Safeguarding and adult oversight
DBS checks, safeguarding training, the current-adult rule for junior sessions, and how to view your club's compliance status on Badminton Clubhouse.
Safeguarding and adult oversight
Admitting junior members brings safeguarding responsibilities. This article explains how Badminton Clubhouse tracks DBS checks and safeguarding training, enforces the current-adult rule during junior sessions, and gives your committee visibility of compliance at a glance.
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The Designated Safeguarding Lead
Every club that runs a junior section must have a named Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). On Badminton Clubhouse, the DSL is the club member who holds the Welfare Officer role.
The DSL is recorded against your safeguarding posture declaration. If the Welfare Officer is removed or their membership lapses, the platform will flag this on the safeguarding settings page. You should ensure a named DSL is in place at all times while junior members are active on your roll.
The Welfare Officer role can view safeguarding settings and the junior register but cannot change the safeguarding posture (that requires Chairman or Secretary permissions). For role assignments, see Roles and Permissions.
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DBS checks and safeguarding training
The platform tracks two safeguarding credentials per person:
| Credential | What it means |
|---|---|
| DBS check | A Disclosure and Barring Service check, verified by the committee and marked with an expiry date |
| Safeguarding training | Completion of recognised safeguarding training, verified and dated |
Both have a verified status and a currency status. A credential is current when it is both verified (the committee has confirmed the paperwork) and in date (the expiry has not passed). An expired or unverified credential is treated as absent.
DBS and training records are managed through the safeguarding hub at Admin > Safeguarding.
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The team safeguarding compliance view
The Safeguarding page in the admin area includes a Team compliance section. This view lists every member who holds a junior-facing role (Welfare Officer, coaches, and any other role the committee designates as working with juniors) alongside their DBS and training currency.
The view shows at a glance:
- Name and role
- DBS status: Verified and current / Expiring soon / Expired / Not recorded
- Training status: Verified and current / Expiring soon / Expired / Not recorded
Use this view before each new season and periodically during the year to ensure nobody's credentials have lapsed without notice.
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The current-adult rule
This is the platform's core operational safeguard. A junior cannot be added to a session unless the adult leading that session has a verified, in-date DBS check and safeguarding training on record.
If you attempt to add a junior to a session (whether as a booked member or a walk-in) and the session lead does not meet this requirement, the platform will block the action and show which credential is missing. The session lead must be updated and revalidated before juniors can participate.
This rule applies to:
- Club nights and sessions where juniors attend as members
- Walk-in under-18 visitors brought by a guardian
- Any session-type where a junior is checked in via the peg board
The current-adult rule cannot be bypassed by committee members at the session level. If the leading adult's credentials have lapsed, resolve the credentials first (in Admin > Safeguarding), then return to the session.
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Junior-facing roles
The following roles are considered junior-facing and should be held only by adults whose DBS and training are current:
- Welfare Officer (DSL) - must be current at all times while the club has active junior members
- Coaches - expected to be current; coach credential management is tracked separately (see Managing Coaches)
It is the committee's responsibility to ensure that junior-facing roles are not assigned to anyone whose credentials have lapsed. The compliance view surfaces gaps; it does not prevent role assignment. Keeping the view clear of amber and red entries is a committee obligation, not just a platform convenience.
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