“Get in quick and beat the rush” is the expert advice of Essex County Football Association Welfare Officer Helen Hever, who recommends some early thought and preparation from local youth football clubs to identify their Club Welfare Officers for next season after confirmation of the new comprehensive measures required for affiliation prior to the 2010/11 campaign.
The Football Association currently have affiliation criteria for all clubs with youth teams to have a named Club Welfare Officer and the re-registration process at the ECFA is due to get underway in May. Therefore it is essential that clubs take the opportunity to review their Welfare Officer’s status following updates that attendance at a Welfare Officers Workshop is also a necessity before attempting to register for the 2010/11 season.
“In order to ensure a smooth affiliation process it’s essential for club secretaries to discuss with their current Club Welfare Officer whether they plan to remain with the club for next season,” explained Helen. “If they don’t plan to stay in the role, it’s important to identify a replacement as soon as possible and assess if they meet the requirements. Taking a proactive approach and starting the process now would be ideal rather than leaving it to around April time which could ultimately prove to be too late.”
There are three prongs to the criteria. Officers must have an accepted, enhanced FA CRB check and should have attended an FA Safeguarding Children Workshop (formerly known as ‘Child Protection and Best Practice’) as well as an FA Welfare Officer Workshop. Current CWOs will already comply with the first two of these but clubs who changed theirs during the season need to check to ensure they now meet all three. Helen appreciates the extra lengths a club will need to go to in order to affiliate this season as compared with 2009/10, but believes this year’s review will be of real benefit.
She continued: “Over the past two years The FA and the ECFA have continued to promote the safeguarding and welfare of all young people involved in football. The requirements cover a wide spectrum so we introduced a phased approach, enabling them to gain the appropriate amount of training over a period of time. It’s crucial that young people, carers and parents can rest assured that their Welfare Officer has undertaken the training and is therefore able to fulfil their duties competently.”
“If an individual is keen to learn more about the Welfare Officer’s role, or is thinking of applying, The FA website offers a wide range of information on the topic, enabling a clear picture to be formed of the duties and requirements involved. The process is a relatively simple one and there are just three elements. Workshops are offered around the County and, if you were prepared to travel, completion of the process could take as little as four to six weeks. More time should be allowed if you can only attend a more local course but to affiliate for next season each youth club’s CWO needs all three elements in place.”
Demand for Safeguarding Children and Welfare Officer Workshops will increase during the approach to the affiliation window, so to guarantee a place on a convenient workshop it is advisable to book as soon as possible by contacting Glenn Moss on (01245) 393093 or via E-Mail at glenn.moss@essexfa.com. Further information regarding the role of a Club Welfare Officer can be found at www.thefa.com.