Safeguarding Matters with the Ann Craft Trust

Nicola talks to Lucy Cave, Head of Communications for Progress Wrestling and Nona Morena, a Safeguarding Officer within British Professional Wrestling. They discuss the specific safeguarding concerns that exist within the world of professional wrestling. They also talk about the #SpeakingOut campaign, addressing allegations of sexual misconduct in British wrestling.

Nicola chats to Kev Murphy from The National Working Group (NWG) and Denise Richards from The Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU). They discuss the many unexpected side-effects of enforced government lockdowns, including a rise in certain forms of abuse, such as domestic abuse and online abuse. They also explore how the lockdown affected sports and activity clubs in particular, and talk about wa...

ACT Deputy CEO and Safeguarding Adults Lead Lisa Curtis talks to Bethany's Dad about his daughter's experience of organisational abuse. "People kept trying to drag me into their world. Instead, they moved into mine." Bethany was locked in a hospital for three years with no treatment. Bethany's Dad talks to ACT's Lisa Curtis about this awful story of organisational abu...

Nicola chats to ACT's Safeguarding Elite Athletes lead Kimberley Walsh about the new Safeguarding Elite Athletes Guidance Elite athletes might not always meet the criteria for being an adult risk. But that doesn't mean they won't find themselves in situations that could put them at risk. Elements of the elite athlete lifestyle can increase the risk of harm. That's why ACT recen...

ACT CEO Deborah Kitson talks to Anna-Maria Poku about the right to a family life. Article 8 of the Human Rights Act protects the rights of private and family life. Everyone has the right to live privately without government interference. Because of Article 8, the government cannot interfere with any individual's private lifestyle. The same article protects the right to enjoy family life witho...

Nicola talks to Katie and Andrea from the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) about their approach to safeguarding adults and young people. The RYA is a national governing body that oversees all sorts of sailing sports and activities. They're aiming to embed safeguarding at every level of their organisation, from the board to their volunteers. Katie and Andrea discuss the challenges of designing...

How Do People Feel Sports & Activity Organisations are Responding to Lockdown? Nicola talks to Abra Millar, an independent consultant who helped ACT study how the sport and activity sector reacted to lockdown restrictions. Abra designed two surveys. One was for sports and activity organisations, the other was for sports and activity participants. She surveyed 82 sport and activity organisation...

Nicola chats to Linda Owen, the resident "agony aunt" from the Sibs charity. Sibs supports siblings who have a brother or sister with a disability, SEND or long-term health condition. They recently released a report - "Comin Second" - about life in lockdown for siblings of disabled children. In this podcast, Linda discusses the report, explaining the particular challenges sibli...

Flyerz Hockey - A warm and safe environment where everyone can smile, be happy and benefit. In this episode of Safeguarding Matters, Nicola talks to Francis Bridgend, the head of Tumbridge Wells Flyerz. This is a hockey club for people with physical or learning disabilities or difficulties. Francis first launched the club in 2017. Five or six people turned up to the first session. Now around 25 pe...

Joanne Pell talks to Nicola Dean about her first five years as ACT's Safeguarding Adults in Sport Manager Nicola talks about some of the highlights from her first five years, as well as some of the challenges - not just for her, but for the sports sector as a whole. Safeguarding legislation for example, with all of its acronyms, can be confusing for some. But Nicola also talks about how wonde...

How are services reaching out, adapting and making a difference to children, young people and families during Covid-19? Nicola Dean talks to ACT Safeguarding Young People lead Sarah Goff about how children and young people with disabilities, and their families, have managed during lockdown.

Lisa Curtis talks to Daphne Franks, Communication Skills Teacher at Leeds Medical School, about Predatory Marriage. Daphne's mother, Joan, was 91 with severe dementia and terminal cancer . After her death in March 2016, Daphne found that a much younger man, age 68, had secretly married her five months previously. Joan never knew that she was married. And after she died, Daphne found that she...

