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Guernsey FA Safeguarding Guide

The Guernsey FA is mindful that all involved in the game can never stop looking to improve the safeguarding best practices we want to see applied throughout grassroots football every day of the year. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility - 365 days a year!!

Below is a guide to help ensure that the local football environment is on that is both safe and enjoyable for all participants.

During the 2023/24 season everyone in football is required to have the relevant safeguarding qualifications for their role in football, these roles include;

  • Team Officials (including Manager, Coach, Assistant Coach and Medic),
  • Club Welfare Officer,
  • Club Committee Member,
  • Parents & Carers,
  • Players Under 18

Youth Teams-

  • All youth team officials in regulated activity (coaches, managers, medics (including assistants)) identified through the club portal/ WGS record must have an in date and accepted DBS check at all times
  • All youth team officials in regulated activity (coaches, managers, medics (including assistants)) identified through the club portal/ WGS have in date training (Safeguarding Children Course)

 Open Age Teams-

For the 2023/24 season:

  • All clubs with open-age adult teams are required to have a named Club Welfare Officer at the point of affiliation from 2023/24 season onwards.

 

For the 2024/25:

  • All eligible Club Welfare Officers (Adult Teams) are required to have an in date and accepted DBS check at the point of affiliation from the start of the 2024/25 season onwards.
  • All Club Welfare Officers (Adult Teams) are required to have in-date Player Welfare Course qualification at the point of affiliation from the start of the 2024/25 season onwards.
  • All open-age team officials of teams with under-18 players (coaches, managers, medics (including assistants)) are required to have an in date and accepted DBS from the start of the 2024/25 season.
  • All open-age team officials of teams with under-18 players are required to have in date Player Welfare Course qualification from the start of the 2024/25 season. (Safeguarding for All/Safeguarding Children Course/Player Welfare in Open-age Football Course)

 

Club Welfare Officer-

  • All Club Welfare Officers identified through the club Portal/WGS are required to have an in date and accepted DBS check
  • All Club Welfare Officers identified through the club Portal/WGS are required to have in date training (Safeguarding Children Course) qualification
  • All Club Welfare Officers identified through the club Portal/WGS are required to have in date training (Welfare Officer Course) qualification
  • All Club Welfare Officers identified through the club Portal/WGS are required to have in date training (Safeguarding for Committee Members training course) qualification

 

Club Committee Member-

 

Parents and Carers-

 

Players Aged Under 18-

 

DBS Guidance

The Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate which results from a DBS Check is a document containing confidential criminal history information held by the police and government departments. It can be used by employers to make safer recruitment decisions.

How to Report a Concern

The Guernsey FA are committed to our responsibilities in safeguarding the welfare of all young people involved in grassroots football.

If you are worried about a child, it’s vital you report your concerns. Doing nothing is not an option. It’s also important you stay calm, and if any child is present, reassure them they are not to blame. But don’t make promises of confidentiality or outcome.

How you report your concerns to the FA’s Safeguarding Team

  • If you are worried about a child, it’s vital you report your concerns. Doing nothing is not an option. It’s also important you stay calm, and if any child is present, reassure them they are not to blame. But don’t make promises of confidentiality or outcome.
  • There are five ways to report a concern:
  • To your club or league Designated Safeguarding Officer – please find out from your club who these people are;
  • To your County FA Designated Safeguarding Officer.
  • By emailing The FA Safeguarding Team at safeguarding@TheFA.com;
  • If urgent and you cannot contact your club, league or County FA Designated Safeguarding Officer, you can contact the NSPCC Helpline for expert advice and support on 0808 800 5000 or help@nspcc.org.uk;
  • If it is an emergency because a child or children are at immediate risk, then call the Police or Children’s Social Care in your area.

 

Guernsey FA Designated Safeguarding Team
If you wish to report a concern to the Guernsey FA please contact one of our designated safeguarding team:

If you have an urgent safeguarding concern then please call The FA / NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 - or if it is an emergency because a child or children are at immediate risk, then call the Police or Children's Social Care in your area.

Other useful contacts;

  • FA Safeguarding Department: Tel - 0800169 1863
  • Guernsey Police 725111
  • Guernsey Multi-Agency Support Hub: 223182
    • For out of hours emergencies contact 220000
  • Crimestoppers – 0800 555 111
  • NSPCC Hotline – 0808 800 5000

 

Thank you for all the hard work and energy that’s going in to safeguard children and adults at risk in the grassroots game.