Liam Dell, Governance Project Manager at England Hockey, reflects on his organisation’s experience in completing the Safeguarding Adults in Sport Framework.
As Governance Project Manager at England Hockey, I’ve been closely involved in our recent safeguarding work, particularly as we’ve undertaken a wider review of our safeguarding arrangements across the organisation.
As part of this review, it became clear that while safeguarding children had benefited from significant focus and development over time, safeguarding adults was lagging behind. We recognised that we needed to address this imbalance. Not just through policy updates, but through a more considered and reflective approach to where we were as an organisation and where we wanted to go.
Completing the Ann Craft Trust Adult Safeguarding Adults in Sport Framework felt like the right opportunity to do exactly that.
Taking a Reflective Approach
From the outset, we viewed the Framework as much more than a submission exercise. It offered us space to pause, reflect, and take an honest look at our current safeguarding arrangements for adults. Importantly, it allowed us to consider safeguarding adults in the context of our broader safeguarding ambitions, rather than treating it as a separate or secondary area.
Working through the Framework helped us identify both strengths and gaps. The process prompted important internal conversations about consistency, alignment, and future direction. It encouraged us to think not just about what was in place, but how effective it really was in practice.
The Process and Support
One of the most valuable aspects of the process was the support from the Ann Craft Trust throughout. Communication was seamless. Whenever we had questions or needed clarification, they were always there to support us. This made the process feel collaborative rather than daunting.
On a personal level, completing the submission also helped me gain a deeper understanding of England Hockey as an organisation. Pulling together the evidence required engagement with multiple departments and colleagues working at different levels, from business-as-usual delivery through to strategic oversight. This cross-organisational engagement reinforced the idea that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. It is not the sole responsibility of a single team or function.
What We Took Away
A key outcome for us was the decision not to treat the Framework as a one-off review. This is not something that we’ll just park until the next submission opportunity. Instead, we are actively using the feedback to inform our ongoing safeguarding work.
The process has helped us think more holistically about safeguarding. We are working to ensure that safeguarding adults and safeguarding children are aligned, connected, and developed hand in hand. This joined-up approach will support more informed decision-making and help embed safeguarding more consistently across the organisation.
A Message for Other Organisations
My message to other organisations considering the Framework is simple: Start the journey.
You don’t need to have everything in place, and you won’t be judged for what’s missing. The Ann Craft Trust is genuinely supportive, and the Framework provides a valuable opportunity to reflect, learn, and plan for meaningful improvement.
For us, it has been a constructive and worthwhile process that has strengthened our approach to safeguarding adults and reinforced its importance within our wider safeguarding culture.
Ready To Start Your Framework Journey?
We developed the Safeguarding Adults in Sport Framework to support sport and activity organisations to develop and improve their practice in safeguarding adults.
The Framework will help to identify any gaps or areas of practice that need development, as well as supporting best practice and continued development in safeguarding adults.
Start Your Safeguarding Adults in Sport Framework Journey Today