A Day of Reflection, Learning, and Future Planning for Sport Welfare Officers

The national network of Sport Welfare Officers (SWOs) gathered in London for an impactful away day which provided an opportunity to collaborate with National Governing Bodies (NGBs), Active Partnerships, Sport England, the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU), and the Ann Craft Trust.

Hosted on 14 November, this event provided a dedicated space for SWOs to exchange insights, build stronger relationships, and take time to think about next steps in safeguarding and welfare across all levels of sport.

The away day featured an in-depth agenda that included workshops, table discussions, and insights into the ongoing Sport Welfare Officer Network Evaluation. SWOs engaged in workshops centred on relationship-building, ripple effect mapping (REM) for outcome evaluation, and collaboratively identified future priorities, ensuring individual efforts are aligned with collective goals.

Participants discussed pivotal projects, shared updates on initiatives like the ECB Cricket Safeguarding Pilots, and reviewed best practices in fostering inclusive, safe environments in sport. Presentations by SWOs highlighted the challenges and triumphs of safeguarding efforts with community sport organisations, such as Cam-Skate and local leisure providers.

Key findings from the interim evaluation were also presented at the event and these showcased the level of SWO engagement and expertise offered to clubs and NGBs in the last 12 months.

Joe Gamble, Sports Welfare Officer at Herts Sport and Physical Activity Partnership said: “The Away Day was a brilliant opportunity for Sport Welfare Officers to connect, both with the rest of the network, and National Governing Body colleagues who attended. The day showcased the reach, and impact the network has made across the country, with stronger networks and increased resources available to clubs. The day was well organised, and provided opportunities to share best practice, along with exploring new ways of working which we can adopt in Hertfordshire. Collaborating in person with the network has always been insightful and I personally came away with a lot of learning.”

Katie Thompson, Sport & Physical Activity Welfare Lead at Greater Manchester Moving added: “It’s been fantastic to have time to hear from colleagues with some shared learning, collaboration, reflective practice, and ripple effect mapping.  It was great spending the day with the Sport Welfare Officer network, some NGBs, colleagues from Sport England, the Active Partnerships National Organisation and the Ann Craft Trust. For me, the best part of these away days is always to simply come together to network and discover each other’s ways of thinking and working. This comes from organic in person conversations which you don’t always get from an online call.  We’re all on a journey to the same destination but how we get there may look different.”

The event concluded with discussions on collective ambitions for the Sport Welfare Officer Network, increasing local and national visibility, and continuous learning and adaptation of safeguarding practices.

Helen Pring, Director of Relationships for APNO, said: “It was great to bring together all of the Sport Welfare Officers and hopefully the event has created further momentum to continue their vital work in safeguarding and welfare.  The away day was a powerful reminder of the collective commitment to safeguarding and welfare in sport and provided a unique space for collaboration and reflection. Together, we’re building safer, more inclusive environments across all levels of sport.”

This initiative, set up following the commitments made by Sport England and UK Sport in response to the Whyte Review, has been funded by Sport England through the National Lottery.

To find out more about the Sport Welfare Officer network, or to find your local officer, visit the Sport Welfare Officer Network webpage.