Winter Olympian Charlotte Gilmartin talks to Nicola Dean about the considerable pressures of performing at an elite level. "Just because you're successful in sport, it doesn't mean you're happy." Charlotte Gilmartin is a 2x Winter Olympian GB short-track speed skater. Since she retired after the last Olympics, she's dedicated herself to championing safeguarding adults...

ACT CEO Deborah Kitson offers a message of support and solidarity during Covid-19 lockdown. These times are unprecedented, and challenging for all of us. It's been great to see how organisations across the UK have continued to prioritise safeguarding, even during lockdown.  Deborah also reflects on resilience and recovery, while praising our key workers for their tireless commitment to helpin...

Nicola chats with Nick Slinn from the CPSU, and ACT CEO Deborah Kitson about a long and fruitful partnership. ACT and the CPSU have been working together for some years now to help spread awareness and best practice about safeguarding adults in sport. Here they talk about how the partnership came to be, before exploring why the work they're doing is so important. 

Nicola Dean talks to our new Safeguarding Adults in Sport Manager Kimberley Walsh - who's here to focus on safeguarding elite athletes in sport. As a former elite athlete herself, Kimberley is well-placed to lead this new project. In this podcast, she talks to Nicola about her background, her plans for her role, and the difference between Sport England and UK Sport.

Complete our online questionnaires to help us develop our understanding of safeguarding adults in sport The Safeguarding Adults in Sport and Activity project is funded by Sport England to help National Governing Bodies, Active Sports Partnerships, regional partnerships and sport and activity organisations to develop best practice in safeguarding adults at risk. As part of this project we have been...

The Safeguarding Adults in Sport and Activity project is funded by Sport England to help National Governing Bodies, Active Sports Partnerships, regional partnerships and sport and activity organisations to develop best practice in safeguarding adults at risk. As part of this project we have been holding discussion forums (focus groups) with sports participants and staff to develop shared understan...

We Matter Too! is a project that addresses the needs of disabled young people facing domestic abuse. The project was funded by the Lloyds Bank Foundation as part of a series of projects looking at domestic violence. It explored gaps in domestic abuse service provisions and awareness of practitioners working with disabled young people, as identified by SafeLives and Women’s Aid . ACT, in partnershi...

The Care Act outlines six principles of adult safeguarding. But how can these be applied in a sports and activity setting? In this episode of Safeguarding Matters, Nicola Dean and Laura Thorpe explore The Care Act in a sport and activity context. What are the six principles of adult safeguarding? How can those involved in sport and activity apply these principles to help make sport more inclusive...

"It's not a crime to be different. But it is a crime to be targeted and victimised." In this episode of Safeguarding Matters, ACT Safeguarding Adults Lead Lisa Curtis talks to Buse Ucanlar, a University of Nottingham Politics and International Relations student, about disability hate crimes. They touch upon the definition of a hate crime, explore why someone might become a target of...

ACT Safeguarding Adults in Sport Manager Nicola Dean chats with Anne Patterson and Tina Thordal about Safeguarding Adults in Sport Participation Groups. What's a Safeguarding Adults in Sport Participation Group? It's a move to bridge the gap between safeguarding specialists and those who actually need safeguarding - in this case, sports participants, and the staff, coaches, and volunteer...

Disabled children face up to four times more risk of harm than non-disabled children. All children and young people have a right to a happy childhood and a life that's free from abuse, fear, and harm. So safeguarding disabled children and young people is a shared responsibility that we must all take very seriously indeed. In this episode of Safeguarding Matters, your host Nicola talks to Sara...

Forced Marriage is a marriage without the consent of one or both parties, and where duress is a factor.  Forced marriage is: An abuse of human rights. A form of domestic violence. A form of violence against men and women. Against the law. Forced marriage of people with learning disabilities often concerns the ability, or capacity, to consent. It also concerns the willingness to consent. Research i...

Safeguarding must take into account the individual choices and requirements of everyone involved. We must operate on this abiding principle: "Nothing about me, without me." Making Safeguarding Personal means ensuring that adults are more involved in the safeguarding process. When making decisions, we must take into account their views, wishes, feelings and beliefs. In this episode of Saf...