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Safeguarding and Protecting People

Learn how to create an environment where children, young people and vulnerable adults feel safe

UK Coaching is here to inspire and support coaches to deliver great coaching through best practice, training, research and industry standards across sports, communities and national governing bodies.

For over 25 years UK Coaching have worked with the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) to set the right standards and raise awareness among coaches of how to recognise and respond to matters of safeguarding children. 

We have also partnered with The Ann Craft Trust to offer learning on how to support and promote the welfare of adults at risk, and with the CPSU on training for welfare officers.

This page gives you an overview of our most popular Safeguarding courses and resources.

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Online Classrooms Face-to-Face Workshops eLearning Duty to Care Safeguarding Resources Join the Club

New for 2023

Our popular and well-established Safeguarding and Protecting Children Workshop, our Online Classroom, and our suite of eLearning courses have all been updated for 2023 with guidance and scenarios that: 

  • encourage you to reflect on what it means to be a child in modern Britain.
  • consider the implications of adopting a child-first approach that involves putting the child’s voice at the centre of your coaching practice and giving every child the choice to shape their own experiences of sport and physical activity.
  • provide you with techniques for the practical application of child-first practices that support creating a safe and supportive environment for all.

You can now delve deeper into specific safeguarding topics that interest you by choosing from the additional course modules:

  • Protecting d/Deaf and Disabled Children in Sport.
  • Digital Safety for Children in Sport.
  • Working with Parents and Carers in Sport.
Photo of six children playing different sports looking into the camera. The words overlaid "It's all about the children"

Also new in 2023 are our Welfare Officer Training: Time to Listen workshop and online classroom, through which you can learn about the skills and responsibilities connected with being a Welfare Officer. Complete it to ensure that you're supporting and safeguarding children effectively in this role.

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Safeguarding is a key responsibility for anyone involved in children’s sport, and the Safeguarding and Protecting Children workshops and online classrooms ensure that staff and volunteers, either in coaching roles or supporting roles, have the knowledge and understanding that they need to fulfil this responsibility. The NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit fully supports the updated courses to ensure people are equipped to recognise and respond to any concerns children may have in and out of sport, which will lead to safer places for children and young people to enjoy sport and physical activity.

Michelle North, Service Head of the Child Protection in Sport Unit

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UK Coaching has an exceptional reputation for delivering outstanding safeguarding training. Its newly updated Safeguarding and Protecting Children learning suite will empower and enable coaches, sports staff, and volunteers to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities by equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need to demonstrate a robust level of care that ensures the welfare and happiness of every child and young person.

Stuart Armstrong, Sport England Strategic Lead for Workforce Transformation

Online Classrooms

Safeguarding and Protecting Children

Raise your awareness of the tell-tale signs of abuse, and gain the tools and confidence you need to deal with any issues sensitively, appropriately and effectively.

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Safeguarding and Protecting Children 16-18 Years

Similar to the Safeguarding & Protecting Children Online Classroom but for young coaches aged 16-18 years only.

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Welfare Officer Training: Time to Listen

Learn about the responsibilities connected with being a Welfare Officer, the skills needed to excel in the role, and how you can ensure that you’re supporting and safeguarding children effectively.

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Face-to-Face Workshops

Safeguarding & Protecting Children (Workshop)

This newly updated interactive workshop will help coaches recognise poor practice and the red flags of abuse, while also prompting a review of your coaching practice to ensure that you provide a positive and enriching experience for all children.

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Welfare Officer Training: Time to Listen

This interactive online classroom will give you an essential understanding of what is required of welfare officers that are responsible for managing and reporting concerns about children. Learn how you can support, empower, and safeguard children effectively.

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eLearning Courses

Safeguarding and Protecting Children and Young People Renewal (NEW)

Refresh and update your understanding of safeguarding at your convenience

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Protecting d/Deaf and Disabled Children in Sport

Learn about the different forms of abuse and additional considerations for deaf and disabled children.

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Digital Safety for Children in Sport

Recognise the opportunities and dangers of different digital communications, and how to minimise the risks to children’s safety.

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Working with Parents and Carers in Sport

Explore how parents, carers and other volunteers can make a hugely positive contribution to children's experience of sport and physical activity.

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Safeguarding Adults (Developed with the Ann Craft Trust)

Learn how you can support and promote the welfare of adults on this online course, endorsed by CIMSPA.

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Duty to Care Hub

Duty to Care

Earn our nationally recognised Digital Badge by demonstrating your thorough knowledge of the six pillars of Duty to Care.

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Six Pillars of Duty to Care: Safeguarding

Safeguarding & Protecting People (children and adults, grassroots to high performers) from harmful practice in sport and physical activity.

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Safeguarding Resources

Safeguarding: Child-centred Coaching Practices that Support Creating a Safe Environment for All

Two of the UK’s leading children’s coaches and coach educators, Richard Cheetham MBE and Russell Earnshaw, share a range of approaches and techniques that coaches can apply to create a safe and supportive environment for young people, so that every child feels heard, understood, and valued

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Tips

The 'Four Rs' of Safeguarding Adults

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Guide

How to Act to Safeguard Adults at Risk of Abuse

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Guide

Safeguarding Adults: Your Questions Answered

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Safeguarding and Protecting Children - FAQs

Quick guide to identifying the essentials of good coaching practice, with particular consideration to working with children and young people.

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The Six Pillars of Duty to Care

We explore the six areas that together form UK Coaching's Duty to Care ethos and underline the need for coaches to increase their depth of knowledge around this pressing topic to help look after themselves, as well as their participants.

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Join a thriving community of 180,000+ coaches who enhance their skills, save money, and access the best support system for coaches of all levels, sports, and activities