I’m involved in running a Club

ALL clubs require:

A Club Safeguarding Officer (CSO) or Welfare officer.
Ideally this person should not be a club chair or a coach. This person should be assigned the role on ENgage. CSO's need a minimum Social/Supporting membership.

A Club Safeguarding Policy
Examples, guidance and templates for creating a CLub Safeguarding Policy can be found here:
Safeguarding Policies and Documents

L2 coaches, the club safeguarding officer and other people involved in regular contact with children or adults at risk should have the relevant training.
For more information about the relevant training for club members, please visit:
Training and Education

Coaches and anyone having regular contact with children and adults at risk should have an up-to-date enhanced DBS check via England Netball. If your club has under 18 members the Club Safeguarding Officer must have a DBS check carried out via England Netball. We don’t accept DBS certificates via work or other volunteer roles.
For more information about England Netball’s DBS policy, please visit:
DBS Information

The Club Safeguarding Officer should ensure their details are publicly available and shared with players, parents, volunteers and coaches.

The Club Safeguarding Officer should keep an up-to-date record of the training and DBS checks mentioned above and ensure people renew these every 3 years

Going beyond the minimum requirements

Useful pages to assess your club’s safeguarding effectiveness (CPSU)
Sports safeguarding tools (thecpsu.org.uk) or

Self-Evaluation of Club Culture (Ann Craft Trust)
Culture in Clubs & Groups Self Evaluation

Find your local Sport Welfare Officer (Active Partnerships)
Sport Welfare Officer Network

Do you have following in place?

Posters or information about safeguarding, safety, inclusion, mental health, online safety and raising concerns at the club visible in club venues, websites and social media platforms.
Encouraging Parents to be Part of the Team – UK Coaching
Communicating with Parents – UK Coaching

Regular communication with parents, carers, players and coaches about these issues

A kind, inclusive environment in your club, your teams and into the wider netball family.

Do you encourage people to challenge inappropriate or poor behaviour whoever is responsible – even if it is the coach.
I'm a Child or Young Person
I’m an Adult Player
I’m a Netball Parent and Carer

Safe recruitment practices for coaches and volunteers (not just a DBS check - see our Safe Recruitment document)
Safeguarding Policies and Documents

Safe spaces and events
Duty of Care
Safe sport events, activities and competitions | CPSU

Promotion of general wellbeing for players and the netball family
England Netball | Wellbeing
Home – NetballHer)

Involving parents and carers

The best clubs ensure parents know how to support their children and keep them safe. They also communicate regularly with parents and carers about safeguarding matters.
Encouraging Parents to be Part of the Team – UK Coaching

Parents are encouraged to ask questions and to contribute ideas to the club.The club should have clear expectations of parents’ behaviour towards players and coaches during matches.
How to improve parental involvement in your club: recommendations for coaches | CPSU
My Magic Sports Kit (youtube.com)

The following page has advice for parents involved in netball:
I’m a Netball Parent or Carer

Involving children/young people and adults at risk

Safeguarding should be a subject that children, young people and adults at risk are familiar with in your club – not just who the Safeguarding Officer is, but where to find out more information.

Young people and adults at risk should be consulted with and listened to. You could consider regularly seeking feedback via meetings, 1:1 chats or surveys about how the club is run, opinions on the coaching style etc.

Involving children and young people in their sport | CPSU
Safeguarding Adults in Physical Activity and Sport – UK Coaching
Creating a psychologically safe culture | CPSU
Improving_Psychological_Safety.pdf (safeinsport.org)

Players should be encouraged to ask questions and to contribute ideas to the club. The club should have clear expectations of players’ behaviour.

Considering the role of coaches

Coaches are there to facilitate sessions that are fun and involve everyone, as well as improve technique and performance. Clubs, volunteers, parents and players should look out for coach practices that fall below what is expected, develop into poor practice or present safeguarding issues. Coaches should involve players and parents/carers; encouraging them to ask questions, to support the coach and the players and to get involved.

The following page has advice for coaches
I’m a Netball Coach

If your club uses an external Strength and Conditioning or other coach the club should check they are DBS checked and suitably qualified

When you have a concern

England Netball’s Safeguarding Policies and Documents can be found here to view and download:
Safeguarding Policies and Documents

These external resources are also a helpful tool to help you identify and handle concerns appropriately and effectively:

For Children:
Let children know you’re listening | NSPCC

NSPCC ‘Say Something’

Responding to a Child’s Disclosure of Abuse | NSPCC

For Adults:
What should I say…? Advice for Starting Difficult Conversations – Ann Craft Trust

To raise a concern with the England Netball Safeguarding Team, please visit this page:
I want to report a Safeguarding Concern

To raise a safeguarding concern, please visit this page:
I want to report a Safeguarding Concern