A new, national network of Sport Welfare Officers is being created across England.
The network will support National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and their local clubs to promote good practice and safe sport on a local level.
The Sport Welfare Officers will add capacity and expertise to the existing safeguarding work of NGBs and Active Partnerships. They will work closely with other Sport Welfare Officers, National Governing Bodies and wider organisations. These roles will help connect people working on welfare and safeguarding, both inside and outside sport.
Sport England is funding the new network using National Lottery grants. A national steering group led by Sport England, involving Active Partnerships, NGBs, the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit and the Ann Craft Trust, has been co-designing and developing the work of the officers.
An Exciting Development
This is the first time that roles such as this have been created on this scale.
Ann Craft Trust Head of Safeguarding in Sport Emma Gibson said:
This is an exciting development across England that focusses on the welfare of all who play and enjoy sport. These new roles will add capacity to the safeguarding in sport network. The officers will work actively across NGBs of sport but with a local base.
We look forward to seeing the difference that this network makes in connecting people inside and outside sport to safeguarding. We also hope it will help more people understand their safeguarding responsibilities and ultimately increase the positive benefits that being involved in sport can bring to all participants.
The national roles are currently being recruited for with regional posts following.
You can learn more about these roles on the Active Partnerships site.