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Bishop’s Stortford Community
Football Club is committed to creating and maintaining
the safest possible environment for children and young people
to practice Youth Football.
We do this by:
- Recognising that all children have the right to
freedom from abuse.
- Ensuring that all our staff and volunteers are
carefully selected and accept responsibility for helping
to prevent the abuse of children in their care.
- Responding swiftly and appropriately to all
suspicions or allegations of abuse, and providing parents
and children with the opportunity to voice all concerns
they may have.
- Appointing Child Protection Officer (s) who
will take specific responsibility for child safety and
act as the main point of contact for parents, children
and outside agencies.
- Ensuring access to confidential information
is restricted to the Child Protection Officer or the appropriate
external authorities.
- Reviewing the effectiveness of our Child Protection
Policy and activities each year at the Annual General Meeting.
- Adopt the F. A. Child Protection Policy (see
below).
- Having Codes of Conduct for the Team Officials,
Coaches, Managers and Parents.
Child Protection Designated Personnel
The Club has two nominated Child Protection Officers:
Screening forms
It is the Club policy to ensure that all the Clubs managers,
coaches and officers have completed a F. A. Criminal Records
Bureau (CRB) check as required by the FA.
F. A. Child Protection Policy:
Every child and young person who plays football should be
able to participate in an enjoyable and safe environment
and be protected from abuse. This is the responsibility of
every adult involved in football. We recognise, however,
that child abuse is also a very emotive and difficult subject.
It is important to understand the feelings involved but not
to allow them to interfere with our judgement about any action
to be taken. The Football Association recognises its responsibility
to safeguard the welfare of all children and young people
by protecting them from physical, sexual or emotional harm
and from neglect or bullying. It is determined to meet its
obligation to ensure that those clubs and organisations providing
football opportunities for children and young people do so,
to the highest possible standard of care. Clear practices
and procedures, in addition to a detailed training programme
already under way, will ensure that everyone knows exactly
what is expected of them in relation to the protection of
children and young people within our sport. It is essential
that those children and young people attracted to and participating
in football are able to do so in a quality, safe and enjoyable
environment. In striving to attain this, The Football Association
has the following objectives:
- A requirement that The F. A. Premier League and
The Football League include in their rules a policy statement
concerning child protection. A requirement that all bodies
affiliated to The Football Association as Charter Standard
Organisations, affiliated through the County Associations,
which provide the opportunity to work with children and
young people up to the age of eighteen, include in their
rules a policy statement concerning child protection.
- To provide ongoing development and training
opportunities to all organisations as mentioned above.
- To provide ongoing development and training
opportunities for members of The F. A. Coaches Association
as an integral part of all F. A. Coach and Medical Education
courses and courses for Referees in staff development courses
for Members of the F. A. Premier League and The
Football League through the County Football Association
structure through the process of attaining and maintaining
the Charter Standard Award.
The aims of The F. A. Child Protection Policy are:
- ·To develop a positive and pro-active position
in order to best protect all children and young people
who play football enabling them to participate in an enjoyable
and safe environment.
- To deliver quality assured child protection
training and build a network of tutors to facilitate this
delivery, in conjunction with and supported by, the NSPCC.
- To demonstrate best practice in the area of
child protection.
- To promote ethics and high standards throughout
football.
The key principles underpinning this Policy are that:
- The child's welfare is, and must always be the
paramount consideration.
- All children and young people have a right to
be protected from abuse regardless of their age, gender,
disability, culture, language, racial origin, religious
beliefs or sexual identity.
- All suspicions and allegations of abuse will
be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately
Working in partnership with children and young people and
their parents / carers is essential. Social Services Departments
have a statutory responsibility to ensure the welfare
of children and young people.
The Football Association is committed to working together
with Social Services Departments and local Area Child Protection
Committees (ACPC) in accordance with their procedures.
The Football Association's Regulations on child
protection are defined in The F. A. Handbook.
Any act, statement, conduct or other matter which harms
a child or children, or poses or may pose a risk of harm
to a child or children, shall constitute behaviour which
is improper and brings the game into disrepute.
2. In these Regulations the expression "Offence shall
mean any one or more of the offences contained in Schedule
1 to the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and any other
criminal offence which reasonably causes The Association
to believe that the person accused of the offence poses
or may pose a risk of harm to a child or children.
3. Upon receipt by The Association of:
3.1 notification that an individual has been charged with
an Offence; or,
3.2 notification that an individual is the subject of an
investigation by the Police, social services or any other
authority relating to an Offence.
3.3 any other information which causes The Association reasonably
to believe that a person poses or may pose a risk of harm
to a child or children then The Association shall have the
power to order that the individual be suspended from all
or any specific football activity for such period and on
such terms and conditions as it thinks fit.
4. In reaching its determination as to whether an order
under Regulation 2 should be made The Association shall give consideration,
inter alia to the following factors:-
4.1 whether a child is or children are or may be at risk
of harm.
4.2 whether the matters are of a serious nature.
4.3 whether an order is necessary or desirable to allow
the conduct of any investigation by The Association or any
other authority or body to proceed unimpeded.
5. The period of an order referred to in 2 above shall not
be capable of lasting beyond the date upon which any charge
under the Rules of The Association or any Offence is decided
or brought to an end.
6. Where an order is imposed on an individual under Regulation
2 above, The Association shall bring and conclude any proceedings
under the Rules of The Association against the person relating
to the matters as soon as reasonably practicable.
7. Where a person in convicted or is made the subject of
a caution in respect of an Offence that shall constitute
a breach of the Rules of The Association and The Association
shall have the power to order the suspension of the person
from all or any specific football for such period (including
indefinitely) and on such terms and conditions as it thinks
fit.
8. For the purposes of these Regulations, The Association
shall act through its Council or any committee or sub-committee thereof,
including the Board.
9. Notification in writing of an order referred to above
shall be given to the person concerned and/or any club with
which he is associated as soon as reasonably practicable.
CONCLUSION:
The Football Association, through
confirming this Policy Document, has indicated its determination
to ensure that children and young people can participate
in all forms of football activity and do so with their safety
being of paramount importance. It is essential that this
document is representative of a process of continual improvement
in the area of child protection within football. It is for
all adults engaged in football activities to promote good
practice and procedures, whilst being ever vigilant and
aware of their responsibilities towards the children and
young people in their care.
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