Safeguarding and Child Protection in Sport workshop

- formally known as The Trinidad and Tobago Alliance for Sport and Physical Education (TTASPE) - collaborated with the Ministry of Health, Education, Youth and Sport of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the SVG National Alliance for Sport and Physical Education (SVGASPE) to develop a systematic approach to child safety through sport and physical activity from 14-15 February 2013.

Mr. Sean Stanley, a member both of the SVGASPE and the Department of Sport, as well as, a former recipient of an ASOP internship, was the coordinator for the workshop.

Facilitators Kerish Maharaj (CSDA) and Rebecca Love (Queens University of Canada) delivered a workshop to four Sport Administrators; seven Sport’s Department Coaches; eight Social Workers from the SVG Family Planning Division and one Primary School PE Teacher. The topics covered included:

• The Foundations of Safeguarding and Child Protection in Sport
• Understanding and Identifying Signs of Child Abuse
• Working with Children with Special Needs
• Taking Appropriate Action (Organisational Policy and Implementation).

In addition, the 21 workshop participants all participated in primary research conducted by the CSDA called the Caribbean Child Abuse and Poor Practice in Sport Survey. This survey is aimed at gathering information to address the gap in literature about harm to children participating in sport within the Caribbean.

The data collected will provide information that will assist in the development of policies and procedures towards the protection of children in sports and physical education in the region. All persons over 18 years old are encouraged to take this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CAPPS_Survey

Suggestions from both the research and feedback from the workshop participants will be used to develop resources that can help teach children about their international and legal rights using sport and play; train coaches to identify and avoid poor practice in child welfare; and strengthen all organisations in sport and physical activity that work with children.

This workshop is a continuation of the CSDA’s commitment to the CARICOM Task Force for the Protection of Children, the CARICOM COHSOD on Sport (Oct 2012) and is funded by the Australian Sport Outreach Caribbean Program and the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.