If there are any questions about any of the information contained in this or any other section of the safeguarding pages on the website please contact Jackie Newing, The AFA Welfare Officer.
THE ROLE OF THE CLUB WELFARE OFFICER
The Club Welfare Officer has two key responsibilities which are:
1. To be clear about the club's responsibilities when running activities for children and young people. This involves:
• Ensuring these responsibilities are well understood by others
• Working with the Youth League Welfare Officer (YLWO)
• Working with your County FA Welfare Officer. Jackie Newing is the County Welfare Officer for the AFA and contact details can be found on the Safeguarding Children home page.
• Promoting The FA's Respect programme and helping to develop best-practice processes
2. To help club personnel understand what their 'duty of care' towards children and young people actually means and entails on a day-to-day basis.
In order to carry out your responsibilities you need to follow these five simple steps:
1. Put in place...
• a safeguarding children policy and anti-bullying policy.
• responsible recruitment processes including the taking up of references (getting the right people into the game).
• the Respect Codes
2. Understand...
• what Respect aims to do
• the benefits of implementing the Respect codes
• the quick wins to be gained by using The FA's safeguarding children best practice guidance (e.g. Travel, Trips and Tournaments*, Photography guidelines*, Anti-bullying policy* and club safeguarding children policy template*) – All these documents are accessible via the helpful documents page of the website.
• why certain roles require an Enhanced CRB check and how The FA CRB process works (please refer to the CRB section of the website).
• how to refer a concern about the welfare of a child
3. Communicate with...
• club officials about Respect and its aims
• parents/spectators and get them to sign up to the Respect codes
• parents and new players by getting involved with running 'start of season' welcome sessions for members
• coaches and managers about the importance of being consistent role models for their players
• your YLWO - introduce yourself, find out how they can support you and let them know what you are doing to safeguard children in your club
• your CFA Welfare Officer if you need help or advice
• The FA by taking part in surveys, questionnaires, focus groups as and when asked
4. Encourage...
• parents to complete the Respect education programme ?? Is this now the Respect Parent Guide?
• coaches, team managers, first aiders/medics to complete The FA's Safeguarding Children Workshop
• coaches and team managers to listen to their players thoughts, ideas and views
• the committee to make use of the designated spectator area at all games.
5. Monitor...
• repeated incidents of poor behaviour and liaise with your committee (and where necessary YLWO or CFA Welfare Officer)
• compliance with Enhanced CRB checks through The FA CRB Unit for those who require one.
To view a hard copy PDF of the above and other relevant documents please click on the links on the right hand side of the page. Include links to Respect page on Club Welfare Officers.
To access further information please print off a copy of the Welfare Officer Information Pack which can be found on the top right hand side of this page. Alternatively visit the Safeguarding Downloads page on the website.
If you need to advertise for a new Welfare Officer, or if you are a large club and feel you need two people to carry out the role, please downloads the posters displayed on the right hand side of this page.