British Equestrian

Top tips for coaches

As a coach you have responsibility to keep children safe and protect yourself from safeguarding concerns. These tips, and the videos below, are to help you. For more information contact your venue or member body’s safeguarding officer or British Equestrian on safeguarding@bef.co.uk

Spotting signs of abuse

There may be warning signs that a child is being abused, and as a coach coming into contact with a child regularly you may pick up on these signs. Common signs include: 

Unexplained changes in the behaviour or personality. 
Becoming secretive. 
A child becoming withdrawn and / or seeming anxious. 
Becoming uncharacteristically aggressive. 
A child displaying poor social skills and having few friends. 
A child displaying a poor relationship with their parent / carer. 
Knowledge of adult issues inappropriate for their age. 
Running away or going missing. 
Unexplained injuries 
A child who self-harms. 
A child wearing clothes which cover their whole body at times when it is too warm to do this. 
Talk of a new, older friend and unexplained money or gifts. 
Children in sport are at increased risk of the emotional abuse if they are put under too much pressure or receive excessive chastisement for poor performance. As a coach we ask you to also be mindful of this type of abuse.

If you spot any of these signs in a child, we recommend you get advice from your venue or member body’s safeguarding officer and local social services team. 

What to do if a child makes a disclosure to you

As a coach you may be in a position where a child makes a disclosure to you about a problem they are having. If this happens we recommend the following: 

Listen to the child and allow them to speak fully. 
Display calm body language. A reaction of shock could cause the child to stop talking. 
Don’t ask them leading questions. 
Reassure them that they have done the right thing to speak to you. 
Don’t promise to keep their disclosure a secret. 
If age appropriate, explain to the child that you will need to report the abuse to someone who can help. 
Report the abuse immediately to your venue or member body safeguarding officer. If it is an emergency contact the police and / or the local social services team. 
After the disclosure, make a note of what the child has told you in as much detail as you can remember. Try not to make these notes in front of the child. 
Please do not talk to the abuser about the child’s disclosure. Confronting the abuser could make the situation worse for the child.

For more information please see Reporting a problem - British Equestrian

How to use social media

We recommend coaches follow these best practice points when using social media: 

Don’t use your personal accounts for professional purposes. 
Don’t be “friends” with anyone under 18 years old who you coach / have coached on your social media accounts.

Set appropriate privacy levels – remember that others may be able to view children who have ‘liked’ your page or follow you. 
Ensure all posts are professional and avoid posting when angry, emotional or under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 
Update your settings so any posts can be moderated before they are visible on your wall or feed. 
Avoid communication using apps where your messages disappear (e.g. Snapchat) as this could bring into question the content of your messages. 
Always ask for permission before posting photos of under 18s on social media. 
When arranging lessons / coaching with under 18s always ensure you arrange with a responsible adult or ensure an adult is copied into the conversations, for example using WhatsApp group chats.

Using photography and videography safely

Before taking any photographs or videos, make sure you have both the children and their parent or carers written consent. Ensure they are how, where, and for how long the image or video will be used. 

When taking photographs or videos children should be fully and appropriately dressed. 
When publishing a photograph or video, where possible do not include the name of a child whose image or video is being used.
If naming a child or group of children, only use their first names. 
Avoid including other detailed information about children (such as their school, friends and other hobbies and interests) as this information can be used by adults to befriend and groom children.

For more information please see: Running safe events - British Equestrian

Physical contact guidance

There may be a number of circumstances in a sports context when it is appropriate for an adult to touch or have direct physical contact with a child, for example to:

Treat an injury. 
Prevent an injury or accident from occurring.

Always explain the nature and reason for any physical contact, and ask the child’s permission unless it is an emergency. Ensure physical contact takes place in a public setting, and be mindful that well-intentioned gestures (such as putting a hand on a child’s shoulder) can raise questions.

