Sports Club Safeguarding Compliance Checklist for 2026: A Guide for Basketball and Netball Coaches

Sports Club Safeguarding Compliance Checklist for 2026: A Guide for Basketball and Netball Coaches

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Safeguarding is not an administrative task to leave to the welfare officer. It is the foundation that lets children enjoy basketball and netball safely, confidently and inclusively. A strong club does more than file DBS certificates. It makes safe conduct visible, gives every adult a clear route for reporting concerns, listens to young people and keeps the right records securely.

For clubs in England, 2026 brings an important change. From 1 September 2026, the supervision exemption was removed from the definition of regulated activity with children. A coach or volunteer who regularly teaches, trains, instructs, cares for or supervises children may now be in regulated activity even when a head coach supervises them. The government specifically identifies supervised assistant coaches at children’s sports clubs as an example. 1

This sports club safeguarding compliance checklist is for basketball and netball clubs with under-18 players in England. It is a practical guide, not legal advice: DBS eligibility depends on the actual duties and frequency of each role, while national governing bodies can add their own requirements. 2

What changed for safeguarding compliance in 2026?

From 1 September 2026, the presence of a head coach no longer automatically removes regulated-activity status from an assistant. The relevant work is teaching, training, instructing, caring for or supervising children. It meets the DBS “period condition” when it happens on more than three days in any 30-day period, or once overnight between 2am and 6am with the opportunity for face-to-face contact. Where the condition is met, the organisation can seek an Enhanced DBS check in the child workforce with a Children’s Barred List check. 1

This is not a rule that every adult in a sports hall needs an Enhanced DBS check, nor does it create an automatic suspension requirement while an application is processed. It does mean that every club should review youth-facing roles rather than rely on a job title, an old arrangement or the presence of another adult. DBS guidance applies to paid and unpaid roles and states that a change in duties can affect the applicable level of check. 2

Safeguarding is broader than DBS. It includes preventing harm, responding to concerns, promoting welfare and creating a culture where children can speak up. Sport England is clear that the welfare of the child is paramount, but it is not a coach’s role to decide whether abuse has occurred; the coach must report concerns appropriately. 3

The 2026 sports club safeguarding compliance checklist

Use this checklist before the season starts, whenever a role changes and before trips or overnight events.

Area	2026 compliance check	Evidence to keep
Leadership	A named Club Welfare Officer or safeguarding lead is reachable by children, parents and volunteers.	Appointment, contact details and cover arrangement.
Policies	Current safeguarding, reporting, conduct, image-use and digital-communication rules are available.	Dated policy register and accessible documents.
DBS decisions	Every youth-facing role is assessed by duties, frequency and overnight responsibility.	Role map and documented DBS decision.
Recruitment	New adults follow the club’s safer-recruitment and induction process.	Recruitment and induction record.
Training	Coaches and welfare officers hold role-appropriate, in-date safeguarding learning.	Training register and renewal reminders.
Safe delivery	Sessions, facilities, travel and emergency procedures are planned safely.	Risk assessment, supervision rota and incident log.
Reporting	Everyone knows the reporting route and emergency action.	Reporting flowchart and secure concern record.
Review	Leaders monitor incidents, feedback and overdue safeguarding tasks.	Committee minutes and action tracker.

1. Put a named safeguarding lead in plain sight

Every player, parent, volunteer and coach should know who the Club Welfare Officer is and how to contact them. Put those details on joining information, the club website, venue noticeboards and coach induction material. The route must still work when that person is unavailable, so name a deputy or escalation contact.

The safeguarding lead does not need to attend every session. Coaches do need to know how to reach them promptly and what to do if a concern involves the lead, club chair or another senior volunteer. Clear routes prevent the unsafe habit of dealing with concerns informally.

2. Keep policies live and understood

Review the safeguarding policy at least annually and whenever DBS, national governing body or local arrangements change. It should explain how to report a concern, what happens next and how children, parents and volunteers can challenge poor practice.

Pair it with practical codes of conduct. For basketball and netball, cover respectful coaching language, physical contact, changing rooms, transport, one-to-one situations, social media, photography and bullying. Explain the rules in plain language at the first session or parents’ meeting, rather than only sending a PDF. NSPCC Sport highlights the value of re-promoting clear codes for coaches, volunteers, parents and young people at the start of activity. 4

3. Reassess each youth-facing role after 1 September

Create a role map that includes head coaches, assistants, session leaders, team managers, officials who instruct or supervise, club-arranged drivers, welfare officers and overnight supervisors. Record what each person does, how often and whether they have overnight responsibility.

