Safeguarding Standards for LTA Venue Registration
Making tennis and padel safe and open to all
As the governing body of tennis and padel in Britain, it's our duty to promote the safety of all those who play, volunteer and support tennis and padel in this country. The LTA is therefore committed to supporting and enabling LTA registered venues to ensure that safeguarding standards are upheld.
These standards apply to all venues but please see the Venue Registration portal for details of exact requirements for your venue type.
This is a positive move and one which will help support venues in creating a safe, accessible, enjoyable and welcoming environment for everyone.
Coach Accreditation Requirements and Safeguarding Standards
As of Autumn 2022, it is a requirement for all Level 2-5 coaches (which includes LTA Level 2, LTA instructor, overseas or external tennis and padel coaching qualifications), who are delivering coaching activity at LTA Registered venues to be LTA Accredited.
Registered Venues should ensure the requirement for LTA Coach Accreditation is built into the robust coach recruitment processes that venues will have in place.
What's in it for my venue?
- Knowledge that your venue is playing its part in making our sport a safe, secure, accessible and welcoming environment for all.
- Confidence that you're meeting duty of care obligations for those playing, socialising, working or volunteering at your venue.
- Exclusive benefits – including access to the LTA Wimbledon Ballot; ClubSpark; Public Liability Insurance; and LTA funding support, programmes and initiatives.
What do we need to have in place?
To be eligible for LTA registration, venues must meet the 5 Safeguarding Standards.
Please watch our venue walkthrough video to see how these standards may look in practice.
Venue Safeguarding Standards
Venues should proactively complete the Self Assessment document to identify areas of good practice and improvement required to meet the safeguarding standards:
Completing this in your own time will enable you to ensure you have things in place for venue registration and support you through the venue safeguarding support visit process when you are contacted by your Regional Safeguarding Officer.
As an LTA registered venue, you have access to support and advice from your County Safeguarding Officer who will happily help with any queries you may have about the safeguarding standards.
This toolkit provides supporting links and documents, including policy templates and posters relevant to some of the individual standards. Detailed guidance of the standards is available within the safeguarding standards for LTA registered venues guide and should be used in conjunction with the self-assessment document and toolkit below:
Have a set of clear safeguarding policies that have been implemented within the venue.
1.1
Inclusion and diversity policy
Changing room policy (Please note if your venue does not have changing rooms, this policy is not a requirement)
Online safety and communication policy
Photography and filming policy
1.3
Events, activities and competitions guidance
1.5
Ensure that there is strong awareness within the venue of safeguarding, the requisite policies and how to report a concern.
2.2
2.3
2.5
For more information and the answers to frequently asked questions you can check out the ClubSpark help page.
2.6
How to update your ClubSpark website, comms and booking confirmations.
2.7
2.9
Welfare Officer Poster for park sites
2.10
Have a Welfare Officer who has undergone the necessary training, is engaged in their role and collaborating with others in the venue to embed a positive safeguarding culture.
3.3
Safeguarding training for committees
Safeguarding example agenda item
3.5
Here's the link to our Report a Concern page to add to your venue website and other promotional material.
Ensure that relevant roles within the venue have completed a satisfactory criminal records check and that any coaches qualified to Level 2 or above are LTA Accredited or Accredited+.
4.1
Learn more about coach accreditation.
4.2
Discover more about becoming a Welfare Officer.
How to maintain the role of Welfare Officer
4.3
Find and book Welfare Officer training.
4.4
Find and book safeguarding training - including Izzey’s story.
4.5/4.6/4.7
Your guide to DBS and criminal record checks.
4.9
Find more information about Coach Deployment Principals.
4.10
Find more infomation about coaching and venue relationships – including contracts and agreements.
Ensure that safeguarding is embedded into the venue’s operations and safeguarding risks are considered when running activities and events.
5.3 and 5.4