Parents need to feel confident that contact between those running the activities and children are safe and appropriate, adults in sport need confidence that their actions cannot be misconstrued, and children have a right to say what level of contact they are comfortable with. 

For more information please see: Physical contact and young people in sport

Maintain professional boundaries with participants

It is a breach of the coach code of conduct to engage in any form of a relationship with a participant beyond a professional coach/participant one.

This includes participants aged 16 or 17 who are still children as defined by the Children’s Act. Coaches should be mindful of this imbalance in the coaching relationship and ensure they are informed on how to protect young people and themselves.

It is illegal for a sports coach to have a sexual relationship with a 16 or 17 year old child as coaches are contained within the positions of trust legislation. A relationship of this kind is also a clear breach of the coach code of conduct and would always be referred to the local authority for investigation.

For more information, check out our guidance:

Position of Trust Guidance

Supervision at venues

Children under the age of 18 should be supervised by their parent or carer at all times while at a venue. Venues can, at their discretion, reduce this age bracket but should first conduct a clear risk assessment and communicate clearly the point at which supervision responsibilities will be handed back to the parent or carer.

For more information please see: Running safe events - British Equestrian

Transporting children

Where parents or carers transport their own children, or make private arrangements with other parents/carers to deliver or collect their children, they are responsible for their children’s safety and for the suitability of any travel arrangements.

Coaches or other volunteers/organising staff are not encouraged to transport children alone in their vehicles, including horse lorries. Where is it unavoidable that an adult transports a child, below are some of the processes to mitigate risk:

The driver should have agreed to a vetting check (where appropriate) and suitability should be established.
A person other than the planned driver should talk to the child about transport arrangements to check they are comfortable about the plans.
Ensure drivers have valid vehicle insurance, MOT and driving licence prior to carrying any passengers.
The individual should check with their own insurance company if they want to use their vehicle as part of their paid/volunteer role.
When transporting children after an event or training session staff/volunteers should alternate which child is dropped off last. Ideally two children would be dropped off at an agreed point such as one of their family homes.

Drivers must register their vehicle with the organisation.
Parents/carers should be informed of transport arrangements including the person who will be transporting their child, the reasons why and how long the journey will take.
Drivers must only use vehicles with seat belts and ensure that their passengers are wearing these when in transit.
Parents/carers must give written permission if their child is being transported in another adult’s car.

For more information please see: Guidelines on transportation

Camps or overnight stays

Where overnight stays are required:

Children must not go into the rooms occupied by the opposite gender. This would include spaces like a tent or lorry if camping.
Use communal spaces for group activities and downtime.
Children must not engage in inappropriate behaviour or relationships. 
Children must not go into the rooms of anyone over the age of 18. 
Supervisors, or any other adults present on the camp or overnight stay, must not sleep in the same space as any child (the exception to this is if a parent / carer has accompanied their child and opted to share a family room). 
Supervisors, or any other adults present on the trip, must not go into the room of any child unless in an emergency or to conduct a room check. 
Always communicate with parents to ensure they are absolutely clear on the arrangements and ensure consent to those arrangements is obtained.

For more information please see: Safeguarding Risk Assessment for Camps, Overnight stays and International Trips

‘Play Their Way’ app

A ‘Coach in Your Pocket’ tool offers instant access to tips, inspiration and support to make child-first coaching easier and more rewarding.

It'll help coaches put the enjoyment, rights and needs of young people at the heart of their sessions, with the aim of instilling a lifelong love of sport and movement.

What's on offer in the app?

In the app, which is available to download for free from the App Store and Google Play, users can:

ask Joy, an AI coaching assistant, for child-first coaching guidance
explore practical learning, real coach stories and downloadable tools
track progress and unlock badges
stay up to date with events, webinars and new resources
enjoy trusted, child-first content – because all guidance comes from Play Their Way and partner-approved resources.

The personal coaching assistant Joy, can provide ideas specific to a coach's age group, activity or available time. Questions might include: