Child protection training and safeguarding courses
Training for staff and volunteers working with children and young people in sport
There are currently no formal qualifications specifically for safeguarding and protecting children in sport.
However, training developed by sports and other organisations is available to strengthen the skills and knowledge of the sporting children’s workforce to safeguard children and young people.
Safeguarding training can be obtained at three different levels:
- Awareness-raising training is aimed at anyone who works with children in an organisation that has child protection policies in place. It provides an introduction to child protection and safeguarding in sports, and is a precursor for basic or specialist training. Available in distance-learning modules.
- Basic safeguarding training is aimed at sports coaches and those who have designated child welfare roles within sports organisations. This training consists of basic and intermediate-level workshops and courses delivered by sports coach UK tutors, National Governing bodies (NGBs) or, at a non sports-specific level, by Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs).
- Specialist safeguarding training consists of advanced-level training designed to suit the needs of those with specific roles in relation to safeguarding children and young people, such as club welfare officers, regional and national lead officers.
Choosing the right training
Recent years have seen the development of a range of new safeguarding training courses and learning opportunities, ranging from basic-level to advanced. These enable staff and volunteers at various organisational levels to fulfil their safeguarding roles and responsibilities within the sports sector. The cost of training can vary considerably.
Our
safeguarding training grid gives an overview of available training at various levels of responsibility and contact with children:
Recognised safeguarding training courses for sport (PDF, 41KB)
When deciding on the appropriate training for you, your staff or volunteers, we would advise that you consider the following:- Training by direct delivery refers to a face to face course or workshop, which will enable the complexities of safeguarding issues related to the specific role(s) to be addressed.
- The minimum time required to adequately cover all the issues effectively is typically three hours.
- Training that has been accredited by the LSCB or NHS has the advantage of being quality assured.
For more detailed information about addressing the specific training needs of individuals working in the sport sector is contained in our guidance document:
Roles, skills, knowledge and competencies for safeguarding and protecting children in the sports sector: guidance document (PDF, 476KB)
For training in Northern Ireland, see Specialist safeguarding training in Northern Ireland.
NSPCC Training
Courses and resources for anyone working to safeguard children and young people across the UK.
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Curtain Road, London EC2A 3NH. Incorporated by Royal Charter. Registered charity number 216401. NSPCC, charity registered in Scotland, charity number SC037717.