The target audience is anyone working or volunteering in or with the sports, leisure or physical activity sectors, as we promote and advocate for partnerships working to tackle CSA/E, reinforcing the fact that ‘safeguarding is everyone’s business’.   The forum is an opportunity to hear from our guest speakers and for attendees to participate in group interactive discussions, enabling participants to network and share ideas and examples of good practice.

We share learning from research, inquiries, reviews etc. and promote sport and physical activity as a positive diversionary activity for vulnerable young people. This reinforces the need for a strength-based approach and positive role models through extracurricular activity.   The discussions will focus on the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion and ensuring that sport is a welcoming, accessible and safe space for all children and adults.

Agenda:

10:00am – 10:15am: Welcome and updates from NWG Network and Sports Team
10:15am – 11:00am: Main presentation from the global lead for safeguarding at Hyrox – Kelly Hounslow Global Safeguarding and Welfare Manager
11:00am – 11:30am: Feedback from the DfE Information Sharing duty consultation
11:45am – 11:55am: Book of the month from Kev Murphy
11:55am – 12:00pm: Thanks, any other business, date of next forum, Close

Guest Speaker:

Kelly Hounslow Global Safeguarding and Welfare Manager

Kelly Hounslow is a safeguarding, welfare, and governance specialist with over 20 years’ experience supporting organisations to translate policy into effective practice and build safer, high-performing cultures. Working across elite sport, the public sector, and children’s charities, Kelly brings independent expertise that helps organisations meet statutory requirements while embedding meaningful cultural change.

More recently, Kelly has been working with HYROX Youngstars, supporting the development of safe sport governance and positive culture within this global multi-functional sport for children, helping to shape safeguarding frameworks in a rapidly growing international environment.

As Safeguarding and Welfare Oversight Lead for the England Women’s Teams at The Football Association, Kelly strengthened safeguarding systems within a high-performance environment, embedding safer working practices, developing leadership capability, and introducing frameworks for continuous improvement. Through consultancy with the NWG Network, Kelly also led the development of Voices in Sport—a national, survivor-informed resource now adopted by multiple national governing bodies and recognised as sector-leading practice.

Previously, Kelly held senior roles at Barnardo’s, leading multi-agency responses under the Modern Slavery Act, overseeing trauma-informed frontline services, and contributing to national policy through evidence to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). Kelly is recognised for delivering safeguarding assurance, driving innovation, and supporting organisations to create environments where welfare is embedded in everyday practice.

Kelly now provides consultancy in strategic safeguarding, governance, cultural change, and survivor-informed approaches, supporting sports organisations to strengthen compliance, enhance athlete welfare, and create safer, more accountable systems.