Northamptonshire parents reminded of the importance of safeguarding in children's sport
Last year the NSPCC say its helpline dealt with a 47% increase in contacts from adults concerned about a child’s welfare in a sports setting.
Parents and carers across Northamptonshire are being reminded to check their children's sports teams have the correct safeguarding measures in place.
The message comes from the NSPCC and the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) during its Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport week (6–12 October) and is being supported by Northamptonshire Sport.
The campaign aims to show the vital role parents play in their child’s sporting journey and encourage open conversations about the kind of support that helps children feel safe, confident and able to enjoy themselves.
Figures from the charity's helpline show between April 2024 and March 2025 it dealt with over 600 contacts (623) from adults concerned about a child’s welfare in a sports setting – an increase of 47 per cent on the previous year.
Natalie Lawrence is the Strategic Director for Children and Young people at Northamptonshire Sport, and the Safeguarding Lead.
She tells us it's so important to engage children in sport at a young age, and make sure that experience is safe so they can continue to have confident relationships with sport into adulthood.
Natalie has this safeguarding advice for families to look out for within their children's sports clubs:
"Don't just accept that a flyer that comes home through school or gets put through the letterbox or it's on social media means that that club is safe. They need to make inquiries.
"They need to check that the adults that are leading those activities have appropriate coaching qualifications. That the organised organisation has safe recruitment processes, such as, they're doing DBS cheques on the adults that are involved in the club, not just the coaches but anybody that's involved with working with young people."
"They're taking references, the facilities are safe and appropriate for the activities. The ratio of adult to children is within safe standards and quite often national national governing bodies will dictate what that ratio should be.
"Making sure that the equipment is appropriate, training schedules are appropriate. You wouldn't expect a 5 year old to be training 3, 4, 5 times a week, so making sure it's it is appropriate and that the club has got an appointed welfare officer so that if there are."
"Don't just accept that a flyer that comes home through school or gets put through the letterbox or it's on social media means that that club is safe. "
Rachel Wallace is the campaigns manager for the Midlands team, she says it's a positive people are reaching out and know where to access help and support but the numbers can also be a worry.
"Any rise in numbers makes us question whether that may be a trend of different concerns that are happening out there, so there's always more to do to help make sport as safe as we want it to be for children," she said.
"We know in the autumn it's a time when lots of people are starting new clubs and new sports and things as well so it's a good time to be thinking about it.
"When you're looking at a new club or sports group for your child, think about asking those questions, ask if there's a welfare officer at the club for your child, ask if the club's affiliated with a national governing body and whether it has a a safeguarding policy and complaints procedure."