CHILD SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM STANDARDS IN SPORT
The primary objective of the PROTECHILD Project is to minimise safety risks encountered in all settings where sports and physical activity services are provided to children, ensure the effective implementation of child safeguarding procedures at the operational level, and create inclusive and safe sporting environments for children.
In line with this vision, the Project is committed to achieving the following specific objectives under the framework of the Child Safety Management System in Sport:
“Raising Standards” Through Quality Standards and Management Guidelines
To address legal and administrative gaps within the sector, we are developing internationally recognised quality standards, child-friendly policies, and management guidelines designed to institutionalise administrative processes in all settings where sports services are provided to children.
“Building Capacity” Through a Sector-Specific Training Infrastructure
We provide digital and in-person training modules and guidance documents for managers, coaches, instructors, volunteers, and families within the sports ecosystem, with the aim of maximising institutional awareness of child safeguarding and raising sector-wide awareness.
“Empowering Children” Through Risk Analysis, Audits, and Workshops
Through the Child Safety Compliance and Risk Analysis Survey in Sport, we assess the institutional, physical, and psychological risks faced by organisations. At the same time, field workshops will help children develop self-protection skills in sporting environments and learn about their rights.
“Establishing a Sustainable Model” Through International Accreditation
We are testing the Child Safety Management System through pilot implementations in Türkiye, Greece, and Croatia. Institutions that successfully complete the process will be awarded the Child Safety Management Certificate in Sports Services, helping to establish a lasting and internationally accredited model for a culture of child safeguarding in sport.
The PROTECHILD Project, numbered ERASMUS-SPORT-2025-SSCP-101243746, is co-funded by the European Union’s European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).
DSR SUPERKID, a leading sports organisation based in Zagreb, Croatia, operates as a non-profit organisation delivering professional sports programmes focused particularly on the physical and social development of children aged 3–10. With its expertise in child-centred sports education and child safeguarding standards, it plays a strategic role in the PROTECHILD Project.
Institutional Competencies and Role in PROTECHILD
Field Integration and Testing Processes: By mobilising its extensive network of kindergartens, primary schools, and local sports clubs, DSR SUPERKID leads the field testing of the child safeguarding standards developed within the project.
Pilot Implementation Coordination: As the leader of WP3, Pilot Implementations and Policy Testing, it coordinates the Croatian implementation of the Child Safety Compliance and Risk Analysis Survey in Sport.
Strong International Academic Network: DSR SUPERKID maintains strong partnerships with leading institutions such as the University of Zagreb Faculty of Kinesiology and the Croatian Olympic Committee.
Hellas For Us (HFA), a civil society organisation based in Athens, Greece, implements international projects in the fields of youth mobility, social inclusion, education, and sustainable development. Advocating the unifying power of sport and its impact on social development, the organisation plays a key role in cross-border cooperation and capacity-building processes within the PROTECHILD Project.
Institutional Competencies and Role in PROTECHILD
Field Assessment and Risk Analysis: Through its extensive local youth and sports network in Greece, HFA assesses existing child safeguarding measures in sports facilities and actively contributes to identifying institutional safety gaps.
Pilot Implementation Coordination: HFA manages the Greek implementation of the Child Safety Compliance and Risk Analysis Survey in Sport and coordinates the field integration and testing of the system across 10 selected pilot sports settings.
International Dissemination and Awareness-Raising: HFA leads the Europe-wide dissemination of the guidance documents, institutional policies, and digital training modules developed within the project, while also promoting the accreditation processes at the international level.
🌐 Official Hellas For Us Website: hellasforus.gr
1. Institutional Infrastructure and Strategic Planning Processes
We successfully completed the initial planning phase by integrating the project’s management structure and transparent communication strategy into institutional standards. Following the Information Meeting held to ensure coordination among our partners, we strengthened the project’s management infrastructure by integrating workflow processes into digital platforms.
2. International PROTECHILD Stakeholder Workshop – Istanbul
We organised a comprehensive two-day Best Practice Sharing Workshop in Istanbul, attended by nine delegates from Türkiye (IAC), Greece (HFA), and Croatia (CMB).
Day 1 – Current Situation and International Models: After analysing the legal child safeguarding frameworks of the partner countries, we conducted a comprehensive review of seven major international reference programmes and digital decision-support tools, including SIGGS 3.0, the United Nations Child Safeguarding Procedures, the IOC Safeguarding Toolkit, KCSS, PCSOS, GUARD, Safer Play (UEFA), and UIPM.
Day 2 – Strategic Outputs and Roadmap: Based on the results of the comparative analysis, we prioritised the key elements to be integrated into the project. We finalised the dimensions, scoring methodology, and implementation roadmap for the Child Safety Compliance and Risk Analysis Survey in Sport, which forms the cornerstone of our system.
We also reached an agreement on the content structure and learning objectives of three core training modules to be developed for coaches, sports managers, and parents, and approved the timeline for the upcoming work packages.
📸 Our International Workshop Held in Istanbul
3. Sectoral Publications, Digital Media Production, and Pilot Field Implementations
We implemented strategic field activities to ensure that the system standards reach wider audiences and achieve international institutional visibility:
PROTECHILD Dissemination Handbook: We officially published the Communication, Dissemination and Visibility Plan, which defines the project’s communication methodology and visibility standards for all stakeholders.
Digital Media and Academic Content Production: To communicate the theoretical foundations of the Child Safety Management System to the wider public, we developed and published specialised institutional content in Turkish and English that addresses the concepts of Children, Safety, Culture, Safety Culture, and its Dimensions from a scientific perspective.
PROTECHILD Digital Media and Academic Content Set on Child Safety Culture in Sport
Field Analyses and Pilot Institution Activities: As part of European Youth Week, we conducted a Digital Research and Field Analysis Campaign based on World Health Organization (WHO) standards. To test and institutionalise the effectiveness of our system in practice, we selected 10 pilot sports settings in each partner country and officially launched the institutional risk analysis processes.
📸 Details of our official institutional publications, guideline announcements, and launch videos of our pilot facilities are now available on our Instagram account!