Child Protection Committee Briefing Introduction Welcome to a bulletin from the Child Protection in Sport service which aims to keep local child protection committees updated on developments relating to child protection in sport. The Child Protection in Sport service is a partnership between CHILDREN 1ST and sportscotland that works to keep children in Scotland safe in and through sport. We do this by working in partnership with sports organisations, including Scottish governing bodies of sport, leisure trusts and local authority sport and leisure departments. We support our partners by providing advice, consultancy, training and resources. A steering group supports the work of the Child Protection in Sport service, membership of which can be found here. To view the August 2008 Child Protection Committee briefing click here. 2006 Accord for the Protection of Children in Scottish Sport The 2006 Accord was launched at the national event "Protecting Children in Scottish Sport" in October 2006 at the Scottish Police College in Tulliallan. The Accord aims to ensure that all stakeholders in Scottish sport, and organisations that are primarily concerned with the care, welfare and protection of children fulfil their responsibilities to protect children and young people from abuse, harm and exploitation in and through sport. Based on the document Protecting Children and Young People: Framework for Standards (Scottish Executive, 2004), the Accord contains a framework for identifying areas where action is required in sport. The Child Protection in Sport Steering Group encourages all sports organisations to sign up to the Accord. Within 12 months of signing up, organisations are encouraged to develop, formally adopt and publish an action plan which sets out how they intend to achieve each of the outcomes. Child protection committees, with which sports organisations can work hand-in-hand, are invited to sign up to the Accord or to support their local sports services to do so. All 52 governing bodies of sport have signed up. Edinburgh Leisure, Dumfries and Galloway Council’s leisure and sport service, Aberdeenshire Council: Education, Learning and Leisure, Active Stirling, Glasgow City Council and Angus Council’s sports and countryside services, community services and neighbourhood services have also signed up. CHILDREN 1ST and sportscotland are also signatories. The full list of signatories is available to view here. If you'd like to discuss any aspect of the Accord and its implications in your area, please call the Child Protection in Sport service on 0141 418 5674. Minimum Operating Requirements for Child Protection In Sport We are often asked by organisations what safeguards they should have in place to protect children; for example, where a local authority is developing an accreditation scheme for sports clubs, what should the minimum requirements be for child protection under this scheme? Following consultation, a set of recommended minimum operating requirements have been developed by the Child Protection in Sport Steering Group and agreed by our partners in sport. These requirements, and how they fit into the outcomes of the Accord, is available to download here. Training Child Protection Workshops for the Sports Community You may be aware that there are currently two child protection workshops available for those involved in sport. Safeguarding and Protecting Children Workshop The Safeguarding and Protecting Children workshop (previously named Good Practice and Child Protection) is now well established in Scotland. Delivered by a network of trained and supported tutors, it is organised by sportscotland in partnership with local authority sport and leisure teams, local sports councils, or in some cases, a governing body of sport. It is a three-hour workshop for anyone who is involved in sport or sports-related activities with children. The workshop aims to support participants to: Identify and recognise good coaching practice Explore their own values and feelings in relation to child abuse, and to recognise the potential impact this may have Recognise and respond to the signs and symptoms of child abuse and poor practice Take appropriate action in the event of concerns about a child The majority of the Safeguarding and Protecting Children workshops currently being delivered across Scotland are listed in sportscotland's coach development workshop programme. To find out more information about the courses in your area, please contact the local officer listed in the programme. The number of Safeguarding and Protecting Children workshops delivered in 2007/2008 is summarised here. In Safe Hands Club Child Protection Officer Workshop In Safe Hands is a three-hour workshop designed by CHILDREN 1ST and sportscotland for individuals in sports clubs designated as the club child protection officer. The workshop aims to: Ensure that participants acquire core knowledge and develop their skills in order to competently fulfil the role of club child protection officer Help clubs implement practices and procedures to keep children and young people safe It is strongly recommended that participants first complete the Safeguarding and Protecting Children workshop or equivalent before attending this course. You can find the courses being delivered in your local area in the In Safe Hands training calendar 07/08. This calendar is updated on a weekly basis. The majority of these workshops can also be found in sportscotland's coach development workshop programme. The number of In Safe Hands workshops which were delivered in 2007/2008 is summarised here. Where a similar workshop is not available in your local area, we would be pleased if the CPC could promote this workshop where possible. We encourage service users to find out about local training opportunities, some of which may be available through the CPC’s inter-agency training programmes. If you would like us to create a link to your local training programme in the training and events section of our website, please contact The Child Protection in Sport service on 0141 418 5674. Support Local Authority Child Protection in Sport Network Group The Local Authority Child Protection in Sport Network group, which was established in 2006, meets on a quarterly basis and is aimed at those involved in sport and leisure activities who are able to take forward the child protection in sport agenda within their local authority area. The objectives of the forum are to: Provide a structured opportunity for local authority personnel to network with other key individuals from local authorities across Scotland, and to share information and experiences in the development and implementation of child protection in sport programmes Provide an opportunity to discuss and/or provide training on specific areas identified by participants Provide an opportunity for consultation in the development of child protection in sport. To date, there have been approximately 20 local authority areas represented at each meeting. There is a similar group for Scottish governing bodies of sport (SGB): the SGB Child Protection Lead Officers group, which has been operational for three years. For further information on either of these groups, please contact the Child Protection in Sport service on 0141 418 5674. Resources Stay Safe and Have Fun in Sport Leaflet The Stay Safe & Have Fun in Sport leaflet is aimed at children and young people and samples were sent to child protection committees last year. The leaflet highlights the rights of the child in relation to sport and encourages them to talk to someone if they have any worries. The ChildLine in Scotland number (0800 1111) is listed and space is available for the contact details of their club’s child protection officer. Children and young people were involved at all stages of the leaflet’s development. Consultations were held with a number of groups involved in sport, from grass roots to elite level, and a national competition was organised for young people to design the graphics. Stay Safe and Have Fun in Sport comes in two sizes: a pocket-sized version and an A5 large print version. To date more than 53,000 leaflets have been distributed across Scotland to local authority sport and leisure departments, leisure trusts, governing bodies of sport, local sports councils and local sports clubs. If you would like to receive a free sample of the leaflet or place an order, please contact Lynda Winser on 0141 418 5674. A donation of 25p per leaflet is requested. Child Protection in Sport Newsletter An electronic Child Protection in Sport newsletter is available on a quarterly basis. The aim of the newsletter is to keep those who are concerned with the care, welfare and protection of children in sport up-to-date with key areas of the work of the Child Protection in Sport service. In addition to new developments, the newsletter features details of upcoming events, case studies, frequently asked questions and an expert resource, and currently has more than 1000 subscribers. To view the current newsletter or previous issues, please click here. If you wish to subscribe to the Child Protection in Sport newsletter, email the word "subscribe" to cpinsport@children1st.org.uk. If there is anyone in your area who you think may be interested in receiving a copy, please forward this information! If are interested in submitting a news item or case study for the newsletter, please contact Sally Hall on 0141 418 5674.

. .   Welcome to the Child Protection Committee Briefing