Every day millions of people participate in sport; amateur and elite athletes, coaches, referees, volunteers, organisers and parents. For the most, this is a fun and positive experience. And it is crucial that everyone involved in facilitating access to sports of all kinds, at all levels, works to ensure this ethos is integral and to keep everyone safe.

We all have a duty of care to ensure club safeguarding policies are relevant and being adhered to, safeguarding teams are trained and can spot the signs of mental wellbeing, understand positions of trust and recognise areas of risk. Perhaps, safeguarding in sports has been given too little attention in the past, but as we see in the media things are changing; with the recent success of ‘close the loop’ campaign, Sheldon’s review into sexual abuse in football and the IICSA report bought out in June 2020 ‘Child sexual abuse in sports’.

From the pro-coach or safeguarding lead for a large club or organisation, to the weekend volunteer or parent on the poolside, safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and it is clear we need to do more to ensure sports are safe for all.

This event will be running virtually via Zoom. Joining details will be sent out to delegates 24-48hrs before the conference with clear instructions.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

09:30 – 10:30

Welcome

• Aileen Kane, Director, Sacpa
  Aileen has a background in the education and charity sectors and works with government departments including Home Office, DfE, DIT, MOD and FCO, as well as local authorities and other agencies. Aileen’s mission is to raise safeguarding standards in all sectors in the UK and around the world. 

Keynote

• David Grevemberg CBE, The Centre for Sports and Human Rights
  David is Chief Innovation and Partnerships Officer, a critical role in expanding CSHR’s drive to embed respect for human rights in sports organisations and events around the world. David’s focus is on engagement with the sports sector, and development of new partnerships. David joined the Centre after 6 and a half years as Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), the organisation responsible for the Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Youth Games and many other initiatives that inspire Commonwealth athletes to drive the ambition and power of all Commonwealth citizens through sport.

11:00 – 11:45

From paperwork to practice: ensuring your safeguarding policies are properly used and adopted

A safeguarding policy is the first formal commitment to keeping children, young people, and adults at risk safe. Whilst a fundamental consideration, bespoke for each organisation, your safeguarding policy should be more than just a piece of paper. Our panel will share their best practice recommendations on championing practice alongside policy in their areas.

• Chair: Mark Bramah, Managing Director, Corporate Safeguarding and Executive Committee member, Sacpa
  As a former detective inspector with 30 years experience in the police force, Mark is highly skilled in identifying, managing and mitigating high risk. Mark has considerable expertise in identifying risk and safeguarding vulnerability; developing risk management solutions; conducting independent reviews and investigations, and appears at internal enquiries. Mark recently completed a Masters degree in Criminology and Criminal justice, with a dissertation involving primary research into safeguarding.
  
  • Dayne Matthieu, Head of Safeguarding and Welfare, Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Dayne is the Head of Safeguarding and Welfare has overall responsibility for our safeguarding provision and arrangements. She oversees a team of safeguarding specialist staff, who work closely with children and adults at risk on various Club and Foundation activities.
  • Alyson Evans, Head of Wellbeing and Protection, The Scottish FA
    Alyson leads the development, implementation and review of the Scottish FA’s children’s rights and wellbeing programme.
  • Val Wright, sportscotland approved trainer
    With a background in organisational development, governance and safeguarding in sport organisations, charities and community groups, as well as a 10 year career as a frontline Police Officer, Val has worked for several governing bodies of sport,  developing robust policies and procedures to promote best practice to create safe environments for young people’s participation in sport and dealing with cases and concerns reported within sports clubs. Now Head of Safeguarding for the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs – one of the largest rural youth organisations in the UK – Val leads on all of NFYFC’s safeguarding work, designing and delivering safeguarding training and developing and reviewing safeguarding policies and procedures, supporting staff to implement these within the 600+ clubs and to respond to and deal with reported concerns. 
  • Gemma Woodhouse, Partner, Penningtons Manches Cooper
    Gemma is listed as a ‘leading individual’ in Chambers UK and has been described as ‘a rare commodity in the legal world combining commercial awareness of the organisation she is working with and a legal brain’. She is a member of the Employment Lawyers’ Association and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

12:00 – 12:45

Medals and Mental Health

Whether grassroots or high-performance athletes, striving for your best can apply additional pressure, or disappointment if you fall short. Coaches, volunteers, referees, parents and supporters have to find the balance between creating an environment for individuals to fulfil their potential without compromising their mental wellbeing.

• Chair: Dale Wilkins, Director of Safeguarding, Sacpa
  Dale is a child protection specialist, with over 30 years’ experience working in the education sector. He is currently the Director of Safeguarding, Professional Development and Accreditation for Sacpa and the BSA Group, is accredited by the NSPCC, having completed their ‘Training for trainers in child protection’ and his work includes liaising with government bodies on behalf of the sector as well as delivering child protection CPD to schools. Dale has also been a multi-agency safeguarding trainer for Dudley Safeguarding Children Board.

