I am Case manager at Centre for Ethics in Sport. We help athletes and clubs to deal with concerns on integrity in sport. In Flanders every sports federation has a legal obligation to install a safeguarding officer. If cases get complicated we are there as a support for them. We give advice on next steps, provide them with legal or disciplinary information, or just give feedback on their ideas.

Next to the case management, we’re doing policy work on ethical topics. We advise clubs, federations and Flemish Government on ethics and integrity in Sport. From bullying, over physical, sexual or psychological abuse, to match fixing, parental involvement in sport and fair play. On all of these topics we provide training for coaches, professionals and volunteers in sport.

The Centre for Ethics in Sport has developed a Flag System for dealing with safeguarding concerns in sport, standards for integrity policies in Flemish clubs and federations, and tools for coaches on several ethical topics.

Main (personal/organisational) achievements in the field of safe sport

• Development of Flag System for Sport
• Training of club coaches and safeguarding officers
• Development of the first standards for an integrity policy for sport government bodies in Flanders

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I have been working with young people in paid and voluntary capacities for all of my adult life. I have worked as a youth worker, safeguarding officer and sports coach.

In my current role as National Safeguarding Officer, I am responsible for ensuring that our organisation keeps everyone who avails of our services safe. We provide opportunities for children and young people with various physical disabilities to play sport at the level that they wish to. I am a member of the IWA-Sport National Sports Executive Committee. This committee which is a sub-committee of the Board of Directors provides governance for our organisation and my role is to provide advice and guidance from a child safeguarding perspective. I oversee the responses to all safeguarding cases, ensure our policies and resources are up to date and fully implemented and I ensure that our training is delivered to the highest standard.

I am a member of the Sport Ireland National Children in Sport Group. This group provides advice and support to the work of the Sport Ireland Ethics Unit. I have provided a perspective of children and young people with disabilities. Sport Ireland is the statutory authority that oversees and partly funds the development of sport within Ireland.

Main (personal/organisational) achievements in the field of safe sport

• We have implemented the Keeping You Safe in IWA resource which is a child friendly version of our child protection policy to promote positive messages to empower children to have safer sport
• We have implemented a national structure of Child Safeguarding Statements across the network of clubs in line with the Children First Act 2015
• We are currently supporting all of our clubs to complete Sport Ireland Club Safeguarding Self-Audit process
• We have designed and implemented a Youth Leadership Programme providing training and mentoring for young leaders across our organisation
• We successfully hosted the IWAS Youth World Games in 2018

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I have worked for more than 30 years in the area of (child) safeguarding in Ireland.

My current role as Safeguarding Manager for the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), Ireland’s largest sports organisation, involves overall coordination and development of our Child Safeguarding and Protection policies including safeguarding training development, vetting of personnel who work with children and investigation and cooperation on child abuse referrals with relevant statutory authorities. I advise our governing body and our Officers on all matters pertaining to child safeguarding and protection in Ireland and worldwide.

In addition to my work above, I deliver the core Child Protection module at Griffith College Dublin (3rd Level College - arts and drama students) and I have been appointed as a member of the University of Limerick Advisory Board for Sports Law and Administration Research Cluster.

Main (personal/organisational) achievements in the field of safe sport

• Development of a updated Code of Behaviour for those who work with children in our Gaelic Games Associations worldwide - applicable now in Ireland, Britain, Europe, USA, Asia, Europe, Asia, Canada, Middle East and Australasia where our games continue to prosper year on year
• Agreement with our sister Gaelic Games Associations that we all abide by the same set of child safeguarding policies and codes in Ladies Gaelic Football and Camogie 
• The GAA was the first Irish Sports Association to develop an anti-bullying in sports programme titled GAA Tackling Bullying  which we have now shared with other sports NGBs
• The GAA has recently recruited a Diversity and Inclusion Officer and will shortly publish a policy document relevant to that role
• One of the major learnings from the Covid pandemic was the need to develop additional strategies and training opportunities via social media platforms so as to maintain the necessary levels of communication and supports for our membership. As a result of the pandemic restrictions the GAA has now developed all safeguarding training so as to enable delivery of this training for coaches, parents, children, referees and for those who deal with allegations of abuse both as virtual/online programmes and as in-person training

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Since 2012, I’ve been responsible for the work against sexual harassment and abuse in Norwegian sport, as staff member of The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF).

Previously, from 2007, I was responsible for NIFs work against homophobia (LGBT-related policies), and was also a member of the working-group that developed the (revised) guidelines to prevent sexual harassment and abuse in sport in Norway.

My daily work would include giving advice to sport clubs, athletes, federations, parents, and others, in cases relating to sexual harassment and abuse, as well as to develop the organisations policies and procedures in handling cases concerning sexual harassment and abuse. I also work with diversity/anti-discrimination, and with establishing structures for safeguarding, whistleblowing, and ethical and safe sport in general.

My background includes work against racism in a Norwegian NGO, in elected positions in the national youth council, as well as in student and school-student-organisations, and internationally as a Bureau Member of the European Youth Forum 1998-2002 and, through this, as participant in numerous youth-related seminars and programmes by the EU, CoE and UN.

