PLUMPTON ATHLETIC JUNIORS FC SAFEGUARDING POLICY
1. Plumpton Athletic Juniors FC (“PAJFC” or the “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. PAJFC subscribes to “The FA Safeguarding Children – Policy and Procedures” and endorses and adopts the Policy Statement contained in that document.
2. The key principles of The FA Safeguarding Children 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, race, sexual orientation, faith or belief;
• all suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately; and
• working in partnership with other organisations, children and young people and their parents/carers is essential.
3. PAJFC acknowledges 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. PAJFC recognises that this is the responsibility of every adult involved in the club. PAJFC 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 Safeguarding Children Regulations (see The FA Handbook) applies to everyone in football whether in a paid or voluntary capacity including a volunteer, match official, helper on club tours, football coach, club official or medical staff.
4. PAJFC adopts The FA’s Responsible Recruitment guidelines for recruiting volunteers and will:
• specify each role and what its tasks involve;
• request identification documents and interview each applicant before appointing them;
• request and obtain two references before making an appointment; and
• where eligible, require an FA accepted Disclosure and Barring Service (“DBS”) check in line with current FA policy and regulations.
5. All current PAJFC members working in eligible roles with children and young people, such as managers and coaches, are required to hold an in-date FA accepted DBS check.
6. If there are concerns regarding the appropriateness of an individual already involved or proposed to be involved in the club, guidance will be sought from The FA. It is noted and accepted that The FA will consider the relevance and significance of the information obtained via the DBS process and that all suitability decisions will be made in accordance with legislation and in the best interests of children and young people. 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.
7. PAJFC supports The FA’s Whistle Blowing Policy. Any adult or young person with concerns about an adult in a position of trust within football can “whistle blow” by:
contacting The FA Safeguarding Team on 0800 169 1863;
writing to The FA Case Manager at The Football Association, Wembley Stadium, PO Box 1966, London SW1P 9EQ;
emailing Safeguarding@TheFA.com;
or reporting the matter directly to the Police, Children’s Social Care or the NSPCC.
PAJFC encourages everyone to know about The FA’s Whistle Blowing Policy and to utilise it if necessary.
8. PAJFC has appointed a Club Welfare Officer (“CWO”) in line with The FA’s role profile and required completion of the Safeguarding Children and Welfare Officers Workshop. The post holder will be involved with Welfare Officer training provided by The FA and/or County FA. The CWO is the first point of contact for all club members regarding concerns about the welfare of any child or young person. The CWO will liaise with the County FA Welfare Officer and will be familiar with the procedures for referring any concerns. The CWO will also play a proactive role in increasing awareness of Respect, poor practice and abuse amongst club members.
9. PAJFC acknowledges and endorses The FA’s identification of bullying as a category of abuse. Bullying of any kind is not acceptable at PAJFC. If bullying does occur, all players or parents/carers should be able to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly. Incidents must be reported to the CWO and in cases of serious bullying the County FA Welfare Officer may also be contacted.
10. Respect codes of conduct for Players, Parents/Spectators, Officials and Coaches have been implemented by PAJFC. In order to validate these Respect codes of conduct, PAJFC has clear actions it will take regarding repeated or serious misconduct at club level and acknowledges the possibility of potential sanctions which may be implemented by the County FA in more serious circumstances.
11. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. If you are worried about a child it is important that you report your concerns – no action is not an option:
i. If you are worried about a child then you must report your concerns to the CWO (see below);
ii. If the issue is one of poor practice, the CWO will either deal with the matter themselves or seek advice from the County FA Welfare Officer;
iii. If the concern is more serious, i.e. possible child abuse, the Police or Children’s Social Care must be informed and the County FA Welfare Officer must also be contacted;
iv. If a child or young person needs immediate medical treatment they should be taken to a hospital or an ambulance called and medical staff must be informed that there is a child protection concern. The CWO must be informed of the action taken and they will contact the County FA Welfare Officer; and
v. If you are not able to contact the CWO or the matter is clearly serious you can contact:
- The County FA Welfare Officer directly (contact details below);
- The FA Safeguarding Team on 0800 169 1863 or Safeguarding@TheFA.com;
- Police or Children’s Social Care; and/or
- The NSPCC 24 hour Helpline on 0808 800 5000, text 88858 or help@nspcc.org.uk.
12. The FA’s Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedures are available via www.TheFA.com/footballrules-governance/safeguarding – click on “Raising Awareness – Best Practice Downloads” and the Policy and Procedures document may be found within the resources area. The policy outlines in detail what to do if you are concerned about the welfare of a child and includes flow diagrams which describe this process.
Key contacts
PAJFC CWO: Rob Davies safeguarding.pajfc@gmail.com
PAJFC Assistant CWO: Hilary Robinson safeguarding.pajfc@gmail.com
County FA Welfare Officer: Sandra Redhead 01903 768578 safeguarding@sussexfa.com
www.TheFA.com/football-rules-governance/safeguarding
Safeguarding@TheFA.com
The FA Safeguarding Children general enquiry line 0845 210 8080
1. Plumpton Athletic Juniors FC (“PAJFC” or the “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. PAJFC subscribes to “The FA Safeguarding Children – Policy and Procedures” and endorses and adopts the Policy Statement contained in that document.
