As an FA affiliated club and as part of the ethos of the club to provide children with a safe and enjoyable environment to play football, Scotton Scorchers has a committee member, Ian Pollock, responsible for Child Welfare, under the title Club Welfare Officer (CWO).
From next season it will be necessary for the CWO to have a minimum level of additional training and CRB checking. Ian already acts as treasurer and merchandise secretary as well as being a coach and very active member of the committee. Last year it was decided that as a result of the additional training needed then we should appoint a new dedicated CWO.
Therefore I am appealing for a volunteer to undertake this role for Scotton Scorchers.
If you are interested then please any member of the committee (Mike Baker, Mike Collier, Simon Lockwood, Ian Pollock, Richard Topham and Wayne Latimer) know as soon as possible.
The two key responsibilities are:
a. To be clear about the club's responsibilities when running activities for children and young people. This involves:
• Ensuring these responsibilities are well understood by others
• Working with the Youth League Welfare Officer (YLWO)
• Working with your CFA Welfare Officer
• Promoting The FA's Respect programme and helping to develop best-practice processes
b. To help club personnel understand what their 'duty of care' towards children and young people actually means and entails on a day-to-day basis
The FA's Safeguarding Children strategy is underpinned by the principle that Safeguarding Children is everyone's responsibility. The appointment of a welfare officer in all clubs and leagues with youth teams is a fundamental part of this strategy which has three main elements:
• Getting only the right people involved
• Creating a safe environment
• Promoting clear systems to deal with any concerns
In practice this means attending the required training course, the monthly committee meetings as a committee member, taking ownership of the process for CRB checking all coaches and assistant coaches, and being the point of contact for any child or parent to raise any concerns that they have about child welfare or safety when connected to the club.
I enclose a link to the FA website where you can find more information
Welfare Officer FAQ
Welfare Officer Role
