
Voiceover: Getting this right will ensure safe access for everyone.
The background then changes to one with sections of dark pink, dark yellow and orange. In one section, a man can be seen taking part in boxing is faded into the background and is tinted dark pink. On top of this background, the text ‘What does this mean for providers of sport and physical activity?’ appears and moves to the top of the screen.
Voiceover: It is vital to look out for the welfare of all adults and be informed enough to ensure that any safeguarding concerns about adults are properly acted upon. Safeguarding adults is everybody’s responsibility. They should respond and follow up any safeguarding concerns that they have about an adult to welfare officers or appropriate local bodies.
Underneath the heading, the text ‘Organisations need to:’ appears. Beneath this, and in sync with the voiceover, the text ‘Look out for the welfare of all adults’, ‘Be able to identify poor practice’, ‘Respond to any concerns I have about the welfare of an adult’ and ‘Know how to report concerns’ appear as bullet points.
Voiceover: Do I really need a safeguarding adults policy?
The screen’s background changes to one with sections of orange, navy blue and teal blue. On one section, a photo of someone taking part in physical activity is faded into the background and is tinted navy blue. On top of this background, the text ‘Do I need a safeguarding adults policy and procedures?’ appears in a white-lined box at the top of the screen.
Voiceover: The short answer is yes. The Care Act 2014 put the safeguarding of adults on a statutory footing.
In sync with the voiceover, the word ‘Yes’ appears in large, bold text in the middle of the screen. This text disappears, and onscreen the text ‘The Care Act 2014’ appears on the right-hand side of the screen. Underneath, the text ‘Put the safeguarding of adults on a statutory footing which relates to rules or laws which have been formally written down.’ appears onscreen until the voiceover moves on.
Voiceover: If your organisation has regular contact with the public, you have a crucial role to play in the support, identification and reporting of adults who may be at risk of harm.
On the left-hand side of the screen, the text ‘Community organisations have a part to play in recognising and responding to safeguarding concerns’ appears onscreen until the voiceover moves on.
Voiceover: Individuals across your organisation need to be informed enough to ensure that complaints and concerns about adults at risk are properly identified and acted upon.
On the right-hand side of the screen, the text ‘Individuals need to be informed enough to ensure that complaints and concerns about adults at risk are properly identified and acted upon.’ appears until the voiceover moves on.
Voiceover: Organisations that fail to do this risk failing to meet their duty of care, which at worst could leave adults at risk vulnerable to harm.
On the left-hand side of the screen, the text ‘Organisations that fail to do this risk failing to meet their duty of care, which at worst could leave adults at risk vulnerable to harm.’ appears onscreen until the voiceover moves on.
Voiceover: So how is safeguarding adults different to safeguarding children? Some of the key differences are…
The screen’s background changes to show a picture of a woman swimming along the top half of the screen, it’s faded into the background and tinted navy blue. On the bottom half of the screen, a picture of a young person taking part in martial arts is faded into the background and tinted orange. On top of this background, the text ‘So how is safeguarding adults different to safeguarding children?’ appears in the middle of the screen, before moving to the top of the screen and being surrounded by a white-lined box. Underneath this, the text ‘Key differences’ appears and is underlined.
Voiceover: There are different laws for safeguarding adults, the process for dealing with concerns is different, and there are more types of harm for adults.
The text ‘There are different laws for safeguarding adults’, ‘The process for dealing with concerns is different’ and ‘There are more types of harm for adults’ appear onscreen as bullet points, in sync with the voiceover.
Voiceover: The Mental Capacity Act 2005 applies to everyone involved in the care, treatment and support of people aged 16 and over living in England and Wales who are unable to make all or some decisions for themselves.
The text ‘The Mental Capacity Act 2005 which applies to everyone involved in the care, treatment and support of people aged 16 and over living in England and Wales who are unable to make all or some decisions for themselves.’ appears onscreen, still under the underlined heading of ‘Key Differences’.
Voiceover: There are also different categories of harm for children as there are for adults.
The screen’s background changes to one with sections of dark yellow, orange, and dark pink. In one section, an image of a man in a cricket uniform and helmet is faded into the background and the image is tinted orange. In the centre of the screen, the text ‘There are also different categories of harm for children as there are for adults.’ appears.
The text onscreen disappears and is replaced with ‘Children and adults’ at the top of the left-hand side of the screen. On the right-hand side of the screen, the text ‘Adults’ appears.
Voiceover: Physical, sexual, emotional or psychological, neglect and acts of omission, financial or material, domestic abuse including coercive control, discriminatory, organisational, modern slavery, self-neglect.
