Recognising the need for a more co-ordinated and structured approach to protecting children in sport, West Lothian Council’s
sport and recreation team has formed a child protection in sport working group made up of representatives from each section
of the service (active schools, facilities and recreation, and sports development), as well as management.
The working group leads the service on a number of key projects relating to child protection in sport, and on occasion
consults with both internal and external partners. When working on specific areas of development, those key partners may be
invited to sit on the group until the project has been completed.
The first meeting of the working group established its aims and objectives, and as a result of this and other influencing
factors, a decision was taken to write a report detailing current work on child protection, along with the potential areas
of development.
Areas of work included:
- implementation of the 2006 Accord for the Protection of Children in Scottish Sport
- full staff training
- improvements to the West Lothian club accreditation scheme
- more comprehensive guidelines for the letting and leasing of council facilities to promote best practice.
In terms of the Accord, the group has recommended that the council adopt the Accord as a matter of priority. Their report,
detailing current work in relation to child protection, incorporated information about the Accord, and a copy was sent out
for consultation to internal and external partners, including West Lothian child protection committee and members of the senior
management team.
The feedback has been that the Accord offers the best approach to taking forward and implementing the child protection
in sport agenda and maintaining consistent standards across the organisations and individuals with whom the group works. They
are now working on submitting an official committee report this month which will propose full adoption of the 2006 Accord.
In relation to staff training, in February 2008 HMIE will conduct a joint child protection inspection within the council.
There are set policies, procedures and bodies that all members of staff within the service must be aware of as a matter of
good practice and everyday working, and the group is working to familiarise all staff with this information through presentations
and the dissemination of information.
An internal audit carried out in preparation for the inspection identified the need for review of the procedure for the
letting of education and cultural services premises, and a working group was subsequently set up to review and update the
current Managers’ Guide to take into account the recommendations contained in the report.
The child protection in sport working group has been looking at ways to tie in the West Lothian Council community club
accreditation scheme with new guidelines for letting (relating to child protection), and has had significant input on the
new guidance notes and procedures that will be implemented in October 2008.
The group has also been consulting with the child protection lead officer for West Lothian CPC, and a member of the working
group has been asked to sit on the practice and training sub-committee of the CPC. A representative has also been requested
for a new child protection practitioners’ group which will focus on practice issues for frontline workers and review
report formats and procedures.
The aim of the child protection in sport working group is ultimately to support the implementation of policies and procedures
and promote best practice, to ensure that we provide the safest sporting environment for children and young people in West
Lothian.
The working group has been hugely beneficial in driving forward the child protection in sport agenda in West Lothian. The
workload is spread across all areas of the service, and communication between teams has greatly improved in relation to information
sharing on child protection issues. Having a member of the management team on the group increases organisational knowledge
and adds more weight to the cause! Most importantly, it means that responsibility for child protection does not sit with just
one member of staff.
For more information, on what is happening in West Lothian, please contact:
Shirley Anne Smith, coaching development officer, on 01506 775 123, or
Email: shirley-anne.smith@westlothian.gov.uk
