As a Club Welfare Officer you have two key responsibilities these are:

1. To be clear about the clubs 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
• 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:

a) Put in place:

• a safeguarding children policy, anti-bullying policy and equality policy
• responsible recruitment processes including the taking up of references & submitting FA CRB
• checks (getting the right people into the game)
• The FA Respect Programme codes of conduct

b) Understand:

• what the Respect Programme 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 Safeguarding Children Policy Template)
• why certain roles require an FA CRB check and how The FA CRB process works
• how to refer a concern about the welfare of a child

c) Communicate with:

• club officials about the Respect Programme 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 Youth League Welfare Officer – introduce yourself, find out how they can support you and let them know what you are doing to safeguard children in your club
• your County FA Welfare Officer if you need help or advice
• The FA by taking part in surveys, questionnaires, focus groups as and when asked

d) Encourage:

• parents to complete the Respect education programme
• 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 Respect Programmes designated spectator area at all games

e) Monitor:

• repeated incidents of poor behaviour and liaise with your committee (and where necessary Youth League Welfare Officer or County FA Welfare Officer)
• compliance with FA CRB checks through The FA CRB Unit for those who require one using The FA Safeguarding Online System

Saffron Dynamo FC