For grassroots sports clubs working with young people, effective safeguarding is vital. Parents and guardians need the assurance that they are leaving their offspring in safe hands, and clubs need to demonstrate that they are following best practice. With their inbuilt safeguarding features, Spond Club and the Spond App offer a ready-made solution for sports clubs looking to demonstrate that they are ticking all the boxes when it comes to the welfare and protection of young people and others.

Safeguarding in sport is the process of protecting children and adults from harm by providing a safe space in which to play sport and be active. It's not just about ensuring compliance either, effective safeguarding is also about spreading the message that keeping young people safe can only be achieved by building a culture of responsibility, and always acting in the best interests of the child.

Spond leverages a mix of proprietary software and external expertise to ensure that Spond Club and the Spond App are fully aligned with all relevant safeguarding laws and best practice, as well as ensuring compliance with GDPR and local data protection standards.

The Spond platform consists of interlinked components - the Spond Club interface and the Spond native mobile app. Together, they make up one centralised resource for administration, communication, document sharing, and scheduling.

Spond takes safety and wellbeing seriously, and the platform gives admins full control over who can contact the young people in their club or group, as well as providing full traceability and oversight for parents/guardians.

Spond’s safeguarding features also help to protect young people offline by ensuring that DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks for all relevant coaches and club members are recorded. Current status and renewal dates can be logged in Spond, and this gives peace of mind to parents and guardians, knowing that their child is in a safe environment, while also helping to safeguard the reputation of the club itself.

While compliance remains the legal responsibility of the club committee, Spond has worked hard to make it as simple and efficient as possible to comply with all processes and duties that relate to safeguarding. This means that coaches and club admins can ensure that all their obligations are fulfilled, while also allowing them to focus on their true passions, out on the pitch.

Finally, remember that safeguarding is not just about young people. Adults and those with special needs, such as learning difficulties, are also protected by legislation and best practice. That's why, in addition to creating processes and systems to safeguard young people, there also needs to be a culture that consults with adults on every decision that affects them. Most adults can make their own decisions, so it's important to keep them well informed, while also protecting those who cannot.

So if you're responsible for safeguarding in a sports club or group, or indeed any other organisation working with young people or vulnerable adults, make sure you have the right tools in place. With the features offered by the Spond platform, you can be confident that you're doing everything possible to keep your members safe from harm.