As you know Respect is The Football Association's direct response to a clear message from the grassroots game:

We must improve standards of behaviour - on and off the field.

Parental behaviour is one of the main reasons why young players drop out of the game. Poor behaviour by coaches, parents and players towards referees means that thousands of officials are dropping out each season.

Respect is aimed at helping us all to work together to change the negative attitudes and unacceptable behaviour on the sidelines and on the pitch. It's a long-term commitment. As Youth League Welfare Officer (YLWO) you have the chance to make a significant contribution to creating change.

The role of the YLWO is key to ensuring that Respect is understood, taken on board by clubs, leagues their respective members and supporters.

In order to assist you with this role we have provided information on:

  1. The role of the Youth League Welfare Officer
  2. Help and support for you
  3. Making sure everyone knows who you are
  4. Safeguarding children is everyone's responsibility
  5. Training requirements for this role

Respect outlines for everyone from league official to player to parent to club official to coach and referee that a certain standard of organisation and behaviour is expected within your league.

Respect is all about creating a fun and safe environment and its core principles work in tandem with Safeguarding Children.

THE ROLE OF THE YLWO

Your two key responsibilities are:

  1. To be clear about the leagues responsibilities when running activities for children and young people. This involves:
    • Ensuring these responsibilities are well-understood by others
    • Working with your CFA Welfare Officer
    • Working with the Club Welfare Officers (CWOs)
    • Promoting The FAs Respect programme and helping to develop best-practice processes
  2. To help league and club personnel understand what their 'duty of care' towards children and young people actually means and entails on a day-to-day basis, working closely with the CWOs to achieve this.

In order to carry out your responsibilities you need to follow these two simple steps:

  1. Promote and Support by;
    • Knowing who your CFA Welfare Officer is and how to contact them
    • Knowing who every CWO is and how to contact them
    • Encouraging all CWO to complete The FA's Safeguarding Children and Welfare Officers Workshops
    • Knowing why certain roles require an Enhanced CRB check and how The FA CRB process works
    • Knowing what the Respect programme requires of everyone
    • Highlighting the benefits of the Safeguarding Children education programme for club officials and parents.
  2. Monitoring;
    • All your clubs have a Safeguarding Children Policy and an anti bullying policy
    • Buy-in to the Respect programme (especially the distribution of codes of conduct and adherence to these)
    • Repeated incidents of poor behaviour and liaising with your CFA Welfare Officer about these
    • Individual clubs use of The FAs Safeguarding Children best practice guidelines (e.g. Responsible Recruitment, Travel, Trips and Tournaments, Anti-bullying policy)
    • That all CWO are assisting those in their clubs who require a CRB check to do so via The FA CRB Unit.

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HELP AND SUPPORT FOR YOU

Contact your CFA Welfare Officer

Contact your County FA Welfare Officer they will be able to give you further insight to this role and possibly direct you to someone who is currently holding that position locally who you can chat with. If you have specific questions feel free to contact your County FA Welfare Officer, if you are unable to reach them and feel the need to get some feedback you can always email footballsafe@TheFA.com or if you have enquiries to do with specifically with the CRB process you can telephone: 0845 210 8080 or email: crb@TheFA.com

Visit www.thefa.com/Footballsafe

This is The FA homepage for all safeguarding children information and guidance. You will find downloadable policies and procedures as well as best practice guidance.

Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedures

The FAs Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedures can be viewed by visiting www.thefa.com/Footballsafe clicking on 'Downloads' under the Policy and Procedures section and clicking on Safeguarding Children and Young People in Football. This policy has been written specifically for grassroots football. It provides The FAs Child protection Policy statement and key principles as well as information on;

  • Responsible Recruitment
  • Promoting best practice
  • Poor Practice and Abuse
  • Responsibility for Safeguarding in Football
  • Responding to Concerns, Allegations and Disclosures.

This policy document is given to every welfare officer who attends the Welfare Officers Workshop - something that is essential for you as a Charter Standard Youth League Welfare Officer. More information on The FAs Safeguarding Education Programme is detailed below.

Safeguarding Children Education Programme

Hopefully you will already have completed The FAs Safeguarding Children Workshop (formerly known as Child Protection and Best Practice). If you haven't contact your CFA Welfare Officer immediately to get onto one of these workshops - this is a sound and engaging introduction to safeguarding in football and a must for every welfare officer.

Once you've completed this workshop get yourself booked onto a Welfare Officer Workshop. This three hour workshop builds on what you will have covered in the safeguarding children workshop and provides you with the necessary tools to carry out your role as YLWO. It makes helpful use of the Policy and Procedures and explores what leagues and clubs need to have in place to demonstrate best practice in relation to safeguarding children. It looks at the welfare officer role and what help and support is there to assist you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

CWOs new to the role have a lot of similar questions about what skills the role requires and what is expected of them. Go to www.thefa.com/Footballsafe and click on 'Downloads' under the Designated Persons section scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Welfare Officer FAQs

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MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS WHO YOU ARE

Ensuring you are on the committee

This is a good start point and will allow safeguarding/Respect to be on the agenda of committee meetings which is really important. Make sure your name is included in your league handbook and your contact details (think about what you are willing to have made public).

Arrange to meet

Or initially simply contact your CWOs so they know who you are and what your role is in supporting them. Arranging a meeting with CWOs at least once a season will allow you to build up a supportive network, share ideas, agree issues that need tackling and offering each other solutions. You might like to ask your CFA Welfare Officer if they can attend a meeting.

Find out when league news letters or other communications are sent to clubs - can you put some information into this about your role, dates for CWO meetings or league best practice guidance?

Remember a good YLWO is someone who;

  • Always puts children's welfare first
  • Is a good communicator
  • Has a common-sense approach
  • Is willing to learn and seek advice
  • Is over the age of 18.

As we all know, there have been some tragic cases resulting from the wrong type of people working with children, both in wider society and within football. Making sure everyone knows how to report concerns about a child's welfare is essential. Knowing how to deal with poor practice issues is also vital. Lots can be done very simply - but football needs the support of Welfare Officers. Working with your CWOs can make a real difference.

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SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN IS EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY

Working together

If you are going to be successful in your role you need to work together with the members of your committee and your CWOs. Helping them to understand what your role is and what safeguarding children really means.

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

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TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS ROLE

From season 2008-09

All leagues and clubs with youth teams, must have appointed a named Welfare Officer, who has an 'accepted' or as a minimum an 'in progress' enhanced CRB check via The FA CRB Unit.

From season 2009-10

All leagues and clubs with youth teams, must have appointed a named Welfare Officer, who has an 'accepted' CRB check via The FA CRB Unit and who has completed The FA Safeguarding Children workshop.

From season 2010-11

All leagues and clubs with youth teams, must have a named Welfare Officer, who has an 'accepted' CRB check via The FA CRB Unit and who has completed The FA Safeguarding Children and Welfare Officer workshop.

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