Voices in Sport
Often overlooked in reports of abuse within sports, the voices of those who have endured such experiences are crucial. The Whyte Review emphasised the importance of hearing these voices, prompting Sport England to commission this initiative.
The resources have been built in collaboration with survivors, Lived Experience people of abuse in Sport, sports representatives, volunteers and parents. Without these voices this resource would not be possible in highlighting the real, life long impact of abuse.
If you are working in sport, a training entity for safeguarding in sport, then these resources are for you.
What you will learn:
- The life long impact of not being believed
- The life long impact of emotional abuse
- How to have a conversation if you notice something is not quite right
- How what we say can be damaging
- Why people present with certain behaviours, that need your support
- How to be a compassionate coach
- What welfare looks like
- What coaching in a compassionate way looks like
Assess how you really hear the voices of your participants to start the safety journey.
It feels like yesterday
Trigger Warning:
This film is based on a true story and explores themes of emotional abuse, including coercive control, which some viewers may find distressing.
It examines the devastating lifelong effects of coercive control, a repeated pattern of behaviors used to exert power, break down self-worth, and induce feelings of failure, embarrassment, and shame. This portrayal serves as a valuable resource for safeguarding training, helping to educate individuals on the signs and impact of emotional abuse. The film encourages vital discussions about why these abusive behaviors are unacceptable and the importance of recognising them early. We have included below a link to UK Coaching to highlight good coaching practices. Please also see film ‘I’m OK Coach?’ below to look at supportive coaching in safeguarding and Welfare.
Be a Champion for Duty to Care
WWW.UKCOACHING.ORG
Join the growing movement: Learn about the importance of Duty to Care and develop your practice with our newly-enhanced Hub of learning – and demonstrate your commitment to looking after the people you coach by earning our Sport England-funded Digital Badge.
Holistic Coaching: Developing Skills for Life
WWW.UKCOACHING.ORG
Holistic coaching should be an integral part of the coaching process for all coaches, at all levels, and for all age groups.
This page contains a range of resources that will:
- support you on your journey to becoming a holistic coach
- develop your coaching skills
- give you a deep insight into the benefits of holistic coaching for personal development
I’m Ok Coach?
Trigger Warning:
This film explores themes of adverse childhood trauma, which some viewers may find distressing.
It emphasises the positive role a coach can play in a child’s life by understanding their participants, recognising unusual behaviours, and creating a safe, supportive environment. Coaches are shown how to be empathetic, use simple language, and foster spaces where children feel comfortable speaking up about harm they may be experiencing.
This film, along with its accompanying resources on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), serves as a valuable tool for wellbeing, welfare, and safeguarding training. It helps coaches understand the behaviours children and young people may exhibit in sports environments, emphasising that children often communicate trauma through behaviour when they lack the words to express it directly.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)
Adverse Childhood Experiences are common forms of childhood trauma that at least 50% of the population in England experience growing up.
Just because a person has experienced ACEs in childhood, does not mean that they will always experience the poor outcomes later in life. Sports clubs and the adults that run them can play an important role in the resilience of children and young people. You have a unique opportunity to help children affected by ACEs to feel safe, connect with peers and trusted adults, build ways of coping and contribute to their wellbeing.
Listen, Believe, Respond.
Trigger Warning:
This film is based on a true story and explores themes of abuse and trauma, which some viewers may find distressing.
The film highlights numerous missed opportunities for intervention that had devastating lifelong consequences. It delves into the power of grooming and underscores the need for greater support and education for parents, teachers, coaches, and friends to recognise signs of abuse and understand safeguarding. Not being believed and being made to feel at fault can result in unimaginable trauma for victims.
This film can be a valuable resource for safeguarding training, addressing critical points to help make sports spaces safer. The central message is clear: when a child, young person, or adult discloses abuse, believe them. Professional curiosity is essential.
Resources
Welfare & Wellbeing Guide
The NWG and Kyniska Advocacy have come together to create a comprehensive, holistically approached, Wellbeing & Welfare toolkit. This resource is about creating cultural change through organisation-wide education on wellbeing and welfare in sport.
Our Voices Matter
A quick guide to gaining the voices from participants accessing your sport. This guide aims to facilitate conversations with coaches, welfare officers, and anyone interacting with participants. It emphasises the importance of hearing from children, young people, and adults, ensuring their voices are taken seriously in decisions that affect them.
