Friday, 11 February 2005.
People from black and minority ethnic communities are being sought by The FA to sit on a panel to safeguard children in football.
The FA CRB panel meets at regular intervals to discuss disclosures which might give cause for concern, and takes a view as to whether they need to be referred for further consideration by The FA Disciplinary process or not.
Tony Pickerin, The FA’s Head of Child Protection, says that the panel fulfils a vital role. “When certificates come back from the CRB they are carefully checked for any signs of offending that could put children at risk.
"The FA only looks for offences that are significant and relevant. If the certificates indicate a cause for concern they are discussed by the panel when the decision is taken whether to refer them or not is made,” he explains.
The FA CRB Unit Manager, Elizabeth Hubbard, is on hand to offer clubs a quick and efficient service along with helpful advice. “I know that if clubs and groups are not well managed then children can be hurt - both deliberately by abusers and accidentally by poor practice,” she says.
More than 2,000 checks are processed by the panel every month, and as the workload increases, more volunteers – particularly from black or minority ethnic communities - are being sought to attend meetings which are held at The FA CRB Unit headquarters in Nottingham.
Jamaican-born Dennis Mullings, a 65-year-old retired clerical assistant is one of the panel’s core members, and acknowledges the important task they undertake. “Children are our future and we need to protect them,” he says.
“All the decisions we take are in the interest of children. We’re not here to impede anybody from working with youngsters, just to make sure that they are suitable to do the job.
“I attended both The FA’s Child Protection conference at Pride Park and their Football for All conference at Bradford City FC where issues raised underlined to me the value of being a CRB panellist.”
An FA spokesperson points out the desire to have a proper balance on the panel in terms of diversity, and urges anybody from a black or minority ethnic community in particular who is interested, please email CRB@TheFA.com for more details.