WEBSITE GUIDANCE

The following guidance is provided by the English Schools' Football Association not as an obstacle but to support Slough Schools’ Football Association to manage their safeguarding responsibilities effectively. It aims to ensure children, young people, coaches, referees and adults in a position of trust are not subjected to improper online behaviour or improper allegations. Associations should appoint appropriate adults to monitor the content of their websites. They should have an understanding of both the technology used and of safeguarding. This individual may be the Association’s Welfare Officer although this is not essential. However it would be expected that the named individual(s) will have attended The FA’s Safeguarding Children Workshop. You are advised to moderate your web pages on a daily basis where possible. Associations are responsible for ensuring all content hosted on their websites, social network areas and any associated message boards or blogs abide by the Rules and Regulations of The Football Association/English Schools’ F.A.

It is against FA/ESFA rules to post comments that are or maybe conceived as; Offensive Insulting Abusive Threatening Racist Discriminatory Any other reference that may cause offensive or harm to others Any such comment made on Association websites and/or social networking sites regarding officials may result in disciplinary action being taken in line with ESFA’s Disciplinary policies and procedures. Comments made on websites that are threatening abusive or racist could lead to legal action being taken against those responsible for posting or hosting them. Comments made may attract libel claims and legal action through the civil courts if they are untrue or defamatory. Children and young people should be advised by their coaches, parents/carers and AWO to always tell an adult they trust about communications that make them feel uncomfortable or where they’ve been asked not to tell their parent/carer about the communication.

Do: Appoint an appropriate adult(s) to monitor the content of the website Make sure everyone within your Association knows who is responsible for monitoring the content of the Association website and social networking areas and how to contact them Apply the principles given within ESFA’s photography guidelines; Celebrating Football Thorough Photographs and Video Place the CEOP, ‘Report Abuse’ app on your web site and the link to the www.ThinkUKnow.co.uk internet safety site provided by CEOP which gives highly effective and age appropriate advice to children, young people, parents and carers Provide links to www.TheFA.com ‘Staying Safe Online’ pages Consider what benefits you feel hosting message boards, forums or blogs will bring to the running and organisation of your Association against the potential risks. If you decide to use these methods of communication ensure that they are password protected and only allow comments to be posted by individuals known and permitted access by the Association Remember that the Association is responsible for all content contained within websites, forums blogs, tweets or social networking areas maintained by the Association and its representative sides Regularly monitor the content of the above and use ESFA Respect Codes of Conduct as a guide to acceptable behaviours both on and off field including behaviour online.

Don’t: Host children’s or young people’s details where they can be seen or used by others to contact them. Any details hosted should only be done with written the written consent of parents/carers Place pictures of individuals on websites without the express permission of parents/carers Post irrelevant detail of individuals which may lead them to be identified e.g. school class/year, player profiles detailing personal information e.g. favourite foods, movies, teams etc. With regard to U8 (Year 3) matches please remember there should be no information published that reveal the result to the reader. Post or host items which may be considered to be hurtful, insulting, offensive, abusive, threatening, racist or discriminatory or otherwise may cause offence or harm to another or might incite such behaviour in others.