Duty of Care and Protecting People in High-Pressure Industries
- Brainz Magazine
- May 22
- 7 min read
Updated: May 23
Written by Dawn Sanders, Performance Coach
Dawn Sanders, Director of WinWell, is a trusted and respected Performance lifestyle. Wellbeing, career, and transition coach, having worked in elite sport for over 20 years.
The phrase "duty of care" has often been used in performance environments and can often attract media attention when something has gone wrong in a performance culture, when people fall through the cracks of a system that should be there to protect them. Sadly, it tends to appear in headlines following a tragedy, scandal, or mental health crisis, particularly in high-pressure, high-profile industries like sport, music, television, and film. These industries are often in the public domain and public scrutiny is high.
These competitive environments need individuals who can and are prepared to push themselves to their limits, but sometimes without the right structures of support needed to safeguard their wellbeing and holistic development, it brings itself to head when people feel strong enough to raise their voice and be heard that things need to change. I have always found that a great barometer, and one question that I and a dear friend and colleague of mine, Jo Harrison, Head of Performance Lifestyle at the UK Sports Institute, often ask ourselves is, would you want your child, your sister, your nephew, or your partner to work in that environment? If it’s a no, then it might be time to explore what might need to change.
All of these headlines have quite rightly prompted a growing call to rethink what it truly means to care for people in these demanding environments to enable them to perform at their best, but doing that through supportive, inclusive, and caring environments. And there are now many environments, cultures, teams, and organisations that have taken this seriously and taken action for change, which is so encouraging to see, as there are so many great places to find solutions and opportunities for us to learn from. So, wouldn’t it be great to hear more about this great work that people are doing to enhance a duty of care, to celebrate and reward those individuals and teams who epitomise what it means to win well? I would welcome us using the term ‘Duty of Care’ as a way to show a proactive approach to performance development, integrating into induction and how things are going to be around here, rather than a term of reference when reacting to these negative headlines. There are many out there to align with and celebrate, but we can always do more to keep this at the forefront of our minds so these headlines don’t happen again.
Why is duty of care so important?
Athletes, entertainers, and media personalities may be celebrated publicly but privately face intense pressure, isolation, injuries, the potential for exploitation, and the fear of failure or this success coming to an end, as well as the everyday things life brings us all. It’s what many thrive on and are valued and regarded for us as the consumer of their talents, for their resilience to deal with these challenges. But these experiences can have long-term consequences if there is no adequate support system in place.
High-performance environments quite rightly have to operate on the edge emotionally, physically, financially, technically, tactically, and with every ounce of someone’s being. They are fast-paced, competitive, and demanding. There is pressure to win, to perform, to stay relevant. People in these fields are hugely driven and willing to sacrifice everything for success, as there will always be someone else who wants their seat in the F1 car, the Olympic team, or adoration of fans at a sell-out concert.
At its core, the duty of care is a moral and legal obligation to ensure the safety and well-being of others. And it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure the culture speaks to a duty of care to enable everyone to thrive. In high-stakes settings, when budgets are tight and return for investment is questioned there will always be a need to resource and protect what it means to provide a duty of care to those in your team. Even if it is retained as an agenda item on a senior leadership team meeting, it should always have a place along with performance objectives and outcome discussions.
When the system fails: A look at the headlines
We’ve seen increasing public scrutiny of how duty of care has been challenged over the years across different sectors:
Strictly Come Dancing made headlines when concerns were raised about the physical and emotional toll on participants. In response, the show recognised the need for better welfare support, more comprehensive training, and an enhanced culture of care for everyone involved. Source
In music, the tragic death of singer Liam Payne sparked conversation about how young artists are supported when navigating fame, pressure, and vulnerability. BBC article
Bruce Springsteen, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, stated that many young people entering the limelight “don’t have the inner facility or the inner self yet to be able to protect themselves from a lot of the things that come with success and fame.”
JLS star Oritse Williams, who rose to fame through The X Factor, reflected on his experience in the spotlight, stating on BBC Breakfast that there “isn’t enough duty of care” within the entertainment industry to support people as they rise—and often fall—through fame.
Following the Rio Olympics, several British athletes came forward to challenge the culture in elite sport. Many revealed mental health challenges stemming from environments that prioritized performance above people. A Daily Mail investigation revealed that many medal-winning athletes were plagued with mental health issues due to inadequate aftercare and support systems once their careers ended.
A framework for change: Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson’s duty of care review
One of the most comprehensive and still one of the most relevant explorations of duty of care in the UK that I have read came through the Duty of Care in Sport Review led by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson in 2017. The report was commissioned to examine how sporting organisations can better protect and support athletes before, during and after their sporting careers.
While it focused on sport, the report contains valuable guidance for all high-pressure environments to consider when creating and supporting a duty of care. It emphasises that welfare and performance should never be at odds. In fact, a well-supported person is more likely to thrive in the long term.
Key components of duty of care (Adapted from the report):
Safeguarding: Establishing robust systems to protect individuals from abuse, exploitation, neglect, and harm, both physical and emotional, with the relevant training and reporting mechanisms in place to report and concerns
Mental health support: Providing timely and accessible mental health care, acknowledging the pressures individuals face, and breaking down stigma around asking for help. And for me this is about proactive positive well-being support, creating opportunities to promote and support positive mental health, as well as providing reactive support for mental ill health
Equality, diversity & inclusion (EDI): Creating safe, respectful environments where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued
Physical safety: Managing the risks associated with training, performance, and competition through education, monitoring, and medical protocols.
Medical support & rehabilitation: Ensuring access to quality healthcare, injury prevention, and recovery support to protect long-term well-being.
Career & transition support: Helping individuals prepare for life beyond their career in sport or the spotlight, with guidance on education, employment, identity, and purpose. And providing robust and well-communicated induction and exit processes
Participant voice: Actively involving individuals in decisions that affect them and empowering them to speak up without fear of consequence.
Ongoing education & training: Educating staff, leaders, and support teams on best practices in safeguarding, mental health, communication, and ethical leadership.
And for me, all of these key elements still stay true and can be easily integrated with minimal cost, with someone driving these areas and being accountable for them.
Building a culture of care
There are many great organisations and people in sport, music, television, film and the further arts who are leading support by providing this duty of care. Some of the people trying to achieve this often need leaders to signpost their talent to this support, so please encourage support when it is available. But if you are creating a duty of care in your culture, it's about starting by creating cultures where people come first, where performance and wellbeing are seen as complementary, not conflicting. It requires leadership, accountability, investment, humility, and a passion to make the areas in Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson's report come alive. Because true success should never come at the cost of someone's health, identity, or future and by proving this support will enable someone to thrive and be even better than they dared dream to imagine.
Whether you’re a coach, producer, agent, manager, teacher, or employer, ask yourself:
What kind of environment am I helping to create? Who feels safe here? Who doesn’t? What more can I do to care for those in my charge? What would they say about the culture hear when they leave? Would they want their child to work here?
Get involved
If you want to know how to be proactive and drive a culture of duty of care in your environment, reach out and start a conversation.
Email: dawn@winwell.org.uk. Or listen to the Performance Wellbeing Podcast to hear stories and strategies from people who are trying to do just that.
Together, we can build environments that support performance and people to win well.
Read more from Dawn Sanders
Dawn Sanders, Performance Coach
Dawn Sanders is a leader in coaching the lifestyle, wellbeing, career development, and transitions needs of elite performers, having supported Great Britain's Olympic and Paralympic athletes for over 20 years. She is passionate about developing the person behind the performer to enable them to thrive in high-pressure, high-risk, high-reward environments.
