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Duty of care and promoting good practice

What does Duty of Care Mean?

Duty of care means that a sports body needs to take such measures as are reasonable in the circumstances to ensure that individuals will be safe to participate in an activity to which they are invited to or which is permitted.

In many sports activities, given the health and safety considerations, it is recognised that a sports organisation or individual (e.g. coach) owes a duty of care to its members.

However, it is also understood and recognised that accidents can and do happen, and that it is not possible to predict every eventuality. Liability for the legal duty of care would only arise when an incident occurs and it can be demonstrated that the risk was foreseeable but no action had been taken to remedy it.

For further information including legal guidance, please click here.

Promoting good practice

It is possible to reduce situations where abuse of children may occur, and help to protect staff/ volunteers by promoting good practice.

Northumberland Sport's child protection policies and procedures provides specific guidance that should be followed when working children and reflects or supplements codes of conduct and behaviour.  Please click here for a direct link to this guidance.