Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport

The activity should take place in a safe environment with equipment that's regularly checked to ensure it's safe to use.

You can contact a welfare or child protection officer about safeguarding or any other concerns you have.

You should receive a form asking for your consent to the activity, your contact details and any relevant medical information about your child from the club or organisation.

There should be clear procedures and processes for raising complaints and concerns about your child's safety.

This includes vetting and ensuring all staff and volunteers have appropriate references, criminal records checks and the right technical qualifications for the activity.

All staff and volunteers should be trained in safeguarding and child protection. We provide information and online courses if you work with children and young people.

Children and young people should be suitably supervised (based on their age, ability, the activity and venue) by adults who are trained to care for them.

This could be a code of conduct or a code of behaviour. This should outline the boundaries that staff and volunteers should respect when working with children and young people and should address things like discrimination, bullying and social media behaviour.

Even if the organisation seems safe, it’s best to keep talking to your child to ensure they’re enjoying their experience. If something’s wrong, it’s important they feel like they can talk to you about it. We have a range of tips and advice for having important conversations with your child.

When choosing a club, group or activity with your child, it’s important to ensure they have clear health and safety procedures in place.

Clubs and organisations will list important sports and safety equipment if it’s needed — particularly for outdoor activities or contact sports like rugby, martial arts or boxing. Read through all the information you receive carefully and ensure your child has everything they need to stay safe, warm and dry.

Children's and young people's mental health should always come first, however important the match, game or event may feel. If they aren’t getting time for rest or recovery this could have an effect on their health and wellbeing.

The NHS has guidelines on how much physical activity children under five and children and young people from five to 18 should be doing.

When your child is travelling or staying somewhere overnight with a club or organisation it’s essential you’re clear on the safeguarding procedures to keep your child safe.

These include:

• consent forms
• emergency contact details
• clear, pre-agreed sleeping arrangements
• your child can contact you if they want to.

You can find more information about overnight stays here and our CPSU has information about overnight stays with sports organisations.

It’s important to put your child first and to trust your instincts. If something’s wrong, you aren’t just helping them by reporting it, you’re helping everyone keep children safer. If there’s something wrong and you’re concerned, follow the organisation’s guidelines for recording and reporting concerns, and speak to their welfare officer. 

Staying involved in your child’s sports activities helps keep them safe and means you can support them with whatever they need.

It can help to consider what you want your child to get out of the activity:

• Is this also what they want?
• What do they need from you?

You can help to ensure their experience is positive by taking an interest and being supportive from the sidelines whatever the result. 

Our CPSU also has plenty of advice about how to support your child.