Safeguarding for clubs and Welfare Officers
Do you have a safeguarding or equality, diversity and inclusion concern?
Safeguarding for clubs and Welfare Officers
What is a Welfare Officer?
A Welfare Officer is responsible for acting as a voice for safeguarding within their club, working with the committee to ensure best practice is followed and to coordinate actions within the club, should a safeguarding concern or referral arise.
First steps
To ensure that Welfare Officers receive regular information, advice, and training, it is important that the RYA are able to hold an up-to-date contact list. New welfare officers should take a look at the RYA Welfare Information Pack and submit the completed registration Form to the RYA Safeguarding team safeguarding@rya.org.uk.
RYA Welfare Officer Information Pack
Safeguarding training
Safe and fun
The RYA recommend that anyone volunteering or working with children and young people should complete the RYA Safe and Fun course. The online course provides a basic level of knowledge and awareness of safeguarding and is accessed via RYA recognised training centres. This course acts as your intro to safeguarding.
If you haven’t done any safeguarding training before, we recommend completing the RYA online Safe and Fun course, but you should also aim to attend some face-to-face training or a virtual tutor-led classroom session if possible. Online training provides you with the relevant knowledge but does not give you the opportunity to work through scenarios with other people and discuss common issues.
RYA Welfare Officer Course
The RYA has recently developed a bespoke Welfare Officer course, designed to equip Welfare Officers and those with safeguarding responsibilities in sailing and boating with the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools needed to carry out this vital role effectively.
Welfare Officers play a key role in helping to create safe, inclusive and supportive environments, ensuring concerns are recognised early, responded to appropriately, and that participant welfare remains central to decision‑making. This course reflects the increasing importance of the role in supporting safe sport, wellbeing, and positive culture across clubs, training centres and class associations.
Course Structure
The Welfare Officer course is delivered in two parts, combining foundational knowledge with practical, role‑specific learning:
- World Sailing Safeguarding in Sport E-learningCourse
Participants first complete the World Sailing Safeguarding in Sport course, which provides foundational safeguarding awareness. This ensures a consistent understanding of safeguarding principles, risks and responsibilities across the sport.
- RYA Tutor‑Led Online Classroom
Following completion of the World Sailing course, participants attend a tutor‑led online classroom session, developed by the RYA to focus specifically on the Welfare Officer role within sailing and boating.
This interactive session equips attendees with the confidence, knowledge and practical tools needed to carry out the Welfare Officer role effectively. Building on key learnings from the World Sailing Safeguarding in Sport course, this module develops a clear understanding of the purpose and responsibilities of a Welfare Officer, including their role in influencing positive cultural change, supporting safe recruitment, strengthening governance, amplifying participant voice, and maintaining professional boundaries. The session also explores wellbeing, case management and trauma‑informed practice, helping attendees respond to concerns appropriately and with care. In addition, participants gain a clear understanding of the support available from the RYA and other organisations, including when and how to access further guidance and specialist support.
Who is the course for?
The course is aimed at:
- Club, centre and class association Welfare Officers
- Anyone with a safeguarding responsibility within sailing and boating
- Individuals supporting safeguarding, wellbeing or participant welfare
Cost and Access
The RYA Welfare Officer course is free of charge.
To enrol, or for further information, please contact the RYA Safeguarding Team on safeguarding@rya.org.uk
Further training
NSPCC - Time to listen
Some local authority Active Partnerships offer a multi-sport workshop for Welfare Officers called Time to Listen.
Children 1st - Child wellbeing and protection in spot
In Scotland, the Safeguarding in Sport Unit of Children 1st, has developed a three-hour workshop for Welfare Officers called Child Wellbeing & Protection in Sport.
UK Coaching - Safeguarding Adults
For those working or volunteering with adults at risk, we recommend that you undertake the online Safeguarding Adults course available from UK Coaching.
The Ann Craft Trust
The Ann Craft Trust also deliver workshops at various levels and have successfully piloted a sailing-specific workshop with RYA Sailability.
Criminal Record Disclosure Coordinators
The RYA is an umbrella body for criminal record enhanced disclosure checks for DBS (Disclosure and Barring) in England and Wales, and AccessNI in Northen Ireland. The RYA can help affiliates to access criminal record checks for volunteers or staff who will be working with young people or adults at risk.
Organisations wishing to process PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Adults) criminal record checks in Scotland, should email disclosures@volunteerscotland.org.uk.
Cost of Disclosure Processing Checks for a paid role*
Disclosure checks are currently free for those in a volunteer role.
The RYA processes criminal record disclosure checks across England and Wales and Northern Ireland through the below service providers.
England & Wales - Disclosure and Barring Service
£52.50 (£49.50 to DBS + £3 admin fee to Cantium).
Scotland - Protecting Vulnerable Groups PVG Scheme
Existing PVG members - £18.00
New Scheme Record - £59.00
Northern Ireland AccessNI
£32.00
If you require enhanced disclosure checks, email disclosure@rya.org.uk.
*The RYA do not make a profit from processing criminal disclosure checks.
Concerned? Make a referral
If you have a safeguarding or equality concern, you can make a referral directly to the RYA Safe Sport Team by completing the RYA safeguarding and Equality referral form.
