Embedding Good Practice – The Domestic Abuse in Sport and Activity Toolkit

Safeguarding Policy and Training

• As a minimum, include domestic abuse in your organisation’s safeguarding policy, with links to local domestic abuse services and local Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC).
• Add domestic abuse awareness and training to your organisation’s induction process, and include regular domestic abuse awareness sessions for all staff, members, participants, coaches, volunteers and board members.
• Where possible, use scenarios and case studies in your training, to help people understand the key considerations and complexities that might arise during a disclosure or investigation.
• Provide trauma-informed training.

Culture & Communication

• Promote wellbeing and respect.
• Display helpline posters in private spaces.
• Share support information regularly at all levels of the organisation. 
• Develop and communicate clear codes of conduct for everyone involved in your club, including family members and partners.
• Aim to have safeguarding contacts of different genders accessible to your club members/participants, if possible.

Partnerships

• Link with local domestic abuse charities and safeguarding boards, so you can effectively signpost when necessary.
• Invite charities and other groups to host awareness-raising sessions at your club.
• Collaborate with community safety partners.

Development for smaller organisations 

While all the above is important, smaller sports organisations may need to take more immediate and appropriately proportionate actions depending on their current position. Here are some areas that smaller sports organisations may want to check first: 

• Would your staff/volunteers/members be able to find domestic abuse support services through your organisation’s resources, whether online or in person? 
• Do the venues used by your organisation display information for domestic abuse support services? The back of toilet doors are a useful, private space to display this information. You can order resources here.
• Could staff and volunteers be trained in domestic abuse? Places such as the National Centre for Domestic Violence offer free training and resources.
• Connect with your local domestic abuse services. They may also offer free training.

Key messages for sport and activity organisations