• • Joanna Coates, Chief Executive, UK Athletics
    Joanna Coates began her role as UK Athletics chief executive on 18 March 2020, six days before the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics were postponed. Before joining UKA, Joanna was Chief Executive Officer at England Netball, helping grow the game exponentially during her tenure as well as delivering a great deal of on-court success. Joanna will be discussing how she’s helping prepare UKA for the rearranged Olympic Games in 2021.
  • Nicola Dean, Safeguarding Adults in Sports Manager, Ann Craft Trust
    Nicola’s key priorities are reviewing and developing services in relation to adults at risk in sport and identifying, planning and implementing new initiatives in line with current practice. In addition, Nicola develops and delivers a training strategy, offers advice and information to sport and activity organisations and represents the sector at key consultations nationally.
  • Alex Maxwell, Director of Health & Wellbeing, Meliora Group
    Alex is a practicing GP, Sports Medic & Lifestyle Medic. His focus is to support and empower people to achieve and maintain their ideal version of health and wellbeing. He seeks first to understand and then to guide. He absolutely loves seeing someone making progress to improve their health and wellbeing. A particular focus is the health and wellbeing of Children; hence his involvement in childhood Sports Medicine and being a School Doctor. His aim as a school doctor is to provide the framework for the child to leave school with the tools to manage their mental and physical health for the rest of their lives.

13:45 – 14:45

Positions of trust, patterns of grooming

Independent safeguarding expert, Marcus Erooga, will present findings and evidence from his extensive research into where positions of trust have been taken advantage of, and share patterns observed in grooming. Marcus’ experience and understanding will help delegates educate their wider communities in the importance of recruiting appropriately for positions of trust.

• Chair: Aileen Kane, Director, Sacpa
  Aileen is the Director of Sacpa and has a background in the education and charity sectors and works with government departments including Home Office, DfE, DIT, MOD and FCO, as well as local authorities and other agencies. Aileen’s mission is to raise safeguarding standards in all sectors in the UK and around the world. 

• • Marcus Erooga, Independent Safeguarding Consultant
    Marcus is an independent Safeguarding Consultant and past Editor-in-Chief and Associate Editor of the Journal of Sexual Aggression (Taylor and Francis) as well as a past Chair of NOTA (the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abusers). Having spent the majority of his employed career in various roles at the NSPCC as a practitioner, team manager and operational Assistant Director as well as service, practice and policy development relating to child sexual abuse and sexual offending. Since 2012 he has been an independent Safeguarding Consultant working with a range of organisations including NSPCC: the Scout Association; Save the Children International (SCI); Save the Children UK (SCUK); the Methodist Independent Schools Trust; the Methodist Church; the Cognita schools organisation; Ampleforth College and Abbey; Trinity College, Oxford; Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge and Oxfam. 

15:00 – 16:00

Recognising ‘risk’ areas for all – volunteers, danger spots, one-to-one coaching

It is our responsibility to safeguard individuals and recognise the risk areas within our organisations. Across the sporting sector, there are common settings or situations that can pose a safeguarding risk. Our panel of experts will share their experience in identifying, and rationalising these risks, building them into your genuine safeguarding policies, for the safety of all involved.

• Chair: Dale Wilkins, Head of Safeguarding, Sacpa
  Dale is a child protection specialist, with over 30 years’ experience working in the education sector. He is currently the Director of Safeguarding, Professional Development and Accreditation for Sacpa and the BSA Group, is accredited by the NSPCC, having completed their ‘Training for trainers in child protection’ and his work includes liaising with government bodies on behalf of the sector as well as delivering child protection CPD to schools. Dale has also been a multi-agency safeguarding trainer for Dudley Safeguarding Children Board.

• • Paul Stephenson, Child Protection in Sports Unit, NSPCC
    Paul joined the CPSU in 2001. Prior to joining the NSPCC, Paul managed a probation-funded project working with those involved in the criminal justice system. A number of his previous clients were sex offenders with coaching awards. Paul’s also worked directly with young people in the care system who have experienced different forms of abuse. Paul works to support sports governing bodies in Northern Ireland to help them to achieve safeguarding standards and promotes good safeguarding practice. He is also secretary of the Northern Ireland branch of the National Organisation for Treatment of Offenders (NOTA).
  • Vicky Wilson, Senior Associate, Wilsons Solicitors LLP
    Vicky is a legal safeguarding expert who advises on a number of sensitive and complex safeguarding cases. Vicky works with a wide range of charities on registrations and incorporation, governance and constitutional issues and is a former CEO of a charity in South Somerset and was the legal assistant to the Bursar of an educational trust in Bath.
  • A representative from UK Coaching

To download a copy of the event programme, please click here.

Cost:

• Member rate: £185
• Non-member rate: £370*

*If you would like to become a member and access discounted rates for Sacpa CPD and events, please click here.

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