2. The key principles of The FA Safeguarding Children 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, race, sexual orientation, faith or belief;
• all suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately; and
• working in partnership with other organisations, children and young people and their parents/carers is essential.
3. PAJFC acknowledges 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. PAJFC recognises that this is the responsibility of every adult involved in the club. PAJFC 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 Safeguarding Children Regulations (see The FA Handbook) applies to everyone in football whether in a paid or voluntary capacity including a volunteer, match official, helper on club tours, football coach, club official or medical staff.
4. PAJFC adopts The FA’s Responsible Recruitment guidelines for recruiting volunteers and will:
• specify each role and what its tasks involve;
• request identification documents and interview each applicant before appointing them;
• request and obtain two references before making an appointment; and
• where eligible, require an FA accepted Disclosure and Barring Service (“DBS”) check in line with current FA policy and regulations.
5. All current PAJFC members working in eligible roles with children and young people, such as managers and coaches, are required to hold an in-date FA accepted DBS check.
6. If there are concerns regarding the appropriateness of an individual already involved or proposed to be involved in the club, guidance will be sought from The FA. It is noted and accepted that The FA will consider the relevance and significance of the information obtained via the DBS process and that all suitability decisions will be made in accordance with legislation and in the best interests of children and young people. 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.
7. PAJFC supports The FA’s Whistle Blowing Policy. Any adult or young person with concerns about an adult in a position of trust within football can “whistle blow” by:
contacting The FA Safeguarding Team on 0800 169 1863;
writing to The FA Case Manager at The Football Association, Wembley Stadium, PO Box 1966, London SW1P 9EQ;
emailing Safeguarding@TheFA.com;
or reporting the matter directly to the Police, Children’s Social Care or the NSPCC.
PAJFC encourages everyone to know about The FA’s Whistle Blowing Policy and to utilise it if necessary.
8. PAJFC has appointed a Club Welfare Officer (“CWO”) in line with The FA’s role profile and required completion of the Safeguarding Children and Welfare Officers Workshop. The post holder will be involved with Welfare Officer training provided by The FA and/or County FA. The CWO is the first point of contact for all club members regarding concerns about the welfare of any child or young person. The CWO will liaise with the County FA Welfare Officer and will be familiar with the procedures for referring any concerns. The CWO will also play a proactive role in increasing awareness of Respect, poor practice and abuse amongst club members.
9. PAJFC acknowledges and endorses The FA’s identification of bullying as a category of abuse. Bullying of any kind is not acceptable at PAJFC. If bullying does occur, all players or parents/carers should be able to tell and know that incidents will be dealt with promptly. Incidents must be reported to the CWO and in cases of serious bullying the County FA Welfare Officer may also be contacted.
10. Respect codes of conduct for Players, Parents/Spectators, Officials and Coaches have been implemented by PAJFC. In order to validate these Respect codes of conduct, PAJFC has clear actions it will take regarding repeated or serious misconduct at club level and acknowledges the possibility of potential sanctions which may be implemented by the County FA in more serious circumstances.
11. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. If you are worried about a child it is important that you report your concerns – no action is not an option:
i. If you are worried about a child then you must report your concerns to the CWO (see below);
ii. If the issue is one of poor practice, the CWO will either deal with the matter themselves or seek advice from the County FA Welfare Officer;
iii. If the concern is more serious, i.e. possible child abuse, the Police or Children’s Social Care must be informed and the County FA Welfare Officer must also be contacted;
iv. If a child or young person needs immediate medical treatment they should be taken to a hospital or an ambulance called and medical staff must be informed that there is a child protection concern. The CWO must be informed of the action taken and they will contact the County FA Welfare Officer; and
v. If you are not able to contact the CWO or the matter is clearly serious you can contact:
- The County FA Welfare Officer directly (contact details below);
- The FA Safeguarding Team on 0800 169 1863 or Safeguarding@TheFA.com;
- Police or Children’s Social Care; and/or
- The NSPCC 24 hour Helpline on 0808 800 5000, text 88858 or help@nspcc.org.uk.
12. The FA’s Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedures are available via www.TheFA.com/footballrules-governance/safeguarding – click on “Raising Awareness – Best Practice Downloads” and the Policy and Procedures document may be found within the resources area. The policy outlines in detail what to do if you are concerned about the welfare of a child and includes flow diagrams which describe this process.
Key contacts
PAJFC CWO: Rob Davies safeguarding.pajfc@gmail.com
PAJFC Assistant CWO: Hilary Robinson safeguarding.pajfc@gmail.com
County FA Welfare Officer: Sandra Redhead 01903 768578 safeguarding@sussexfa.com
www.TheFA.com/football-rules-governance/safeguarding
Safeguarding@TheFA.com
The FA Safeguarding Children general enquiry line 0845 210 8080
