Sports clubs in Walsall
The Healthy Spaces Team are responsible for sports development and community club support across Walsall.
This includes:
- support of community sports clubs providing services to Walsall population
- promotion of activities and accredited clubs
- advice and guidance to people looking to get involved in community sport as a participant or volunteer
Contact the Healthy Spaces team if you need more information or advice.
Accredited clubs in Walsall
You can find a list of sports clubs in Walsall who have achieved their national governing body clubmark accreditation.
Clubmark is a cross sport accreditation scheme for community clubs that has raised the standards of delivery, welfare and programmes within clubs. An accredited club has demonstrated that it is a safe, rewarding and fulfilling place for participants of all ages as well as helping parents and carers know that they’re choosing the right club for their young people.
How do I know a sports club is safe and well run?
It's important to look for a club, sport or activity that takes the safety and wellbeing of your child seriously. Always check whether the club or organisation is accredited or otherwise affiliated to a body (e.g. a sports governing body or national voluntary sector or faith organisation) as this should mean they have the right safeguarding policies and procedures in place.
Even if they're accredited, there are some key things to look for to ensure they take children's safety seriously. The NSPCC - Child Protection in Sport Unit details these in their information for parents and carers.
Things to look out for
Check if the club has:
- a welfare or child protection officer who you can contact about safeguarding or with any concerns
- clear procedures and processes for raising complaints and concerns
- written standards of good practice – like a code of conduct or code of behaviour. This should outline the boundaries that staff and volunteers should respect when working with children and young people and should address things like discrimination and bullying and social media behaviour
- effective consent and emergency processes. You should receive a form asking for your consent to the activity, for your contact details, and any relevant medical information about your child from the club or organisation
- a safe recruitment process for staff and volunteers, including vetting. This means they have appropriate references, criminal records checks and the right technical qualifications for the activity
- staff and volunteers who are trained in safeguarding (child protection)
- suitable supervision for children and young people (based on their age, ability, the activity and venue) by adults who are trained to care for them
- a safe environment for the activity to take place in
- separate changing areas for children and adults
Remember, it’s never wrong to ask for more information when it comes to children's safety, wellbeing and safeguarding. Organisations should welcome questions about their activities and policies and should have answers on hand if you ask.
The NSPCC - Child Protection in Sport Unit goes into more detail about each of our checklist points in their information for parents and carers.
