A national network of Sport Welfare Leads/Officers has been created across England to support National Governing Bodies (NGBs), local clubs and community groups to promote good practice, inclusion and safe sport for children, young people and adults. This is in response to the findings and recommendations of the Whyte Review, published in June 2022. The Sport Welfare Leads/Officers add capacity and expertise to the existing safeguarding and inclusion work of NGBs and Active Partnerships. They work closely with other Sport Welfare Leads/Officers, NGBs and wider partner organisations, e.g. local authorities, voluntary and community organisations, to connect people working on welfare and safeguarding, both inside and outside sport. For more information about the network, click here.

The Sport Welfare Lead role at APT will have a positive impact by:  

• Connecting with sports clubs in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and other community organisations in our priority places in Notts to build relationships and share good practice of safeguarding and inclusion.

• Offering support to club welfare officers and their clubs/groups to create safer, more inclusive cultures, building their confidence and knowledge to do so.

• Enabling club welfare officers, volunteers and participants to create safer, inclusive sporting environments by facilitating learning, organising training and sharing resources.

• Raising awareness of sport welfare issues and its importance for all people who go along to clubs, by gathering and responding to local insight and promoting safeguarding campaigns with clubs and community organisations.

What you will do: 

Grow our insight and understanding of people and communities 

• Build our understanding of the support needs of club welfare officers. Understand the existing support processes and systems in place, whether club welfare officers are aware of them and whether they meet their needs. This might be by organising 1-2-1 meetings or by setting up or attending network meetings.

• Understand the resources and support needs of the National Governing Bodies by developing and holding good relationships with safeguarding contacts within a selected group of NGBs, on behalf of the East Midlands Sport Welfare Lead/Officers network.

• Understand the lived experience of club members and use this insight to understand what club welfare officers can do to meet the needs of their members/users. This might be by attending club events or fixtures to speak to members and parents.

• Understand the broader safeguarding structures, such as the county/city Safeguarding Children’s Partnerships, Adult Safeguarding Boards, and other organisations, and build connections with them.

• Share what we are seeing and hearing locally about the needs and priorities identified with NGBs with APT’s Place team and key partners locally and nationally, to help inform future decisions.

Support and develop people

• Support the development of club welfare officers by organising/delivering training and mentoring to meet their needs.

• Support the development of a welfare culture by organising/delivering training to club committees, parents/carers, and members.

• If insight identifies this need, set up networks/forums for club welfare officers, from a range of sports and community organisations in our priority places, to come together to connect and share good practice, experiences, and learning.

• Support club welfare officers with reporting and referral of safeguarding cases from local to national. If appropriate, support resolution of lower-level concerns.

• Collate good practise and share with colleagues in APT, the East Midlands network of Sport Welfare Leads/Officers and with the national Sport Welfare Leads/Officers. Supported by the APT Marketing team, share this learning more widely to inform practice.

Advocate for and influence policy and practice

• Encourage and support clubs to review their safeguarding and welfare policies and processes, considering any new insight and learning. Support them to involve their members in this work. This could include helping them write their policies, procedures, codes of conduct, safer recruitment policies etc.

• Work alongside NGBs to promote and embed their minimum operating standards in club policies and procedures.

Deliver 

• Attend club meetings and events to raise awareness of the importance of safeguarding and the processes within the club, with parents, carers, and participants.

• Promote national and local campaigns and initiatives to local clubs and community organisations to raise their awareness of an effective welfare culture and key messages, training, and resources available to them.

• Provide effective communications and progress reports to Active Partnerships Sport Welfare Officer Network, APT’s Board and county panels, and APT colleagues; reporting on progress, evaluation and planning.

We are looking for someone to join us who: 

Essential:  

• Has experience of safeguarding and welfare work with young people and/or adults.

• Understands safer recruitment and safer working practices including how to deal with allegations against staff/volunteers.

• Understands thresholds of harm.

• Understands referral processes to follow when harm or inappropriate behaviour is seen/heard and has knowledge of signposting agencies.

• Believes in the importance of physical activity being safe and inclusive for everyone.

• Believes in our values and behaviours.

• Ability to develop relationships at all levels e.g. with club participants, club volunteers, partners on safeguarding boards, and strategic leaders.

• Can influence to gain commitment.

• Is a strong communicator and an effective advocate.

• Is able and willing to challenge, in a positive way.

• Can plan, organise, and prioritise own workload to meet deadlines.

• Is a good listener and good at asking questions.

• Has the IT skills to work efficiently using Microsoft 365 programmes.

• Can travel around the county to attend meetings including evenings and weekends.

 Desirable:  

• Experience of leading safeguarding in a sport environment.

• Is self-reflective, self-aware and adapts own behaviour.

• Has experience of setting up, planning and facilitating group conversations.

• Understanding and commitment to addressing inequality.

• Public or voluntary/community sector experience.

Please note that these are the skills and experience we want you to tell us about in your application as we will be assessing candidates against these.   

If you’re passionate about addressing inequalities and physical activity, we welcome your application. We encourage people to join our organisation from all walks of life, you don’t need experience in the sport and physical activity sector to work for us. Disabled people and those from ethnically or culturally diverse communities are underrepresented in our workforce and are particularly encouraged to apply.  

How to Apply 

• Complete the anonymised work-related questions by Monday 8th September 9:00am.

• Submit your CV whilst completing your application – please note your personal details will remain anonymous whilst shortlisting decisions are made.

• Stage 1 interviews (online): 16th September (afternoon) or 17th September (morning).

• Stage 2 interviews (in person): 23rd September, in Nottingham.

Please note, we are unable to support employees with Visa costs. Proof of Right to Work in the UK is essential and will be requested during the application process.

This post is funded by Sport England Lottery Fund.

If you want to find out more about the role to help you decide whether to apply, you are welcome to call Rachael Burton-Dyer on 07913 249199 or email rachael.dyer@activepartnerstrust.org.uk.