Safeguarding and Protecting Children Workshops
These workshops will raise awareness of the tell-tale signs of abuse and provide the tools and confidence needed to deal with any issues sensitively, appropriately and effectively.
All those regularly in contact with children, young people, and vulnerable adults must attend this course every three years.
Time to Listen Workshops
Time to Listen workshops are available for club Welfare Officers and covers what to do if an incident arises, and what the role of the Welfare Officer entails. It is best practice to have two officers within the club that has attended this workshop, ideally a male and female.
Clubs can choose to have more than one Welfare Officer – often one male and one female officer is helpful. It is recommended that the Welfare Officer does not hold another position on the club committee, and is not an active teacher or coach at the club. In addition, the Welfare Officer should not be related to other members of the committee or members of the coaching team. This recommendation is made to avoid difficulties and conflicts of interest that could arise from a club member wishing to refer a concern to the Welfare Officer but feeling unable to do so.
We are aware that for some clubs it may not always be possible to recruit a truly independent Welfare Officer, and those clubs should therefore appoint a second or standby Welfare Officer. This means that, should a conflict of interest arise, the concern can be referred to the second Welfare Officer who could be someone else at the club able to meet the requirements of the role. Where a second Welfare Officer cannot be recruited, some clubs have made an agreement with the County or Regional Welfare Officer to assist in circumstances where the Welfare Officer is conflicted.
Please note: To attend this workshop the learner must have completed a recognised Safeguarding and Protecting Children Workshop within the previous 3 years. Time to Listen workshops are designed as “one off” training for Welfare Officers and there is no requirement for repeat training.
The CPSU also have a useful webinar for Welfare Officers on their website,
Upcoming Time to Listen Workshops
9th November 2023 and 4th December 2023.
12th March, 12th June and 14th November 2024
The workshops last around 3.5/4 hours.
We normally provide Time to Listen Workshops twice a year. For more information please email us.
Basic Awareness (or introductory training) is usually designed for staff and volunteers who have infrequent contact with children and young people and it will therefore usually cover the following:
- Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility;
- Categories, signs and symptoms of abuse;
- What to do if there are concerns about a child and how to respond;
- How to make a safe environment for young people, and
- Signposting for further information and support.
The Basic Awareness training can be delivered in a number of ways i.e. via a short face to face session/workshop, using e-learning or other methods such as websites, leaflets,
Within a Swim England Club individuals who are not in regular contact with children and young people (and are not required by Swim England to have attended child safeguarding training for their role within the club) may access this type of training, if they choose to do so. There are many organisations that offer such training; however the Swim England would advise NSPCC or Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) training as this has the advantage of being quality assured.
Child Safeguarding Training for those with regular responsibility for children and young people will cover:
- All the areas of a Basic Awareness/Introductory child safeguarding course;
- The practical implications of the issues highlighted within a sports context;
- Provide the legislative context of child safeguarding;
- Skill development around identifying, responding and reporting child safeguarding concerns, and
- Signposting to further information.
The above advanced training should initially be delivered in a face to face format and is typically circa 3 hours in duration. Face to face training ensures opportunities for full discussion around this sensitive topic and enables questions to be asked in a safe environment, facilitated by a qualified Child Safeguarding tutor. Following the face to face training, refresher training can be taken online if the training provider has this available and only if the online training has been designed as a refresher option for the initial face-to-face training i.e. not if designed as a replacement for initial classroom training.
To ensure that courses attended are in line with Swim England requirements, Swim England follows the recommendations made by the NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU). The preferred recommended training is Swim England / UK Coaching’s Safeguarding and Protecting Children Workshop (sometimes referred to as S & PC1) – the Swim England course uses swimming specific examples and refers to Wavepower throughout. Further details on the seminar and information on courses running in your area can be obtained from Institute of Swimming.
UK Coaching also run a generic Safeguarding and Protecting Children Workshop, which is usually delivered as part of County Sport Partnership’s education programme.
UK Coaching also offer an online refresher course, which is suitable for individuals who have already completed the Safeguarding and Protecting Children (S & PC 1) face to face training. Swim England accepts this training if someone has previously completed face to face training within a three year window.
Swim England also accepts Child Safeguarding training, which has been delivered (or accredited) by the following:
- A Local Safeguarding Children’s Boards (LSCB) with the exception of LSCB Basic Awareness and Foundation courses.
- National Health Service training.
- SAFE (Safer Activities For Everyone) CIC standard safeguarding training, which has to be completed every two years.
- Child Safeguarding training delivered by the Football Association (FA) or England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
Following the guidance in the government document Working together to safeguard children (2015), child safeguarding training should be refreshed every three years, unless that particular LSCB or NHS training provider offers online training or unless stated otherwise.
In addition to the Basic Awareness Training Swim England also accepts face-to-face and online Safeguarding training from professionals working in frontline roles with children and young people i.e. Teachers, Social Workers and the Emergency Services.
In these instances we would ask individuals to make sure they are familiar with Wavepower and the reporting procedures and submit proof of their professional training in the form of a certificate and/or a formal letter from, for example, a Head Teacher/School confirming a staff member’s completion of appropriate training.
- Please note these individuals must be working directly with children and young people on a day to day basis i.e. their Safeguarding training is therefore a crucial part of their role rather than individuals who may be working in those sectors in roles such as Administrators, Receptionists and Caretakers/Cleaners.
This workshop is designed for people that regularly work with children and young people within a club environment.
It will provide the learner with the skills to identify tell-tale signs of abuse and provide the tools and confidence to deal with the issue effectively and sensitively.
Safeguarding Workshops
Swim England host online workshops . only
Swim England is updating its safeguarding training requirements for all members who require a DBS check as part of their role in aquatics and in accordance with Wavepower.
From January 1 2024, the national governing body will only accept Swim England Safeguarding training for those working within our clubs, counties and regions as part of our commitment set out in the Heart of Aquatics
This change will be mandatory, with a phasing-in period for those who hold existing approved safeguarding training that will be valid until its expiry date. For those who have not previously completed a Swim England tutor-led course, this will be the first step to achieving compliance.
The expectation is that members will complete a three-hour tutor-led course as initial training – which is valid for three years – followed by a refresher course three years later so that training can move in a six-year cycle. This update also addresses a gap in the national governing bodies’ training policy to cover 16 and 17-year-olds who are in a ‘Position of Trust’.
From the start of next year, Swim England Safeguarding Training will be required for those in this age group that are in coaching or teaching roles and are delivering a Swim England-recognised activity.
If you have any queries, please contact: clubdevelopment@swimming.org
Child Safeguarding Basic Awareness course
Swim England has launched the Child Safeguarding Online Basic Awareness course in conjunction with the Institute of Swimming as part of its ongoing commitment to create a safe environment for youngsters.
It gives athletes, parents, coaches, teachers, volunteers, committee members and technical officials an opportunity to develop their knowledge of safeguarding – and how to respond to any concerns.
The resource also gives young volunteers who are under 18 the chance to develop their awareness of child safeguarding as they start out on their volunteering journey.
Uploading of safeguarding certificates.
To ensure OMS is kept up to date going forward, safeguarding certificates need to be uploaded by the individual every time they attend a workshop.
Safeguarding Workshops – Adults
UK Coaching offer a Safeguarding Adults online workshop developed in conjunction with the Ann Craft Trust.