In 2002, East Ayrshire Sports Council introduced a programme of compulsory child protection training to all affiliated
clubs.
The executive committee of the Sports Council set a 3-year timescale for every affiliated club to send at least one representative
to the sports coach UK Good Practice and Child Protection Workshop.
As an incentive, each affiliated sports club was offered a free place on the Good Practice and Child Protection courses
organised within their local authority area. In addition, at the Sports Council’s AGM, the constitution was altered
to reflect the compulsory nature of child protection training for all member sports clubs and linked this to the club's eligibility
for grant aid from the Council.
To ensure that child protection remains a high priority among local sports clubs, the Sports Council has also endorsed
the training of one local volunteer and the Council's club, coach and volunteer development officer as sports coach
UK tutors for the Good Practice and Child Protection course.
In 2003, the Sports Council Executive commissioned the development of local child protection guidelines. These guidelines,
which were published in 2004 and again in 2006, offer advice and information on legislation, as well as draft policies related
to child protection in sport. The guidelines feature national child protection guidance as well as key contacts for further
information, and are available to all sports clubs and organisations. Their development was supported by CHILDREN 1ST
and local authority legal and social work departments.
Since 2002, key successes have included:
- more than 200 local sports coaches and leaders undergoing Good Practice and Child Protection training in East Ayrshire
- a condition of grant aid funding through East Ayrshire Sports Council being that clubs must be able to give evidence of
their child protection policy!
- a large number of voluntary sports clubs having a child protection officer or co-ordinator in place
- qualification of two local Good Practice and Child Protection tutors
- production and publication of informative and easy to use local child protection guidelines which are available free to
all sports clubs
- the first In Safe Hands training, with 11 attendees, delivered by CHILDREN 1ST
In the year ahead, East Ayrshire Sports Council will be embarking on a comprehensive programme of training sports clubs,
coaches and volunteers. Local tutors will deliver training to club child protection officers and head coaches. The purpose
of this training is to ensure that the guidelines are implemented and actioned by each club. The tutors will also deliver
training to support this through the revised sports coach UK Good Practice and Child Protection
workshop, now re-named Safeguarding and Protecting Children. Finally East Ayrshire Sports Council will continue to deliver In Safe Hands training to child protection officers in partnership with CHILDREN 1ST.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Douglas Porteous,
Club, Coach and Volunteer Development Officer,
East Ayrshire Council, 01563 576718
or email: douglas.porteus@east-ayreshire.go.uk
