By Laura Whapham, CPSU Senior Consultant and Business Manager
Last month, the CPSU NSPCC team of four staff arrived at Loughborough University to welcome 1,500 young people and support staff to the School Games National Finals (SGNF) 2024.
Over the course of the long weekend, we provided safeguarding support to the event organisers, each of the sports safeguarding leads and the athletes competing in the 11 different sports.
Having trained record numbers of staff and volunteers in the weeks leading up to the event, it was really pleasing to see the training put into action. Adults had the confidence to challenge practice and report concerns, no matter how big or small. To give you a flavour of the support we provided, this ranged from managing minor welfare issues involving food, kit or facilities to more serious issues, such as relocating young athletes, adults displaying poor behaviours and code of conduct breaches.
It’s always a busy and exciting event and we worked hard to ensure that we were visible and approachable to staff and young people across the event. This resulted in some serious steps being covered. Paul Stephenson took the NSPCC gold medal for most steps covered in one day with a whopping 42,000 steps and completing 136,000 steps over the weekend!
What did we learn from safeguarding at the School Games National Finals?
As always, the CPSU safeguarding team cannot do it alone, it needs to be a team effort! The success and safety of the event is not dependent on the knowledge and experience of the safeguarding team but in ensuring that all the adults supporting the event are trained and clear on the behaviour expectations, safeguarding plans and reporting processes is key. Safeguarding is everyone’s business.
It was great to see that our training had worked, that people had read our plans and guidance documents and were confident to use them. I think simplifying key documents and ensuring these were accessible prior to and during the event was important. It helped ensure everyone was working to make the SGNF the gold standard safeguarding event that the NSPCC and Youth Sport Trust strive to implement.
What would we do differently?
Every time we work on the SGNF we formulate a list of considerations for future events. Our take aways this year were how we better communicate spectator codes of conduct prior to and during the event. We’re also keen to increase engagement with athletes directly and ensure the information that they receive is as engaging, relevant, and as informative as it can be.
The School Game National Finals is an amazing event to be a part of and the NSPCC feels privileged to have worked with the Youth Sport Trust on this event again.