ADWICK PARK RANGERS JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB
CHILD PROTECTION POLICY
Adwick Park Rangers Junior Football Club shall through the Club Welfare Officer (CWO) Hayley Thomson adhere to the Child Protection Procedures and Practices defined within the Football Association handbook.
The club will ensure that there are practices and procedures in place to reduce the risk of harm to children and young people at the club.
The club have in place a designated Club Welfare Officer who accepts responsibility for monitoring all club procedures in relation to child protection issues.
The role of the Club Welfare Officer will:
•Support the Club to disseminate The FA Child Protection Policy, Procedures and Practices.
•Undertake any necessary meetings and make presentations to the Club, its officials, players and parents.
•Play an active role in the delivery of the FA's strategic plan for Child Protection in football.
•Be the prime contact for any parent or player that has any Child Protection related issues.
•Treat all issues sensitively and in confidence.
The Club will seek to work together with parents to ensure the safety of the children at all times (e.g. arrangements for dropping-off and collection of children at training and matches should be drawn to the attention of both Managers/Coaches and the children).
•All children will be valued as a member of the Club.
•Parents will be kept well informed about Child Protection issues.
•Every member of the Committee, all Managers/Coaches, and any person acting on behalf of the Club has a responsibility to ensure that the children are kept within a safe environment at all times.
•If anyone has any concerns regarding the welfare of the children they must refer the matter to the Club Child Welfare Officer.
•Any child who has an individual concern should speak to any member of the committee or the Club Child Welfare Officer(s) in the first instance.
•The Club will maintain a record of all referrals and the resulting action that is taken.
•This record will be available for reference at any time.
The child's welfare is, and must always be the paramount consideration.
All team managers and coaches will be subject to local Football Association child protection registration.
Parents and children coming to the club will be made aware of our child protection policy.

CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

1. Adwick Park Rangers Junior Football Club acknowledges its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of every child and young person who has been entrusted to its care and is committed to working to provide a safe environment for all members.
A child or young person is anyone under the age of 18 engaged in any club football activity. We subscribe to The Football Association’s child protection and best practice policy and procedures and endorse and adopt the policy statement contained in that document.

2. The key principles of The FA child protection policy are that:

•The child’s welfare is, and must always be, the paramount consideration

•All children and young people have a right to be protected from abuse regardless of their age, gender, disability, culture, language, racial origin, religious beliefs or sexual orientation

•All suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately

•Working in partnership with other organisations, children and young people and their parents or carers is essential.
We acknowledge that every child or young person who plays or participates in football should be able to take part in an enjoyable and safe environment and be protected from poor practice and abuse.
All at the Club recognise that this is the responsibility of every adult involved in our club.

3. Adwick Park Rangers Junior Football Club has a role to play in safeguarding the welfare of all children and young people by protecting them from physical, sexual or emotional harm and from neglect or bullying. It is noted and accepted that The Football Association’s child protection regulation (see The FA Handbook) applies to everyone in football whether in a paid or voluntary capacity. This includes those who are a volunteer, match official, helper on club
Tours, football coach, club official or medical staff.

4. We endorse and adopt The FA’s child protection and best practice guidelines for recruiting volunteers and will:

•Develop a role profile

•Request identification documents

•As a minimum meet and chat with the applicant(s) and where possible conduct interviews before appointing.

•Request and follow up with two references before appointing.

•Require an FA CRB Unit Enhanced Disclosure where appropriate in line with FA guidelines.

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All current Adwick Park Rangers Junior Football Club members with direct access to children and young people will be required to complete a CRC Enhanced Disclosure via The FA CRC Unit.
If there are concerns regarding the appropriateness of an individual who is already involved or who has approached us to become part of Adwick Park Rangers Junior Football Club guidance will be sought from The Football Association.
It is noted and accepted that The FA will consider the relevance and significance of the information obtained via The FA CRB Unit Enhanced CRB Disclosure and that all decisions will be made in the best interests of children and young people.
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It is accepted that The FA aims to prevent people with a history of relevant and significant offending from having contact with children or young people and the opportunity to influence policies or practice with children or young people. This is to prevent direct sexual or physical harm to children and to minimise the risk of ‘grooming’ within football.

5. We support The FA’s whistle blowing policy. Any adult or young person with concerns about a colleague can ‘whistle blow’ by contacting The FA child protection manager on 0207 745 4771, by writing to:

The FA case manager at The Football Association, 25 Soho Square, London W1D 4FA or by going direct to the police, social services or the NSPCC.

Adwick Park Rangers Junior Football Club encourages everyone to know about it and utilise it if necessary.

6. Adwick Park Rangers Junior Football Club has appointed a Club Welfare Officer (CWO) in line with The FA’s role profile and required completion of the child protection and best practice workshop. The post holder will be involved with designated person’s training provided by The FA.

The CWO is the first point of contact for all club members and parents or guardians regarding concerns for the welfare of any child or young person. They will liaise directly with the CFA CPO and will be familiar with the procedures for referring any concerns. They will also play a proactive role in increasing an awareness of poor practice and abuse amongst club members.

7. We acknowledge and endorse The FA’s identification of bullying as a category of abuse. Bullying of any kind is not acceptable at our club. If bullying does occur, all players, parents or guardians should be able to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly. Incidents need to be reported to the CWO, a member of the committee or, in cases of serious bullying contact the CFA CPO.

8. Codes of conduct for players, parents or spectators, officials and coaches have been implemented by Adwick Park Rangers Junior Football Club. In order to validate these codes of conduct the club has clear sanctions to deal with any misconduct at club level and acknowledges the possibility of potential sanctions which may be implemented by leagues or the CFA in more serious circumstances. All prospective members will be informed of these codes.

9. Further advice on child protection matters can be obtained from:

•The County Football Association’s child Protection Officer, whose details can be found in the
County Handbook

•The Football Association/NSPCC Child Protection 24-Hour Helpline 0808 800 5000

•www.TheFA.com/Goal

The FA child protection team 0207 745 4649.