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DSW Welfare and Safeguarding Toolkit

Welfare and Safeguarding Toolkit

Everyone who participates in disability sport in Wales has the right to protection and is entitled to do so in an enjoyable and safe environment. Disability Sport Wales have a moral and legal obligation to ensure that coaches and volunteers provide the highest possible standard of care, supervision and opportunity. In order to achieve this everyone employed (and deployed) by DSW is expected to adhere to a Code of Ethics and behaviours.

Disabled children/young people may be at increased risk of abuse through various factors such as stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination, isolation and a powerlessness to protect themselves or adequately communicate that abuse had occurred. This may equally be true for adults at risk; it is important to identify that not all disabled people are adults at risk, or vulnerable; and not all adults at risk have impairment.

DSW is committed to devising and implementing policies so that everyone in sport accepts their responsibilities to safeguard those involved from harm, risk and abuse. This means following procedures to protect children/young people and adults at risk, and report any concerns about their welfare to appropriate individuals and/or authorities.

Disability Sport Wales recognise that separate policies for Child Welfare and Safeguarding, and Adults at Risk Welfare and Safeguarding need to be produced. There are different legislation, definitions, organisations and guidance relevant to both groups, and for the sake of clarity, accuracy and the reduction of risk both policies can be viewed and accessed separately.

What is in the toolkit:

The DSW Child Welfare and Safeguarding Policy
The DSW Adults at Risk Welfare and Safeguarding Policy
All DSW forms and processes relevant to welfare, safeguarding, child protection and the protection of adults at risk
A range of templates for other organisations use when putting together their welfare, safeguarding or protection policies and processes.