Centres of Excellence
Wednesday, 08 May 2002.
All League clubs (except those with Academies) must have Centres of Excellence. Fifty-three are in operation, predominantly at Football League clubs, offering young players high standards of training and development. Centres of Excellence have been in existence at clubs for many years under The Football Association’s Programme for Excellence, but the Charter for Quality has introduced enhanced standards. Key Factors of an enhanced Centre of Excellence:
- Child Protection*
- All staff to be screened and registered*
- Each Centre to designate a member of staff responsible for Child Protection and Awareness training*
- Development of a Child Protection Policy*
- Limitation on the numbers of per Club.
- Grievance Procedure*
- Agreed Football Calendar, to include a mandatory 36 hours of In-Service Training for all staff*
- Staff to be required to maintain personal CPD portfolios*
- Guidelines to parents with regard to registration, educational needs, etc*
- Player insurance*
- Player/Coach ratios*
- Mandatory coaching for goalkeepers*
* Also applies to Football Academies
Each Centre of Excellence will be subject to an inspection visit at least three times per year, as well as a written annual review by the Football League and a quality audit by The F.A. Technical Department.