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Safeguarding is one of BaseballSoftballUK’s key responsibilities in relation to the two sports. BaseballSoftballUK’s role is to establish proper safeguarding policies and procedures, ensuring that everyone can play the sports safely and free from harm. This section of our site contains information on how safeguarding can and is applied to baseball and softball in the U.K. 

This page was last updated November 2025

What is Safeguarding?  

Safeguarding is a vital process that protects children and adults from harm, abuse, and neglect. The safety and wellbeing of adults and children in sport is important as it provides a safe space in which to play sport and be active. A key part of safeguarding is spreading the message about keeping participants, especially children, safe and building a culture of always acting in the best interest of all children.

Sport can have a powerful and positive influence on its participants, especially young people. Not only can it provide opportunities for enjoyment and achievement, it can also develop valuable lifelong skills and qualities, including positive self-esteem, leadership and teamwork. However, these positives can only occur if the sport is in the right hands – under the protection of those who place the welfare of all participants first and adopt practices that support, protect and empower them. 

The reality, however, is that abuse does sometimes take place in sport, and in some cases, coaches and other trusted adults have been convicted of criminal offences and/or disciplined by the National Governing Body (NGB) of their sport. 

The British Baseball Federation (BBF), the British Softball Federation (BSF) and BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK) are committed to working together and in partnership with all relevant agencies to ensure that all three bodies fulfil the legal and moral obligations to safeguard and promote the welfare of all participants, and specifically young people and adults at risk. 

Safeguarding Requirements 

The following requirements apply to all BBF, BSF and Development Chartered organisations and cover all formats and disciplines of baseball and softball. These requirements are effective from 1st March 2026 and will be rolled out from then.

An organisation is defined as: a single team club; a multiple team club; an adult baseball or softball league; a national team; or a regional or national baseball or softball body.  

General Regulations:

  • All organisations are required to appoint a Safeguarding Officer.(In a tournament environment, the host organisation is responsible for safeguarding; any team that forms for a single tournament is therefore covered by the host's safeguarding provision.)

  • Parental permission forms must be completed annually, prior to the start of any play or training, for all youth players. 

  • Safeguarding Training to be completed by all:

    • Coaches
    • Softball Captains
    • Umpires
    • Safeguarding/Welfare Officers
    • Club Officials
    • National Team Management (Coaches, Officials, SO officer, Managers and support staff)
    • Federation Officials
    • BSUK Staff
  • DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks to be completed for all  
    • Coaches
    • Softball captains
    • Umpires
    • Safeguarding /Welfare Officers
    • National Team Management (Coaches, Officials, SO officer, Managers and support staff)
    • Federation Officials
    • BSUK Staff

DBS Checks need to be renewed annually, so all parties should subscribe to the update service. (Note 18/11: the list for DBS checks was corrected to reflect the requirements which are shown in the table below)

Safeguarding training certificates and DBS certificates must be uploaded and verified in Sport:80. 

Sport:80 is used to manage the admin of all certificates and will inform/remind users when their documentation needs renewing.

  • Safeguarding training certificate (every 3 years)
  • DBS certificate (Yearly). If subscribed to the update services, these details should be added to the record so that checks can be made by BSUK annually without the need for a new application.  
  • First Aid (every 3 years) 

All BBF members have a Sport:80 account to manage their membership. For users who are not BBF members, a free account can be created to manage these certifications only. 

Any member without the necessary certificates can be refused access to any activities until it is completed and verified.  BSUK will perform spot checks as needed and inform Federations of non-compliance if found.

Obtaining Safeguarding Certification

All parties listed need to undertake Safeguarding Training Part 1 (online training), available FREE from the link below 

https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/courses/safeguarding/safeguarding-in-sport/

The following parties will also need to complete part 2, Safe on Base training provided by BSUK. Safe on Base training must be completed within a year of registering/taking up a post.

  • Coaches/Captains with youth players.
  • Safeguarding/ Welfare Officers
  • National Team Management
  • Federation Officials
  • BSUK Staff

There is no need to complete new training if you have already completed safeguarding training, within the last 3 years. If it has lapsed an online refresher course will be required to become 're-qualified'. 

Safe On Base courses are a 3-hour face to face virtual course on Teams, these are run in the off-season January to April each year and are advertised across Sport:80, sport social channels and BSUK comms and website.  They are open to all.  Alternatively, email welfare@bsuk.com post season to find out when the next course will be.  Safe on Base courses are Free for Federation registered members.

