A team of six young boys in yellow kits with green socks stand shoulder to shoulder, arms around each other, alongside their coach dressed in black, all watching intently as a penalty kick is about to be taken

Safeguarding Policies

All our essential safeguarding policies, statements, and training for sport and physical activity

UK Coaching treats safeguarding very seriously, advocating that our partners have a professional duty to provide all participants with appropriate safety and protection.

Over the years, we have produced several workshops, learning resources, and guidance in conjunction with organisations such as the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) and the Ann Craft Trust. 

We believe it is imperative that anyone involved in the provision of sport and physical activity is alert to: 

  • Possible indicators of abuse and neglect. 
  • Risks that individual abusers or potential abusers may pose. 
  • Understanding what actions they should take should concerns arise. 

Below, you'll find links to all our support to help you keep people safe in sport and physical activity, including how to report a concern to UK Coaching and what is not within our scope.

A focused young schoolboy stretches on the floor with assistance from a smiling coach during a warm-up session, while more children in the background perform the same toe-touch stretch in the school sports hall. Hi

Safeguarding Children Policy

Policy to help instill high safeguarding standards among our staff and contracted workforce to protect children and young people.

LEARN MORE
On a bright sunny day, a group of diverse, laughing runners, both men and women, stack their hands together in celebration after completing a run

Safeguarding Adults Policy

Policy aimed at embedding high safeguarding standards among our staff and contracted workforce, focusing on the safety of vulnerable adults

LEARN MORE
A diverse group of smiling children and their coach stack their hands together in a unified gesture of teamwork and solidarity

Safeguarding Statements

UK Coaching's position on matters to do with athlete welfare, bullying, position of trust and safeguarding.

LEARN MORE
A young man smiles into the camera, holding a ball out in front of him, with a blurred background of people walking off a football pitch in an urban area

Safeguarding Children and Adults Courses

NSPCC and Ann Craft Trust backed courses where you can learn how to create an environment where children, young people and vulnerable adults feel safe.

LEARN MORE
A taekwondo coach, smiling and kneeling on the mat, adjusts a young girl's yellow belt, while a boy in the background, also wearing a yellow belt, assumes a martial arts stance, ready for practice

Duty to Care Pillar: Safeguarding

Help children, young people and adults, from grass-roots through to high performance level, feel safe and protect them from harmful practice in sport and physical activity.

LEARN MORE
A close-up of a focused young teenager adjusting their scrum cap on a rugby union field on a sunny day, with the goal post and blurred images of teenagers playing rugby in the background.

Duty to Care Pillar: Safe to Practice

Operate with safety and effectiveness while promoting well-being for you and your participants within your scope of practice

LEARN MORE

How to report a concern

Should you encounter or become aware of any harm occurring within UK Coaching, particularly if it involves the well-being or safety of a child, young person, or adult, it's imperative to report these concerns without delay. Please report them directly to our Lead Safeguarding Officer (LSO).

To contact the LSO , Heather Douglas, please complete either our 'Child Protection Incident Form' or our 'Safeguarding Adult Report Form', and send it to: Lead Safeguarding Officer, UK Coaching, 2 City Walk, Leeds LS11 9AR. Always mark the envelope “Private and Confidential”.

Tel: 07718 583 654 Email: [email protected]

When the LSO is away on annual leave, their out of office message will provide an alternative contact.

The Deputy Safeguarding Officer, Alan Rapley, can be contacted at:

Tel: 07980 583 882 Email: [email protected]

If the LSO or their deputy is unavailable, particularly in urgent situations where you believe a child or adult is at immediate risk, take the following steps: 

  • For immediate danger to a child, contact the Police or Children's Services directly.
  • For adults in immediate danger, reach out to the Police. 
  • In emergencies requiring medical attention, dial 999 for emergency services, making sure to mention if there is a safeguarding concern. 

For more information, please view our Safeguarding Children Policy or Safeguarding Adults Policy.

What is not within our scope

Unlike the National Governing Bodies of Sport, UK Coaching does not directly employ or deploy coaches to work with children or adults. We are a lead agency for the advice and guidance to both coaches and national organisations. We are a learning and development organisations and work with subject matter experts like the NSPCC, the Child Protection in Sport Unit and Ann Craft Trust to help raise awareness of safeguarding and protection issues and concerns for coaches.