
What does it mean to have a safer culture in your sport and activity?
Essentially, it means that the “vibes” feel good. There’s an air of positivity and possibility. People look out for each other. And if anything ever doesn’t feel right, people know what they have to do and who they have to talk to. More importantly, they know that if they ever raise a concern, the appointed safeguarding officer will listen, and take appropriate action.
A safer culture can boost participation through helping to make sport and activity more welcoming and accessible for everyone. This is why we encourage sport and activity organisations to work towards creating safer cultures in their sports.
The question is, how do you measure your efforts? Is it just a case of waiting until things feel better at your club or organisation?
How Do We Measure “Safer Cultures”?
We always say that safeguarding is an ongoing process. It’s not a box-ticking exercise that you’ll only ever have to do once. If you commit to building a safer culture, you’re committing to putting welfare, safety, and wellbeing at the heart of your values. This means committing to constant listening, learning, and leading.
It’s a lot of work, but this is what it takes to keep people safe from abuse and exploitation in your organisation. The good news is that there are some things that will help you understand whether you’re on the right track.
This is why we created The Safeguarding Adults Roadmap. By breaking the process of building a safer culture into six manageable stages, The Roadmap is here to help you develop effective strategies for implementing meaningful policies and procedures in your sport.
The Safeguarding Adults Roadmap – Stage Six – Embedding Organisational Learning
The final stage of your Roadmap journey is chiefly focused on gathering evidence that the safeguarding culture in your club or organisation is changing. You’ll learn the key aspects of your culture to monitor and report on. You will also learn the importance of sharing your insights with others.
In stage six, you’ll learn how to build and document evidence that the safeguarding culture in your organisation is changing. This may involve collecting case studies and using them to help assess the effectiveness of your safeguarding policies and procedures.
You will also create methods for sharing good practice examples with others. Remember, safeguarding is a shared responsibility, and open communication and collaboration can help us all get better together.
Safeguarding is an ongoing process that should involve EVERYBODY in the club. Making a point of reflecting on the way we do things is vital in ensuring there’s a continual focus on safeguarding. This will also help you ensure your process is still fit for purpose with consideration of learnings, the voices of participants, and feedback from people involved in your club or organisation.
Jo Aldridge, Code of Martial Arts Project Manager at NWG Network