Wolves back NSPCC sports safeguarding campaign

MORE than 30 per cent of parents with children active in sport would not know who to turn to if they had safeguarding concerns.
This has been revealed in aa survey conducted by the NSPCC and polling company YouGov.
The charity is encouraging parents to become more informed about their children’s sports during  Parents in Sport Week 2019 – and Warrington Wolves are backing the campaign.
A spokesperson for Warrington Wolves Charitable Foundation, said: “We know how important sport is to children – it’s fun, great exercise and develops their sense of working as a team and being part of a social group. We also know how important the safety of children is to their parents and carers, and we ensure our club has appropriate safeguarding levels and training in place to ensure all members of every squad are properly looked after.
“Warrington Wolves are proud to support the NSPCC’s Parents In Sport Week, and we would encourage all parents to sign up to the Sports Parents Promise. In doing so, they will find out who to speak to with any concerns, what to ask, and how best to keep their children safe.”
As part of this year’s Parents in Sports Week (October 7 – 13) the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) is urging parents to sign the Sports Parents Promise to help them choose a safe club for their children and ensure they have a positive influence when participating from the sidelines.
Nick Slinn, director of the Child Protection in Sport Unit, said: “Sport forms a huge part of childhood for many young people, and at the NSPCC we believe that children should be free to enjoy their time at clubs and activities in a safe environment where they can achieve to the best of their ability.
“It is clear from our research that parents do not always know how to address any concerns they have.
“We introduced the Sports Parents Promise because it is essential for everyone to play their part in protecting children, and making every sporting experience a positive one. We want to make it easier for parents to know how they can support a safer sports environment and give them confidence to act when needed.”
Every sports club and activity provider should have a welfare or safeguarding officer as well as a safeguarding policy, and the NSPCC is encouraging every parent to find out who to contact in their children’s sport if they have any questions or concerns.
The Sports Parents Promise offers parents helpful guidance on what makes a safe sports club, how to respond if they have any worries or concerns, and how to show positive sideline behaviour when attending games and tournaments.