Welfare Officer
Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility and the Welfare Officer is an important part of any committee to promote this within our clubs and venues.
The Welfare Officer role is not something that is overly onerous or anything to fear!
Welfare Officers will receive a short training session (if you are not already trained) and your key role is to ensure safeguarding is very much on the ‘agenda’ at your venue. This will include supporting everyone at your club to pass any concerns to the National Safeguarding Team who will investigate further.
Are you:
- Approachable and trustworthy
- Engaging and supportive
- Able to resolve conflict
- A good listener
- Professional and helpful
Then you could be a real asset to your club and support a safe and inclusive environment for all!
The Welfare Officer role will allow you to utilise any skills and experiences you may have from employment or volunteering roles and can support you in further developing your skills for future careers where these can be applied.
For a more detailed understanding on the role of a Welfare Officer, please see our Welfare Officer Role Description.
Testimonials
"I undertook the role of Welfare Officer because I strongly believe that every child and parent should feel reassured that their welfare is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. I am passionate about raising the profile and standards of safeguarding to ensure that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and everyone should feel safe. I also wanted to put measures in place whereby coaches felt supported and as a club we have a duty of care to ensure safeguarding procedures are in place for everyone." - Riverside Tennis Club
"I was approached by one of the coaches, and asked if I would like to take over the role of Safeguarding Officer. I had previous experience of both Adult and Child Safeguarding in my job as a GP, and felt that I would have some experience to bring to the role. Safeguarding those playing tennis is extremely important, and promoting wellbeing and safety in our club is something I am very concerned about. I work closely with both coaches as well as attending some tennis coaching sessions and meeting parents.
"I have benefitted enormously from excellent online training from the LTA in their 'Time to Listen' courses and found the visit of the Regional Safeguarding Officer very helpful and supportive." - Fulwood Tennis Club
"I consider being the Welfare Officer for our tennis club as a privilege. The role has given me the opportunity to utilise my previous work experience and knowledge in a very positive way. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and I feel strongly that every individual should feel safe in whatever they do or where ever they are. Helping to promote a positive safe culture and ensure robust safeguarding procedures are in place is so important. As a Welfare Officer you are not working in isolation because you have the full support of the LTA Safeguarding team, your County Safeguarding Officer and club committee/board to help you in fulfilling the role. Together you can ensure that safeguarding is always a priority and robust safeguarding procedures are in place for everyone." - Chatsworth Tennis Club
To meet the Venue Safeguarding Standards, Welfare Officers must have the following:
- Attended a Safeguarding course (within the last 3 years)
- Have a valid DBS/PVG (within the last 3 years)
We have therefore created quick and simple guides on how to either achieve or maintain the role of a Welfare Officer.
New Welfare Officers
If you are new to the Welfare Officer role and need help with what pre-requisites you need to meet the Venue Safeguarding Standards, please see our How to Achieve the Role of a Welfare Officer guide.
Existing Welfare Officers
If you are an existing Welfare Officer and need to know what you need to maintain the role and meet the Venue Safeguarding Standards, please see our How to Maintain the Role of a Welfare Officer guide.
Please see the Welfare Officer Role Description to get an overview of all the duties required for the role. Some of these include:
- Providing all new members with safeguarding information including details of a Welfare Officer.
- Ensuring safeguarding is an agenda item at committee meetings.
- Ensuring the safeguarding information is kept up to date on your venue’s website (if they have one) - View an example of a good website.
Resources
Below are resources and guides needed for Welfare Officers to ensure they are equipped for the role:
- Report a Concern
- Reporting a concern from within tennis flowchart
- Reporting a concern from outside tennis flowchart
- Venue Safeguarding Standards
- Safeguarding Standards Self-Assessment Form
- Welfare Officer Poster to be displayed in and around your venue. In order to add the image within this poster, you must download the poster first to your computer locally and then open with Adobe (free) to add an image. It is not editable via your web browser. If you are registering a community venue e.g. park site, you should use the Park Site Poster instead of the Welfare Officer poster.
- Safeguarding Training for Committees
- Policy templates (all currently found on this page - LTA's Safeguarding Policy & Procedures)
- Criminal Record Checks spreadsheet to log completion of Criminal Record Checks and safeguarding training completed by coaches, staff and volunteers
- Template Risk Assessment including safeguarding considerations
- Safeguarding Posters
- Code of Conduct Poster to be displayed in and around your venue
- National Welfare Officer induction webinar
Guides
- How to Achieve the Role of a Welfare Officer
- How to Maintain the Role of a Welfare Officer
- DBS - ID Checker Guide. Please note: this guide is for a someone who has submitted their details to be an ID Checker for their venue.
Key Safeguarding Contacts
Type | Contact |
Reporting a Concern | Report a Concern Form |
Immediate Danger |
Phone 999 |
LTA Out of Office Hours |
Contact NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 |
Regional Safeguarding Officers (RSO) |
East Region – Melissa Miller Midlands Region – Jon Thursfield North Region – Hannah Knox South East Region – Stuart Parsons South West Region – Vicki Gregg |
If you need further help or are unsure whether to report a concern, you can also email the LTA Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@lta.org.uk.
Queries and issues
If you need further information on the different areas of a Welfare Officer then please see the table below:
Safeguarding Training - General | FAQ and Contact Page |
Safeguarding Training - Difficulties with or questions about booking |
Contact Page |
DBS - Application |
DBS Application Guide, FAQ and Contact Page |
DBS - How to get an ID Check |
FAQ |
PVG - Application |
Tennis Scotland contact details can be found on the Contact Page |
Becoming an ID Checker |
ID Checker Page |
Venue Safeguarding Standards |
Venue Page |
Welfare Officer FAQs |
FAQ |
If you still have a query that is not covered in this help sheet, please contact the Customer Support Team who will be able to assist you.