Building National Safeguarding Systems That Protect Children in Sport

Expert support for governments, sport bodies, and multi-agency partners to develop effective, internationally aligned safeguarding frameworks.

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Overview

Safe Sport International (SSI) was appointed as an expert contributor to the Child Safeguarding in Sport (CSiS) initiative, a two-year pilot project delivered under the Council of Europe’s Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS), with support from the European Commission.

The project aimed to strengthen child safeguarding in sport through the development of national and multi-agency safeguarding frameworks, supporting governments, sport bodies, and civil society organisations to align policy, practice, and workforce capability. SSI, through the involvement of Anne and the wider organisation, contributed to analysis, framework development, capacity building, and international knowledge exchange.

Challenges

Across participating countries, the project identified common and systemic challenges:

  • Safeguarding responsibilities dispersed across sport, education, justice, and social services, with limited coordination

  • Inconsistent safeguarding standards and expectations within and between countries

  • Lack of shared indicators to assess safeguarding effectiveness in sport

  • Variable access to training and education for those responsible for safeguarding implementation

  • Limited mechanisms for translating policy commitments into practice

These challenges highlighted the need for coherent national frameworks, underpinned by multi-agency collaboration and internationally applicable guidance.

Objectives

The CSiS pilot project sought to:

  1. Analyse existing child safeguarding arrangements in sport across multiple national contexts

  2. Develop internationally applicable standards and indicators for safeguarding in sport

  3. Create a practical framework for education and training to support implementation

  4. Build capacity among key personnel through targeted learning and knowledge exchange

  5. Share findings and lessons at an international level to support wider adoption

Our approach

SSI supported the analysis of safeguarding arrangements in six participating countries, examining policy frameworks, governance structures, and implementation mechanisms across sport and related sectors.

Drawing on international best practice, SSI developed safeguarding standards, clear indicators to assess systems and readiness, and a transferable framework adaptable to different national contexts

SSI supported the design of a framework for education and training, ensuring it:

  • Reflected multi-agency responsibilities
  • Was grounded in child-centred and rights-based principles
  • Could be applied across governmental, sport, and civil society settings

Key safeguarding personnel across participating countries were supported through:

  • Expert-led webinars
  • Shared learning and discussion forums
  • Practical guidance focused on implementation challenges

Project findings and outcomes were presented at a global event in Strasbourg, bringing together policymakers, sport leaders, safeguarding practitioners, and international organisations to share learning and promote sustainable safeguarding reform.

Outcomes

The CSiS initiative delivered several lasting outcomes:

  • A robust international framework for child safeguarding in sport

  • Agreed standards and indicators to support national policy development and evaluation

  • A structured education and training framework for safeguarding roles

  • Strengthened multi-agency collaboration across sport, government, and civil society

  • Increased international alignment and shared understanding of effective safeguarding systems

The project continues to inform safeguarding policy and practice across Europe and beyond through the Council of Europe’s safeguarding resources and expert networks.

Key stats

Conclusion

This engagement demonstrates SSI’s ability to operate at the highest strategic and policy levels, contributing to national and international safeguarding reform through evidence-based analysis, framework development, and multi-agency collaboration.

By supporting the European Commission and Council of Europe to develop practical, transferable safeguarding frameworks, SSI helped strengthen the foundations for safer sport systems that protect children and young people across diverse national contexts.

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