Role of a Child Welfare Officer/Deputy Child Welfare Officer

Every club/centre should designate a Child Welfare Officer/Deputy Child Welfare Officer to be responsible for dealing with any safeguarding concerns. 

The Child Welfare Officer/Deputy plays a fundamental role in thecreation of a child-centred ethos which promotes safety and fun in football. 

This can be achieved by communicating to every adult in theclub/centre that they have a duty of care to safeguard the welfare of children/young people in order to protect them from inappropriate behaviour and abuse.

Role of theChild Welfare Officer/Deputy:

·Make them self known to everyone involved in the club/centre (children/young people, staff/coaches/volunteers and parents/guardians)

• Communicate to everyone what safeguarding means and its importance

·Complete any training pertaining tothe role as well as an appropriate vetting check

• Oversee the implementation of a child protection policy and procedures

· Promote awareness of the child protection policy and procedures within the club/centre and particularly among the children/young people and parents/guardians.  This could be achieved through an induction evening at the start of each season, the production of information leaflets or the establishment of children’s/age-group specific notice

· Influence policy and procedures within the club/centre in order to prioritise children’s/young people’s needs

• Ensure everyone in a regulated position completes safeguarding training and an appropriate vetting check
• To act as an advisory resource to staff, coaches and volunteers on best practice in working with children/young people
• Encourage the involvement of parents/guardians in the organisation activities and co-operate with parents/guardians in ensuring that each child/young person enjoys his/her involvement
• Ensure that children/young people know how to make concerns known to appropriate adults or agencies.  Information disclosed by a child/young person to the Child Welfare Officer/Deputy or any o the r adult within the organisation should be dealt with in accordance with the Department of Health and Social Services and Public Safety’s Our Duty to Care

·Ensure that all adults are familiar with safeguarding recording and reporting procedures

• Report regularly to the club’s/centre’s Management Committee. Committee members should fully embrace safeguarding in football.
• Promote the values, attitudes and structures which make activities safe and fun for children/young people
• Ensure the widespread dissemination of the club’s/centre’s Code of Conduct for coaches/volunteers, children/young people and parents/guardians and the publicising of related education programmes, materials and events.  All parties should agree and sign up the ir Codes of Conduct
• Be aware of how to contact the relevant personnel in the Statutory Authorities
• Familiarise the m self with the ‘Our Duty to Care’ to ensure the y can act as an information source to o the r members of the club/centre
• Commit to attendance at training as required in order to act as a resource to members in relation to children’s/young people’s needs
• Observe and note dates, times, locations and contexts in which the incident occurred or suspicion was aroused, toge the r with any o the r relevant information
• If unsure whe the r reasonable grounds for concern exist or not, informally consult with the local Health and Social Care Trust.  He/she will be advised whe the r or not the matter requires a formal report
• Ensure that appropriate information is available at the time of referral and that the referral is confirmed in writing, under confidential cover
• Ensure confidentiality on a need to know basis only
• Ensure that an individual case record is maintained of the action taken by the club/centre, the liaison with o the r agencies and the outcome
• When reporting suspected or actual child abuse to the Statutory Authorities, inform the family of the ir intention to make such a report, unless doing so would endanger thechild/young person or undermine an investigation.

Qualities of a Child Welfare Officer/Deputy

A good Child Welfare Officer will:

·Put the welfare of each child/young person first

·Have good communication skills

·Have good listening skills

·Be approachable

·Be organised and efficient.

By adhering to these practices, you will ensure that your club/centre only recruits people who are committed to providing as safe and fun environment that will enable children/young players to develop as people and as footballers.

The Child Welfare Officer/Deputy Child Welfare Officer does not have the responsibility of investigating or validating child protection concerns within the club/centre and has no counselling or the rapeutic role.  The Statutory Authorities as outlined in Our Duty to Care fill the se roles.  They may have a role in advising on poor practice issues that do not reach the threshold of intervention by statutory agencies.

Under no circumstances should a child/young person be left in a dangerous situation pending intervention by the statutory authorities.

These guidelines are based on;

Our Duty to Care – DHSSPS 2008

Code of Ethics & Good Practice for Children’s Sport – SportNI 2006

Co-Operating to Safeguard Children – DHSSPS 2003