Table Tennis England tightens DBS checks for supervised roles: Change begins on 1 September 2026

I have been at training halls since 7am for almost 50 years. The training hall never lies; few people are patient enough to listen. When Table Tennis England (TTE) announced changes to DBS vetting, I thought of small English club halls where children queue for their turn and adults stand near the table to keep an eye on them. After 1 September 2026, that safety can no longer rely on a feeling of trust. The Crime and Policing Act 2026 removes the supervision exemption from the legal definition of Regulated Activity. Previously, volunteers and assistant coaches working with children under supervision often did not need a DBS check. Now every role - supervised or not - must be vetted if it involves regular contact with children. TTE calls this a cultural shift in safeguarding within grassroots table tennis. To explain it, TTE is hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 29 September 2026, 6-7pm London time, led by Kyhl Daly, the Designated Safeguarding Officer. Club Welfare Officers, committee members, league organisers and volunteers working with children are invited. The webinar covers who needs DBS, how to read a disclosure, and how to handle difficult situations. DBS stands for Disclosure and Barring Service, the UK body that checks criminal records and barred lists. In table tennis, roles such as head coach, assistant coach, warm-up volunteers, drivers or changing-room helpers may fall under Regulated Activity. An Enhanced DBS check with a barred list check is usually required. The new rule makes clear that having another adult present is no longer a reason to delay vetting. Since 2026, my emotions have learned to sit at the same table with data. DBS figures are dry but show how ready a sports system is. TTE has thousands of active certificates, yet the most commonly missed group are casual helpers who appear only a few sessions a week. That group has now stepped into the light. Some clubs worry about cost and losing volunteers. But look at the other side: if a person fails the check, do you really want them near children just because the club is short-staffed? In a crowded hall, children may go to the toilet alone, leave parents' sight, or stand in the corridor. The 2026 Act understands this. Top sport has learned this lesson. In 2026, abuse scandals in American sport forced governing bodies to rewrite safety procedures. Child protection is not paper and ink; it is found in every hiring decision. DBS is not a moral licence but one final safety net after interviews, observation and references. Table Tennis England is doing the right thing by casting that net across every corner of the sport. At the webinar on 29 September, club leaders can ask specific questions: must a parent who helps feed balls have a DBS check? Does a student on a two-session placement fall under the rules? What should a coach who occasionally takes a team away overnight prepare? If uncertain, the safest route is to request a check. For countries developing table tennis, this is a yardstick. Vietnamese table tennis, especially youth and school initiatives, can learn from TTE's model: define who is in contact with children, build a vetting mechanism, and create safe spaces for children to speak up. A club does not only teach skills, it teaches children how to trust adults. If that trust is abused, the harm can last decades. The 2026-27 English table tennis season is about to begin. Clubs must review their registers of adults working near children. Do not wait for TTE to audit you, and do not wait for an incident. On the training floor, safeguarding is like footwork: if you practise it wrongly, you will pay on match day. Data shows the direction of the wind; my eyes see the storm. This storm is not paperwork. It is the will of adults to protect children who cannot protect themselves. Register for the TTE webinar before 29 September 2026. Visit the DBS section of Table Tennis England's website and let your club staff be answered directly. Treat vetting not as a barrier but as a promise to parents: this place truly puts children first. Abbreviations like DBS, TTE and CWO may feel dry, but the story behind them is full of the heartbeat of those early training sessions.