Safeguarding and Concerns Policy

Version 1. July 2026. To be reviewed annually.

Applies to: all Vida del Padel venues and everyone involved in VDP, including players, guests, members, staff, coaches, ambassadors, activators and contractors.

Owner: Cory Skrzypkowski, Club Safeguarding Lead.

1. Purpose

Vida del Padel wants every player to have a safe and enjoyable experience, on and off the court. This policy sets out how we protect people from harm, how anyone can raise a concern, and how we handle concerns when they are raised.

It covers children, adults at risk, and the conduct of adults toward one another. It applies at every VDP venue and to everyone involved in VDP.

2. Our commitment

The welfare of players and staff comes first.
Everyone has the right to take part in padel in a safe environment, free from harm, harassment, abuse, bullying and discrimination.
Concerns are taken seriously, listened to, and acted on.
We report to the right authorities when we should, and we do not investigate serious matters ourselves when they belong with the police or a statutory body.
We handle personal information carefully and share it only on a need to know basis.
We align this policy to the LTA safeguarding standards for registered venues. Padel in Great Britain is governed by the LTA.

3. Roles and responsibilities

Club Safeguarding Lead, Cory Skrzypkowski. Owns this policy, receives serious concerns, decides on referrals to the police or statutory bodies, and keeps the records.
Venue Welfare Officer, one per venue. The first point of contact at each site. Listens, records, supports the person, and escalates to the Safeguarding Lead. This role is an LTA venue requirement.
VDP directors. Support the Safeguarding Lead, resource the process, and are kept informed of serious matters.
Everyone at VDP. Responsible for behaving appropriately, and for reporting concerns they see or hear about.

4. What to report

Report anything that makes you concerned for the safety or wellbeing of a player, a staff member, or anyone connected to VDP. This includes, but is not limited to:

Harm, or risk of harm, to a child (anyone under 18).
Harm, or risk of harm, to an adult at risk (an adult with care or support needs who may be unable to protect themselves).
Harassment, or unwanted and persistent contact.
Abusive, threatening, controlling or intimidating behaviour.
Physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse.
Sexual misconduct or unwanted sexual attention.
Bullying, discrimination, or hate directed at someone's identity.
Any behaviour by a member of staff, coach, ambassador or activator that falls below the standard we expect.

If in doubt, report it. It is better to raise something that turns out to be minor than to stay silent about something serious.

5. How to report

Start by contacting us through any of the routes below. Use whichever you are most comfortable with. You do not need to work out who else to call: we will listen and, where it helps, point you to the right specialist support or authority. In an emergency, when someone is in immediate danger or a crime is happening, call 999.

Route	Use it for	Contact
Email	Concerns you would rather put in writing	safeguarding@vidadelpadel.co.uk
Online form	A concern you want to log yourself	Scan the QR code on the venue poster, or use the form on our Safeguarding page
Anonymously	When you do not want to give your name	Use the form or a note, and leave the name blank
Emergency	Someone is in immediate danger, or a crime is happening	999

6. What happens after you report

This is our promise to anyone who raises a concern:

We will listen, take you seriously, and treat you with respect.
We will keep the information confidential and share it only with those who need to know to keep people safe.
We will explain what we can and cannot do.
We will keep you informed about what happens next, as far as we are able.
We will never treat you unfairly for raising a concern in good faith.

7. How we handle a concern

This is the process for the Welfare Officer or Safeguarding Lead who receives a concern.

Step 1. Receive and reassure. Listen and stay calm. Do not promise to keep it secret; explain that you may need to pass it on to keep someone safe. Do not interview or press for detail. Let the person say what they want to say, in their own way.

Step 2. Record. Write down the facts as soon as possible, in the person's own words where you can. Record what was said, when and where, who was involved, and any injuries or immediate concerns. Stick to facts, not opinions. Note the date, time and your name. Do not lead the person or fill gaps with assumptions.

Step 3. Check immediate safety. Is anyone in immediate danger? If yes, call 999. Take any obvious step to keep people safe now.

Step 4. Decide the pathway. Work out what kind of concern this is, and route it:

A child (under 18) at risk. Contact the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) or children's social care, and the police if a crime may have been committed. Do not investigate yourself.
An adult at risk. Contact the local authority adult safeguarding team (Care Act 2014).
A possible crime, including harassment, assault or sexual offences. This is a police matter. Support the person to report it (101, or 999 in an emergency). Do not confront the alleged person in a way that could tip them off or interfere with a police investigation.
Conduct that is not criminal but breaches our standards. Handle it internally through this procedure and, where relevant, the person's agreement or disciplinary terms.

A single situation can be more than one of these at once. If you are unsure, speak to the Safeguarding Lead, and use the LTA County Safeguarding Officer for advice.

Step 5. Take immediate protective measures. Where there is a risk, act to protect people while the matter is looked into. This can include standing someone down from their role, restricting or removing their access to venues and group chats, and adjusting schedules. Precautionary measures are not a punishment or a finding of guilt; they protect people while the facts are established.

Step 6. Refer or review. Refer to the police or a statutory body where the pathway requires it, and cooperate with them. For internal conduct matters, carry out a fair and proportionate review: gather the facts, give the person a chance to respond in general terms, and reach a decision based on the facts. Take HR or legal advice for anything involving a worker, a contract, or a possible dismissal.

Step 7. Decide and record the outcome. Record the decision, the reasons, and the actions taken. Keep the reporter informed as far as you are able. Store all records securely.

Step 8. Support and follow up. Check in with the people affected. Signpost support services. Watch for any escalation, and review whether the protective measures are still right.

8. Confidentiality and personal information

We treat safeguarding information as confidential and share it only with those who need it to keep people safe or to meet a legal duty. We cannot promise absolute secrecy: where someone is at risk of serious harm, or where the law requires it, we will pass information to the police or a statutory body.

We hold records securely, keep them accurate, and process personal data in line with UK data protection law (UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018). Section 9 of our Privacy Policy sets out how we handle the personal information in a safeguarding report.

9. Working with the LTA

Padel in Great Britain is governed by the LTA. Where our venues are registered with the LTA, we meet the LTA Venue Safeguarding Standards. These include a trained Welfare Officer at the venue, criminal record (DBS) checks for relevant roles, LTA accreditation for coaches at Level 2 and above, safeguarding training for committees, and support from the County Safeguarding Officer. This policy is written to sit alongside those standards.

10. Contacts and support

You do not need to work these out on your own. Contact us first, through any of the routes in section 5, and we will help you find the right one.

Contact	When to use it	Details
Emergency services	Immediate danger or a crime in progress	999
Police, non-emergency	Report a crime that is not an emergency	101
NSPCC helpline	Advice about a child's safety	0808 800 5000
VDP Safeguarding Lead, Cory Skrzypkowski	Your first point of contact for any concern	cory@vidadelpadel.co.uk
VDP Venue Welfare Officer, Alex Benson	The first point of contact at the venue	alex@vidadelpadel.co.uk