• Full implementation of the Christopher Quinlan QC review recommendations.
• Implementation of new policies and procedures and ways to report.
• New members of safeguarding team appointed.
• Launch of best practice industry leading platform for safeguarding management.

UK Athletics has today published a final report to mark the full implementation of the Christopher Quinlan QC safeguarding review recommendations.

UKA, in collaboration with the Home Country Athletics Federations (HCAFs), has implemented all six core recommendations and 23 additional recommendations from the independent review, providing a framework to ensure the highest standards are maintained in the future.

Sweeping changes to policies and procedures have been made with tougher, more appropriate penalties introduced. UK Athletics has become the overarching safeguarding body for all the home countries for the first time, supporting the HCAFs with their implementation of new procedures at a grassroots level. A new athlete and people-focused reporting mechanism, My Concern, is now in place to coordinate all referrals and investigations and the four HCAFs have established a project working group, with additional advice and support provided by the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) and the Ann Craft Trust.

The review process began in March 2020 when UKA, in collaboration with the Home Country Athletics Federations (HCAFs), announced an Independent Review of Safeguarding Provision in Athletics. To ensure independence, Christopher Quinlan QC was appointed to undertake the review and a final report was published in July 2020. The Review, published in July 2020 made six core recommendations and 23 additional recommendations aimed at developing existing service provision and providing a framework to ensure the highest standards were maintained in the future. It also includes additional education and support to be provided to coaches, clubs and other key roles within the sport through the roll out of a UK wide education and training programme

UK Athletics CEO Joanna Coates commented:

“We are extremely grateful to Christopher Quinlan QC for the work undertaken from March 2020, which demonstrated that UK Athletics and our Home Country Athletics Federation (HCAF) partners, as a collective, had not been operating fully aligned in many areas, which is quite frankly, not what we want in the sport.”

“At UK Athletics and alongside the HCAFs, we are determined to ensure that this does not happen again. It is our view that sporting achievement and reputation must not be placed ahead of the safety of athletes or the wider athletics workforce.

“However, implementing the Quinlan recommendations is only the starting point of a fundamental change in culture that is required so people feel comfortable in identifying and reporting poor behaviour. We have a zero-tolerance mindset. One offence is one too many.

“We will continue to work with national partners and Government ministers to take this further, to provide even greater protection so sport is not treated differently just because there are medals to be won.”

Download the final report here.

To report concerns relating to safeguarding matters visit https://www.uka.org.uk/submit-a-concern/