Catherine Sykes, Safeguarding Adults Manager for the Sport and Activity Sector, attended the 2024 Elevate Conference at Excel, London.
It was my first time attending the Elevate Conference. It hosted 120 sessions with over 250 speakers, making it the sport and activity industry’s most extensive education programme.
There was a wide variety of talks, discussions and debates across the conference’s two days. I joined an EMD UK panel discussion to discuss best practice in safeguarding adults in group exercise. The panel involved EMD UK’s Chief Operating Officer and Safeguarding Lead Shelley Meyern, and Kelly Rodrigues from UK Coaching.
As a panel, we discussed the current status of safeguarding adults knowledge within the sector. We talked about some common concerns, and the actions instructors might take when they receive concerns.
We also discussed the importance of education. If we work to raise awareness, those working in the sector will have a better idea of how to spot and respond to abuse in their sports.
UK Coaching has worked with The Ann Craft Trust and EMD UK to provide a safeguarding adults course to its members.
Other Discussions
There were also many useful sessions covering a range of topics, including a great discussion on how sport and activity organisations can kickstart their mental health strategies.
The Game Changers Podcast recorded an episode at the conference. Sue Anstiss, CEO of Fearless Women, spoke to Tara Dillon from CIMPSA. Listen here.
I also attended a Women Sport Collective networking lunch. You can learn more about this organisation and their work here.
See some more highlights from the conference in the video below: