Welcome to CoachGuard

If you are a parent, guardian, or carer, you are trusting other adults with your child in a setting that matters. Sport and physical activity can be brilliant for children, but the basics still apply: the adults in charge should be suitable, trained, and properly supported.

CoachGuard exists to make safeguarding and coach verification clearer, more consistent, and more visible for families and clubs across the UK.

What is CoachGuard

CoachGuard is a UK safeguarding and coach-verification platform for children’s sports clubs.

In plain terms, it helps clubs keep key safeguarding information organised and up to date, and helps families see that a club is taking safeguarding seriously.

That typically includes things like:

• Whether coaches have the right checks in place (for example, DBS where required)

• Whether coaches hold relevant qualifications for their role

• Whether safeguarding training is in place and current

• Whether the club has clear safeguarding policies and reporting routes

• Whether expectations for behaviour and conduct are set out and understood

Different sports and organisations have different requirements, so CoachGuard is built to support clubs in showing what they do have in place, clearly and consistently.

Why this matters for parents

Most clubs are run by good people trying to do the right thing. The problem is not usually intention, it is inconsistency.

Parents often struggle to get straightforward answers to basic questions:

• Who is responsible for safeguarding here?

• What checks and training do coaches have?

• What is the process if a child feels uncomfortable, or something does not look right?

• How do I raise a concern, and who will deal with it?

Those are reasonable questions. A well-run club should expect them and welcome them.

A quick note on DBS

A DBS check can be an important part of safer recruitment, but it is not the full picture.

It does not tell you whether someone is a good coach, whether they understand safeguarding, or whether a club has the right culture and reporting systems in place. Safeguarding is wider than a single check. It is about good standards, clear boundaries, and reliable processes.

What parents should reasonably expect from a children’s sports club

You should be able to find, or be given, clear answers to these without hassle:

• A named safeguarding lead (and how to contact them)

• A safeguarding policy that is easy to access

• Clear guidance on how concerns are raised and handled

• Coaches who are appropriately checked and trained for their role

• Sensible supervision, ratios, and behaviour standards

• A club culture where questions are not treated as an inconvenience

This aligns with established UK safeguarding principles and guidance used across youth settings, including sport.

Why transparency helps everyone

When safeguarding is organised and visible:

• Parents feel more confident about where they are sending their child

• Clubs reduce risk by tightening processes and avoiding gaps

• Coaches are protected by clearer expectations and documentation

• Concerns are handled faster because reporting routes are obvious

It is not about suspicion. It is about standards.

What CoachGuard aims to change

CoachGuard is designed to help clubs:

• Keep safeguarding admin straightforward and centralised

• Maintain clear records that are easy to review

• Show parents and the wider community that safeguarding is taken seriously

• Support a consistent baseline, even when clubs rely on volunteers and part-time staff

For parents, the goal is simple: fewer unknowns, more clarity.

What to expect from this blog

This website will share short, practical posts aimed at parents and clubs, including:

• What good safeguarding looks like in youth sport

• What parents can reasonably ask, and why it is normal to ask it

• Why “we have DBS checks” is not the same as a safeguarding system

• How clubs can improve safeguarding without creating a mountain of work

No scare tactics. No accusations. Just clear standards and practical guidance.

Bottom line

Safeguarding should not be hidden in a folder, or only mentioned when something goes wrong. It should be visible, normal, and part of how a club operates every week.

That is what CoachGuard is here to support.