Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults

In sport safeguarding vulnerable adults has often featured as an ‘add on’ to any work that is focussed on safeguarding children. Whilst this may have advantages in terms of procedures and systems, it has not led to effective safeguarding of vulnerable adults and is therefore not appropriate.

What do you need to do to safeguard vulnerable adults in your sport?

Any organisation working with vulnerable adults should have in place appropriate policies and procedures. However organisations also need to put into practice the policies, train and educate people to ensure vulnerable adults are safeguarded and have a positive experience of their chosen sport.

It is not possible to use your safeguarding children’s policy because an adult may choose not to act at all to protect themselves and only in extreme circumstances will the law intervene.

You should be able to explain and understand:

  1. Who are defined as vulnerable adults in your sport?
  2. How to safeguard vulnerable adults appropriately.
  3. What legal obligations you have to meet to safeguard vulnerable adults.

Where can you get advice and support?

The Steering Group for Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults in Sport was set up initially by a number of national governing bodies to discuss the vulnerable adults agenda.

In the last couple of years the group has operated at a strategic level with the aims of:

  • Ensuring that sport provides an open, inclusive and safe environment for vulnerable adults to participate in;
  • Ensuring that as a sector we respond in an appropriate and responsible manner to legal safeguarding requirements.

The group meets on a quarterly basis and has produced some of the guidance which you can download at the bottom of this page to help the sector.  Further to this the group has raised awareness of the need to safeguard vulnerable adults in sport amongst key policy makers and continues to push for strong links for the sector with the Department of Health and Local Adult Safeguarding Boards.

The current members of the group are listed below and if you would like to find out more about the group please contact our Governance and Compliance Officer, Joy Tottman

 

Name Organisation
Sallie Barker (Chair) Sport and Recreation Alliance
   
Tony Jones-Pert Active Dorset
Deborah Kitson Ann Craft Trust
Jenni Dearman ASA/British Swimming
Annamarie Phelps British Rowing
Simon Dickie British Rowing
Lynne Phair Consultant (Formerly at the Department of Health)
Chris Ratcliffe EFDS
Emma Gibson England Netball
Alison Faiers England and Wales Cricket Board
Adam Green Everton Football Club
Valerie Judge Lawn Tennis Association
Janice Moore Sport and Recreation Alliance
Joy Tottman Sport and Recreation Alliance
Cathy Hughes Sport England
Funke Awoderu The FA
Sue Law The FA
Janet Carter UK Sport

Several example Policies are below to help you in addition to links to reports and organisations that may be able to assist you further.

Downloads:
application/msword iconProtection of Freedoms Bill - Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults.doc
A paper which assessed the potential impact of the Protection of Freedoms Bill on Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults in Sport.
application/vnd.ms-powerpoint iconDifferences in Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults.ppt
A powerpoint presentation created by the Ann Craft Trust highlighting the differences between safeguarding children and safeguarding vulnerable adults.
application/pdf iconStatement of Government Policy on Adult Safeguarding 16.05.11.pdf
Statement from the Department of Health on Adult Safeguarding.
application/pdf iconGuidance Note - Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults in Sport.pdf
Guidance Note created by the Steering Group for Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults in Sport.
application/pdf iconToolkit - Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults in Sport.pdf
Toolkit created by the Steering Group for Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults in Sport.
application/pdf iconFAQ Factsheet - Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults in Sport.pdf
An FAQ Factsheet for Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults in Sport.
application/pdf iconBritish Rowing Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy.pdf
Example policy: British Rowing: Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy
application/msword iconEverton Football Club Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy.doc
Example policy: Everton Football Club: Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults Policy
application/msword iconSteering Group for Safeguarding VA in Sport.Terms of Reference.doc
Terms of Reference for the Steering Group for Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults in Sport.
Related Links:
Ann Craft Trust
Ann Craft Trust – ACTing against abuse. ACT is a charity committed to safeguarding disabled children and vulnerable adults from abuse.
No Secrets Report
Department of Health Report: No Secrets:Guidance on developing and implementing multi-agency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse. Many national governing bodies use the definitions provided here for the basis of their safeguarding vulnerable adults in sport policy and the „Steering Group for Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults in Sport‟ would consider this a positive move.
ADASS
Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
Report on the consultation on the review of ‘No Secrets’
The issues of empowerment and positive action are present alongside some strong sentiment that child protection is not the same as adult safeguarding and importantly that service users don't wish for the two to be seen as one system.
Summary of the Mental Capacity Act 2005
This link explains the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and what it intends to do, it is a good read and a summary of the Act can be downloaded at the end of the page.
Safeguarding Adults National Framework of Standards 2005
The standards show the areas that need to be considered for vulnerable adults in sport.
  • Printer-friendly version

To receive the Sport and Recreation Alliance’s free daily sports news summary, a round-up of the day’s most interesting and informative news articles on sport and recreation, including links to original sources, email info@sportandrecreation.org.uk