Safeguarding in tennis

We strive to ensure that all children, young people and adults at risk are safeguarded from abuse and have an enjoyable tennis experience. 

Everyone who is involved in tennis has a shared responsibility to support this by promoting the welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk.

COVID-19 update

Please click here to read an update on Venue Safeguarding Standards, DBS checks and safeguarding training as a result of COVID-19 (updated 22 July 2020).

LTA launches Safe to Play campaign

The LTA wants tennis in Britain to be at the forefront of safeguarding in sport and LTA Registered Venues and Accredited coaches play a vital role in achieving this.

This is why we have partnered with Sport England to pilot a cutting edge safeguarding awareness campaign aimed at clubs, coaches, parents and players. As an LTA Registered Venue you have a shared responsibility with everyone else involved in tennis to promote the welfare of all children, young people.

Today the LTA is sending campaign cards to our registered venues and accredited coaches.  By downloading  the ‘Zappar’ app and scanning the card you can access real life dramatized safeguarding cases and top tips videos for coaches and parents which including guidance on use of social media, photography and filming. The website www.safetoplaytennis.co.uk has lots of additional information and guidance.

This campaign builds on our industry leading safeguarding standards and will help to ensure we safeguard children and young people across the sport so that they can enjoy playing tennis.

David Humphrey, Head of Safeguarding, LTA, said: “Nothing is more important than the safety and wellbeing of those involved in our sport. We have made significant progress over the last few years with tennis now at the forefront of safeguarding in sport. However, abuse can happen anywhere and at any time, and working with Sport England to lead and test an innovative campaign like Safe to Play demonstrates our commitment to helping prevent abuse from happening.”

Safeguarding strategy

The LTA's new safeguarding strategy for 2021-2023 is currently being finalised and will be updated here in due course.  

Reporting a safeguarding concern

If you have a safeguarding concern, please use our secure online form to provide the details (anonymously if you wish). For enquiries please email the Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@lta.org.uk.

If you'd like to speak to someone outside of office hours, you can call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000.

If someone is in immediate danger, call the police (999).

If you have a non-safeguarding concern or complaint, please review the LTA Complaints Policy to ensure this is addressed in the most effective manner.

FAQ

What to do if you have a concern What to do if you have a concern addremove

What should I do if I have a concern about a child, young person or adult at risk?

Any concerns about a child, young person or adult at risk should be raised with your club's welfare officer or the Safe and Inclusive Tennis team as soon as possible. If you are unable to contact either of them, the NSPCC have a 24/7 helpline - 0808 800 5000. 

It is best practice to gain consent before you share information, however you can still share information to help keep them safe.

You should, where possible, gain parental consent to share information unless it puts the child, yourself or another person at risk of harm.  If an adult at risk does not give consent, you can share the information if you reasonably believe they are at risk of harm to themselves or others, or someone has committed or is likely to commit a criminal offence.

Concerns about radicalisation

If you have a concern that someone is being drawn into or supporting terrorism, you should contact Mathew Lea by calling 0208 487 7000 or by emailing safeandinclusive@LTA.org.uk

Supervising children and young people Supervising children and young people addremove

How many adults do I need to supervise a group of children during a coaching session?

Download our Coach/Player ratio recommendations guide for information on supervising children in a coaching session.

What happens if a child needs to go to the toilet during a coaching (or other club) session?

Venues and park sites should ensure that children are supervised during coaching and other club sessions.  Situations where a child has to leave a session, for example, to use the toilet, should also be supervised.  Venues should plan for such situations in their risk assessment and we recommend that you create guidance/policy on how to manage child supervision whilst responsible for them. This will ensure that all coaches, staff and volunteers are aware of their responsibilities, and do not allow children to go to the toilet or leave a session on their own.  Coaches, staff and volunteers should not go into the toilet with children. 

How many adults do I need to supervise a group of children on a trip? 

  • 2:8 for children 10 and under
  • 2:10 for children aged 11 and over

You may decide to have a greater adult-to-child ratio dependent on the needs of the children or identified risks. At least one of the supervising adults must be the same gender as the children.

How many adults do I need to supervise a group of children overnight?

You should have two adults/supervisors and at least one must be the same gender as the children. The exact number of staff and their differing responsibilities will be determined by the profile of the trip and number of children.         

What age can children be left unsupervised at a tennis venue?

We recommend that children under the age of 13 are supervised by their parent/carer whilst at a tennis venue and outside of any venue sessions, such as coaching lessons or tennis camps.

Tennis venues can, at their discretion, opt for a different age but should conduct a thorough risk assessment of the venue, including access to its facilities, the location and security measures to help inform the decision. 

Transporting children Transporting children addremove

Who is responsible for transporting children to and from a venue?

Coaches and other venue staff/volunteers are not responsible for transporting children to and from the venue, unless as part of a venue organised trip (see below).

It is reasonable for venues and coaches to place responsibility on parents for ensuring appropriate transport arrangements are made for their children. 

Parents may choose to make private arrangements with another adult (such as a family friend) to transport their child, however, should let the venue know.

What happens in situations when a venue needs to transport children?

In situations where a venue is arranging transport for children (for example, to an away match) the venue must ensure the following:

  • Parents are informed of the destination, reason for the journey and who the driver will be
  • Parents return to the venue a completed Consent and Emergency Contact Form and the driver should have a copy of this with them on the journey in case of emergencies
  • There are two adults in the car
  • Children are seated in the back of the vehicle at all times
  • If the children are a mixture of female and male, where possible the two adults should also be male and female
  • There is an established procedure in the event of a breakdown/emergency.
  • The driver has a valid UK driving licence, satisfactory DBS check, correct insurance, MOT certificate and complies with laws on the use of seatbelts and restraints
  • If transporting children in a mini-bus or bus, the driver must also have the correct type of licence (more info here)

The Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) also has further guidance on this topic in their Safe Sports Events toolkit which you can access on the CPSU website.

Deaf and disabled children Deaf and disabled children addremove

Is there any additional support available to welcome deaf or disabled children to our tennis venue?

Yes – we have a number of specialist programmes for children who are deaf, disabled, or have down syndrome. It is always best to ask a parent what additional support their child may need within tennis.

Mental health and well-being Mental health and well-being addremove

Positive mental health is a state of well-being, when you are able to think, feel and react in the ways that enable you to engage in the work and activities that you enjoy, whilst being able to cope with the normal stresses of life.

All of us experience ups and downs in our mental health at some point in our lives, but if you experience a period of particularly poor mental health, you might find that the way you are thinking, feeling or reacting becomes inceasingly difficult to cope with. 

For further information and advice on mental health, please download our Mental health and well-being guide which covers tips on self-care techniques and how to seek support.

Resources

LTA Policies LTA Policies addremove

Policies and guidance Policies and guidance addremove

Forms Forms addremove

Reporting a Concern Flowchart Reporting a Concern Flowchart addremove

These flowcharts set out the process to follow to report a concern

Event and Competition Guidance Event and Competition Guidance addremove

Posters Posters addremove

Further reading Further reading addremove

Welfare Officer Welfare Officer addremove

The Welfare Officer plays a key role in safeguarding in venues.  This role description sets out what the Welfare Officer is responsible for doing in their venue. 

Welfare Officer Role Description

Sun safety Sun safety addremove

Information on sun safety, including free resources, can be found at Outdoor Kids Sun Safety Code website.

 

Toolkit Toolkit addremove

*Childline is a service provided by the NSPCC. Registered charity numbers 216401 and SC037717