Avon Tennis is committed to offering a safe and inclusive environment for players, relatives, parents and friends wherever tennis is enjoyed in the County.
As part of the LTA's Minimum Registration Standards, we fully endorse all Clubs appoint a Welfare Officer whose contact details are fully visible both at the club and also on any website. All Welfare Officers should complete Safeguarding training at least every three years as well as being regularly DBS checked.
Prior to completing any course, it is recommended that Welfare Officers check that the course is approved by the LTA. Below is an overview of accepted training; one of the following must be undertaken:
In addition, from 1 October 2022 it is a requirement that all LTA Registered clubs who use the services of Level 2 (and above) coaches are LTA Accredited; which means that they undergo regular safeguarding and first-aid training as well as DBS checks. As part of their Accreditation they personally commit to ongoing coach development. This ongoing Accreditation is monitored by the LTA to ensure there is full compliance.
There is also a dedicated website "Safe to Play" which aims to highlight the role everyone involved in tennis (parents, players, coaches and volunteers) can play in protecting our children and young people; raising awareness of safeguarding to ensure everyone talking part in sport and physical activity has a positive experience. The website can be found using Safe to Play
Avon Tennis adheres to the LTA's Safeguarding policies and procedures which are available via the LTA Safeguarding webpage. From this webpage it is easy to navigate to topics like safeguarding training, criminal record checks, practical tips, reporting a concern, available resources and the minimum club standards.
Avon Tennis' Safeguarding Policy is available via the following link: Avon Tennis - Safeguarding Policy - January 2020
Avon Tennis' County Safeguarding Officers are Ian Alexander and Claire Callaghan and are available to offer advice and guidance when required. Just contact either of them via Contact us
HOWEVER,
if you have a concern or need to report anything, however small, you can:
Please remember at all times, that doing nothing is NOT an option: report all concerns and disclosures as soon as possible.