Child Protection in Sport Unit

What Child Protection in Sport Unit does

The Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU), now operating as NSPCC Sport since June 2026, is a dedicated child safeguarding service within the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children). Established in 2001 and headquartered in London, the unit works with sports organizations, clubs, and professionals across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to create safe sporting environments for children. It sits under the NSPCC, the UK's first children's charity founded in 1884 and incorporated by Royal Charter (registered charity numbers 216401 in England and SC037717 in Scotland).

NSPCC Sport delivers its mission through a portfolio of digital tools, training services, and educational resources. Core digital offerings include a Case Management Tool for tracking safeguarding concerns and Self-Assessment Tools that allow sports organizations to evaluate their safeguarding readiness. The unit also provides scheduled and bespoke training courses, webinars, podcasts, e-learning modules, and a centralized resource library. A public-facing 'Safe in Sport' campaign targets parents and carers with guidance on child safety in sporting contexts, while community event organizers and district/local officers are served through dedicated help-and-advice content.

As a registered charity, NSPCC Sport is funded through charitable donations, grants, and institutional partnerships — most notably with Sport England, which serves as both a funder and a distribution channel into Sport England-funded sports organizations. Services are delivered primarily through a freemium model, with core safeguarding guidance, self-assessment tools, and informational resources provided free of charge, while bespoke training programs are quoted on a case-by-case basis. Distribution is led by a self-service website portal (sport.nspcc.org.uk) supplemented by direct enterprise engagement for training, LinkedIn, email newsletters, webinars, and podcasts.

Name

Child Protection in Sport Unit

Legal name

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children

Website

https://thecpsu.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1884

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NSPCC Sport (formerly the Child Protection in Sport Unit) is a UK charity within the NSPCC that provides safeguarding training, digital tools, and resources to sports organizations, clubs, and parents across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Safeguarding Services for Sport

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (61171), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF)

Keywords

• Child safeguarding services
• Sports safety training
• Safeguarding policy resources
• Child protection training
• Sports organization compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Funding and Grants: NSPCC Sport operates as part of the NSPCC charity, receiving funding through charitable donations, grants, and partnerships with organizations such as Sport England to deliver safeguarding services free or at subsidized rates to sports organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NSPCC Sport (formerly the Child Protection in Sport Unit) delivers safeguarding services, training, and tools to sports organisations, clubs, and professionals across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Its offer comprises scheduled and bespoke safeguarding training courses, a Case Management Tool, Self-Assessment Tools, e-learning courses (including a dedicated parents programme), and a Help & Advice guidance service backed by a comprehensive Resource Library. Operating as part of the NSPCC charity, the unit is funded through grants and donations and provides much of its guidance free of charge.

Product overview

NSPCC Sport (formerly Child Protection in Sport Unit) offers a comprehensive suite of safeguarding services for sport and physical activity organisations. The portfolio centres on training programmes (upcoming courses, bespoke training, webinars, podcasts) and practical tools (Case Management Tool, Self-Assessment Tools). The offering is complemented by a Resource Library, the Safe in Sport public awareness campaign, e-learning courses, and a Help & Advice service covering key safeguarding topics. All components work together to help organisations create safe environments where children can thrive in sport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Training Services Safeguarding training offerings including upcoming scheduled courses and bespoke in-sport training for sports organisations, plus supporting podcasts and webinars, designed for professionals and volunteers working with children in sports settings.
• Case Management Tool Digital tool that enables sports organisations to record, manage, and track safeguarding cases and concerns, with sign-in via the safeguarding tools portal.
• Self-Assessment Tools Interactive self-assessment tools that allow sports organisations to evaluate their safeguarding readiness and compliance, and identify priority areas for improvement.
• Parents in Sport E-Learning Course Online e-learning course that educates parents and carers on how to keep children safe in sport, helping them recognise warning signs and engage with clubs' safeguarding practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Year in review 2025/2026 demonstrates progress in youth sports safeguarding across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Sport EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSport England is listed as a key partner of NSPCC Sport. Sport England invests in sport and physical activity across England, and the partnership supports the shared goal of keeping children safe while participating in sport. The partnership enables NSPCC Sport to reach sports organizations funded or supported by Sport England.
• NSPCC (Parent Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSPCC Sport is an integral part of the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), the UK's leading children's charity. The NSPCC provides organizational infrastructure, brand recognition, funding, and expertise in child protection to NSPCC Sport. Registered charity number 216401 in England and SC037717 in Scotland.
• ChildlinesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildline is listed under 'Help for children & young people' as a complementary resource. Childline provides confidential telephone counseling and online support for children, working alongside NSPCC Sport's safeguarding mission to protect children in sporting contexts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stop It Now! UK & Ireland: Child protection charity that runs helpline, training and prevention services, including material aimed at sport and youth organisations. Comparable as a mission-aligned charity delivering training and prevention resources in the same child-protection domain.
• Ann Craft Trust: UK charity focused on safeguarding disabled children and adults, including in sport and physical activity. Directly comparable as another specialist charity providing safeguarding training, resources and consultancy to sport and activity organisations.
• Internet Watch Foundation: UK charity that combats child sexual abuse imagery online. Comparable as a specialist UK child-protection charity providing reporting, training and resources, sharing a similar funding, regulatory and stakeholder model to NSPCC Sport.
• UK Coaching: The UK's lead organisation for coach education and development. Comparable because it delivers training, CPD and resources to the same population of coaches and sport organisations that NSPCC Sport serves, and overlaps in the coach-education / certification space.

Broad incumbents

• Sport England: National body for sport in England, distributing public and National Lottery funding. Comparable as the strategic partner and effective funder-distributor whose reach into clubs enables NSPCC Sport's adoption.
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS): UK government agency that carries out criminal record checks for people working with children. Comparable because DBS checks are a core part of the sport safeguarding process that NSPCC Sport helps organisations navigate.
• CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity): Professional standards body for the UK's sport and physical activity workforce. Comparable because it sets workforce standards and training frameworks that overlap with NSPCC Sport's coach and volunteer training mission.
• Childline: NSPCC-run helpline and online service for children and young people. Adjacent peer within the NSPCC family, providing direct support to children that complements NSPCC Sport's prevention and organisational safeguarding work.
• NSPCC: Parent charity of NSPCC Sport and the UK's leading children's charity. Comparable because it provides the wider child protection infrastructure, Learning training arm and policy frameworks that NSPCC Sport is built upon, even though its scope extends well beyond sport.

Regional players

• Sport Wales: National body responsible for sport in Wales and a key partner for NSPCC Sport in that nation. Comparable as a regional sport governing and funding body that NSPCC Sport supports and coordinates with on safeguarding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cpsu
• Xx.com/thecpsu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Child Protection in Sport Unit