SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN

"Every child or young person under the age of 18, who plays or participates in football should be able to do so in an enjoyable and safe environment,protected from abuse." Statement by The FA and Cornwall FA

Online Safeguarding Service

The Online Safeguarding Service provides you with a list of coaches attached to your club and the status of their FA CRB checks ñ it also allows you, as the club welfare officer, to add and remove members. To access this report you must be a fully qualified Welfare Officer with an Accepted FA CRB check, have attended a Safeguarding Children Course and a Welfare Officers Workshop. Please download the Guide below.

Online FA CRB Application Process

Qualified Club Welfare Officers are encouraged to use the FA CRB Online Application Process. This facility is quicker and cheaper than the traditional paper-based application route and is also virtually error free. The biggest benefit is a saving of £5.30 per volunteer FA CRB Check with the cost being £10 as against the current paper cost of £15.30.

Register by email or telephone 0845 210 8080.

The paper application process remains valid and Club Welfare Officers who do not have internet access or are not confident with using it are still able to use the current FA CRB Forms. Club Welfare Officers can obtain additional FA CRB Application Forms and help with this paper process by contacting FA CRB as above.

Safeguarding Children - New Recertification process

From March 2012 anyone who has completed the 3 hour Safeguarding Children Workshop and / or the paper recertification can take the Online Safeguarding Children Recertification Course. This includes those who have an expired Safeguarding Children Workshop Certificate or paper recertification. The content of the Online Recertification extends revision and learning beyond the paper recertification content and brings participants up to date with current practice, including Respect and Social Media. The course enables Coaches in FA Charter Standard Clubs to maintain their Safeguarding training as required in health checks. It also allows Coaches to update their Safeguarding training record and join the Licensed Coaches Club.

Cost

The cost is £13.95 per delegate including the cost of the certificate delivered to their home after completion. Delegates can complete the course at any computer that has access to the internet and can dip in and out of the modules whenever their commitments allow.

Access to the Online Course

Click here

The FA Anti-Bullying Policy

The policy is available to download below. Remember it's not just about having a paper policy in place. It's about making sure everyone in your club knows that bullying won't be tolerated and that they know what to do if bullying should occur. If you have a club website, please link to The FA's anti bullying policy. Make sure your coaches and team managers know what to do if they observe any bullying at the club. Let your players and their parents/carers know the club won't tolerate bullying and what to do should this happen. If you haven't already done so, sign up to The FA's Respect programme which promotes positive behaviour by all participants, parents and spectators. The link is below.

There are links below for further advice and support. These will be added to soon.

The County Youth Forum page is still being built. Some youth leagues require club coachesí FA CRB Disclosure numbers. Coaches can get their number by emailing with their full name and date of birth or phoning 0845 2108080.

Safeguarding Workshops and Welfare Officer Workshops

For our next workshop please contact 01208 269010. If you lose your Safeguarding or Welfare Officer workshop certificates you can order a replacement from FA Learning on 0845 2108080. Please be aware there is a charge for this service.

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act

A guidance statement has been made by The FA in January 2010. It will be available to download soon along with a link to find out how this act will affect football clubs.

Safeguarding Children and CRB Enquiries

The FA Safeguarding and Equality general enquiries number ñ 0845 210 8080 is aimed at anyone who wants to find out more about The FA's Safeguarding Education Programme, The FA CRB Unit or anything relating to Safeguarding Children in football. Please note this number is also used as a general enquiries number for the Equality Education Programme. Donít forget you can use Footballsafe@TheFA.com for general safeguarding enquiries and crb@TheFA.com for CRB specific issues.
On telephoning this service, callers will hear a message that will direct their enquiry to the team best equipped to support as detailed below:

Welcome to The FA enquiry helpline

If you have a CRB enquiry please press 1

If you have an FA Learning workshop or course enquiry press 2

If you have a Charter Standard enquiry press 3

For all other enquiries press 4

You can email us or telephone 01208 269010 if you have an enquiry about FA Charter Standard, Safeguarding Children workshops held locally or general information about Criminal Records Bureau procedure.
The FA has issued advice on policies and procedures for keeping children safe and other information such as Guidelines on Photography and Children.

There are websites available for reporting illegal content run by the police national crime squad.