In sync with the voiceover, the words ‘physical’, ‘sexual’, ‘emotional’, ‘psychological’, ‘neglect’ and ‘acts of omission’ appear on the left-hand side of the screen, under the heading ‘Children and Adults’. In sync with the voiceover, the words ‘financial’, ‘material’, domestic abuse’, ‘coercive control’, ‘discriminatory’, ‘organisational’, ‘modern slavery’ and ‘self-neglect’ appear on the right-hand side of the screen, under the heading ‘Adults’.
Voiceover: So now we have looked at why you need policies, but what about some principles to follow? There are six key principles when it comes to safeguarding adults.
The screen’s background changes to one with sections of orange, dark pink and teal blue. In one section to the right of the screen, an image of people playing basketball is faded into the background and the image is tinted orange. In another section to the left of the screen, an image of an archer is faded into the background and the image is tinted in dark pink. In the centre of the screen, the text ‘What are the Key Principles of Safeguarding Adults?’ appears in a white-lined box. In sync with the voiceover, the text in the white-lined box is replaced with ‘6 Key Principles’, which then moves to the top of the screen.
Voiceover: Empowerment. Clubs should talk to the adult if there are concerns, and give people the choice and control over their decisions.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘1. Empowerment:’ appears on the left-hand side of the screen. Underneath this and in the centre of the screen, the text ‘Talk to the adult’, ‘Give people the choice’ and ‘Control over their decisions’ appears on separate lines in sync with the voiceover.
Voiceover: Prevention. Clubs should create a culture that means participants feel able to discuss issues and know where to go if they have a concern. Make sure information is clear, simple and accessible so everyone has an understanding of the basics.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘2. Prevention:’ appears on the left-hand side of the screen. Underneath this and in the centre of the screen, the text ‘Create a culture’, ‘Participants feel able to discuss issues’, ‘Information is clear’ and ‘Simple and accessible’ appears on separate lines in sync with the voiceover.
Voiceover: Proportionality. When dealing with adult abuse, clubs should ensure that they always think about the risk. Be sure to respect the person, think about what is best and only get involved as much as needed.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘3. Proportionality:’ appears on the left-hand side of the screen. Underneath this and in the centre of the screen, the text ‘Think about the risk’, ‘Respect the person’, and ‘Only get involved as much as needed’ appears on separate lines in sync with the voiceover.
Voiceover: Protection. Clubs should know what to do if there are concerns, know how to stop the abuse, offer help, support for people who are at risk and identify who needs more in-depth training.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘4. Protection:’ appears on the left-hand side of the screen. Underneath this and in the centre of the screen, the text ‘Know what to do if there are concerns’, ‘Offer help and support’, and ‘Identify who needs more training’ appears on separate lines in sync with the voiceover.
Voiceover: Partnership. Clubs should work in partnership with each other and local communities to ensure everyone is playing a part in prevention, detecting and reporting abuse.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘5. Partnership:’ appears on the left-hand side of the screen. Underneath this and in the centre of the screen, the text ‘Work with other organisations’, ‘Work with your local community’, and ‘Preventing, detecting and reporting abuse’ appears on separate lines in sync with the voiceover.
Voiceover: Accountability. Clubs should understand that everyone is accountable as an individual, or as a club. Ensure that there are clear roles and responsibilities, and they must be clear so that people can see and check how safeguarding is done.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘6. Accountability:’ appears on the left-hand side of the screen. Underneath this and in the centre of the screen, the text ‘Everyone is accountable’, and ‘Have clear roles and responsibilities’ appears on separate lines in sync with the voiceover.
Voiceover: Some of the top tips that you or your organisation should consider when it comes to safeguarding.
The background changes to one with mostly navy and teal blue sections. One small section is tinted yellow and shows an image of a young girl participating in gymnastics faded into the background. In the middle of the screen, the words ‘Top Tips’ appear in large text. Underneath them, the text ‘For dealing with a safeguarding concern’ is shown.
Voiceover: If someone is injured or at immediate risk, take action, for example by dialling 999 for the police or for an ambulance.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘If there is immediate risk, seek help.’ appears as a bullet point.
Voiceover: Speak to your welfare officer.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘Speak to your welfare officer.’ appears as a bullet point.
Voiceover: If you are a sports club and have a National Governing Body, speak to their designated safeguarding lead.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘The Welfare Officer will contact your National Governing Body and follow their policies and procedures.’ appears as a bullet point.
Voiceover: Collect available, relevant facts and appropriate information.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘The Welfare Officer will collate all the information.’ appears as a bullet point. All text then moves offscreen.
Voiceover: Make a written record of the concern.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘Make a written record of concern.’ appears as a bullet point.
Voiceover: If you are considering making a referral to adult social care, you should try to gain consent from the adult. If you do not have consent to make a referral, then call the social care team and discuss the case without giving details. They will give you advice and tell you whether they can take the referral without consent.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘The person passing information on to adult social care should:’ appears as a bullet point. Underneath this, the text ‘1. Gain consent from the adult before contacting adult social care through your local council.’ appears. Underneath this, the text ‘2. If consent isn’t yet granted, call the social care team for advice without providing details.’ appears. All text then moves offscreen.
