Child Protection

CHILD PROTECTION

It is now widely accepted that every adult's responsibility is to protect children from abuse. All children have a right to be protected from all forms of abuse & discrimination. Crosfields J.F.C. has a Child Protection Policy in place taken from F.A. guidelines. This policy can be downloaded from our website by clicking here.

This policy covers physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, neglect & bullying.

The Club takes this matter very seriously. The club requires that all Team Managers & coaches take the F.A. Level 1 course & Child Protection is now included in this course. Please ask your Team Manager for a copy of "The F.A. Child Protection Policy" booklets if you need more information.

If anyone suspects any form of abuse within the Club, please report this to our Child Welfare Officer or Social Services.

The Club will ensure that all cases are treated with the strictest of confidence & will thoroughly investigate any allegation of abuse. The Club reiterates that the children's welfare is paramount & would encourage all parents & guardians to report any suspected cases, however small your concern is. The Child Welfare Officer is responsible for reporting issues to the Social Services Department, Police or NSPCC.

Other valid telephone numbers are:

The Football Association/NSPCC Child Protection Helpline 0808 800 5000

Child Line 0800 1111

NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit 0116 234 7278

VOLUNTEERS

The Club will keep a Volunteers Register to ensure that the Club operates within the guidelines governing Child Protection.

All volunteers must complete a Club Volunteers Application & Registration form if they wish to be involved with the Club. This covers all aspects of voluntary work within the Club, i.e. Team Managers, coaches, student coaches, parent helpers & all Club officials.

All volunteers must consent to be screened per Child Protection Policies & agree to complete a Football Association Personal Disclosure Form & CRB check. This is to protect the welfare & safety of the children within the Club. This ensures that the Club adopts good practices when recruiting volunteers to safeguard young players in our care. Crosfields J.F.C. will ensure that all personal data & information kept will be in line with the data protection regulations & will ensure its confidentiality.

The Club recognises the importance of volunteers & values them. All Team Managers, coaches, student coaches, parent helpers & Officials are volunteers & indeed, the Club cannot run without them. The Club has appointed a Volunteers Co-ordinator to provide a contact for all new volunteers, to ensure the implementation of the Club's Development Plan for Volunteers, & to help existing volunteers get the support or training that they require. If you would like to volunteer for the Club, please let your Team Manager know & they will provide you with the relevant forms.

PHOTOGRAPHY & FILMING OF CHILDREN - CLUB POLICY

The following is an extract from the Club's terms and Conditions. All Crosfields JFC members must adhere to this policy.

Child Protection Policy - Governing Photography and Video Recording

The Club has strict guidelines on photographing and videoing children in the Club.

From time to time, the Club will take photographs of teams for publicity purposes or inclusion on the Club website, newsletter, or other such publications. Players’ names will not be included in photographs, so children may not be readily identifiable from any photograph taken.

Photographs taken by the Club will be taken of age groups in general and not specifically of an individual child unless the parents have requested this for a reason, i.e. a notable achievement. Photographs of individual children must only be taken with the parent’s consent.

Video recordings may be taken from time to time by the Club. All video footage should be of a team and should not focus on individual children. A close-up recording is not permitted.

The Team Manager or Coach should state his intentions to the parents of the children before commencing with taking any photographs or video recordings. Parents can refuse to allow their children to be videoed or photographed. If a video or photograph is to be taken during a match, then consent from both sides must be sought first.

The Club will destroy all photographic material after use. Any video tapes will be stored securely and will be wiped after use.

If a parent wishes to take any photographs or make any video recordings, they must gain permission from the Team Manager or coach in charge before they can commence. This includes using mobile phones with a camera or video recording facilities. The Team Manager or coach should inform all other parents of their intentions before this can commence. Parents can refuse to allow their child to be videoed or photographed by another parent. Any parent who does not wish their child to be photographed for any of the above must state this in writing to the Team Manager.

ADULTS PLAYING WITH CHILDREN WHILST 'COACHING' FOOTBALL

FA Guidance Notes

Adults playing with children whilst "coaching' football!

The FA Handbook 2007- 2008, Rules of The Association and Laws of the Game

Age Ranges and Provisions Relating to Players Under 16 Years of Age,

Page 76 (vii) (A) states:

A child in age ranges Under 7, Under 8, Under 9, Under 10, Under 11, Under 12, Under 13, Under 14, and Under 15 must not play and shall not be permitted, or encouraged to play, in a match where any other is older or younger by two years or more than that person (for disability football the two year age band may be varied at the discretion of The Association).

The FA rules prescribe two-year age banding in the interests of child development in football. This provides parameters which allow children to develop alongside their peers who are of a similar physical development.

Whilst it is acknowledged that there will be varying levels of development within any one age group, this ruling prevents children from being placed in potentially dangerous settings playing football with and against much larger children in matches.

The FA strongly advises against adults playing within youth football settings (U16) for similar reasons to those as detailed above. The disproportionate skill level and physical size presents the potential opportunity for injury to the children involved.

It is The FA's experience that adults playing games within youth football in either training settings or so named "friendly matches' can result in injury. It should be noted that the injury of a player in such circumstances has in the past resulted in legal action being taken by the injured party against the offending player.

Whilst coaches may deem themselves to be "aware' and skilful enough to avoid contact the risks of injury remain high. With the best of intentions; enthusiasm and effort on behalf of either party can and does result in physical contact. The FA coaching courses make it very clear that coaches are not to join in games when working with youth teams. Indeed such activity would be deemed in conflict with the coaches' code of conduct and leaves the coach open to potential claims against them.

Crosfields JFC CWO Role and Responsibilities

As a Club Welfare Officer, we have key responsibilities:

1. To be clear about the club's 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 volunteers understand what their ‘duty of care' towards children and young people means and entails on a day-to-day basis. To carry out our responsibilities, we follow these five simple steps:

a) Put in place:

• a safeguarding children policy, the anti-bullying policy and equality policy

• responsible recruitment processes, including the taking up of references and submitting FA CRB checks (getting the right people into the game)

• The FA Respect Programme codes of conduct.

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 specific 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, and 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 is to use 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 Club Welfare Officer Roles and Responsibilities