4.4 Starting to identify activity level safeguarding risks
Everyone involved in sport has a responsibility to think about how the activities they are involved in might present a safeguarding risk, and to act to minimise any risks that are identified.
Identify the safeguarding risks in sport: four examples
Think about the safeguarding risks involved through sport in the following four examples.
- Children staying at a residential training camp.
- Detailed information about child athletes featured on your organisation’s website.
- Transporting groups of children to an international tournament.
- An individual athlete travelling alone to global competitions with a coach of a different gender.
List as many different types of risk or safeguarding issues that each situation may introduce:
| Children staying at a residential training camp |
|---|
| Detailed information about child athletes featured on your organisation’s website |
| Transporting groups of children to an international tournament |
| An individual athlete travelling alone with a coach of a different gender to competitions around the world |
Comment
Were you able to come up with a range of safeguarding risks or issues for each? Here are our examples – do these risks or issues match yours? Did you think of any additional points?
| Children staying at a residential training camp |
|---|
| The condition of the accommodation, e.g. cleanliness, sleeping arrangements, meals, privacy issues, and safety/security issues. |
| Staff being only focused on performance and not caring about children’s needs, e.g. emotional state. |
| Inadequate supervision of children during free (non-training/playing) time. |
| Unaccompanied children able to leave the venue. |
| Children away from family and usual support network. |
| Children being forced into initiation or ‘hazing’ rituals that are harmful. |
| Detailed information about child athletes featured on your organisation’s website |
| Detailed personal information and images allows children to be identified, groomed, or contacted by potential abusers. |
| Children can be subjected to unwanted or abusive online comments and ‘trolls’. |
| Children are placed in the public eye without their or their parent’s consent, adequate preparation, guidance, and protection. |
| Transporting groups of children to an international tournament |
| Pick up and drop off measures are unclear or change – leaving children waiting alone. |
| Vehicles are not roadworthy. |
| Drivers are not qualified or experienced and have no licence or insurance. |
| Inadequate supervision of children on the journey leads to bullying or dangerous misbehaviour. |
| Children not speaking the language of the host country. |
| Children being dependent on others for money, for food, travel arrangements, etc. |
| An individual athlete travelling alone with a coach of a different gender, to competitions around the world |
| May not feel comfortable discussing certain health issues with coach of a different gender. |
| May be less likely to raise concerns or |
| Danger of sexual harassment or abuse. |
This exercise shows how your organisation can begin to record where safeguarding measures are needed or need to be strengthened. Over time your organisation’s safeguarding
 |
| Why is identifying risks an important step? |
A comprehensive approach to safeguarding means putting in place a range of measures to address and minimise all risks. Identifying and managing risks helps to prevent harm. |
In addition to identifying risk, another important step is understanding what safeguards already exist in your organisation – and one part of this is how people are recruited.
4.3 Risk assessment as a preventative tool
