Reporting a concern
Whilst England Athletics hope that everyone in the sport has a positive experience, we are committed to protecting everyone in the sport. So, if you have any concerns about the safety of a coach, official, volunteer, athlete or runner, please report your concerns to us.
What to do if you have a concern
If you are a member of a club, your first point of contact should be your club’s Secretary or Welfare Officer. They will listen and advise on next steps.
For serious safeguarding concerns
If the concern involves a child (under 18) or an Adult at Risk, you can report directly to the UK Athletics Safeguarding Team.
Definitions:
- A child or young person is anyone under 18.
- An Adult at Risk is someone aged 18+ with care and support needs who may be unable to protect themselves from abuse or neglect.
England Athletics' role in managing serious concerns
England Athletics' Welfare and Compliance team is here to support the sport by investigating concerns that are considered serious misconduct under our National Disciplinary Policy. These include, but are not limited to:
- Safeguarding breaches involving children or adults at risk, which will be referred to UKA.
- Physical violence or threats.
- Fraud, theft, or doping violations.
- Serious health and safety breaches.
- Behaviour that may seriously damage the reputation of the sport or violate England Athletic' core policies and values.
These types of cases may be referred to a formal Disciplinary Panel for investigation.
Investigations are carried out in line with our National Disciplinary Policy, which outlines how concerns are handled and when club-level resolution is appropriate.
What England Athletics won’t investigate
Personal/relationship issues between members, matters outside of athletics or complaints about how the club is managed should be addressed by the club’s committee. Police investigations will always take primacy, but we do need to know if one of your members is involved in a criminal matter which may affect their suitability to be involved in athletics. So please let us know so we can take action if appropriate.
Supporting clubs with day-to-day issues
Concerns that fall below the threshold of serious misconduct - such as poor behaviour, minor disputes, or lower-level conduct issues - should be managed by your club, association, organisation or competition provider, in line with its own internal processes.
While England Athletics does not investigate club-level matters, our Welfare and Compliance team is available to offer advice and guidance to clubs on how to handle these situations effectively and in line with best practice.
For general club support on matters relating to governance, funding and training, our Club Support team are available to advise and support committees across the regions.
Useful resources for clubs, including guidance on internal disciplinary matters and Codes of Conduct, can be found on the England Athletics Club Hub.
If you are experiencing mental health and wellbeing problems or know of someone who is struggling, there are a variety of place to go for support; details of some of the organisations who can help are on our website.
Contact details
- England Athletics: welfare@englandathletics.org | 07464 522426
- UK Athletics: safeguarding@uka.org.uk
- NSPCC Helpline: help@nspcc.org.uk | 0808 800 5000
In an emergency, always call 999.