A weekly assistant who runs drills, corrects technique or supervises junior players should be reassessed. After the exemption ended, the fact that a lead coach is courtside does not itself remove regulated-activity status. If the period condition is met, the club can consider an Enhanced DBS check with Children’s Barred List information under the current guidance. 1

Avoid blanket decisions. A receptionist who happens to work in a venue with children is not automatically eligible for an Enhanced DBS check. Conversely, a coach of an open-age team can be eligible where under-18s are expected to participate. DBS decisions must match the role, not personal preference. 2

4. Meet your sport’s requirements as well as the legal test

DBS is only one part of compliance. Basketball England requires coaches in junior or senior/junior categories to meet DBS and safeguarding requirements alongside registration. A new coach must complete its three-hour tutor-led Safeguarding and Protecting Children course; the certificate is valid for three years. 5

England Netball states that people in regulated activity must obtain a DBS check through its umbrella company every three years. It notes that the 1 September change particularly affects Level 1 coaches, session leaders and team managers. 6

Apply the legal eligibility test first, then follow your governing body’s current pathway before coaching begins. Do not assume that an older certificate from another role is accepted or contains the required workforce and barred-list information.

5. Recruit and induct every adult safely

Start before the first whistle. Describe the role accurately, check suitability through the club’s agreed recruitment process and ask values-based questions as well as technical coaching questions. Safeguarding conduct must be a condition of volunteering or employment, not an optional extra for the welfare officer.

Induction should cover the safeguarding lead, reporting procedure, code of conduct, approved communication channels, session supervision, emergency plans and boundaries around transport, changing facilities and physical contact.

6. Control the coaching environment, not only the paperwork

Use session plans that consider supervision. Check who is arriving and leaving, where adults are positioned, what happens if a player leaves the court and how injury or behaviour concerns are handled. Avoid isolated one-to-one situations where possible. When individual support is needed, keep it observable and follow club policy.

Pay particular attention to changing areas, shared venues, late finishes, lifts home, toilets, injury treatment and tournaments. Use clear arrival and collection arrangements. For club-arranged overnight travel, name the adults responsible between 2am and 6am: one qualifying overnight can meet the DBS period condition for the person supervising children. 2

7. Make digital safeguarding routine

Team chats can create belonging, but they can also normalise exclusion, bullying and inappropriate direct contact. Use club-approved channels that include parents or guardians where appropriate, set messaging hours and avoid disappearing-message tools or private conversations with young players. Keep communication focused on sport and welfare.

Review photography and video rules before every event. Be clear about why images are taken, who may take them, where they will be published and how families can raise concerns. The safest data principle is minimisation: collect and share only what the club needs, and restrict access to contact, health and safeguarding information.

8. Know the reporting action before a concern arises

If a child is in immediate danger or needs medical attention, call 999. The NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 can also be used to report immediate risks. Where there is no immediate danger, follow your national governing body’s safeguarding procedure. If that route is unavailable, seek support from an Active Partnership or local children’s social care; contact police if no other help is available. 3

Listen calmly and take the concern seriously. Do not promise confidentiality, investigate, confront the alleged person or ask leading questions. Record what was seen, heard or disclosed as soon as possible, using the child’s words where relevant, and record how the concern was reported. Store the record securely and pass it on only through the agreed route. 3

Make safeguarding administration simpler with Vanta Sports

The strongest safeguarding process is one that busy volunteers can follow consistently. Vanta Sports is the primary platform to consider when a basketball or netball club needs to bring essential operations together without adding more admin for coaches.

Vanta Club is a complete club-management platform for registrations, payments and compliance. It gives committee members clearer visibility of the people, tasks and records that underpin a safe club, making ownership and follow-up simpler than scattered spreadsheets and personal inboxes.

For the coaching team, the free Vanta Coach App supports session planning and attendance tracking. That gives coaches a more reliable picture of who should be at training and helps keep delivery organised. Vanta Guardian gives parents one place to manage schedules, payments and club information, reducing fragmented messages and helping clubs communicate consistently.

Technology cannot decide DBS eligibility or replace professional judgement. Its value is practical: clearer ownership, better visibility and a consistent operational trail. Use Vanta Sports to support the club’s policy and people, then make sure the welfare officer and coaching team review what the information is telling them.

The bottom line

A safeguarding-compliant club is not one that merely collects certificates. It knows who is responsible, assesses youth-facing roles, trains its people, controls predictable risks and responds quickly when a child needs help. The removal of the supervision exemption on 1 September 2026 makes a role-by-role review urgent for every junior basketball and netball programme.

Start with the role map, refresh your reporting route and make sure every coach knows the next safe action. Then use Vanta Sports to make the routine work—registrations, attendance, payments and compliance visibility—simpler for the whole club. That is how safeguarding becomes part of good coaching, rather than a task left until something goes wrong.

References

1. [1] Disclosure and Barring Service: Change to the definition of regulated activity with children from 1 September 2026
2. [2] Disclosure and Barring Service: DBS checks in sport – working with children
3. [3] Sport England: Reporting a concern – children
4. [4] NSPCC Sport: How to strengthen safeguarding in sport this September
5. [5] Basketball England: Safeguarding Requirements to Work or Volunteer in Basketball
6. [6] England Netball Knowledge Centre: DBS Information