Obtaining DBS checks

DBS checks are available all year, email welfare@bsuk.com to request a form to be sent out to you.  The form should be completed, returned to BSUK for checks. It will be sent to the DBS service. The DBS document will be sent to the user for uploading into Sport:80

All parties listed have 3 months from date of appointment/registration/affiliation to complete these checks – unless their role specifically needs his as a requirement to start in position, eg Safeguarding/Welfare offices.

The following requirements also apply to National Team Programmes and groups intending to stay overnight, away from home:

  • National Team coaches cannot take up position until a DBS check has been completed. 
  • A Safeguarding Officer must be appointed for the organisation; they must be properly trained, and their contact details registered with BaseballSoftballUK. 
  • A trained and registered Safeguarding Officer must travel with any group staying overnight, regardless of destination (domestic or international). 
  • A Travelling Team Details Form shall be submitted to BaseballSoftballUK at least seven days prior to any trips involving overnight stays. This is required so that BaseballSoftballUK holds trip and contact details in order to create a risk assessment and assist in an emergency. 

This is the service that BaseballSoftballUK offers for travelling teams to provide full assistance 24/7 for all teams travelling abroad; to assist, if needed, if an emergency occurs; and to provide a 'hotline'-type service for parents/family members. 

Safeguarding Requirements: Who Needs What

  Safeguarding Training Level 1 Safeguarding Training Level 2 (Safe on Base) DBS check
All Coaches YES YES (BBF)/Optional (BSF) YES
*Coaches with Youth Players YES YES YES
Softball Captains/Team Managers YES Optional YES
*Softball Captains with Youth Players YES YES YES
Umpires YES Optional YES
Safeguarding/Welfare Officers YES YES YES
Club Officials YES Optional Optional
National Team Management YES YES YES
Federation Officials YES YES YES
BSUK Staff YES YES YES

 

The above table shows the minimum requirements, Federations may impose additional enhanced requirements on membership.  The rollout of coach membership will make Safeguarding Level 2 mandatory for ALL coaches (in 2027).

The policy is live effective from 1st March 2026.  However, in the first year, we recognise that not everyone will have been able to be trained or checked before the effective date of policy. The policy includes time periods for obtaining the necessary checks and training from date of registration/affiliation and this will be applied as follows:

  • Register with the Federation or appointed to position before 1 March 2026 (for the 2026 season).  You must have done your DBS checks and Level 1 training by 31 May 2026 and your Level 2 training by 28 Feb 2027
  • Register with the Federation (or be appointed to a new position) after 1 March 2026. You have 3 months to obtain Level 1 training and a DBS check and 12 months for your Level 2 training from the date of your registration/appointment.

Full details of what is required by each organisation can be found in the Safeguarding Policy. 

Download

Safeguarding Adults

BaseballSoftballUK also safeguards Adults at Risk. The criteria for Safeguarding Adults is very different to Safeguarding (Children), and if you would like more information on what constitutes an Adult at Risk, please visit the Ann Craft Trust (Safeguarding Adults leaders in UK) website.

The BSUK Safeguarding Adults policy can be downloaded here

If you have a concern about an Adult at Risk, please contact the Safeguarding team at BSUK, who will be able to discuss and advise further.

BSUK recommends all coaches take Safeguarding Adult training and an introduction online course (cost £25 per person) can be obtained here

For Safeguarding Officers, we recommend the Safeguarding Adults in Sport Setting Club Standards course (cost £10 per person).

The Safeguarding procedures on this website have been produced to offer guidance to all those involved with baseball and softball (including employed staff, volunteers, administrators, coaches, officials, parents and players) to help them implement safeguarding best practices with regard to recruitment of staff and volunteers, anti-bullying, use of social media and planning events and competitions.

BaseballSoftballUK Safeguarding Team

Mark Caress

Safeguarding Lead

 Email Mark

Call

Reporting Concerns 

Our Reporting Concerns Flowchart shows what to do if you think abuse is taking place. If you want to report a concern, please use our online form. 

Report

For more information or clarification on safeguarding issues, please contact BaseballSoftballUK on

020 7453 7055

or send us an

Email

Safeguarding Advice for Club Recruitment

Volunteers keep grassroots sports running and are a valuable asset to any club.  But how do you know the people in your club are who they say they are?

By following the simple steps below, you can help keep your club a safe environment.

New volunteers for roles involving contact with children and young people under 18 years old should:

  • Complete a DBS check. This is vital if the person will be working with children, optional if not working in regulated activity. See the section on DBS checks for more information.  Once completed, the check will be sent directly to the volunteer, so they will need to show you the result. 
  • Complete a Self-Declaration Form. - Download
  • Ensure they work with someone else whenever possible.  

