4.4 Messages for staff and others about reporting or discussing concerns

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Several sheets of official-looking paper are at the centre. Around this are eight characters representing people involved in sports.

For everyone in sport the message is clear and simple: always report safeguarding concerns to the Safeguarding Lead in line with the organisation’s procedure. It is therefore very important to promote ways for anyone to contact the Safeguarding Lead to report concerns.

Often people may be unsure whether their concerns are legitimate or are serious enough to justify reporting. They may worry that they will cause unnecessary trouble if they report them. In these situations, it is important to offer people opportunities to discuss their concerns with you or someone else with an understanding of safeguarding.

Activity: Patience describes her experiences

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A female Safeguarding Lead.

Listen to Patience again and reflect on what it means for reporting.

Download this audio clip.Audio player: patience_english_nc5266_2024_aug004a_4.4.mp3

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Transcript

PATIENCE

When I met with staff during safeguarding workshops or other meetings, I noticed that one or two people would usually approach me afterwards, to share their concerns with me. They were obviously troubled by what they had seen or heard – but weren’t sure if it was serious enough to pass on. I suspect that there are a lot of people in this situation, and this meant that people were being left at risk of harm, because concerns weren’t reported.

So, I made a special effort to add a message to our safeguarding information – that it is ok for anyone to speak to me to talk through their concerns, so that I could decide whether they should make a more formal report.

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Comment

Patience shows us that although you need a robust formal reporting process, you also need to provide chances for people to consult with the Safeguarding Lead to discuss and clarify their concerns.

Now you will look more closely at reports from other departments.