We place the safeguarding and welfare of young people high on our agenda. It's the responsibility of every adult involved in football, thus every club is required to endorse and adhere to The FA’s Safeguarding Children Policy.

It’s important to remember that every child or young person, defined as any person under the age of 18, or adult at risk, who plays or participates in football should be able to take part in an enjoyable and safe environment and be protected from abuse.

We offer a range of safeguarding services and training to help create a safe and enjoyable football experience for everyone. We ensure safeguarding requirements are met as a requirement of club affiliation and we support clubs to maintain these standards. This includes making unannounced safeguarding visits to clubs.

At the beginning of each season, all clubs need to name a Club Welfare Officer (CWO). We recognise that, without volunteer CWOs, football in Essex wouldn't have as many safeguards in place. These people, who are Disclosure and Barring Service- checked (DBS), will be able to advise you of any concerns you may have regarding young people.

They will have completed the Safeguarding Children Course, enabling them to be able to deal with welfare issues. As well as a CWOs, your league also has a League Welfare Officer. The FA use DBSs, which are conducted on an individual to make sure they do not have any convictions which might mean they are not safe to work with young people. CWOs can also complete a Welfare Officer Workshop.

PROGRAMME OF CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR WELFARE OFFICERS 2021/22

Essex County FA Welfare Officer Workshop (Book Online Below)

Objectives: To share local and specific welfare/safeguarding details for new Welfare Officers in Essex. Amongst other areas you will gain:
* insight into safeguarding infrastructure in the Essex County FA and other safeguarding agencies
* helpful hints for how to implement and share your role within the club
* policies and processes within the club
* insight on how to handle complaints
* engaging with your club’s membership

Managing Club Policies & Procedures (Including Poor Practice Cases) (Book Online Below)

Objectives: To build awareness of how your club manages, shares and implements safeguarding. This workshop will also give scenarios and suggestions on how the Welfare Officer can manage poor practice cases.

Supporting and Listening to Under 18s (Book Online Below)

Objectives: To maximise safeguarding. A key factor is to engage with those who the policies and procedures are designed to protect… under 18s. In this workshop, methods for how to engage and seek the thoughts of the under 18s in your club will be explored. Ideas and suggestions for how to engage with under 18s, and what other clubs have implemented, will also be shared.

Mental Health (Under 18s Workshop Delivered by Young Minds) (Book Online Below)

Objectives:
* develop a shared understanding of mental health and the risks and protective factors which impact upon young people
* consider how trusted adults can promote young people’s mental health
* explore ways to promote positive mental health and resilience within our settings
* recognise the importance of looking after our own wellbeing

Risks of Social Media (Includes Good Practice Guidance) (Book Online Below)

Objectives: To update on the latest messages within the online and offline world, including:
* dangers and pitfalls U18s should be aware of
* latest updates in this area
* tools available to the club in handling social media

In early 2020, local youngster Charlie won our design competition with his poster to promote safeguarding services. The content and overall impression of Charlie’s design was exactly what we were looking for! You can download the poster here.

He captured all the messages in such an eye-catching way. We're always looking out for more new designs… so be creative! Ideally, the artwork should be really appealing to young people, with a football theme. They need to be simple, and contain all the vital information. We're looking forward to seeing what the young people of Essex can come up with!

NHS England Safeguarding App: This app continues to support frontline staff and citizens with 24-hour, mobile access to up-to-date safeguarding guidance and local contacts to report safeguarding concerns. It is accessed by over 300 users daily and has had over 61,000 downloads.

The app provides an overview of necessary legislation and guidance covering both children's and adults' safeguarding as well as an NHS staff guide and contains regional contact information on how to report a safeguarding concern. It also includes links to national bodies. You can access the app via Apple iOS or Google Play or it can be downloaded by visiting your device’s appropriate app store and searching for ‘NHS Safeguarding’.