Welfare and Player Care Philosophy

Welfare at PVFC Academy

At Port Vale we recognise that, together with the many positive aspects of being an Academy player there are also some pressures. We understand the enormous commitment involved in taking part in the Academy and we strive to offer as much support as possible. The Club Welfare and Safeguarding Officer will undertake to do all that is reasonably possible in all circumstances to ensure that the player’s welfare is safeguarded. The Academy is committed to maintaining and ensuring compliance with approved Safeguarding Children's Policies. All management teams in the Club have copies of all these relevant policies and parents/carers have access to these on line. All staff, both full and part-time, attends Safeguarding Children courses to promote awareness and encourage best practice. All these staff are CRC checked before being appointed.

Apprentices

Our procedures are based on government guidance found in the “Keeping Children Safe in Education” and we have in place safe recruitment practices for staff that we permit to work regularly with young people. We also have robust procedures in place to insist that all staff-whether in place or about to be employed-have obtained a criminal record check (CRC) and attend relevant safeguarding training.

We recognise that the welfare of apprentices is paramount. In a number of cases they are living away from home for the first time. In such cases we secure lodgings with carefully vetted hosts where they will be provided with a happy and stable environment. Hosts are visited by our Welfare Officer on a regular basis and they have 24/7 contact with him/her if any issues arise.

Apprentices are offered assistance in all areas both practical and personal and we endeavor to make the time a player spends with us both rewarding and enjoyable. Inevitably not all players will be offered professional contracts at the end of their two years. In these circumstances we assist players in finding alternative football clubs as appropriate and offer help and guidance in pursuing careers with linked higher education courses. This strategy can be found in the Academy’s exit strategy.

This statement and all Academy policies including anti-bullying, equal opportunities and Complaints/Grievance procedures are reviewed on an annual basis.

We check that all staff are competent to carry out their responsibilities for:

* Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of boys in the Academy
* Creating an environment where staffs feel able to raise concerns (whistleblowing policy)

Academy policy for recruitment includes:
 A role/job description
 Advertising the role
 An interview
 CRC check
 Verification of identification
 Taking up to two references
 A successful probationary period.
Academy training for staff (CPD)
 How to recognise indicators and signs of abuse (Safeguarding Workshop Certification)
 The Club procedure for responding to, reporting, recording and referral of concerns, allegations or disclosures of abuse.
 The process for reporting and managing allegations against staff and volunteers(Whistleblowing policy)
 Head of Education receives regular training on safeguarding and child protection updates(twice a year)
 Information on further and specialist advice and support agencies available.