Safeguarding Standards for LTA Venue Registration

Making tennis safe and open to all

From 1 October 2019, all LTA Registered Venues will be required to meet six safeguarding standards as part of their LTA Venue Registration. 

This is a positive move and one which will help support venues in creating a safe, accessible, enjoyable and welcoming environment for everyone.

What's in it for my venue?

  • Knowledge that your venue is playing its part in making our sport a safe, secure, accessible and welcoming environment for all.
  • Confidence that you're meeting duty of care obligations for those playing, socialising, working or volunteering at your venue.
  • Exclusive benefits – including access to the LTA Wimbledon Ballot; ClubSpark; Public Liability Insurance; and LTA funding support, programmes and initiatives.

Support and Guidance

We will be conducting safeguarding support visits with venues on an ongoing basis in order to support Registered Venues in ensuring the new safeguarding standards are being maintained. Failure to comply with the standards can lead to the withdrawal of a venue's registration and its benefits.

Details about the standards and how you can achieve them can be found below.

Standard 1 - Safeguarding Policy and Procedures Standard 1 - Safeguarding Policy and Procedures addremove

You must have a safeguarding policy (for children and adults) which is clearly displayed on the venue noticeboard (and website if you have one) or easily available upon request. You must also clearly display the relevant safeguarding posters where it is possible to do so.

To achieve this standard

  1. Complete your safeguarding policy (includes whistleblowing) and ensure it is either clearly displayed or easily available upon request. You must display a summary statement of your safeguarding policy, if you choose not to clearly display the full policy.
  2. Print and display your Welfare Officer poster and other safeguarding posters.
  3. Ensure safeguarding is covered in inductions for members, staff and volunteers
  4. Ensure that any events, activities and competitions are run in accordance with the safeguarding at events, activities and competitions guidance.

If you are registering a community venue (e.g. park site), you should use the Park Site Poster instead of the above Welfare Officer poster. Please ensure you also read the FAQs to understand fully how the minimum standards will apply to you.

We also recommend asking all members (new and old) to sign your codes of conduct (these can be found in the template safeguarding policy) and displaying a master copy on the noticeboard and website.

Standard 2 - Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Procedures Standard 2 - Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Procedures addremove

You must have a Diversity and Inclusion policy which is either displayed or easily available upon request.

To achieve this standard

  1. Complete your Diversity and Inclusion policy.
  2. Ensure that it is either displayed or easily available upon request.

If you have any questions about diversity and inclusion, you can contact the LTA on 02084877000 or safeandinclusive@LTA.org.uk.

Standard 3 - Welfare Officer Standard 3 - Welfare Officer addremove

You must have a Welfare Officer who has undergone the necessary training and fulfils the duties of the role (view the role description) with support from the Club Committee.

To achieve this standard

  1. Every Welfare Officer must have a satisfactory Criminal Record Check (such as a DBS check for England/Wales or PVG for Scotland) through the LTA. If you have a DBS check from another organisation, the LTA may be able to accept it as long as you are signed up to The Update Service. Find out more details on the Update Service. By 'satisfactory', we mean a criminal record check which is either blank or revealed criminal information which has been approved by the LTA Safeguarding Team.    
  2. Every Welfare Officer must complete a training package in relation to safeguarding. The table below explains the requirement. In order to commence the Welfare Officer role, individuals need to have completed a Level 1 basic awareness course (see table below). Within three years of completing the Level 1 course, Welfare Officers must then complete a Level 2 course (see table below). Essentially, all Welfare Officers are required to be trained to a Level 2 standard.
  3. To see what is needed to make a good Welfare Officer, please view the role description. As part of their duties, a Welfare Officer should:
  • Provide all new members with safeguarding information including details of Welfare Officer. 
  • Make use of the Welfare Officer poster to let members know who they are.
  • If the club has a website, ensure safeguarding information is kept updated. View an example of a good website.
  • Ensure safeguarding is an agenda item at committee meetings
  • Promote the club's code of conduct(s) (see safeguarding policy)

The Welfare Officer role is not something that is overly onerous or anything to be scared of! Welfare Officers will receive a short training session (if they are not already trained) and their key role is to ensure safeguarding is very much on the ‘agenda’ at their venue and to pass any concerns to the National Safeguarding Team who will investigate any concerns.

 Training chart

Training type Course When must it be completed? How to book on
Level 1 (valid for 3 years)

Any one of the following:

  • LTA – Safeguarding and Protection in Tennis
  • UK Coaching – Safeguarding and Protecting Children
  • Local Authority safeguarding training*

If you have completed another form of safeguarding training, or hold a professional safeguarding role (i.e. police, social care or designated safeguarding lead) please email us at safeguarding@LTA.org.uk with the details for review. Wherever possible we will accept courses you have attended.

* these courses must include information about the Prevent Duty for them to be accepted.

