Safeguarding in Sport

SAFEGUARDING AND PROTECTING CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE

IN SPORT IN SURREY

Play Sport, Stay Safe

Active Surrey recognises the value of sport and the important role it plays in improving the quality of life for many people living in the Surrey community.

To help achieve the county's vision of "making Surrey a more active and successful sporting county", we are committed to ensuring that children and young people are able to enjoy and achieve through sport by being safe and free from harm when they take part.

Each week more than eight million UK children participate in sport.

The majority of children who take part do so in a safe and helpful atmosphere, with genuine support from the adults involved. But for the small minority of children who are abused during sporting activities, the picture is very different.

It is important we are vigilant and work together to take the necessary steps to safeguard children and young people and protect them from individuals who may abuse their position of trust.

Active Surrey is committed to working towards achievement of the National Standards for Safeguarding & Protecting Children; a benchmark of good practice for sports organisations. Having achieved the Preliminary and Intermediate Levels, Active Surrey is hoping to attain the Advanced level by July 2010.

We are committed to promoting good practice in the care of children and young people in sport. Click on the links below for information, advice and resources:

VETTING AND BARRING - updated 15 June 2010

Following the Home Office announcement today (June 15th 2010) that they are suspending the implementation of Vetting and Barring scheme while they conduct a review of the scheme please note that the following is still the case:

The new safeguarding regulations introduced in October 2009 continue to apply. This is the current advice on the Independent Safeguarding Authority website:

A person who is barred from working with children or vulnerable adults will be breaking the law if they work or volunteer, or try to work or volunteer with those groups.
An organisation which knowingly employs someone who is barred to work with those groups will also be breaking the law.
If your organisation works with children or vulnerable adults and you dismiss a member of staff or a volunteer because they have harmed a child or vulnerable adult, or you would have done so if they had not left, you must tell the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

In the meantime organisations are therefore recommended to continue to implement their existing safe recruitment processes, which should include CRB checks for relevant individuals and posts.

Older information on the scheme can still be read in italics below:

[July 2010 sees the start of registration for the scheme with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) for new entrants and those moving into restricted positions.

The Home Office has recenttly announced the full guidance to assist employers and voluntary groups in implementing the Vetting and Barring Scheme which you can access here.

The document contains details on :

the scope of the Scheme
barring arrangements
responsibilities and duties for both employers and volunteer organisers, and the duties for those individuals you take on
timescales for the phased implementation of the Scheme
explanation of transitional arrangements around Scheme introduction

Here you can download the latest Frequently Asked Questions about Vetting and Barring and the ISA. More from ISA here.]

SAFER RECRUITMENT TRAINING

The Children's Workforce Development Council has been funded by the Government to produce online training for anyone involved in recruitment of staff or volunteers to work with children and young people. This is as a result of the Bichard Enquiry into the Soham murders but has implications for the wider community, not jsut the education sector. For full details and to access the training click here

ACTIVE SURREY

Page last updated: 15 June 2010