Safeguarding

Somerset Activity & Sports Partnership (SASP) is committed to providing safe, enjoyable activities and sporting opportunities for young people and adults at risk.

We have a moral and a legal obligation to ensure that highest possible standard of care for those children, young people and adults who use our service.
We believe that children, young people and adults at risk have the right to be safe, secure and free from threat.
We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with respect and to have their concerns listened to and acted upon.

To this end, the following policy documents have been compiled for guidance and to raise awareness for all staff working for or with SASP, whether paid or unpaid.

Safeguarding and Protecting Young People Safeguarding Policy (PDF, 869 Kb)
Safeguarding Policy for Adults at Risk (PDF, 971 Kb)

How can sport safeguard children?

Are you a young person? Is something worrying you? Don't keep it to yourself, tell an adult you trust as soon as possible.

You can contact us about anything. Whatever your worry, it's better out than in. We're here to support you any way we can.

Call our office on 01823 653990 and ask to speak to either Laura Carter or Jane Clark, or contact us online here.

We aren't on the end of the phone 24:7 but you can always call Childline on 0800 1111. Calls to them are free from landlines & mobiles in the UK. And they won't show up on your phone bill. Even if you don't have credit on your mobile phone you can still call them.

Take a look at Childline's Sport and Exercise Info for advice on issues relating to sport.

Remember – Don't let anyone spoil the fun. Sport and physical activity IS fun – it lets you make new friends, try out new activities and amaze yourself with what you can do.

Useful links:

Thinkuknow - for online and offline safety advice and support

National Bullying Helpline - for help and advice on bullying in school and online

Childline - support for you online or over the phone

Stonewall - help and advice for LGBTQ+ communities and their allies

Safeguarding training for your club or organisation

Check out our Training & Development page to find out how you can access the necessary safeguarding training needed for your coaches and volunteers. If you have any question about this you can contact the SASP office for advice on 01823 653990.

DBS Guidance

The CPSU have put together a webpage which details some useful information with regards to understanding DBS checks in sport and which roles are eligible.

They have also produced a podcast which talks about the basics of DBS checks in sport - listen here.

You can also find further information on the DBS website.

Safeguarding Toolkit

This toolkit is designed to provide both an understanding of the importance of key safeguarding considerations and practical resources that organisations can promote or adapt.

The toolkit also includes useful resources and links for parents.

Safeguarding Toolkit

Useful Resources

Child Protection in Sport Unit

The Child Protection in Sport Unit provides useful resources for safeguarding for sports events; briefing papers and good practice advice; toolkits; standards and frameworks.

They also provide many different learning resources through video clips as well as providing regular updates on different topics that effect everyone in sport.

Ann Craft Trust

The Ann Craft Trust [ACT] supports the statutory, independent and voluntary sectors from across the UK to protect disabled children and adults at risk. They offer training programmes to consultation services, with the goal of improving standards of safeguarding and raise the levels of best practice across health, social care and education.

Sport England Club Matters

Club Matters has a wide range of tools, guidance and resources that cover all aspects of running a sports club or group – everything's free, bitesize and simple to use. This section includes what you should know about welfare and safeguarding, getting the right polices in place and health and safety needs to consider. It also references further support and advice from the Child Protection in Sport Unit and the Ann Craft Trust.

Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership

The partnership responsible for safeguarding children in Somerset was redesigned as of 29 September 2019, as part of new arrangements introduced nationally. The statutory changes mean that Somerset County Council is no longer the single lead for co-ordinating safeguarding arrangements for children, and there is a tripartite responsibility for safeguarding children in the local area.

Three organisations – the Somerset County Council, Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group – now have joint and equal responsibility to safeguard children and young people, under the name of the Somerset Safeguarding Children Partnership. Further information about the new safeguarding arrangements can be found here.

Local Government Association

The LGA and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) Safeguarding Network have worked with key partners to bring together a consolidated list of key safeguarding resources for council, care provider and wider partners' staff. You can access it here.