Safeguarding Awareness Week 2024: BE in the know

Basketball England's first Safeguarding Awareness Week begins!

The purpose of the week is to highlight good safeguarding practice ahead of the 2024/25 season start and to discuss important safeguarding topics. 

Today brings the first of three resources to give all you need to know before season start. 

Bookmark these pages to help you with anything safeguarding related.

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What is safeguarding in sport? 

The process of protecting children and adults from harm by providing a safe space in which to play sport and be active. 

Every person involved in basketball has a responsibility to protect children from abuse and neglect.

In addition, we should all safeguard adults by ensuring that our activities are delivered in a way which keeps all adults safe.

Players, match officials, coaches, administrators, club officials and spectators agree to abide by our safeguarding policies:

• BE Safeguarding Policy
• BE Safeguarding Adults Policy

Adopt best practice to safeguard and protect children and adults by: 

• challenging inappropriate language  
• challenging bullying  
• avoiding giving children (under 18s) lifts to and from practice 
• creating a safe, child focused environment  
• making sport fun, enjoyable, and promoting fair play  
• being aware of the principles that underpin the safeguarding of adults  
• setting a good example of what respectful and good conduct looks like  
• having a minimum of two adults present to supervise children  
• supervising children in changing rooms (two members of staff of the same gender) 
• keeping a register of all children  
• recognising the factors that can make children more vulnerable, such as a win at all costs approach  
• recognising and working positively with children with additional needs  
• following our social media guidance 
• reporting concerns when things don’t seem right  

Club Welfare Officer 

Every club must have a Club Welfare Officer (CWO).

Clubs with junior players must ensure their CWO has completed our safeguarding and club welfare officer courses, and hold a clear enhanced DBS valid within a three-year period.  

If you ever need support, the BE Safeguarding Team is always on hand to answer your queries.

There's also more information via our web page dedicated solely for CWOs.

Lastly, further support is available via the new Sports Welfare Officer Network, which exists to assist and support CWOs to create safer club environments and improved experiences for children, young people and adults.

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Safeguarding requirements for licensing

There are safeguarding requirements for coaches, bench personnel and officials who are licensing to work in basketball. The requirements differ, depending on the licence you are applying for. 

You can find out what is required for every role via our helpful licensing table. 

If you work with U18s then you are required to hold an enhanced DBS, with a check of the children’s barred list, complete our safeguarding course, and complete the self-declaration form.  

• Need a DBS? Either speak to your local verifier or email us for more information if you require one or need to renew. If you already hold the correct level of DBS from another employer, this original certificate will need to be shown to your CWO/local verifier, who will send all of the relevant information across to us
• Update service – if you are on the update service but did not obtain the original certificate through BE, we will still need to verify your certificate in the above way
• Top tip – save money on your DBS by signing up to the Government's update service

Remember, reporting is everyone’s responsibility

If you have a concern, report it. 

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