The scope of ‘safeguarding’ has widened in recent years and now goes beyond merely keeping children and young people ‘safe from harm’. The key to it, says Gary Palmer from LtPF's strategic partners London Sport, is listening. As London Sport’s Strategic Advisor for Children and Young People, Gary oversees policy and practice for the capital city’s community youth sport organisations.

London Sport has a strategic plan for safeguarding which is renewed annually and a Board Champion who reviews its implementation and benchmarks progress. If London Sport provides funding to a partner, they make checks on its safeguarding policy and ensure it is being carried out in practice.

“It has to be more than just policy,” says Gary. “When we’re assessing organisations, we look for examples that show young people know where to go if they have concerns. They must also know, quite simply, what a safeguarding issue is, because I’m sure many young people wouldn’t necessarily recognise one.

“It’s making sure they are aware that it’s not just about a safe place away from physical harm (although that’s really important), it’s also a place that is safe from judgement, mental or emotional abuse. We’re working with key partners across this space to try to ensure these important foundations are embedded.”

YOUTH VOICE

As a strategic body, London Sport can influence policy but it’s the embedding of those messages by their partners on the frontline that is most important. To aid that process, they make great effort to listen to young people’s opinions and concerns and build their understanding of safeguarding.

They interact with local youth forums, including LYG33, the youth forum of the London Youth Games (which has 33 young people, one representing each London borough) and the Youth Board of London Youth (the umbrella organisation for London’s youth clubs).

“Working with those forums gives young people a voice and lets them know we’re here to help them, not sat in an ivory tower pushing out policy which people ignore,” states Gary.

“Youth voice is really important. If we don’t take that on board, all we’re saying is, ’There’s a policy in place, everything is fine.’

“Just because there’s a policy, it doesn’t necessarily mean good practice is being delivered across the sector. Only by opening up discussion do we find out from them whether they know what to do and where to go if they have concerns. Then we know if policy is really hitting home.

“For youth sport organisations, it’s about building trust and creating an environment where young people feel they can talk about safeguarding, otherwise two things will happen: they will keep it to themselves and feel uncomfortable, and they will soon stop doing the activity.”

Two members of staff at London Sport, David Gentles (Safeguarding Lead) and Lawrence Roots (London Sport Grants and Governance Officer) have safeguarding within their remit and work on influencing key partners to cascade policy and amplify best practice to as many frontline delivery organisations as possible. (They can be contacted here)

SAFE PLACE

The aim is that sport and physical activity provision gives young people a safe place, and that the activities are delivered and communicated appropriately. Women, people with disabilities and ethnically diverse communities might find themselves more at risk due to preconceptions, judgements, use of language and discrimination.

As a LtPF strategic partner, London Sport are part of achieving our common goals:

• Increase the number of ethnically diverse children taking part in sport and physical activity
• Prevent and divert ethnically diverse children from becoming involved in the Criminal Justice System

Since becoming a partner on the project, London Sport have recognised that Levelling the Playing Field’s Health Promotion, Public Health approach of training staff at delivery organisations in mentoring and many other aspects of safeguarding has many benefits.

“We are looking closely at the Levelling the Playing Field model where the coach/instructor is given the skills to be able to go beyond coaching the sport and mentor each young person individually and develop them holistically on and off the field. It’s what a teacher’s role has encompassed for years. You can be there for those kids. You can spot the signs.

“A sports coach doesn’t necessarily have those skills, but how powerful would it be if they did? After school finishes, coaches can take up that supportive role when kids are out and about and are potentially vulnerable. That’s why we need to do more of that upskilling of the coach or responsible adult who is working with young people. Levelling the Playing Field’s mentoring programme is doing a terrific job in starting that process.”