Main (personal/organisational) achievements in the field of safe sport

• Part of the working group writing the current Guidelines against Sexual Harassment and Abuse in Sport for Norway (2010)
• Main responsible for the current Guide for dealing with cases regarding sexual harassment and abuse for Norway (2017)
• Part of the working group developing “Ethical and Safe Sport” in Norway (2019-today)
• One of two Project Co-ordinators for the Child Safeguarding in Sport project in Norway 2020 – 2022
• Contribution to the IOC work on Safe Sport as part of Safe Sport Teams at Youth Olympic Games 2016 (Lillehammer) and 2018 (Buenos Aires), part of Virtual Task Force for the IOC Safeguarding Toolkit (2017), presenter at the Athlete Safeguarding (2019) and Gender Equality (2020) webinar series

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Graduated in Law (Master Law School), I am Legal Director, managing the French NOC (CNOSF) Legal Department.

I am in charge of Educational programs to prevent and fight against violence and discriminations in national sport Federations, French delegations in international sport events (Olympic Games, European Youth Olympic Festivals – gathering minors, World Games, Mediterranean Games…etc.). I produced educational tools aimed at young athletes based on IOC guidelines.

As Director of the Legal Department, I have been coordinating the production of videos, communication materials and tools to raise awareness on this important issue. In the framework of these activities, I am overseeing a set of activities undertaken by the French NOC and ensuring a smooth coordination of all services that might have a role in safeguarding children in Sport activities.

Along with French NOC medical staff, I organise meetings for children who will participate to the European Youth Olympic Festivals. In order to prevent or deal with any abuse during the event, I have set a specific protection process for victims.

Besides my activities at the French NOC, I have been elected at the FEI Tribunal (Equestrian International Federation), dealing with cases of sexual harassment among other topics.

Main (personal / organisational) achievements in the field of safe sport

• Organising webinars with National federations’ referees on legal aspects of sexual harassment cases
• Creating communication materials and toolkits to prevent sexual violence at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (Click here to watch our video)
• Preparing a new seminar for 2022 on necessary steps towards the investigation of cases of abuse and violence in sport
• Leading a dedicated workshop for raising-awareness of minor athletes competing at the upcoming European Youth Olympic Festival at Vuokatti in Finland (Event organised by the European Olympic Committees)

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Law graduate and Project Manager at Barça Foundation since 2007, after several years involved in the technical secretary of the grassroots football area and amateur sports of FC Barcelona.

From 2016, Coordinator of the prevention of violence programmes, especially leading the program of prevention of bullying at primary schools, with scientifically proven effectiveness. Additionally, Laura is one of the lead trainer for the bullying prevention in sport program.

She is a member of the child safeguarding team of the FC Barcelona and FC Barcelona Foundation, in charge of reviewing the child safeguarding policy documents and implementing the policy in the club (football area, professional sports, amaters sports, barça academies, etc.), as well as in the programs of Barça Foundation in Catalonia and around the world.  She is also part of the trainers team of child safeguarding policy.

Laura is also one of the two Protection Delegates of the Barça Foundation, in charge of ensuring the implementation of the child safeguarding policy, organize the trainings and manage the requests though the FC Barcelona Foundation channels.

Main (personal/organizational) achievements in the field of safe sport

• Antibullying programme in schools
• Prevention of bullying in sport program, based on the specific methodology of the Barça Foundation that offers teachings and a manual for the detection of bullying in sports, as well as tools to prevent bullying based on values education, emotions and social skills, educational guidelines to redirect exclusionary behaviours and criteria and protocols for action in the event of bullying. It is addressed to sport and education universities, clubs, and sport staff
• Research: “Bullying and cyberbullying in grassroots clubs in Catalonia” 

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I am a retired police officer with 31 years public service, the majority within specialist public protection roles. This includes national working groups and international safeguarding deployment with the National Crime Agency.

I have been the Lead Safeguarding Officer for Welsh Cricket for over 10 years and currently work with Cricket Wales, Glamorgan County Cricket Club and the England and Wales Cricket Board to safeguard children from 5 years through to the professional game.

I am chair or attendee of a number of British NGB Case Management Groups. I run my own safeguarding company conducting policy/process review, investigations, case reviews, bespoke or off the shelf training and general safeguarding support.

I have recently worked with: Ann Craft Trust, Badminton Wales, British Dodgeball, British Gymnastics, British Rowing, Canoe Wales, Cardiff City FC Community Foundation, Cycling UK, Disability Sport Wales, England Boxing, GB Snowsport, National Outdoor Partnership, RYA, Sport Resolutions, Squash Wales, Table Tennis Wales, Torfaen Leisure Trust, Wales Golf, Welsh Cycling, Welsh Gymnastics, Welsh Sports Association.

Main (personal / organisational) achievements in the field of safe sport

• Embedding safeguarding within Welsh Cricket, starting from nothing in 2011 to ‘embedded’ status in 2015
• Nominated by my peers (and winning national award) as NSPCC CPSU Safeguarding Star 2016
• Achieving all party support in resolving a complex and sensitive 3-year-old complaint for a major sport relating to a safeguarding matter 
• Providing specialist support on a pro-bono basis regarding sexual offender risk management and assessment to Welsh Sports.  This is a particular area of expertise and I still volunteer in the statutory environment in this field of work
• Working alongside Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson and others to affect change to Position of Trust legislation. This has been a long battle and we are nearly there, with a change in UK legislation currently going through Parliament

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