Webinar series: Up your game, strengthen your squad!
Description:
Effective child safeguarding policies are essential to prevent and respond to any form of violence and abuse in sport. In particular, the creation of the Child Safeguarding Officer role can strongly contribute to ensure that children are always in a safe, positive and empowering sport environment.
For example, their independence from the boards of organisations reduces the obstacles to reporting not only for children, but for anyone in the organisation, ensuring a safer, more child-centred environment. At the local level, Child Safeguarding Officers can be a great direct support to coaches, children, parents and all local actors when putting in place and complying to the necessary safeguarding standards in their club or organisation.
This series of webinars, organised in the framework of the European Union and Council of Europe joint project “Child Safeguarding in Sport (CSiS)”, showcased five successfully implemented systems of Child Safeguarding Officers.
Practical information:
The webinars were moderated by Clotilde Talleu (Senior Project Officer) and Laszlo Foldi (Consultant on Human Rights and Democracy).
Overview of child safeguarding in sport in Ireland from national to grass roots level
Webinar 1: Wednesday 13 January 2021: 15.30 – 17.30 CET
Presented by: Sport Ireland
Wednesday 13 January 2021: 15.30 – 17.30 CET
Sport Ireland presented an overview of the safeguarding structures, personnel and policies in place in the Republic of Ireland. During the course of the webinar, participants heard an overview of the roles and remit of relevant bodies; the landscape in which Sport Ireland operate; and an outline of the structures in place from National to grass roots level. Participants heard from those working at National level in both a statutory role and for a Governing Body about the work that they do in promoting the importance of safeguarding in sport
Opening and welcome
- Ms Elda Moreno, Head of Children’s Rights and Sport Values Department, Council of Europe
- Ms Paola Ottonello, Sport Policy Officer, European Commission
- Dr Una May, Director of Participation and Ethics, Sport Ireland
Speakers
- Ms Helen McHugh, Diversity, Inclusion and Safeguarding Manager, Sport Ireland
- Ms Laura Nee and Ms Déirdre Horan Martin, Information and Advice Officers, Tusla Child and Family Agency
- Mr Dermot Howlin, Policy, Welfare & Compliance Manager, Gymnastics Ireland
presentations:
A day in the life of a Safeguarding Lead Officer
Webinar 2: Thursday 21 January 2021: 15.00-17.00 CET
Presented by: NSPCC - Child Protection in Sport Unit, UK
Thursday 21 January 2021: 15.00-17.00 CET
During this webinar, we looked into the role of a Safeguarding Lead Officer for the National Governing body of sport in the UK. We discussed how you employ/recruit a Lead Officer, the strategic intention - Safeguarding Umbrella (policies/process/structure), Child protection reactive procedure, Case management, training and delivery, support and advice structures for the role and journey.
Opening and welcome
- Mr Stanislas Frossard, Executive Secretary of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS), Council of Europe
- Ms Michelle North, Service Head, Child Protection in Sport Unit, NSPCC, UK
Speakers
- Ms Cerri Dando, Senior Consultant, Child Protection in Sport Unit, NSPCC, UK
- Mr Ieuan Watkins, Safeguarding Director, Cricket Wales
Presentations
You are not alone - a model for safeguarding children in sports
Webinar 3: Tuesday 26 January 2021: 10.00-12.00 CET
Presented by: Ministry of Education and Culture (Sports Division), Finland
Tuesday 26 January 2021: 10.00-12.00 CET
At this third webinar, Finland presented the model for safeguarding children in sports from inappropriate behavior, bullying and harassment developed together with the sport organisations and the Family Federation of Finland. The model is financed in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. It has links to the overall ethical program of the Finnish sports as well as its public financing.
Opening and welcome
- Mr Kolë Gjeloshaj, Chair of the EPAS Consultative Committee, Deputy Secretary General of the International School Sports Federation
- Ms Satu Heikkinen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Education and Culture
Speakers
- Ms Elina Laine, Sustainability Manager, Sustainability program for the sports community, Finnish Olympic Committee
- Ms Pauliina Lius, Expert in youth sexual health, sexuality education, sexual harassment and violence, Family Federation of Finland and Mr Teemu Japisson, Secretary General, FINCIS
- Mr Timo Huttunen, Deputy General Secretary, Finnish Football Association
Presentations
Safeguarding Children in Sport: from research to action
Webinar 4: Thursday 28 January 2021: 13.00-15.00 CET
Presented by: NOC*NSF, The Netherlands
Thursday 28 January 2021: 13.00-15.00 CET
In this webinar, NOC*NSF Director Gerard Dielessen explained how a joint line of responsibility on the topic with the national sports federations has been established, following a national survey on sexual harassment and abuse in sport (2017) and in cooperation with the Dutch Government, and what measures this has led to. Then, Nicolette van Veldhoven presented the latest prevalence figures for transgressive behaviour in Dutch sports (emotional, physical and sexual) and the pedagogical approach that will support prevention at clubs working closely with the national federations.
Opening and welcome
- Ms Viktoria Slavkova, member of the EPAS Governing Board, Director of European Programmes, Projects and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Bulgaria
-
Ms Miriam Reijnen, Coordinator of Integrity and Governance, NOC*NSF
Speakers
- Mr Gerard Dielessen, Secretary General NOC*NSF
- Dr Nicolette (H.M.J.) Schipper van Veldhoven, Senior Advisor Youth Sport, NOC*NSF and Professor in Sport Pedagogy, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences
Presentations
The “step-model” to prevent sexual violence in sport
Webinar 5: Thursday 4 February 2021: 10.00-12.00 CET
Presented by: German Sports Youth (German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB))
Thursday 4 February 2021: 10.00-12.00 CET
The German Sports Youth (DSJ) in the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) is responsible for the prevention of sexual violence in sport for the entire association. As part of the webinar, the various functions of child safeguarding officers were intruduced, who have different orientations and tasks due to the structure of the German sport system. The webinar also presented a set of measures to which all youth sport organisations are committed, called “Step model”, to discuss its implementation in practice, as well as its ongoing reform.
Opening and welcome
- Mr Alexandre Husting, Chair of the EPAS Governing Board, Advisor at the Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the European Union
- Ms Paola Ottonello, Sport Policy Officer, European Commission
-
Ms Mirte Seinen, consultant on the prevention of sexual violence in sport, German Sports Youth
Speakers
- Ms Meral Molkentin, Child Safeguarding officer, State Sports Federation Berlin
- Ms Karin Steinrücke, Child Safeguarding officer, German Football Association
-
Ms Elena Lamby, Officer Child Safeguarding in Sport, German Sports Youth
Presentations
