All sport governing bodies should have duty of care guardian, says Grey-Thompson report
National governing bodies of sport should be required to have at least one named person dedicated to the duty of care of athletes or risk having their public funding cut, according to a wide-ranging report published by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.
With the title of Duty of Care Guardian, the individual should sit on the board of the governing body and “engage with participants across the talent pathway and in community sport”.
A public statement from the Duty of Care Guardian should be included within each governing body’s annual report. The position should be mandatory, says the report.
The recommendation was one of many within the Duty of Care in Sport report, which has taken a year to produce.
Other recommendation include: the establishment of a Sports Ombudsman, to hold governing bodies to account over duty of care issues; measurement of duty of care performance indicators via an independent benchmark survey; an induction process for all participants entering elite-level sport; exit surveys for retiring athletes; and a government-funded British Athletes Commission.
Grey-Thompson has also suggested the creation of a Duty of Care Charter – to be established by government – which would “explicitly set out” how participants, coaches and support staff can expect to be treated and where they can go if they need support and guidance.
Aside from the seven priority recommendations, the report has laid out further recommendations related to separate themes, including education, athlete transition, representation, diversity, mental welfare and safeguarding.
The latter issue has come to the fore in recent months amid high profile sexual abuse allegations made by footballers, amateur and profession.
According to the report, government should review the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to include sports coaches within the definition ‘positions of trust’ and also investigate the process of background checks for self-employed providers.
In her introduction, Grey-Thompson said the report had been a “timely” one with the sport sector “under more scrutiny than ever before”.
Indeed, a day before the publication of the report (20 April), UK Sport was accused of failing in its duty of care to athletes amid allegations of bullying within some of the organisations it funds, including British Cycling and British Canoeing.
However, chief executive Liz Nicholl refuted the claims made by Julian Knight MP during a select committee hearing.
But Grey-Thompson suggested that “questions are being asked about the price being paid for success”, arguing that the “drive for success should not be at the cost of individuals involved”.
The iconic paralympian added: “I appreciate some of my recommendations will have resource implications. I am aware there is no new public money available to implement them and that organisations will have to prioritise.
“I have sought throughout the report to be proportionate and to consider in particular the burden placed on volunteer sport.”
Sports minister Tracey Crouch – who ordered the review as part of the government’s Sporting Future strategy – said duty of care was a “high priority” for the sport sector.
“I will be considering the recommendations relevant to my department and work with ministerial colleagues to ensure government as a whole looks at what more we can collectively do,” she added.
To read the full report, click here.
Tanni Grey-Thompson duty of care governmentUK Sport has ‘not failed’ in its duty of care to athletes, says Liz Nicholl
Duty of Care Working Group to submit recommendations by October
Government launches safety and wellbeing in sport review
FEATURE: Letters – Write to reply
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
