YSF Safeguarding and Welfare News – November 2025

This month we promoted Safeguarding Adults Week. The theme was Prevention: Act Before Abuse, with different topics to consider every day. We hope you caught our posts on LinkedIn!

Many people think of safeguarding as being just for protecting children from abuse, but it’s so much broader than that. Even if your club is solely for adults, there are steps that you need to take to ensure everyone is safe and well. Have a chat with us if you’d like to find out more.

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British Gymnastics Conference
Along with our colleague Mary, from Active Humber, Nicola spoke at the British Gymnastics National Welfare Officer Conference in Bradford. It was great to see some of you there!

Nicola and Mary talked about their support offer and shared case studies from colleagues in other parts of the country. They also introduced a new Culture Reflection Tool that is used to help clubs think about being supportive, welcoming, and inclusive.

Other speakers included Natacha  Lazareff from the fantastic Kyniska Advocacy, and Jonathon Taylor who spoke about being safe online.

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Sharing Good Practice – Support Plans
Inspired by the individual pupil support plans that she uses in her job at school, Jax Crawshaw, Club Welfare Officer at Halifax Swimming Club, has introduced a Swimming Support Plan for swimmers with additional needs. It’s used for those with a diagnosis and also for anyone who is struggling with self-regulation, difficulty focussing, or anxiety, among other things. Jax works with parents and participants to complete these forms and makes sure that coaches read through them to gain a better understanding of their swimmers. The coach will have one-to-one progress meetings with the swimmers to ensure they are receiving all they need to achieve their personal goals. It seems to be working really well for everyone involved, however, it will continue to evolve based on feedback from club members and coaches.

If you’d like to do something similar in your club please contact us for a chat.

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Coffee Coach Catch-up

UK Coaching are running their December Play Their Way Coffee Coach Catch-up on the 3 December from 4pm to 5pm. Helen Derby (Strategic Lead at Activity Alliance) will share inclusive coaching strategies for children with additional needs and disabilities.

It’s a great chance to ask questions, exchange ideas, and connect with fellow coaches.

 

Book a place here

 

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