In recent years, the extent of safeguarding failings in sports clubs have begun to be revealed. Learning from these failings over the past twenty years has consistently identified a lack of sufficient top-level leadership for safeguarding, or effective safeguarding governance.
We can list many reviews that have identified similar failings, and as examples both Clive Sheldon KC's Independent Review into Child Sexual Abuse in Football 1970 – 2005 and the Whyte Review into allegations of mistreatment in the gymnastics generated learning and new expectations for strategic leaders in their sports.
Making safeguarding a strategic priority is the right thing to do to protect children and adults at risk involved in your sports club or organisation, but it makes sense from a business perspective as well, especially when you are looking to protect your brand.
We've been working with the Premier League and it's Clubs for the past four seasons, supporting Heads of Safeguarding, Board level leads (often CEO's or Directors) and DSOs across club, academies and with matchday responsibilities.
We have supported Club's entering the Premier League, who have to step up to new levels of scrutiny. We use this experience and knowledge to support other Clubs and can support you in whatever league or sport you operate in.
While Keep Consult is a flexible package of support delivered by our experienced consultants, in line with our organisational values, our work is often structured as a package to ensure a value-for-money improvement programme designed to embed your safeguarding arrangements and drive organisational development:
Depending upon the identified strategic priorities and development needs, we will then support with policy or framework writing, training, and/or mentoring support for staff with specific responsibilities.
As we're collaborating with our clients we are learning lessons all Boards can learn from and you can learn from it too. Just download our 7 questions you need to ask in your organisation guide (above) and give yourself a head start.
Our training for Boards isn't the traditional introduction to safeguarding training, but something more tailored to the needs of strategic leaders. That's why Keep Governance and Safeguarding is best place to support you to ensure your Board members and senior management teams are able to provide sufficient oversight of safeguarding, demonstrate compliance and discharge their statutory responsibilities. We're working with some of the most inspirational and compassionate organisations who are focussed on continually improving their safeguarding practice, including with some of England's elite football clubs through our work with the Premier League.
Together, we're finding innovative ways to improve their safeguarding governance arrangements and ultimately help their leaders make their organisations safer. We work in partnership with organisations focussed on improving their safeguarding frameworks. We take a strategic perspective, ensuring your safeguarding work is effective and protects your people.
Bring an independent eye to the assessment of your practice. We'll shape an audit around your needs, based upon the requirements of your governing bodies and leagues, or on your statutory responsibilities and best practice and speak to your stakeholders to get an accurate view of your organisation.
Building on experience supporting a range of sports Clubs, statutory agencies and third sector organisations to assess their safeguarding processes and procedures, Keep Governance and Safeguarding provides one-to-one support services and impartial strategic analysis to ensure your organisation is best prepared to safeguard the children it works with.
Once complete, you will be presented with an overview report identifying areas of good practice, and areas where improvements could or should be made to ensure compliance. This will include proposals for development work which the organisation can take forward with the support of Keep Governance and Safeguarding, on their own, or with another provider.
Support for strategic leaders and safeguarding managers to ensure their safeguarding arrangements are effective, robust and compliant, through:
Our affordable partnership approach to managing your safeguarding arrangements and sharing your safeguarding risks, while demonstrating your commitment to safeguarding with our Keep Equip quality mark.
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