Report a Concern
Keeping children safe in sport has always mattered. Now, the law is making that responsibility clearer and strengthening consequences. The mandatory reporting duty is expected to be in force in May 2027.
Referring a concern about child sexual abuse must be acted on as soon as practical and must be done via the Police or Social Services in the first instance.
If you work or volunteer with children, you will need to report to police or local authority as soon as practical if:
- you are told about abuse
- you see or hear abuse
- you see evidence (images, videos, audio)
This is a legal duty
- it’s no longer optional guidance
- you could face action if you don’t report
- it will be a criminal offence to stop someone reporting
What is this form for?
This form reports a safeguarding concern to British Equestrian. A safeguarding concern could involve an allegation of abuse or being worried that a child or adult at risk (as defined by the Care Act 2014) may be at risk of harm or may have been harmed.
Referring a concern about child sexual abuse must be acted on as soon as practical and must be done via the Police or Social Services in the first instance.
Referring all other safeguarding concerns can be done via this form or via your club, centre or member body – all will have a designated Safeguarding Officer.
What happens after the form is submitted?
Your concern will be sent directly to the British Equestrian Safeguarding Team. Your concern will be managed by a trained safeguarding professional in an empathetic and professional manner. We will get back to you as soon as we can. Please provide your contact details so that we can obtain further information from you, if necessary.
Your concern will be treated in confidence and, whilst we have a duty to refer certain matters to the police or local authority, we will always try to do so with your consent. British Equestrian will use the personal information that you provide in accordance with our privacy policy (which may be updated from time to time).
Support
Raising safeguarding concerns can be very difficult. We are here to support you and are keen to listen to any safeguarding concerns you may have. If you would like advice and support before contacting British Equestrian you can call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, the police or your local authority. If you are a child or young person you can also contact Childline on 0800 1111. If you have any problems completing the form or are unsure of whether to report something, you can contact us at safeguarding@bef.co.uk
Emergencies
In an emergency and/or if you are concerned that someone is at immediate risk of harm, please call 999 without delay.
