London Daily

Focus on the big picture.

Swim England failed to probe body-shaming claims - report

Swim England failed to probe body-shaming claims - report

Swim England failed to investigate allegations children were being fat-shamed despite evidence they were at risk of harm, a report has found.

The governing body needs to overhaul its processes to keep swimmers safe, the review commissioned by Sport England said.

A "confusing and inconsistent" approach to safeguarding and decision-making was criticised by barrister Louis Weston.

Swim England said it accepted the recommendations and need for change.

The report found the organisation had not prioritised cases of bullying and emotional abuse "even when those acts are said to have been carried out by coaches registered with Swim England".

Mr Weston's review was commissioned to scrutinise Swim England's decision-making, following investigations into three swimming clubs and complaints about how the governing body had acted.

Weight-shaming complaints were made by members of City of Oxford Swimming Club. Despite evidence young children were at risk of harm, Swim England said there were no safeguarding issues, the report found.

Mr Weston also questioned how Swim England reached its decisions and that there appeared to be no way to challenge them.

Another complaint analysed was the controversial closure of elite club Ellesmere College Titans, in Shropshire, which came after swimmers there described a toxic environment of bullying, fat-shaming and favouritism.

Swim England's chief executive Jane Nickerson sanctioned the closure of Titans due to "very substantial issues", the report said, but it was "not clear how that sanction was reached" and club members were unable to challenge it.

Jane Nickerson, who hails from Coventry, is to retire from Swim England later this year


It led to a substantial number of complaints from parents of existing swimmers who said the closure was unjustified, they had not been consulted, they were facing four-hour round trips to other clubs and their children's education had been disrupted.

The third complaint centred around the lack of investigation of a child's treatment at an undisclosed club.

None of the original investigations were reheard, nor will they be reopened.

Mr Weston's report concluded Swim England had a "confusing and inconsistent approach to safeguarding and concerns of child abuse in sport".

It also said Ms Nickerson had been granted "extraordinary and unjustified powers" along with the organisation's independent child protection officer, which led to "unfairness" and prevented "proper challenge to decisions".

In reference to the governing body's approach to emotional abuse, Mr Weston said: "A child that is bullied or shamed to their appearance may possibly not suffer in the eyes of some 'significant' harm.

"That does not mean that Swim England should stand by and allow that bullying or shaming to continue, until significant harm occurs."

Ms Nickerson recently said she was "truly sorry" swimmers had suffered harm after several said they had developed eating disorders and endured bullying at the hands of abusive coaches, and vowed to reform the sport.

Olympian Cassie Patten said she had left swimming feeling "broken" due to her coaches' obsession with her weight and had been contacted by dozens of swimmers after speaking out.

Olympic medallist Cassie Patten said she had suffered "disordered eating" for years due to negative comments


The Sport England-commissioned review:

*  Said Swim England should have a "single destination" for reporting safeguarding concerns to build up an "intelligence picture"

*  Highlighted findings in the Whyte review into abuse in gymnastics that concluded "placing too much responsibility on the work of volunteers with limited training is an unacceptable risk"

*  Recommended safeguarding issues be heard in front of a panel and removing Swim England's CEO "from any powers of disciplinary sanction for safeguarding"

Swim England said it accepted the report's findings and nine recommendations and had already begun implementing them.

It said its recently published safeguarding and welfare plan the Heart of Aquatics "sets out to continually improve the culture and practices within our sports and details our ongoing commitment to the entire aquatics community".

