UK Coaching has launched a toolkit and digital badge to help facilitate good coaching standards and to ensure coaches look after themselves when they return following the easing of coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions.
The Duty to Care Toolkit will be available from UK Coaching’s website and has come to fruition following extensive consultation and support from a range of partners, including Sport England, and coaches across the UK.
Diversity, inclusion, mental health, safeguarding and wellbeing are the five pillars of the toolkit, which will challenge coaches to demonstrate their knowledge of the principles of duty to care.
Once a coach has demonstrated their knowledge, they’ll receive a nationally recognised digital badge for each pillar.
And our executive director for sport, Phil Smith, welcomed the news.
“We are really pleased that this support for coaches is now available, especially with the recent news that recreational and team sport are set to reopen, as coaches are at the heart of helping to get England’s activity levels back to where they were before coronavirus,” he said.
“As we slowly return to playing the sports we love, or maybe start new ones, it is important that people enjoy their first experiences back, and the Duty to Care Toolkit will help coaches have the support they need across the areas of diversity, inclusion, mental health, safeguarding and wellbeing.
“Alongside the advice and guidance we’ve compiled on how the sport and physical activity sector can successfully and safely return to play, this will really help them to provide great experiences and support everyone safely back into activity.”
Five pillars
Diversity, inclusion, wellbeing, mental health and safeguarding.
The development of this toolkit began in parallel to the announcement of findings from Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s Duty of Care in Sport review.
UK Coaching’s plan from the start was to devise a product that ensures coaches are sufficiently equipped to deliver great coaching, inspiring participants to develop lifelong active lifestyles and ensure athlete welfare is at the top of their priority list.
In welcoming the resource, Baroness Grey-Thompson said: “UK Coaching’s toolkit is the right way for coaches – at any stage of their career – to check in, challenge themselves and refuel their coaching skills to keep delivering great coaching experiences.”
There’s no set learning process for the toolkit, allowing coaches to do the free knowledge checks and learning whichever way round they prefer.
Key parts of the training being made available has been established by our funded partners, including Mind’s eLearning platform and Activity Alliance’s Inclusive Activity Programme.
