What is the Sport Welfare Officer Network?
Across England, sports clubs and organisations are being supported by a new network of Sport Welfare Officers. They have been recruited by Active Partnerships and funded by Sport England through an investment of National Lottery money.
The Sport Welfare Officers are working with National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and key partners, such as the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit and Ann Craft Trust, to develop a new local approach to assisting and supporting club welfare officers, to create safer club environments and improved experiences for young people and adults.
The aim of the network is to increase welfare capacity and expertise at a local and national level and share best practice to help prevent concerns, making sport safe for everyone.
The programme will see 63 Sport Welfare Officers employed across the network of 43 Active Partnerships. This network will be supported by the Active Partnerships National Organisation.
The programme contributes towards the Uniting the Movement strategy and is one of Sport England’s commitments in the policy response to the Whyte Review, published by Sport England and UK Sport.
The Whyte Review questioned the level of responsibility and support given to volunteers at grassroots level.
The network will complement a sport’s existing NGB safeguarding services and provide additional local capacity to help support safeguarding compliance to become embedded in the culture. The officers can provide local support and opportunities to assist in volunteer roles. Whether that’s help to meet safeguarding responsibilities, connecting with other club welfare officers or assisting in knowledge and skills development.
Good welfare practice matters to everyone and together we want to help create environments in sport and physical activity which are positive and safe for all children, young people and adults.
Providing local, professional support for club welfare officers
Sport Welfare Officers Role
• Provide additional, local support for club welfare officers
• Signpost clubs to the right advice and guidance
• Work with club welfare officers to create a safer culture within their organisation
• Facilitate local training opportunities and events
• Create networks so that volunteers and staff feel better connected and informed
• Recognise, share and develop best practice
• Help raise awareness of safeguarding and welfare for young people and adults at local events
For the avoidance of doubt, it is not the Sport Welfare Officer’s role to:
• Advise on or manage concerns –all concerns must be referred without delay in accordance with Local Authority / National Governing Body / Club Safeguarding Policy.
For a quick overview of the role please click below or for a more detailed explanation please click here
Downloadable information documents;
The Sport Welfare Officer for the Tees Valley is Patrick Burney, email p.burney@tees.ac.uk Mobile – 07796707641