Preparing your organisation as Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions ease

We advise you to connect with your governing body for any specific guidance they are offering their member clubs. Click for latest guidance from SGBs.

Local sports organisations, including clubs, schools or third sector organisations, have an opportunity to play a significant part in helping local communities re-connect through sport. As physical restrictions ease we have provided information and resources to help local sports clubs and community organisations to:

• Create a safe space
• Connect people and communities
• Be inclusive

Create a safe space

• Delivery of Sport at a Distance: Child wellbeing and protection considerations in the return of children and young people to sport
• Getting your facilities fit for sport: Guidance to help organisations prepare their facilities for resuming activities
  • Scottish Rowing - signage pack
  • Scottish Hockey - wash your hands signage
  • Scottish Hockey - 2m distance signage
• Getting coaches ready for sport: Guidance to support coaches, deliverers, volunteers, leaders, personal trainers and instructors in preparing for the safe return of delivering sport
• COVID Officer: All sports organisations providing children’s activity must abide by relevant SGB guidance and have a named ‘COVID Officer’ who will complete documented risk assessments and ensure all appropriate mitigations are put in place by the sports organisation before any children’s outdoor activity is undertaken.
  • We offer an e-learning module for COVID Officers which provides key information and guidance to help you prepare for the role
    
• Return to sport coordinator: Role descriptor for an advisor role to help clubs return safely. This could be part of the COVID Officer role but is more focused on supporting participants face to face as they return to activity
• COVID-19 Awareness Information for Players, Participants and Parents/Carers: An e-learning module to support players, participants and parents/carers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This module raises awareness and highlights the responsibility we all have in keeping each other safe within sport during the ongoing pandemic. It is recommended that all players and participants over the age of 13, and all parents/carers take this Coronavirus (COVID-19) awareness module if they or their children are to participate in sports training, competitions and other events.
• The Club & Community framework is a great tool to help you plan. It encourages you to consider 6 focus areas and identifies some actions you should consider under each.
• Here are some planning examples
• Dundee CSHs – Inside out approach
• Crags Sports Centre – Outside in approach
• Test and Protect, is Scotland’s way of putting into practice NHS Scotland’s test, trace, isolate and support strategy.
• Scottish Cycling video on how your club can support Test & Protect
• Clubs need to keep up to date registers on participants to respond to any Test & Protect enquiries. Clubs are advised to store this information for 21 days and share it with public health officers when requested.
• St. John's Ambulance: COVID-19 advice for first aiders
• Guidance note for sports facility owners and operators: This guidance note sets out a range of recommended actions owners and operators of sports facilities follow to make their sports facility safe and to minimise the work to get it fit for sport when Scottish Government guidance confirms it is safe to do so.

Connect people and communities

• Coach and Volunteer return to sport - Re-induction guide: template for coaches and volunteers involved in sports clubs and community organisations for shaping the return of sport
• This webinar on confident coaching explores how we can help our coaches and volunteers feel confident and committed on their return to sport, specifically focussing on their concerns, support needed and their role to rebuild sport and communities
• How-to guide for participants e.g how to travel to training, how to stay safe, how to keep others safe
• Inverkeithing United infographic
• Communications tools for club & community organisations to connect with participants, volunteers and partners
• Template letter to send to parents
• Template letter to send to volunteers
• Sport specific examples
  • Athletics returning participant guidance sheet
  • Return to tennis website information
• Communications themes - Our communications themes help all of us to spread a consistent message about the great work going on across the sporting system. 

  • #PlayingOurPart – In recent months, the sporting system has been finding new ways to play its part in the community, and continues to adapt as we move towards a phased easing of lockdown. “Playing our part” frames sport in a positive way, positions everyone involved in sport as having a contribution to make to their communities, and makes it clear that sport is part of the solution to Scotland’s recovery plan.

  • #WeAreHere - We’ve been promoting the benefits of physical activity to support mental health throughout the shutdown. Working in partnership with SAMH, we're promoting resources on social media and through Sport First. Using #WeAreHere you can join the conversation to link physical activity and mental health and to reassure your members and local community of the benefits of physical activity for mental health.

  • How to support - You can help us to share these key messages with your own networks by including #PlayingOurPart or #WeAreHere in your social media posts.

  • Resources
    • #PlayingOurPart social media visual
    • #PlayingOurPart logo
    • #PlayingOurPart logo text only
    • We're here image
    • We're here badge (transparent background)
    • We're here badge (white background)

• Children 1st - Safeguarding: Social media and online coaching guidance 
• Walk & Talk - As part of the #WeAreHere message, members of our Young People's Sport Panel are encouraging people to take part in a walk and talk phone call. They have developed this idea with support from SAMH, with the aim of combining social connection and physical activity to support mental wellbeing. Find out more and get involved!
• #SportHour - Another way to stay connected and to share is by joining our monthly twitter chat #Sporthour on the first Monday of every month from 9pm to 10pm where we’ll open up the conversation around physical activity and mental health. More details on how to get involved can be found here.

Be inclusive

• Inclusion continuum tool: An activity tool to help sports organisations recognise who's included and who's not. The activity can be done by leaders of sporting organisations to help trigger conversations about who their organisation is for. The activity file includes descriptions groups of people who might live in a community. Instructions are included in the file and it's easy to get started.
  • The LITE version contains approximately 20 groups and the FULL version contains approximately 40 groups. 
• Taking a person-centred approach: Guidance on how your organisation can take a more person-centred approach when returning to activity
• Wellbeing survey questions: Identify wellbeing challenges identified by participants, coaches or volunteers to help meet their needs
• Webinar - why a changing lives approach is needed now more than ever
• Webinar - what do we need to build into our activities when returning to sport
• Scottish Disability Sport guidance – guidance for supporting participants with a disability to return to sport