We have published a Year 1 review of our Safeguarding Strategy, An Ever-Safer Culture [2024–28], highlighting progress in creating safer environments across every level of the game.
Our update reviews the progress made against the three priority areas of the strategy: Governance and Standards; Education and Empowerment; and Managing Concerns.
Key areas of progress from the review include:
• Governance and Standards: 100% of FA Women’s National League clubs met ‘Safe to Operate’ standards, and all National League System Steps 1–4 clubs met the safeguarding requirements of their license.
• Education and Empowerment: Over 241,000 learners completed safeguarding courses through England Football Learning, and our annual Play Safe campaign united football around this year’s theme – ‘Know your role'.
• Managing Concerns: A new case management system was implemented to expedite responses, alongside the evolution of a new lower-level concerns policy for County FAs.
The FA’s Head of Safeguarding, Sue Ravenlaw, said: “In the first year of our An Ever-Safer Culture strategy, we have delivered continuous improvements across every area of football’s safeguarding practices in England.
“Mandatory governance and standards have been widened in the National League System and FA Women’s National League. This year, the completion of our mandatory safeguarding courses is climbing towards the quarter-of-a-million mark, and collectively across the football bodies, we have offered increased levels of safeguarding awareness training across every level of the game.
“Every football authority in England is united in our collective efforts to make our national game ever safer, and we continue to be guided by invaluable input from The FA Survivor Support and Safeguarding Advisory Group.”
Sarah Walker, The FA’s Head of Safeguarding Case Management, said “The roll out of our new case management system has been an important evolution for The FA and County FAs. This enables additional functionality and will help us to drive greater consistency in the management of lower-level concerns too.
"Sharing the themes from cases is essential and we hope this will help people to understand why vigilance in safeguarding remains so important for everyone across the game.”
Richard Fewkes, Director of the Hydrant Programme & Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce said: “Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and this review shows the real progress being made to embed that principle across football. The commitment to listening to survivors, raising awareness of exploitation risks, and driving cultural change is vital.
"At Hydrant and within the Child Sexual Exploitation Taskforce, we welcome The FA’s continued leadership and collaboration to ensure that children and adults at risk are protected at every level of the game.”
To view our An Ever-Safer Culture Year 1 report in full, click below.