You should obtain references for all new volunteers, just like you would if it was a paid employee.

Don’t let the volunteer start until all of the above steps have been completed.  A good volunteer will understand what you are doing and will allow the necessary time, which could amount to 3-4 weeks for all checks to be completed and results acquired.

Recruitment checks should be completed on all club volunteers, not just Safeguarding Officers, coaches, managers etc.

Role Descriptions

It is a good idea to outline a role description for the job you would like a volunteer to do and provide this to them.  Volunteers generally perform better if they have a clear understanding of their responsibilities and what they are expected to be doing.

Below are some examples of common role descriptions that you can use to help with recruitment. As all clubs are slightly different, you should amend to suit your club as required.

Club Safeguarding Officer
Club Coach
Assistant Coach
Club Secretary
Club Treasurer

Volunteers

Our clubs and leagues are at the heart of people’s experience of playing baseball and softball – coaching, facilities and competition are all centred around them. Over 10 million adults in England play sport in a club or league environment, and the roles performed by volunteers are vital to the success of our clubs and our sports.  It is in the interest of our sports to ensure that volunteers are supported in their roles and given the recognition and respect their commitment deserves.

Why pitch in and volunteer?

Volunteering can be a great way to meet new people, learn new skills, gain valuable experience, and hopefully have fun along the way!  There are lots of benefits to pitching in:

  • Building self-esteem and confidence
  • Learning and developing new skills such as leadership, communication and teamwork
  • Getting great work experience and boosting your CV
  • Being active and improving your health and well-being
  • Meeting new people and broadening your social network
  • Making a difference and putting something back into the community in which you live, work or study
  • Having fun!

The opportunities to get involved are many and varied. There could be opportunities in your local club or league or through organising baseball or softball where you work or study. Get in touch here if you are keen to get involved.

Guide to DBS Checks

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks enable organisations that provide opportunities or services for children and adults at risk to access information to assist in recruitment decisions. The check will show the club if an individual has any convictions relating to abusing children or adults at risk (and sexual offences) and will show if an individual is barred from working with children. 

BaseballSoftballUK is a registered body with the DBS and is able to administer checks on behalf of clubs and teams affiliated with the British Baseball Federation or British Softball Federation and all Charter members. 

Who requires an enhanced DBS check? 

  • Those people who are in a position where they are regularly responsible for children and young people, e.g. club officers 
  • Coaches who work with children (all BaseballSoftballUK Licenced Coaches are DBS-checked) 
  • Safeguarding Officers within clubs, leagues and national team programmes 

​For full details of who requires a DBS check, please download DBS Guidance for Clubs from the DBS Documentation section below. 

Frequency of completing a DBS check - DBS checks must be completed annually. 

Once you receive your DBS Check - The result of the DBS check is sent directly to the person who applied, so once received, the check must be shown to the club and a copy sent to BaseballSoftballUK for them to keep on file.  

BaseballSoftballUK must get a copy of all checks completed. 

How Do You Apply? 

Members of clubs should contact the BaseballSoftballUK office to apply for a DBS check. This can be done by email or by calling us.

Email Phone

It is important that you fill in the DBS form correctly, as any errors will result in the form being returned to you and the checking process being delayed. Guidelines are provided with the form when you fill it in, and the BaseballSoftballUK Safeguarding Lead can help answer any questions you have. 

You must also read and sign the DBS Privacy Policy Declaration sheet and return it with your completed DBS form. Applications will not be processed unless the signed declaration sheet is included. 

What Does It Cost? 

The enhanced DBS check is free for volunteers. 

 

Portability Of Previous Checks

Generally, BaseballSoftballUK is not able to accept DBS disclosure certificates from other organisations. DBS checks are not currently transferable unless the individual is signed up to the update service and the original DBS check that was carried out checked the same information as BaseballSoftballUK would check.  Please talk to us to see if we can accept your check carried out by another party.

For further information, visit the Government's DBS website and read our DBS Guidance for Clubs (in the section below).

DBS Documentation

DBS Guidance for Clubs.
DBS Checks Essentials.
DBS Checks - Responsible Person Information. 
Continuation sheet for the DBS form.
DBS Update Service. 

External Resources

The following resources may be helpful to your club; however, please note that BSUK is not responsible for the content of these resources and has listed them as a resource rather than guidance or policy.