October 20, 2022

The Safeguarding Lead at Active Cumbria is Development Officer Cameron Wilson. In this article, Cameron explains more about this role and what it entails and the work undertaken as an organisation to highlight the importance of safeguarding within sport and physical activity.

Safeguarding is very much about culture, one of my primary functions is ensuring that as an organisation safeguarding is embedded within everything that we do and is always at the forefront of our thinking. This is across the staff team, the advisory board, and our wider network. Additionally, we have an internal working group that is influential in ensuring that we are always developing and moving forward with the safeguarding agenda made up of 5 members of our team including Michelle Young – Deputy Safeguarding Lead.

My role as Safeguarding Lead includes leading on other key aspects of our support for the wider sector, such as:

• Disseminating and sharing key messages and updates with partners.
• Acting on feedback and consultation to shape our offer and support moving forward.
• Supporting projects that we fund to ensure the correct policies and procedures are in place and that a healthy check and challenge process takes place.
• Sign posting to training opportunities through ourselves and wider partners relevant to need.
• Developing and maintaining relationships with key partners such as Cumbria Safeguarding Childrens Partnership, Cumbria Safeguarding Adults Board, CPSU and Ann Craft Trust.

As an organisation we are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all young people and adults involved in sport and physical activity and that all doing so should be able to participate in an enjoyable and safe environment and be protected from abuse.

We work closely with the NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit, Ann Craft Trust and National Governing Bodies of Sport and other organisations to support clubs and organisations in developing and promoting best practice and responding to concerns.

We have achieved the advanced level of the standards for safeguarding and protecting children in sport with the CPSU and have also met the standards through Ann Craft Trust for safeguarding Adults. 

If you would like you find out more please visit the dedicated section of our website here, or get in touch with myself directly Cameron.wilson@cumbria.gov.uk.