Voiceover: Now you have a basic awareness of safeguarding adults, it’s time for you to go away and connect with relevant members of your club to ensure that you have an action plan in place.
The screen’s background changes to one with sections of dark pink, orange and dark yellow. In the section that is tinted yellow, a man can be seen on a football pitch with goals faded into the background. On top of this background, the words ‘Over to you!’ appear in large text in the middle of the screen. This text disappears, and the text ‘Action Plan’ appears in a white-lined box at the top of the screen.
Voiceover: You develop a policy and implement procedures relating to safeguarding adults.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘Develop a policy and implement procedures relating to Safeguarding Adults.’ appears as a bullet point. The text ‘If you are a sports club with a National Governing Body, contact them for further guidance and ensure that you follow their policy and procedures.’ also appears as a bullet point.
Voiceover: Appoint a welfare officer who is responsible for safeguarding adults, or ensure your current welfare officer is adequately trained to safeguard both children and adults. Contact your NGB for further information.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘Appoint a Welfare Officer who is responsible for Safeguarding Adults.’ appears as a bullet point. All text then moves offscreen, except for the ‘Action Plan’ heading.
Voiceover: Ensure committee members, volunteers and coaches within the club undertake this online learning.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘Ensure committee members, participants and volunteers within the organisations undertake this online learning.’ appears as a bullet point.
Voiceover: Make members aware of the new policy and procedures.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘Make members aware of the new policy and procedures.’ appears as a bullet point.
Voiceover: Make your members aware of who your welfare officer is should they have any concerns, whether they’re an adult or a child.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘Make your members aware of who your Welfare Officer is.’ appears as a bullet point.
Voiceover: Add safeguarding adults as an agenda item for consideration at your next committee meeting.
In sync with the voiceover, the text ‘Add Safeguarding Adults as an agenda item for consideration at your next committee meeting.’ appears as a bullet point. All text then moves offscreen.
Voiceover: You can find out more information about adult safeguarding through some of the resources available in the bio.
The screen’s background changes to one with sections of navy blue and teal blue. The text ‘Find out more information about Adult Safeguarding through our resources in the bio below:’ appears at the top of the screen.
The following text and website URLs are displayed on the screen. Please note, the below links have been corrected due to some changes occurring since the video was released.
Read the full Safeguarding Adults in sport resource pack:
www.anncrafttrust.org/resources/safeguarding-adults-sport-activity-resources-pack
Listen to our Club Natters with Nicola Dean from the Ann Craft Trust:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5hJAeyK0R0gT3PgEArr4w0?si=2BzAFDCTTN2pmRFMg47bvg
Visit our dedicated safeguarding section:
https://www.thebuddle.com/learning-and-support-resources/safety-welfare-and-wellbeing
Contact the Ann Craft Trust for general advice:
https://www.anncrafttrust.org/safeguarding-adults-sport-activity/
For information or guidance on safeguarding children visit:
All text moves offscreen and background changes to one that is mostly orange, with sections of dark pink, dark yellow and teal. The words ‘Remember safeguarding adults is everyone’s responsibility’ appear as large text in the middle of the screen.
The screen then changes to a white background with the Buddle logo in the centre, and the Ann Craft Trust logo beneath it. Beneath this, the National Lottery and Sport England logos are also shown as the video ends.
Basic level of safeguarding training
The basic level training is appropriate for those who have regular contact and direct responsibility for children and young people and/or adults at risk.
Suitable courses would include:
- UK Coaching’s Basic Safeguarding and Protecting Children’s Course or the NGB equivalent
- Some Active Partnerships in your county provide training, you can find your local Active Partnership by clicking here
For those working with adults in sport and in roles with a direct responsibility for players' welfare, recognising and raising concerns of adult safeguarding issues (i.e. coaches, team managers, physio) then one of the following safeguarding courses would be recommended:
Safeguarding adults:
- UK Coaching and ACT safeguarding adults online course
- Safeguarding adults in sport and activity training: Level 2
For further guidance on which training course is right, click the link below to visit the CPSU website.
Further listening
We worked with the Ann Craft Trust on this podcast episode that focuses on the important topic of safeguarding adults.
Getting this right will ensure safe access to sport and physical activity for everyone.
In this episode, Nicola from Ann Craft Trust explains more about safeguarding adults and how your oganisation can get it right.
Related content
Getting help from people
Explore more on working with volunteers and staff, how to find and develop people, identify tasks and roles, and meet people’s needs.
Policies and procedures
Howzat! Here's how you can get all your paperwork in tip-top shape...