It said a forthcoming independent review would listen to the experiences of those in its sports would help to "ensure there is a positive culture across our sports and that the highest standards of welfare and safeguarding are in place."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Prince William to End Feudal Land Restrictions in Duchy of Cornwall, but Controversies Remain
British police appear unprepared to deal with usual suspects
Russia's Ballistic Blitz on Kyiv Sends Shockwaves Through Global Stability
Multiple Tragedies and Tensions Mark Global Events: A Closer Look
Elon Musk's AfD Endorsement Ignites Controversy from neo-Nazis who accuse the AfD of being what they themselves are
Ukraine Claims Unprecedented Russian Losses: The Truth Behind Wartime Statistics
Federal Reserve Chair Powell: "We are prohibited from owning Bitcoin and are not seeking any changes to that law."
A Democratic congresswoman with blue and black hair is having a meltdown over "President Musk."
A sizable group of unauthorized migrants is traveling through Mexico with the aim of reaching the USA before Trump assumes office.
Beatles Reunion Electrifies London: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr Ignite O2 Arena with Surprise Performance
Starmer's Envoy Engages Trump Team as UK Seeks Strategic U.S. Partnership
Britain's Retail Rebound Falters as Black Friday Splurge Dissipates
Bank of Japan's Bold Reckoning: A Decade of Unconventional Policy Under Scrutiny
Republican Discord Threatens Government Shutdown Amid Holiday Season
French Retiree Dominique Pellico Convicted for Recruiting 72 Men to Assault Wife Over a Decade
Putin Defends War Strategy as Global Tensions Rise
Putin Claims Progress as Tensions Rise: Conflict in Ukraine Intensifies
Putin's Paradox: Claiming Strength Amidst Sanctions and Isolation
Water as a Weapon: The Contentious Struggle for Survival in Gaza
Syria's Future: A Fight for Democracy or Another Cycle of Oppression?
UK Considers Sending Troops to Ukraine: A Strategic Move or Intensifying The Proxy War?
Renewed ISIS Threat Puts Syria’s Cultural Heritage in Peril
Escalation in Moscow: High-Profile Assassination and International Tensions Intensify
North Korean Troops in Ukraine: A New Cold War Frontier?
Ukraine's Bold Move: High-Stakes Assassination of Russian General in Moscow
Dubai's Technological Leap: Brain Chips and AI Board Members by 2025
Tragedy Strikes Wisconsin School as Shooting Claims Lives of Teacher and Student
UK's Calculated Gamble: Balancing Defense Aid to Ukraine and Domestic Demands
UK Intensifies Stranglehold on Russian Oil, but Does It Dampen Putin’s Resolve?
British Voter Endorsement of Reeves's Bold Tax Strategy
Nicola Sturgeon Warns of 'Toxic' Discourse: The Perils of Polarisation in Modern Politics
Levelling Down: How the Conservatives Underspent on Regional Revitalization
Alleged Chinese Espionage: The Entangled Web Beyond Prince Andrew
Starmer Navigates Diplomatic Tightrope Amid Chinese Espionage Revelations Involving Prince Andrew
Balancing Democracy and Disorder: The Trial of a Milkshake Incident
Royal Mail Enters New Chapter Under Czech Ownership
UK Companies Slash Jobs Amid Economic Strain
Kemi Badenoch Rekindles Flat Tax Debate Amid Inheritance Tax Uproar
Rewiring Whitehall: New Cabinet Secretary's Mandate for Change
Legal Battle Revives: Lucy Letby Seeks Fresh Appeal as Expert Evidence Faces Scrutiny
Accusations Fly as UK-China Relations Spark Tension Within British Politics
The Delicate Dance of Devolution: As English Council Elections Face Delays
The Alleged Chinese Spy at the Heart of British Royal Circles: Yang Tengbo Unmasked
Prince Andrew Withdraws from Royal Christmas Amidst Chinese Espionage Scandal
EU Takes Legal Action Against UK Over Allegedly Neglected Rights of EU Citizens
Disaster Strikes: Oil Spill in the Black Sea and Cyclone Devastation in Mayotte
Oil Tanker Disaster in the Kerch Strait: A Confluence of Environmental Catastrophe and Geopolitical Tensions
Olaf Scholz’s Gamble: The Collapse of Germany’s Coalition Government and the Path to Early Elections
Keir Starmer's 'Sycophantic' Tone: Tensions Rise Over UK-China Relations
Trump Recognizes Partial Advances in Ceasefire Attempts in Ukraine Conflict
×