Keeping children safe
Every child who comes to North East Sport has the right to be safe, to be listened to and to enjoy their sport. Keeping them safe comes before everything else we do.
Worried about a child?
If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
For anything else, talk to us. You won't be wasting our time, and you don't need to be sure. If something doesn't feel right, tell us.
Children and young people can also talk to Childline any time on 0800 1111. Adults can get advice from the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000.
How we keep children safe
- Everyone who works or volunteers with children has an enhanced DBS check. We pay for volunteers' checks.
- We follow safer recruitment: an application, an interview and two references before anyone starts.
- All staff and volunteers get safeguarding training when they join and a refresher at least every three years. Our safeguarding leads are retrained every two years.
- Every new starter reads and signs our safeguarding policy and knows who to go to with a concern.
- Anyone can raise a concern about how an adult is behaving, including about our own staff, and it will be taken seriously. Staff and volunteers are covered by our whistleblowing procedure.
- We don't take photos or video of children at our sessions, camps or clubs, and staff never photograph children on their own phones.
- We work to Sunderland Safeguarding Children Partnership procedures and are affiliated to Durham County FA.
What happens when you tell us
We listen, we write down what you've told us, and we pass it to the right people straight away. That might be Sunderland Children's Services or the police. We will always act in the best interests of the child. We'll keep it as confidential as we can, but we can't promise to keep a safeguarding concern secret.
Our full policy
Our safeguarding policy sets out everyone's responsibilities in detail. It was approved by our directors in October 2026 and is reviewed every two years, or sooner if the law or guidance changes.