Listen up Coaches! The Importance of Giving Children a Voice
Child-first Coaching Resources for Voice, Choice and Journey
Impact of Competition
A guide to assist people in sharing their experience to inform and influence others.
Your Experience Matters
A guide to assist people in sharing their experience to inform and influence others.
Podcasts
Support Agencies
Following are links to other organisations that you might find helpful to support people you are supporting.
For children and young people
Childline
Childline is a free, private and confidential service where a child or young person can talk about anything.
Tel: 0800 1111
Children under 12:
https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/u12-landing/
Children over 12:
For adults
NAPAC
Supporting recovery from childhood abuse. If you’re an adult survivor of any form of child abuse, we’re here for you.
For children, adults, families and practitioners
Kidscape
Parent advice line: 0300 102 4481
Kidscape is an award-winning charity that offers practical help with bullying
NSPCC
Tel: 0808 800 5000
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/reporting-abuse/nspcc-helpline/
If you have any concerns about a child, trust your instincts and contact the Helpline. The specialist team will listen, advise and take any action needed.
Rape Crisis
Tel: 0808 500 2222 (for 16+ only)
Rape Crisis England & Wales is the feminist charity working to end child sexual abuse, rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment and all other forms of sexual violence.
Samaritans
Tel: 116 123
Whatever you’re going through, a Samaritan will face it with you. We’re here 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Shout
Text: 85258
Shout is a free, confidential, 24/7 support service for anyone in the UK who is struggling to cope.
The Salvation Army – Modern Slavery support
Tel: 0800 808 3733 to report concerns
https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/modern-slavery
Helping survivors of modern slavery out of danger and building a new life
Unseen
Tel: 08000 121 700 to report concerns
We provide safehouses and support in the community for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery. We also run the UK Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline and work with individuals, communities, business, governments, other charities and statutory agencies to stamp out slavery for good.
Victim support
Tel: 0808 1689 111
https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/
Need help after crime? Get in touch for independent, free, and confidential advice.
For online abuse
Lucy Faithful Foundation
Tel: 0808 1000 900
https://www.lucyfaithfull.org.uk/
We provide a range of services for organisations, professionals and the public including risk assessments and intervention; expert training; specialist consultancy, and public education.
Marie Collins Foundation
https://www.mariecollinsfoundation.org.uk/
The Marie Collins Foundation works in a range of ways to ensure that at every level the needs of victims and survivors are at the forefront of all decision making. We achieve this by supporting children, young people and their families affected by technology-assisted child sexual abuse by working with them directly and indirectly.
Gender specific
Men’s advise line
Tel: 0808 8010327
https://mensadviceline.org.uk/
The helpline for male victims of domestic abuse
National Domestic Abuse Helpline
Tel: 0808 2000 247
https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/
Are you experiencing domestic abuse? We can talk in confidence, in many different languages, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.
Kyniska Advocacy
https://www.kyniskaadvocacy.com/
We are a survivor-led and athlete-run organisation working with UK sporting communities to influence change in welfare and wellbeing policies for women athletes
Rights of Women
Tel: 020 7251 6575
https://www.rightsofwomen.org.uk/get-advice/
Our services aim to provide women with the legal advice and information they need to understand and use the law and their legal rights. We also work to improve the law for women and increase women’s access to justice.
National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans+, Domestic Abuse Helpline
Tel: 0800 999 5428
Coalition organisations
Anti Bullying alliance
https://anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk/
The Anit-Bullying Alliance is a coalition of organisations and individuals that are united against bullying.
The Survivors Trust
Tel: 0808 801 818
https://thesurvivorstrust.org/
The Survivors Trust is a national membership organisation supporting specialist rape and sexual abuse services in the voluntary sector
For extra resources
Ann Craft Trust
https://www.anncrafttrust.org/
The Ann Craft Trust is a national charity that exists to minimise the risk of abuse of adults. Through pioneering training, practice reviews and contributing to world-leading research, we support organisations to safeguard adults and minimise the risk of harm.
CPSU
We work to help improve safeguarding and child protection practices within sport organisations, to ensure all children and young people are safe while participating in sport and physical activity at all levels.