Designated safeguarding lead (DSL) training for sport and leisure

Training for the designated safeguarding lead in your sports organisation or leisure facility

Have you recently been appointed designated safeguarding lead (DSL) at a leisure facility or sports organisation? Or are you looking to improve your organisation’s safeguarding and child protection practices?

This one-day training course will help you understand your role and responsibilities and develop your confidence in protecting children and young people.

What you’ll learn

During this training course, you’ll learn how to:

describe the role of the DSL and state key areas of responsibility
state your own values regarding child abuse and the impact of these on professional practice
describe key child protection legislation and statutory guidance
identify the additional risks for children with special educational needs and disabilities and the factors that make these children vulnerable
identify the barriers that prevent children and staff from reporting abuse or concerns and how to overcome these
respond effectively to a child who has reported abuse and know what steps to take when concerns about a child have been raised by others
apply skills in managing cases of poor practice and abuse within and outside of sport and leisure
escalate concerns, deal with referrals and navigate the multi-agency protection process
define the role and responsibilities of other designated roles within your organisation
outline the support and information requirements of designated persons within your organisation.

Benefits of the course

Led by specialist trainers who cover the latest legislation and guidance.
Choose your training style: a live virtual online session with an expert trainer or face-to-face on location.
Includes the opportunity to ask the lead trainer any questions you may have and receive direct support and guidance throughout the day.
Provides valuable insight into the various aspects of a designated safeguarding lead’s role and the multi-agency child protection process.
Uses different teaching styles and involves participating in interactive exercises in a group setting.
Apply learning from the course to your organisation’s policy and procedures.
Access resources to help you protect the children and young people in your sports setting.
Receive a personalised certificate of achievement upon completion of the course.
Income generated from the sale of our training courses is reinvested back into the NSPCC to help protect children.

98%

of our customers would recommend NSPCC training

* We received 35,644 evaluation forms from people who had taken our elearning courses between 1st April 2023 - 31st March 2024. 35,074 (98.4%) said they would recommend the course they had taken.

Who are these courses for?

This training course is for anyone who is currently a designated safeguarding lead (DSL) in England or Wales and works with children and young people in the sport or leisure sector.

The DSL training course is aimed at individuals who are looking to familiarise themselves better with the DSL role. You might be new to the role or have recently transitioned into it.

People who have taken these courses include:

designated safeguarding lead officers
deputy designated safeguarding lead officers
senior managers in sport with responsibility for the DSL
organisation board members with safeguarding responsibility
people who wanted to ensure their organisation could respond effectively to a safeguarding concern.

If you don’t work in the sport or leisure sector but are responsible for safeguarding and child protection in your organisation, see our designated lead training in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Your learning options

All NSPCC Learning courses are up-to-date with the latest information about legislation, guidance and best practice, and provide a certificate of achievement.

And it doesn’t stop there. As experts in safeguarding and child protection, we have a range of further information, training and downloadable resources to help you protect the children you work with.

Live virtual training benefits

Remote sessions delivered live by expert trainers.
Share your ideas, experience and learning virtually with participants from a wide range of sport and leisure organisations.
Receive real-time feedback.
Learn from the comfort of your own home or office.
No travel costs.
Participate in interactive exercises and get direct support and guidance as you learn.

Face-to-face training

Currently, face-to-face training for this course is only available for group bookings. Please email cpsu@nspcc.org.uk to discuss your needs.

Why take your training with the NSPCC?

At the NSPCC, we work to keep children and young people safe from abuse and neglect every day.

As experts in safeguarding and child protection, we understand the issues organisations and people working with children can face. That’s why professionals trust us to provide the support, training and resources they need to help protect the children and young people they work with.

Our highly rated training courses are developed by experts. We work with a number of organisations, experienced consultants and subject matter experts in a range of sectors to develop courses that are clear, easy-to-use, up-to-date and in line with the latest statutory guidance, and tailored to your needs.

And as a charity, income generated from the sale of our training courses is reinvested back into the NSPCC to help protect children.

Technical requirements for live virtual training

We use Zoom Pro to deliver our live virtual training.

You’ll need to sign up to Zoom and agree to the Zoom Privacy Notice in order to attend virtual training.
No confidential or sensitive data should be shared during the virtual event.
In order to take your training securely – and for the best possible experience – please use Zoom version 5.0 or above.
We recommend installing the latest version of your web browser before beginning your course. Prior to the event, you can test your internet connection at https://zoom.us/test.
Your trainer will contact you prior to your training date with details of how to log in on the day of your session and setting up Zoom. You can also visit the Zoom website for technical support.