Active Sussex’s adult safeguarding event

An Active Sussex adult safeguarding event examined the importance of working in partnership and how safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

The event on Thursday, November 7, held at King’s Weald Community Centre in Burgess Hill, was for club welfare and safeguarding officers and National Governing Body staff and volunteers.

Approximately 30 representatives from sports, including gymnastics, bowls, tennis, paddle, running, cycling, football, boccia, table tennis, badminton, and GoodGym attended.

Lauren Rickson, co-organiser and one of two Sport Welfare Officers at Active Sussex, said: “It was fantastic to see a range of clubs, sports and organisations at today’s event.

“Our goal is to build a supportive network that promotes sharing and learning, and it was evident from the enthusiasm today that everyone is eager to collaborate and expand their knowledge.

“Adult safeguarding is a collective responsibility for all clubs and groups delivering physical activity, and we are dedicated to supporting clubs across Sussex to develop this important work.”

Angela Nilmadhub-Watson, co-event organiser and Sport Welfare Officer at Active Sussex, added: “We have already had really positive feedback from participants, particularly around the cross-sport learning and development environment.

“It was great to see so much networking and chat in the room, and one club I spoke to – who said they felt isolated in the role – swapped numbers with a welfare officer from another sport, so hopefully, they can connect and support each other.”

During the event, the importance of working in partnership was discussed – one of the six principles of safeguarding and the core theme for the Ann Craft Trust Adult Safeguarding Week, which runs from Monday, November 18, to Friday, November 22.

During this session, different types of abuse were examined, and attendees were asked to complete a task involving thinking of relevant scenarios in their clubs and what their response should be.

A key takeaway was that prevention is better than cure, and creating the right culture within the club is important.

Clubs discussed the importance of ensuring the code of conduct is visible and in all participants’ minds, making sure clubs have up-to-date registration and emergency contact details, and reminding participants to look after themselves and each other.

If you would like to find out more about safeguarding and how our Sport Welfare Officers can help you, please visit our website: www.activesussex.org/sport-welfare-officers