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Child Protection - Information
Amateur Football Combination Child Protection Statement Every child or young person, defined as anyone under the age of 18, who plays or participates in football should be able to take part in an enjoyable and safe environment and be protected from abuse. This is the responsibility of every adult involved in football. The Amateur Football Combination (‘AFC’) is a competition in which people from very diverse backgrounds and wide age ranges take part. Many AFC clubs run youth sections and the AFC aims to maintain standards of football which will provide an ideal environment for Clubs to introduce youth players into senior football. The AFC places high priority on ensuring that member Clubs maintain high standards of care and protection for young people. The AFC recognises its responsibilities to safeguard the welfare of all children and young people by protecting them from physical, sexual or emotional harm and from neglect or bullying. These principles apply to anyone in football whether in a paid or voluntary capacity including club volunteers, referees, club officials, helpers on club tours, football coaches and medical staff. Advice to Clubs - Best Practice for Young People Participating in AFC Football:-
Anyone having any concerns about the welfare of a young person should contact the appropriate authority/officer without delay.
The
Football Association – Policy on Child Protection The
Football Association will consider, having taken advice, whether anyone who has
a previous criminal conviction or caution for offences related to the abuse of
children or young people, violence or any sexual offences should be excluded
from working with children and young people. This position is reinforced by UK
legislation and guidance. Comprehensive guidance on the implementation of the Child Protection policy is contained in a booklet, the F.A. Child Protection Procedures Handbook, available from the The FA Child Protection Department, 25 Soho Square, London, W1D 4FA. Tel: 020 7745 4909. Email: goal@TheFA.com, Website: www.thefa.com/goal The
AFC will support the Football Association by whatever means necessary to ensure
child protection in football. Amateur Football Combination Child Protection Officer Under FA Regulations a player who has not yet reached the age of 18 is regarded as a child. In these circumstances many Amateur Football Combination clubs will have children playing for them in the company of adults, or may have youth clubs using their facilities as the same time as adults. The role of the League Welfare Officer for the Amateur Football Combination is to:
To contact the League Welfare Officer, Danny McConnell please call 07932 626 716 or email: danny@pbmsports.com. For more details on FA Safeguarding Children Workshops, including how to attend one, click here.
The
Child Protection Helpline The
Football Association/NSPCC Child Protection helpline, which is open 24 hours a
day and run on an entirely confidential basis, can be contacted on 0845 210 8080
(textphone 0800 056 0566 for deaf users). Any queries should be directed to your County F.A. Child Protection Officer, the Amateur Football Combination Child Protection Officer, Danny McConnell, on 07932 626 716 or to your own club Child Protection Officer.
GOAL GOAL is the name of the Football Association's Child Protection campaign. The objective is to have someone at every club in the country aware of child protection and best practice, whether it's a Premiership Academy or a Sunday morning park side. GOAL is about doing things the right way, doing things properly. It's about allowing children to enjoy the game without abuse of any kind. That means bullying, physical, emotional or sexual abuse and neglect. For more details of GOAL see the FA Website.
CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) CRB checks are being conducted for everyone involved in football who have access to children. CRB checks are a way of checking people’s history to make sure they do not have any convictions that might mean they are not safe to work with children. The FA only uses checks called Enhanced Disclosures which are currently renewable after three years. Click here for more details about CRB Checks
Useful Links Click on the following links for further details of Child Protection, including how to obtain the F.A. Child Protection Procedures Handbook, which is also now available as a Video and CD-Rom via the Child Protection Section of the FA website.
Download Click here to download a copy of the AFC Child Protection statement (Adobe PDF format) which can also be used as a poster to display in your club.
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