For sports clubs across Liverpool City Region (LCR), creating a safe, welcoming, and equitable environment is vital for getting communities active.
However, when it comes to navigating safeguarding policies, DBS checks, and welfare guidelines, it can sometimes feel like a barrier – especially for volunteer-led clubs already stretched for time.
That’s where MSP’s Sport Welfare Officers, Gemma West and Matthew Moran, come in.
Before they answer your most frequently asked questions about club welfare, safeguarding, and NGB guidelines, here’s how they can support your club.
Creating healthier, more active environments is a collective effort.
Gemma and Matt are here to provide free, local, and professional support for Club Welfare Officers (CWOs) and clubs across the LCR. They serve as an extra pair of hands to assist with your capacity, helping you create safer, more inclusive environments by:
When setting up a junior section, your first port of call should always be your National Governing Body (NGB). You will need to review their specific policies on establishing a new club, creating a club constitution, and safeguarding children.
Your NGB will define who is considered a child (typically anyone under 18) and dictate the necessary policies, such as the required staff-to-child ratios and what background checks are needed for coaches. If this information isn’t clearly listed on your NGB’s website, we recommend contacting their safeguarding team for clarity. You can also utilise resources and templates from NSPCC Sport to help you build this crucial foundation.
To ensure a safe and equitable environment for all, new guidance introduced on 1st September 2026 mandates that all club coaches, managers, committee members, and volunteers need an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check.
You should always be guided by the NGB your club is affiliated with, as you are bound by their specific rules and regulations. Requirements for DBS checks should be clearly stated on their website or within their safeguarding policy. If you are ever unsure, contact the NGB safeguarding team directly.
No. Your club is affiliated with your NGB, and they remain your primary source of guidance and leadership.
Our support at MSP is designed to be an addition to your NGB. Our role is to assist with your capacity, helping you find information, connecting you with your NGB for specific guidance, and turning shared ambition into collective action at the grassroots level.
Generally speaking, yes, though the exact requirements are determined by your individual NGB.
It is always better to have at least one CWO, but we highly recommend having two or three. This helps share the responsibility and ensures that a welfare representative is present at most club meetings. Ideally, your CWOs should represent a mix of ages and genders and, if possible, not be directly related to any coaches or committee members to ensure impartiality and a diversity of lived experiences.
Absolutely! You do not need any prior experience or specialist knowledge to become a Club Welfare Officer. Your NGB will provide all the necessary training.
Your primary job as a CWO is to act as a point of contact and pass information along to the right people. You are not expected to investigate concerns, manage complex issues yourself, or solve safeguarding problems. Aside from knowing to phone the police or an ambulance in an immediate emergency, your main responsibility is simply knowing how to report concerns to your NGB’s safeguarding team.
Remember, many welfare issues are everyday concerns you already deal with in daily life. Spotting and addressing the everyday barriers and little things early is a crucial part of creating the conditions for everyone to move more and move safely.
This depends entirely on your NGB, as the rules are not always straightforward. For example, in golf, 16 and 17-year-olds are often given more freedom than younger children, but this is still dependent on the individual club’s risk assessments, environment, and course layouts. Always check directly with your NGB.
It is crucial to remember that even if 16 and 17-year-olds are allowed to play with adults, anyone under 18 is legally classed as a child. Your club still has a strict duty of care, meaning you must have an active child protection policy and ensure relevant DBS checks are in place to remove risks and keep young people safe.
Yes. Creating healthier, more active environments applies to everyone; adults need to be looked after, represented, and genuinely able to be active safely, too.
There are many safeguarding issues that can affect adults in a sports setting, including domestic violence, exploitation, bullying, harassment, and mental health struggles. Furthermore, your club needs to be aware of, and account for, adults at risk (formerly referred to as vulnerable adults).
Your NGB will have a Safeguarding Adults policy that you should implement. Additionally, the Ann Craft Trust provides extensive resources and guidance on safeguarding adults in sport.
It isn’t necessary to write these from scratch. Your NGB will provide standard safeguarding policies and codes of conduct, and it is best to adopt these. Doing so provides your club with the best legal protection and ensures you are fully compliant with their standard framework.
If you want to add a personal touch to reflect your club’s specific culture and local community, personalising the code of conduct is the safest way to do so without altering critical safeguarding protocols.
Whether you need help understanding your NGB’s policies, finding the right training, or just want an impartial sounding board to support your club’s practices, our Sport Welfare Officers are here to collaborate with you.
Connect with Gemma and Matt today:
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