AI-Enabled Safeguarding in Grassroots Sport

Women and gender-diverse athletes in grassroots sports often face systemic barriers including harassment, discrimination, and lack of access to health and safety services. These issues are frequently underreported due to fear of retaliation, social stigma, and lack of safe reporting mechanisms.

The AI-enabled safeguarding platform addresses these challenges by providing a digital infrastructure that allows athletes to anonymously report incidents and safety concerns. The platform uses machine learning algorithms and natural language processing to analyze reports submitted by users.

Once a report is submitted, the system analyzes the information and identifies patterns related to risk, harassment, or exclusion. Predictive analytics then highlight environments or situations where safety risks are likely to occur, enabling organizations to intervene earlier.

The platform also integrates dashboards for sports organizations and safeguarding authorities. These dashboards display aggregated insights that help stakeholders understand trends in safety incidents and design targeted interventions.

The system has been implemented in grassroots football clubs, where it provides athletes with a safe channel for reporting concerns and accessing support services. The platform also supports referrals to healthcare providers and protection services.

By combining anonymous reporting, data analytics, and predictive insights, the solution improves safety for women athletes while promoting inclusive participation in sports.

For additional context and detailed documentation of this use case, please refer to pages 29-32 in the attached Casebook.