Sport and recreation should be safe, fun and enjoyable. The information and learning modules below are designed to help you weave in child safeguarding practices when working with tamariki and rangatahi. It can support:  

• coaches and instructors  

• everyone that leads, teaches and inspires children and young people.  

The information and learning modules are designed for people working at all levels, from volunteers at local clubs to staff at national organisations. 

Learning about and applying child safeguarding practices will ensure:  

• people in coaching and instructing roles feel adequately prepared and informed so they can provide a safer environment and experience for children, young people and adults — including themselves 

• parents and caregivers are fully informed, know what’s expected from them, and can feel confident that their children will be well looked after 

• children and young people are kept safer and have positive experiences. 

As a coach or instructor, think about the needs of the children and young people to provide an environment that builds trust and safety. Where there is trust, tamariki and rangatahi can: 

• develop healthy relationships with adults, their teammates and friends, and build connections within their communities 

• talk and express themselves without fear of getting into trouble 

• feel respected, valued and supported for who they are 

• feel supported to enjoy the activity, have fun and learn what is important to them 

• be confident to experiment and make mistakes, and be able to reach their potential 

• reach out if they are having a tough time and know they will be taken seriously. 

Building healthy and respectful relationships should ensure that everyone has a good experience: the tamariki and rangatahi, their parents, caregivers and whānau, and the coaches and instructors.  

The following safe practices will help to create a safer environment for everyone. 

• Listen to children and young people. Allow them to speak up and be confident they will be listened to and taken seriously. 

• Maintain clear boundaries – be friendly but keep your personal life separate. 

• Ensure you only take photographs or videos if there is a justifiable reason, parents or caregivers have given their consent, and it is line with the policies and guidance of the activity. 

• Ensure there is an appropriate level of supervision and avoid one-on-one time with children or young people that you aren’t the parent or caregiver of. 

• Don’t enter changing rooms or toilets unless it is absolutely necessary, for example, to ensure the safety of a child or young person. If necessary, take another adult with you. 

Unless it’s a child’s parent or caregiver or an emergency, it’s best to have at least two adults present when there is only one child or young person. 

We acknowledge that for some regular activities it’s unavoidable. For example, one-on-one coaching or instruction where it’s not suitable or practical for another adult to be present. There are also one-off situations, such as an emergency, or when a child follows you into a room or contacts you directly on social media. 

It’s important to know what the risks are and what you can do to make sure the child or young person feels safe. Knowing what to do keeps you safe too. 

For regular activities or training sessions, assess why someone needs to be alone with the child to do the activity, and if there are other options to reduce or stop the time spent alone together. For example, you could make sure a parent or caregiver is always present. 

If there is no alternative, weigh up the benefits and risks of continuing the activity, or whether to stop. 

Whether it’s a regular occurrence, a one-off situation or an emergency, there are things you can do that will keep everyone safe.  

Make sure you are trained in child safeguarding. 

• Know how to safely and confidently work with children alone. Ask your club or organisation for training and support. 

Make a plan and let other people know. 

• Be clear about why you will be working alone with a child or young person and make sure everyone understands why this is required. 

• Tell your club or organisation when and where you will be alone with a child. This should be the person responsible for child safeguarding. 

• Make sure everyone, including the child or young person, knows what will happen during the activity or training, including times and dates. Keep a record of this information. 

• Write a code of behaviour for you and the child that sets how to behave during the activity. For example, setting boundaries, using social media, and appropriate physical contact that is agreed to by the child or young person. Involve them when you’re creating the code of behaviour, and share it with parents and caregivers. 

• Make sure you know of any medical conditions or disability the child has, and keep a record. 

Get consent. 

• You must get written consent from parents or caregivers, and the child. You can also use the consent form to record any medical conditions, disability, and emergency contacts.  

If it’s an unexpected situation: 

• try to make sure you are somewhere where other people can see and hear you 

• tell another adult you are alone with a child 

• write down the reason you were alone with the child, and tell your club or organisation as soon as possible. 

The safety and wellbeing of children and young people is the priority. Clubs and organisations can support people who work alone with children and young people by providing the right culture and tools. 

Clear policies, procedures and guidelines. 

• Ensure there is a policy for working alone with children and young people. The policy should apply to the activities and the environment of your club or organisation. 

• Create working alone with children and young people guidelines. Include how adults should behave, and that it is safe for everyone to raise concerns. Make them easy to understand for children and young people. 

• Align the policy and guidelines with good child safeguarding practices, and test them with adults, parents, and children and young people to ensure they are fit for purpose. 

• Communicate, and make easily available, the policies, procedures and guidelines to everyone.  

Background checks and training. 

• Carry out all necessary background checks and provide child safeguarding training for all adults who interact with children or young people alone. Keep a record that the person has completed the training.  

Create a buddy system. 

• Adopt a buddy system where another adult has the adult and child’s contact details, locations and times when they are working alone. 

