GUARD - Safeguarding children in sport

Child safeguarding is the responsibility that organisations have to make sure their staff, operations, and programmes do no harm to children, that is that they do not expose children to the risk of harm and abuse, and that any concerns the organisation has about children’s safety within the communities in which they work, are reported to the appropriate authorities. The sport movement also has to ensure that children are and feel safe in sport, implement adequate safeguarding procedures to prevent the risks of children being harmed, both physically and emotionally, develop training and clear sets of guidelines and regulations to make sure that sports organisations deal with child safeguarding concerns effectively, and take measures to support children experiencing violence and/or abuse in sport. A common challenge faced by the National Olympic Committees is to move forward from policies and strategies to action. Practical implementation will begin by building the Child Safeguarding Officers structures in the national sport systems through the project ‘Safeguarding children in sport’ (GUARD). The main objective of the GUARD is to support the development of the system of child safeguarding in sport, through guidance and training aimed at building the safeguarding structure in national sport organisations, to ensure a safe environment for children in sport. It aims to support and coordinate a practical implementation of child safeguarding strategies to establish a well-functioning system and structure of competent Child Safeguarding Officers in participating countries. The National Olympic Committees involved in the project will train people in National Federations to train people in affiliated sport clubs to become Child Safeguarding Officers. They will provide necessary guidance, resources and support to grow the network of Child Safeguarding Officers in Europe effectively. that is published through this page expresses the views of the project beneficiaries only and it does not represent the views of the European Union or the European Commission. It shall not be deemed to constitute legal or official notice on behalf of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for this content nor the use thereof made by any third parties. Page 2 of 2