 Before starting in role
Level 2 (valid for 3 years recommended)

One of the following:

  • LTA – Time to Listen
  • County Sports Partnership – Time to Listen
  • Scotland - In Safe Hands
 Within 3 years of completing your Level 1 safeguarding training

Renewing training

Level 1: You can renew your Level 1 training by either completing a face to face course again, or by completing the online Safeguarding in Tennis Together Course for Welfare Officers. You can only complete the online training if you have previously completed a face to face course within the last three years. You will need to alternate between online and face to face safeguarding training every three years.

Level 2: All Welfare Officers at LTA Registered Venues are required to have completed this course. There is no requirement to renew this training at present however we do recommend that Welfare Officers refresh their knowledge of the course every 3 years.

Availability of courses

Level 1: Please contact your LTA Regional Office

Level  2 (England and Wales): Please contact the LTA Safeguarding Team:

T: 0208 487 7000

E: safeguarding@lta.org.uk

Level 2 (Scotland): Please contact Tennis Scotland

T: 0131 444 1984

E: info@tennisscotland.org

Standard 4 - Criminal Record Checks Standard 4 - Criminal Record Checks addremove

You must ensure that relevant staff have a satisfactory criminal record check (CRC), such as a DBS check (England/wales) or PVG Scheme (Scotland). By 'satisfactory', we mean a criminal record check which is either blank or revealed criminal information which has been approved by the LTA Safeguarding Team.

To achieve this standard

  1. Ensure all members of staff/volunteers who are not in possession of a CRC and require one as part of their role start the process of attaining a CRC. Find out more about how to start the CRC process. 
  2. Keep a record of relevant roles which require a CRC, including details of your recruitment decision and when the CRC is due for renewal.

DBS checks should be applied for through the LTA. If you have a DBS check from another organisation, the LTA may be able to accept it as long as you are signed up to The Update Service. Find out more details on the Update Service.

How to establish if someone requires a Criminal Record Check

Please see our DBS Overview page for a list of roles in tennis which require a Criminal Record Check. 

Individuals must be at least 16 years old in order to complete a DBS check. Individuals under the age of 16 who work with children should be supervised at all times and not be given (or left in) a position where they have direct responsibility for children.

Can the LTA / tennis club accept external DBS checks?

Please look at our FAQs on our Help Centre.

Example of DBS Certificate

If a member of staff/volunteer presents a DBS certificate to you, this is an example of what it looks like and what to look for.

Help and support

If you do have any questions in this area please ask! It is a complex subject and you cannot be expected to know the requirements in depth, we are here to help. For DBS queries (England/Wales), please contact us on 02084877000 or DBS@LTA.org.uk. For PVG (Scotland) queries, please contact info@tennisscotland.org

Standard 5 - Risk Assessment Standard 5 - Risk Assessment addremove

All LTA Registered Venues must complete an annual risk assessment of their venue and facilities.

To achieve this standard:

Complete your venue risk assessment using the LTA’s online risk assessment portal.

Your venue is encouraged to conduct risk assessments on a more regular basis throughout the year, particularly before public events and activities that the venue stages, to ensure the safety and well-being of your members and participants.

Standard 6 - Coaching Safeguarding Standards Standard 6 - Coaching Safeguarding Standards addremove

Building on the progress made last year, it will become mandatory that in order for a venue to register with the LTA from 1 October 2019, they will need to ensure all Level 3-5 coaches operating at their venue are LTA Accredited.

In holding LTA Accredited status, it means coaches will have completed the appropriate safeguarding training, first aid training and undergone Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks if working with children. If working in Scotland you are required to be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groupds (PVG) Scheme. This will provide greater clarity to parents and players when selecting a coach. Players that choose an LTA registered venue will know that the activity delivered by a Level 3-5 coach is conducted by an individual who is trained in safeguarding and has the appropriate qualifications.

The coaching workforce plays a key role in keeping those involved in our sport safe, and are often the front line of tennis delivery. The implementation of standards for coaches is therefore a crucial next step following the implementation of the venue standards in 2018.

Although we are starting with Level 3-5 coaches this year given they are the leaders of tennis programmes at venues, our intention is to work towards all levels of coaches at registered venues meeting requisite safeguarding standards to ensure best practice across the entire coaching workforce.

What does this mean for registered venues?

To be eligible for 2019-2020 LTA registration, venues must meet this additional safeguarding criteria:

  • All activites ran by Level 3-5 qualified coaches at registered venues must be undertaken by LTA Accredited or Accredited+ coaches.

Each venue is required to meet this criteria in order to complete the 2019/20 venue registration which runs from the 1 October 2019 until 30 November 2019. Venues still need to comply with 2018’s safeguarding standards.

To achieve this standard:

  1. Ensure you find out and have evidence of the qualification level of all coaches currently operating at your venue.  Many of the coaches may already be LTA Accredited – their status (and expiry date) can be checked on the LTA website.
  2. Ensure coaches at the venue are aware of the new requirement and act now to complete any requirements. Venues and coaches are advised to do this a minimum of six weeks prior to the end of the registration window (30 November 2019) to allow satisfactory time for criminal records checks and a safeguarding course to be completed.
  3. Ensure that the requirement of LTA Accreditation for coaches is built into the robust coach recruitment processes that venues will have in place.

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