It is important to have clear expectations and practices that prioritises safety and wellbeing when there’s physical contact with children or young people. There will be less chance of misunderstandings and the child or young person will feel safe and respected. It’s safer for you too. 

You can still high five to celebrate success or help a child who is hurt. But there are times when a coach or instructor needs to use it to demonstrate or correct a technique, or to help a child or young person adjust equipment. This can put everyone in a vulnerable position. 

A good process to follow if physical contact is required during an activity includes: 

• making sure any physical contact takes place out in the open with other adults around 

• explaining to the child or young person what you are going to do and why 

• asking their permission and getting consent first, and tell them they can refuse if they don’t feel comfortable 

• giving children and young people options about who does this and how it happens. 

Talk about physical contact at the start of the activity or season meeting so everyone understands why physical contact may be required and what process will be followed. Remind the children or young people it’s ok to refuse any physical contact if they don’t feel comfortable. 

As a coach or instructor, get a good understanding of how children and young people get the most out of playing sport and taking part in activities. Look at what motivates them and the different abilities they have. This will help make a safer and fun environment for everyone. 

Understanding what motivates children and young people goes a long way to building a safe, positive and fun environment for them and the adults involved. 

Having fun, participating, and doing things they love is a big motivation for children and young people. So is being with and making new friends and learning new skills.  

It’s not all about winning, or what the coach or instructor wants. Putting the needs of children and young people first creates safe and positive experiences. 

Every child and young person is different. Understanding their learning and developmental needs creates an environment where they can do their best and thrive. It also makes it much easier for coaches and instructors. 

A child or young person’s age, maturity and background will determine how much they can take in when they get instructions, their physical capability and capacity, and the interactions they have with friends and teammates. 

A child can’t always do everything their peers can do so it is a good idea to focus on the individual’s progress and to support them to enjoy their experience. 

Get to know your team and their whānau. At the start of the season or before an activity, the coach or instructor should organise a team or group meeting. Include tamariki and rangatahi, their parents, caregivers and whānau. 

By doing this, the meeting should: 

• build connections and relationships within the team and wider community 

• identify shared values and expectations 

• allow children, young people and parents and caregivers to have a voice and be heard. 

It will ensure: 

• there is a greater understanding of the people in the team, including their situations and needs 

• everyone creates the team culture, which increases the likelihood it will be collectively upheld, not just by the coach or instructor 

• everyone knows right from the beginning about what’s expected from them 

• children, young people and their caregivers have the chance to decide if it’s for them and whether to participate or not. 

Start with introductions 

Allow enough time at the start for everyone (including coach and instructors) to introduce themselves, explain why they are there, and to share what’s important to them. 

Have a team discussion 

Coaches and instructors can discuss: 

• logistics for the season or activity 

• any questions there may be, and get the team to solve issues or problems together 

• what motivates children and young people as well as setting expectations around children and young people’s different abilities, for example, their age or development  

• safeguarding and the importance of keeping everyone safe. Show everyone the club or organisation’s child safeguarding and protection policies, procedures and guidance. 

Create a team values or code of conduct  

It’s important to get feedback and ideas from the children and young people first. Guide everyone to agree on what’s important to them. Ask questions and write down the answers. Ask questions like: 

• What does a safe and successful team, and season or activity look and sound like? 

• What behaviour creates that safety and success? 

• What behaviour has a negative effect on the safety and success of the team, especially for the children and young people? 

• How should we deal with team issues, like bad or unsafe behaviour? What are the consequences? 

Use the answers to write up the values and behaviours expected by everyone. Get agreement. 

Share the team values 

Create a document and share with the team. Use it as a tool for you and them to refer to if needed. 

Close the meeting 

Finish the meeting by explaining that everyone has equal value within the team and, if they have any concerns, it is safe to raise them. 

It’s important to also provide a safe experience when coaching young high-performance athletes by weaving in child safeguarding practices.  

Coaches, parents and caregivers, and sporting organisations are responsible for safeguarding these athletes, and understanding the unique demands and pressures they are under. Without safeguards in place, these children are at a heightened risk of being abused or harmed. 

The risks increase for young high-performance athletes when: 

• coaches or caregivers require or allow unsafe or excessive training that’s beyond a young athlete’s abilities or their age and stage 

• a power imbalance is used as a method of control 

• results and/or financial gain are prioritised over the wellbeing of the young athlete. 

This can lead to: 

• a higher injury rate 

• dangerous physical changes including from developing eating disorders or unnatural muscle growth from doping and unsafe training programmes 

• greater opportunities for abuse to occur 

• bullying, intimidation, violence or neglect 

• long-term physical and psychological damage. 

It’s critical to put the young athlete’s safety and wellbeing at the heart of coaching and development. As children and young people enter a high-performance environment, they may not understand if the programme or the behaviour of others is normal and whether it will lead to harm or abuse. It is the responsibility of all adults in this child or young person’s life to protect them from any type of harm or abuse.