Report highlights progress of the Sport Welfare Officer Network

The Active Partnerships National Organisation (APNO) has released a summary of its interim evaluation report on the Sport Welfare Officer (SWO) Network, offering valuable insight into progress towards the early outcomes.

Conducted by independent evaluators Ecorys UK and Professor Melanie Lang of Edge Hill University, the report reflects data gathered between September 2024 and March 2025 through SWO data collection, club journey mapping, NGB feedback surveys and reflective practice.

The report reveals strong engagement with National Governing Bodies (NGBs), with each Active Partnership working with an average of 28 NGBs. SWOs across the network have participated in a total of 364 events and between them have supported 556 initiatives, helping to improve safeguarding standards, inclusive practices, and governance across sports clubs.

During this period, more than 2,700 clubs received light-touch guidance, while nearly 640 clubs benefitted from intensive one-to-one support and training, covering key areas like safeguarding procedures and recommended role-specific training.

The interim findings indicate that the SWO network is making progress towards the planned short-term outcomes. SWOs have seen clubs reporting improvements in safeguarding protocols and access to training, while NGBs express high satisfaction with the advice and guidance received. While there is recognition that the project is still in its early stages, and there is further room to develop relationships and align roles with NGBs, many sports are recognising the added capacity of the network as a benefit and anticipate greater value added over time.

The report also includes information about some areas for improvement and so to address these, key areas of focus for the SWO network in the coming months will be to strengthen protocols for working with NGBs, to foster trust-based relationships with key stakeholders, and to explore innovative approaches to club engagement.

Highlighted in the report are some positive examples of collaboration, such as the Lawn Tennis Association’s Memorandum of Understanding and British Judo’s junior welfare role. It also notes that onboarding processes and clearer communication have helped define the SWO role more effectively, thanks in part to the network’s Universal Offer and theory of change model.

Laura Middleton, Strategic Lead for Welfare for the APNO who lead and guide the network, said, “This interim report reflects the significant progress we’ve made in building a connected and supportive network to strengthen welfare and safeguarding across sport. The findings show the value that Sport Welfare Officers have started bringing to clubs and governing bodies alike – from practical advice to relationship-building and local system collaboration. While there’s more work to do, these early results are incredibly encouraging and reinforce the growing importance of the network when it comes to safeguarding and club welfare support.”

The SWO network is funded by Sport England through the National Lottery and was set up with the support of the Ann Craft Trust and the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit, following the commitments made by Sport England and UK Sport in response to the Whyte Review. It now has more than 60 officers who between them cover every region of England.

You can read the key headlines from the evaluation.

 You can find out more about the Sport Welfare Officer Network.