Child Protection - Minimum Operating Requirements for Sports Clubs

The Child Protection in Sport Service is a partnership between Children 1st and sportscotland.  The service helps sporting organisations to put safeguards in place to keep children and young people safe.  The service has devised a set of Minimum Operating Requirements that sports clubs should have in place and these are as follows:

1. A named contact for the co-ordination of child protection within the club who has attended recommended training.
2. A Child Protection Policy which reflects national guidelines, adopted by the Management Committee of the club.
3. A Code of Conduct for working with children and young people.
4. A procedure for responding to concerns about the welfare or abuse of a child-within or out with sport.
5. A disciplinary procedure for managing concerns and allegations of poor practice, misconduct and child abuse and includes provision for referrals to the 'Disqualified from Working with Children List'.
6. A procedure for the recruitment and selection of those who work with children and young people, including access to Disclosure Scotland Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) checks.
7. A variety of child protection training offered at appropriate levels for those working or volunteering with children and young people in sport.
8. A procedure for reviewing the management of concerns about poor practice, misconduct and/or child abuse.

For further resources and templates in relation to these Minimum Operating Requirements, please view the Child Protection in Sport Service website: www.childprotectioninsport.org.uk