URGENT – CHILD WELFARE – E.C.F.A. Guidelines

In response to the recent national media coverage of sex abuse in football, we feel this is an opportune moment to remind individuals and clubs within the football community of the mechanisms in place to report concerns and to reinforce awareness of the advice and guidance available.

Volunteers and staff at all levels of the game have a wealth of resources at their disposal as football joins together to make the game as safe as possible. All counties have designated Welfare Officers, who work in line with FA procedures and closely with the local statutory agencies like the police and local authorities to ensure a proactive approach. Essex’s County Welfare Officer is Helen Hever, who is keen to explain the processes involved.

“Collectively we work to create safe environments in football and seek to ensure that, if there are concerns, people know how and where to report them,” Helen stated. “Grassroots has a very strong safeguarding network, with qualified club welfare officers at all youth affiliated clubs. Leagues also have qualified welfare officers and Essex has a County Welfare Officer. These individuals have to undertake training in safeguarding and how to report concerns.”

“The Safeguarding Children Workshop is available to participants within football, which covers a basic understanding of safeguarding and, importantly, how to report concerns. The training of support volunteers in their roles is excellent together with support on what must take place. The critical area is that Criminal Record Checks are completed or renewed when they’re required, with individuals not going into role until they have an accepted FA CRC.”

Alongside The FA, we support clubs including Think You Know (www.thinkuknow.co.uk) and CEOP (https://ceop.police.uk) logos and links on their websites (see ‘Related Documents’). It is important that children and young people have access to report concerns and both these logos would assist with that. It’s crucial that clubs share with their children and young people how they can share their concerns, and who with.

Points to Remember

* In order to affiliate, every youth club must have a designated Club Welfare Officer who has been Criminal Records Checked (CRC) and completed all relevant training. Their role is to work with the club’s management committee to ensure all the right things are in place in the club to safeguard children, including knowing how to report concerns.

* The FA has commissioned a dedicated NSPCC helpline for adults who were victims of sexual abuse in childhood within the football industry. The helpline is available 24 hours a day on (0800) 023 2642. A general NSPCC hotline is available via (0808) 800 5000.

* The FA has a team of safeguarding professionals who put in place preventative measures via policy, education, best practice and support for the network of people acting as Designated Safeguarding Officers (DSOs). Alongside this is a team of safeguarding professionals who manage referrals and concerns, work with the statutory agencies in relation to investigations and put in place safeguards, including suspensions from football activity where necessary, to manage people who pose, or may pose a risk of harm.

* There is a network of 8,500 people as DSOs in the professional game and grassroots football, who have been criminal records checked and trained. Their role includes making referrals to the appropriate authorities.

* 55,000 criminal records checks are carried out across the game each season to screen out anyone who seeks to work in football who may pose a risk of harm.

* 35,000 coaches and referees attend The FA’s safeguarding children awareness course each season. Additional welfare officer training is provided to grassroots DSOs.