Safeguarding in Football
Safeguarding Children and Young People in Football
Thank you for taking time to visit the Irish Football Association safeguarding section. This section was developed by the IFA in partnership with the NSPCC's Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU).
What Football Clubs/Centres Should Do:
To assist your club/centre in developing a culture where a child/young person can feel safe and a parent/guardian knows that your club/centre prioritises the welfare of their child, the IFA has developed the following advice about what to put in place based on the 6 Standards set out in "Getting it Right".
Recruitment and selection
Effective Management of Staff and Volunteers
Reporting Guidelines that are communicated to all involved in the club
Code of Behaviour
Sharing Information
General Safety and Management of Activities
For further information please contact the IFA's Child/Player Welfare Department;
Jim Grattan
Child/Player Welfare Manager
20 Windsor Ave
Belfast
BT9 6EG
Tel: Office 028 90 669458
e-mail jgrattan@irishfa.com
Jessica de Largy
Child/Player Welfare Administrator
20 Windsor Ave
Belfast
BT9 6EG
Tel: Office 028 90669458
e-mail jdelargy@irishfa.com
Football is an every-day activity for many children/young people and makes a significant contribution to their well being and development. All football clubs/centres have a duty to safeguard children/young people from inappropriate behaviour/abuse within our sport. They also have a role in recognising and responding to concerns that a child/young person may be being harmed within another setting, such asthefamily home. By encouraging all clubs/centres to implement the above guidelines, we believe that everyone in children's football will benefit – children/young people, parents/guardians and coaches/volunteers.
The Wider Picture:
Children/young people can be subjected to many forms of unacceptable treatment by adults or indeed by their own peers, which we may never consider being abuse, but none the less the impact of such ill treatment is wide-ranging and impossible to quantify. At a personal level, such ill treatment can completely destroy a child's/young person’s sense of worth attacking their self-confidence and self-esteem. At its worst, some children/young people can feel that their situation, which if it goes unchallenged, is so hopeless that suicide is their only option.
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