Safeguarding and Protecting Children & Young People in Sport in Surrey
Nominate your Safeguarding Star!
The CSPU has launched their 2013 Safeguarding Stars awards. This is the second year of the awards and they are seeking nominations for those people in the role of Safeguarding Officer at club or activity level or for young people who have made ‘going the extra mile’ contributions to safeguarding children and young people in sport.
Please complete the nomination form and return it to cpsu@nspcc.org.uk by no later than 12 July 2013.
Contents:
Applicant only disclosure and update service
New guidance for the safeguarding of children
When you have safeguarding concerns
Safeguarding News
Applicant only disclosure and update service
From 17 June organisations will no longer be automatically sent a copy of disclosures from the DBS for individuals undertaking roles for them. In fact, only one disclosure will be issued by the DBS for each applicant and it will be sent to the applicant only. Organisations will now need to obtain the disclosure from applicants.
Applicants are also able to subscribe to the update service. The Update Service allows DBS certificates to be reused when applying for similar jobs. It costs an individual £13 a year to subscribe to the service. This will ensure the individual’s DBS certificate is kept up-to-date and they can take it with them from role to role within the same workforce. It will also allow their employer to go online, with the individual's consent, and carry out a free, instant check to find out if the information released on the DBS certificate is current and up-to-date.
The Sport and Recreation Alliance commissioned one of the legal panel framework firms – Brabners Chaffe Street, to draft model regulations to help you manage: the process for getting the disclosure from individuals;individuals subscribed to the update service.
The model regulations can be downloaded from the SRA website
Important Safeguarding update
On 1 December 2012, CRB merged with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) to become the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Changes include a new logo and branding on many existing documents as well as some changes to the application form. Full details of changes can be found here and we recommend you contact your NGB for guidance relating to specific sports.
There are also further changes to the systems which will come into effect in early 2013 including portability of CRB checks between different roles that an individual carries out - this is likely to incur an annual charge although the level of this has not yet been set, early indications suggest about £10 per person and free for volunteers. For more details on this please see the Home Office presentation. The Home Office has provided a Disclosure and Barring FAQs document to help people understand the changes. For sample forms and more information visit the Sport and Recreation Alliance website.
New Guidance for the Safeguarding of Children - May 2013
Safeguarding is everyone’s business and safeguarding information is an important tool for you to use. The Department for Education (DfE) has revised guidance ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’
It replaces three documents:
The Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (2000)
Statutory guidance on making arrangements to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under section 11 of the Children Act (2007): and
Working Together to Safeguard Children (2010).
The guidance is important to everyone who works with children and it’s vital that you read and follow the guidance as it will help you to respond to the individual needs of children in your care, in the most appropriate way.
Importantly, the information adds clarity to what individuals and organisations should do to keep children safe and promote their welfare. It is intended to provide a national framework within which agencies and professionals, at a local level – individually and jointly – draw up and agree on their own ways of working together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.
The complete guidance can be accessed by clicking on the link here
Play Sport, Stay Safe
Active Surrey recognises the value of sport and the important role it plays in improving the quality of life for many people living in the Surrey community.
To help achieve the county's vision of "making Surrey a more active and successful sporting county", we are committed to ensuring that children and young people are able to enjoy and achieve through sport by being safe and free from harm when they take part.
Active Surrey is committed to continuous improvement in safeguarding, having achieved the Advanced Standard of the National Standards for Safeguarding & Protecting Children; a benchmark of good practice for sports organisations. Active Surrey achieved the Advanced Standard in July 2010 and will work with Sport England and the Child Protection in Sport Unit to implement the next framework when it has been established.
We are committed to promoting good practice in the care of children and young people in sport. Click on the links below for information, advice and resources:
Protection of Freedom's Act
Following the Queen's speech on 1 May 2012, the Protection of Freedoms act was passed, having implications for all organisations who have contact with Children and Vulnerable Adults - including sports organisations. The Act will bring in a number of changes which National Governing Bodies of Sport will be in touch with clubs about directly, but for now you can read the briefing paper. The key messages are:
- Clubs should continue to run CRB checks as normal
- Clubs should refer anyone who has caused harm (or poses the risk of harm) to a child/vulnerable adult to the ISA.
- Clubs should await further guidance from your NGB, the Government and your CSP (Active Surrey) on workshops/guidance around changes to safeguarding arrangements in the UK.
Active Surrey
If you are worried about the safety of child or young person taking part in an activity run by AS, or in another sporting environment, please contact:
Lawrie Baker (Community Sports Development Manager)
Direct line: 01483 518957
Main switchboard: 01483 518944
Email: lawrie.baker@surreycc.gov.uk
We take the welfare of children and young people very seriously and have procedures in place to deal with any concerns raised. For more information these procedures read our Safeguarding Policy.