Safety, welfare and wellbeing
Find out more about safeguarding and health and safety essentials to help keep your participants, volunteers and visitors safe and well.
The Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts recognises clubs or providers in England who have demonstrated that they have reached and maintained good safeguarding standards.
Associations, organisations, and franchisers to register interest and support the Code and activity deliverers who can work towards attaining recognition along with clubs and individual instructors, coaches and teachers outside of a club structure.
The scheme empowers parents/carers and educational establishments to make informed decisions when selecting a club or provider for their child/children, young people or adults in their care.
Fostering a safe culture at your club or group is paramount for the protection of participants, volunteers and visitors and is key to attracting and retaining new people.
Organisations with safer cultures have people’s welfare, safety, and wellbeing at the heart of everything they do.
They ensure that their participants, volunteers, and staff feel empowered to recognise and report safeguarding concerns without fear or judgement.
Want to see how you’re doing? The Ann Craft Trust’s self-evaluation tool is here to help.
The tool poses a series of statements and invites you to express how strongly you agree with them. It covers:
- listening
- learning
- leading.
Using the tool will help you to evaluate and learn about your culture and identify any improvements that can be made to create a more open, secure, and safer environment for everyone.
The majority of people who want to work or volunteer within sport are well motivated and without them sports clubs and organisations could not operate.
Unfortunately, some individuals are not appropriate to work with children or adults at risk.
It is therefore essential that you have effective recruitment and selection procedures for volunteers to help screen out and discourage those who are not suitable from joining your club.
The basics of safeguarding is to keep children and adults at risk safe and to build a culture of always acting in their best interests.
DBS checks and safeguarding training are two ways we can support this, but there are a number of other steps which can help towards safer recruitment within your club.
Knowing what training and level of checks is required can seem overwhelming, with multiple options available, we've helped simplify this by pulling the key information together, providing examples of when you should take a particular course of action and producing a simple flow-chart to help you navigate the right steps.
Training
Knowing what training and level of checks is required can seem overwhelming, with multiple options available.
The Ann Craft Trust has helped simplify this by pulling the key information together, providing examples of when you should take a particular course of action and producing a simple flow chart to help you navigate the right steps.
Everyone with a role to play in supporting a sports club or physical activity organisation to operate needs to ensure that children and adults at risk are protected from physical and mental harm.
Knowing what training and level of checks is required can seem overwhelming, with multiple options available.
Choosing the right one will depend on many factors, including the level of contact with young people and/or adults at risk, whether the role involves instruction/guidance and the frequency of the interaction.
Groups affiliated to their national governing body should always consult, and adhere to, their requirements.
As well as safeguarding training and disclosure and barring service (DBS) checks, organisations should actively consider the steps outlined in our guide to recruiting volunteers to help ensure a culture of safe recruitment prevails in the club.
Volunteering with adults as risk?
If volunteers work with adults at risk, it’s a bit more complicated than working with children.
Usually, coaches, instructors and volunteers will only be eligible for an enhanced check if they’re working with adults who are receiving a certain sort of health or social care. And as with children, the specific type of activity matters too.
You can view a flow chart for working with adults at risk using the buttons below, as well as a government guide on which DBS check you need in different situations.
Every organisation involved in the provision of physical activity and sport has a duty to ensure the safety and welfare of their participants, members and volunteers.
The way you design your recruitment processes can help give you confidence that the people you are recruiting are suitable.
Recruitment processes that take this pro-active approach are often referred to as ‘safer recruitment processes’ and self-declaration can play an important role in this .
This page explains what self-declaration is, sets out the benefits of doing it and provides a template for use with volunteers who are likely to come into contact with children and young people under 18.
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What is self-declaration?
Self-declaration requires an individual to give information about themselves that will be used to help determine their suitability for carrying out a role where they will come into contact with children and young people.
Read moreIt can also be used for people who will have no unsupervised contact or direct responsibility for children and young people e.g. serving the teas in the clubhouse, marshalling events or occasionally helping officiate junior games and events.
Self-declaration doesn't replace the need for a DBS disclosure check for eligible roles, but can provide additional information that a DBS check will not.
For more information about self-declaration, visit the Child Protection in Sport Unit.
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Benefits of self-declaration
The benefits of using self-declaration forms include being able to:
Read more- check the openness and honesty of a candidate, including being able to validate the information provided against any DBS disclosure information.
- ask questions about an applicant’s background or experience that do not feature in the DBS process.
- gain a wider range of consents and agreements than are included on a DBS application form, such as; informing their employer if they are arrested/investigated in relation to safeguarding concerns, agreement to comply with safeguarding policies and a code of conduct.
- gain consent to clarify any information arising as part of the DBS disclosure process.
- gain permission to share information with other organisations and agencies if this is considered necessary to safeguard children and young people.