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Essex Safeguarding Children Board

What to do – Professionals/ Volunteers/ Coaches

What to do if you’re worried

 

Guidance  for professionals, volunteers and coaches

 

Anyone working or volunteering with children and young people has a role to play in keeping them safe. If something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts. You do not need proof or certainty to act.  Exploitation can be hidden, develop over time, and may not be recognised by the young person themselves. Early sharing of concerns can help prevent harm.

 

Safeguarding in Essex is guided by the Southend, Essex and Thurrock Safeguarding & Children Protection Procedures manual (commonly known as the SET Procedures). Information shared by businesses and community venues helps partners identify patterns, locations and risks as part of the Risk in the Community approach.

 

Both the SET Procedures manual and the statutory guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance is clear that everyone who works with or comes into contact with children and young people has a role to play in keeping them safe. For professionals, volunteers and staff in sport, leisure and community settings, this means being alert to concerns, noticing changes or situations that do not feel right, and sharing information promptly through appropriate reporting routes. They are not expected to investigate concerns or assess risk themselves; their responsibility is to notice, record and report so safeguarding partners can respond effectively.

 

Your role

 

Your role is to:

 

  • Notice concerns
  • Record what you have seen or heard
  • Report concerns through the correct route

 

You are not expected to investigate, challenge individuals directly, or gather evidence.

 

What to do

 

1. Notice

 

Be professionally curious. Pay attention to:

 

  • Changes in behaviour, mood or attendance
  • Interactions that suggest pressure, control or fear
  • Situations or patterns that don’t feel right

 

“Concerns are often about patterns, not single incidents”

 

2. Respond safely

 

  • Stay calm and supportive
  • Do not promise confidentiality
  • Do not ask probing or investigative questions
  • Do not confront anyone involved

 

If a young person chooses to share something with you:

 

  • Listen without judgement
  • Reassure them they have done the right thing
  • Explain clearly what will happen next

 

3. Record

 

  • Write down what you have seen, heard or been told
  • Use the young person’s own words where possible
  • Record facts, not assumptions or opinions

 

4. Report

Follow your organisation’s safeguarding procedures as soon as possible.

If there is:

 

  • Immediate danger call 999
  • Non‑emergency concerns contact 101
  • Concerns you wish to report anonymously Crimestoppers 0800 555 111

 

If you're worried that a child is being abused or neglected:

 

 

If you have concerns or receive a complaint or allegation that a worker or volunteer has:

 

  • behaved in a way that has harmed a child, or may have harmed a child
  • possibly committed a criminal offence against or related to a child
  • behaved towards a child or children in a way that indicates they may pose a risk of harm to children
  • behaved or may have behaved in a way that indicates they may not be suitable to work with children

 

Please follow the process outlined in the Allegations Management in the Children's Workforce page.

 

“Sharing information early can help protect a child or young person and disrupt exploitation”

 

Important to remember

 

  • Exploitation is abuse, not a choice
  • Young people may not see themselves as victims
  • Behaviour that appears “challenging” may be a sign of harm
  • You do not need to be sure, concern is enough

 

“See it, report it, protect a child”

 

Looking after yourself

 

Dealing with safeguarding concerns can be challenging. Make sure you:

 

  • Share concerns with your manager or safeguarding lead
  • Access supervision or support where available
  • Do not carry concerns alone

 

Working together

 

This guidance forms part of Essex’s Risk in the Community approach, which focuses on keeping children safe in the places they spend time by working together across services, organisations and communities.

 

It is important all staff in your setting access and complete safeguarding and protecting children training.  This ensures staff understand appropriate behaviour for themselves and others, and also help them to understand when something feels wrong.  Your setting’s insurance is likely to require all your staff have this training too, failure to do so could make your insurance invalid.

 

The ESCB Learning and Development pages have many opportunities for providers including safeguarding children training, criminal exploitation training and much more.

 

Active Essex provide safeguarding and protecting children training for sport and physical activity providers, plus many more training and development opportunities.

 

Active Bystander Training by NWG; TO BE ADDED

 

“Small actions like noticing, sharing concerns and following procedures, can make a massive difference”

 

Key Resources:

 

NWG have a dedicated page of resources in collaboration with Sport England; Safeguarding in Sport and Physical Activities - NWG Network

 

This video highlights the importance of safeguarding measures at venues; NWG Safe to Play campaign - Coach's story

 

The Child Protection in Sport Unit (including webinars and podcasts)

 

Voices in sport (NWG Network) - safeguarding in sport resources developed in collaboration with those withed living experience of abuse through sport.