Tennis should be a safe, friendly and enjoyable experience for all young people. The LTA is committed to complying with the National Standards for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport. These are developed and assessed by the NSPCC.
We want to make sure that children enjoy tennis in a safe environment in which they are protected from any form of abuse. Our policies and guidance in this area are designed to support all tennis organisations to meet this goal.
Below you can find answers to some common questions about child protection in tennis. If you would like to see a full list of resource documents available from LTA Child Protection, visit the
Child Protection Resources Gallery.
1) Who can I contact for advice about Child Protection?
The LTA Child Protection team can help with queries about individual cases, policies and procedures. You can contact the following people:
Mark Ackroyd, LTA Child Protection Manager
T: 0208 487 7008
Savita Sharma, Child Protection and Disciplinary Administratror
T: 0208 487 7116
24 hour Child Protection emergency advice
M: 07971 141 024
Email enquiries for the Child Protection team:
E: childprotection@lta.org.uk
Each County LTA also has access to a local LTA Child Protection officer.
County Contacts
If a child might be at risk or is being abused, you can also contact your local social services or police. You don’t need evidence that abuse has occurred; get advice if you have a concern.
The NSPCC provides advice to adults and children who are concerned about the safety of a child or young person:
NSPCC Advice line: 0808 800 5000
CHILDLINE: 0800 1111
If someone’s safety is at immediate risk, dial 999.
2) How do I learn more about child protection?
You can contact your county team to find out about spaces on a safeguarding workshop. This is a 3-hour workshop that will help to improve your knowledge and skills in this area.
County Contacts
Resources:
For a full pack of core documents, forms and templates for use as part of a basic safeguarding structure, visit the Child Protection Resources Gallery
3) What should I do if I have a concern about the safety or welfare of a child?
You should carefully record an relevant facts and details and then report your concern.
If a child tells you that they are being abused, you should listen carefully. Tell them that you will have to tell someone about the problem, and that you will try to see if someone can help.
Do not begin to ask detailed questions about the concern, and don’t begin an investigation.
You should report your concern to your local/club Child Protection Officer (CPO) or to your County CPO. If you need urgent advice, contact the LTA Child Protection Department or your local Police or social services.
4) What are my child protection responsibilities if I work with children?
You have a duty of care toward any children that you work with. This means that you must take reasonable steps to protect those children from harm.
To do this, you should ensure that you plan and carry out your activities in line with LTA guidance. You should also ensure that any other adults involved in your activities are properly recruited and vetted.
If you work in a club, you should also encourage the club to put in place child protection measures to support all of the activities taking place at the club.
For a full pack of resources, forms and templates for use as part of a basic safeguarding structure, visit the Child Protection Resources Gallery
5) How do I improve child protection and safeguarding in my club/facility?
Make sure that you have a Child Protection Officer to co-ordinate your steps in this area.
You should also put in place a child protection policy so that your commitment is clear and visible:
The LTA Child Protection Officer’s ‘HITLIST’ provides a guide to the top priorities when tackling these issues within your club or facility.
You can find the HITLIST and other resources to help you in setting up these systems in the
Child Protection Resources Gallery
6) Who needs to complete a CRB check?
A CRB check is just one way of making sure that you have the right people in place. You can find out more about good recruitment by reading our guide to safer recruitment, which you can access in the
Child Protection Resources Gallery.
The LTA has a dedicated CRB team to help you complete your CRB check. For more information about the CRB process at the LTA, go to the CRB section of the website:
7) How many adults do I need to supervise my group?
The general guidance for anyone looking after children is that you should use the following ratios:
- Children under 10 years: 1 adult to 8 children
- Children over 10 years: 1 adult to 10 children
Remember that these ratios will not always work. Plan your activities carefully, and think about what will happen in emergencies. What will happen if you need to deal with an injury? Are you doing anything that requires close supervision such as using gym equipment or traveling through busy places?
Further questions
If your question has not been answered here, please read the guidance provided in the
Child Protection Resources Gallery. If you still need help and advice, contact the LTA Child Protection team using the contact details above.