We are delighted to launch the new Investigation Guide and templates to National Governing Bodies (NGBs), National Safeguarding Panel (NSP) members and other relevant parties.
With the support of Sport England, Sport Resolutions NSP members Carol Chamberlain, Christopher Quinlan QC and Sally Wernick have created a practical guide to undertaking safeguarding investigations with supporting templates. This guide has been developed to assist NGB Lead Safeguarding Officers and their Case Management Teams and members of the National Safeguarding Panel in the conduct of safeguarding investigations that they undertake as part of their role.
This resource has been produced as part of the Sport England Safeguarding Case Management Project, which is supported by National Lottery funding, and provides participating NGBs with end-to-end case management support from Sport Resolutions staff and access to expert safeguarding support services from its NSP members.
The purpose of the Investigation Guide is to provide a comprehensive guide to undertaking safeguarding investigations and to provide consistency of practice amongst investigators. The Guide covers how to approach an investigation and sets out matters that will need to be considered, or completed, at each investigation stage. The aim of the Guide is also to assist to provide a fair and transparent process that will benefit victims and survivors and those who may be the subject of safeguarding concerns or allegations.
The templates comprise a collection of pro forma documents for use in any safeguarding investigation and are available for download in Microsoft Word format via the related documents tab on the right-hand side as well as the safeguarding webpage here.
UPDATE: Thursday 22 July 2021
A minor addition was made to the safeguarding investigation guide on 22nd July 2021 at paragraph 67 on page 89. Updated version can be found under the related documents tab on the right hand side.
GUIDE AUTHORS
Christopher Quinlan QC
Christopher Quinlan QC is a Barrister, Recorder and a member of the Sport Resolutions Panel of Arbitrators.
In June 2016, Christopher was appointed to lead a review of the structure, composition and operation of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) Disciplinary Panel, Appeal Board and Licensing Committee. His final report, published in September of that year, received widespread industry support and the BHA accepted all of his recommendations.
Christopher is World Rugby's Judicial Panel Chairman, the most senior judicial role within the sport. Amongst other things, he is responsible for the worldwide appointment and management of World Rugby's Judicial Committees, including the Rugby World Cup, for which he has served as a judicial officer at the last three tournaments.
Christopher led the Independent Review into events at Wrexham Tennis Centre, which was published in January 2019. The report concluded that Wrexham Tennis Centre failed to properly address a number of complaints about the behaviour of coaches at the Centre, whilst Tennis Wales and the LTA were also found to have failed to properly recognise the safeguarding concerns that should have been evident at the time.
In 2020 Christopher led an Independent Review for UK Athletics to evaluate its safeguarding policies and procedures. The Executive Summary and Recommendations were published in July 2020 and will be implemented in their entirety.
Christopher sits on and chairs Football Association Appeal Boards and is a Specialist Member of the FA Judicial Panel. He is a legal member of both the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) and National Safeguarding Panel (NSP).
Carol Chamberlain
Carol retired as a senior police officer in 2008. Since that date she has acted as an independent safeguarding consultant within the sport sector. She was an inaugural member of the National Safeguarding Panel co-ordinated by Sport Resolutions.
Carol has been commissioned by many National Governing Body’s to undertake a variety of roles which include; conducting strategic level, whole sport safeguarding reviews, individual case investigations, the delivery of training, and acting as the safeguarding specialist member on disciplinary panels.
Carol is an independent member of the safeguarding Case Management Group at Badminton England and the Director of Governance on the Board of the Cheshire County Ladies Golf Association.
Sally Wernick
Sally Wernick was a strategic development lead in Adult safeguarding for a large local authority and has senior management experience in a variety of roles, within Criminal Justice, Child Protection, Inspection and Regulation, Community Safety and Deprivation of Liberty safeguards.
A skilled investigator she has overseen large scale safeguarding investigations for local authorities and has been a panel member on Domestic Homicide and Safeguarding Adults Reviews.
Sally sits on the England Cricket Board Safeguarding Appeals Board and is a National Safeguarding Panel member. Sally has undertaken safeguarding enquiries for sporting bodies both at home and abroad.
Sally has a passion for all sports and is a keen triathlete, previously completing an Ironman 70.3.
