Local initiatives
safeguarding and welfare in norfolk
Norfolk offers a range of safeguarding services and training to help create a safe and enjoyable football experience for everyone. We ensure safeguarding requirements are met as a requirement of club affiliation and we support clubs to maintain these standards. This includes making unannounced safeguarding visits to clubs.
Safeguarding children is everyone’s responsibility. If you have any concerns regarding a safeguarding matter, please contact Norfolk County FA immediately.
FAQs
Getting the right people involved
- Is your Welfare Officer the last person to know when you have appointed a new Coach, Manager or Assistant Manager?
- Does your Club have a policy where all new volunteers have to complete an application form and an FA CRC disclosure form BEFORE they become involved with the children?
Creating a safe environment
- Do you have a Manager, Coach or Assistant Manager who says they have been in the game for years and don’t need to attend Safeguarding Children Training or have a Coaching Qualification?
- Do all of your Managers, Coaches and Assistant Managers have a minimum Level 1 Coaching Certificate and Safeguarding Children Workshop Certificate?
Promoting clear systems to deal with any concerns, policy and procedures
- Would your Coaches, Managers, Parents and Players have to search long and hard to find the Club Welfare Officer’s telephone number or The FA/NSPCC Helpline number?
- Is your Club Welfare Officer’s telephone number and The FA/NSPCC Helpline number widely circulated and displayed so everyone has access to support to discuss or report concerns quickly?
Get in Touch
Please contact us via the below to discuss safeguarding matters.
By Phone: 01603 704050 (Ext. 1, Ext.1)
By Email: Safeguarding@NorfolkFA.com
If you answered yes to any or all of the first questions posed above, your Club needs to quickly review their position in relation to Safeguarding Children. If you answered yes to all of the second questions posed, you are displaying best practice – well done.
If you feel your Club/League or Club/League Welfare Officer is going that extra mile and making your Club/League exceptional in creating a safe, enjoyable fun environment, please email Safeguarding@NorfolkFA.com with details of what you are doing and how you are doing it. We would like to feature some good news and build a portfolio of excellent Safeguarding examples in this section of the website.
For more helpful information about Safeguarding Children:
1. Visit the FA website at www.TheFA.com/football-rules-governance/safeguarding
2. Contact Norfolk FA's Safeguarding Team via Safeguarding@NorfolkFA.com or you can call 01603 704050 and leave a voicemail.
obtaining a Disclosure & BARRING service (DBS) check (formally CRC)
Football Coaches, Referees and Club Welfare Officers will require a valid, in-date DBS Check Certificate and this must be renewed every three years.
There are two clearly defined workforces that will require checks:
- Those working in the child workforce in roles with U18s; and
- Those with (vulnerable) adults also known as adults at risk
Those who are working or volunteering directly with children and young people in football need to have a DBS Enhanced Criminal Record Check. The Protection of Freedoms Act, 2012 identified regulated activity as specific activities, carried out frequently or intensively, which is unsupervised. This includes those whose roles involve teaching, training, instructing, supervising, giving advice or guidance on wellbeing or caring for children or driving a vehicle solely for children on behalf of a club or football organisation.
Frequently or intensively are usually described as once a week or more, four days or more in one 30 day period or overnight although occasionally people with lower levels of contact may still need one.
Those who carry out these roles with children frequently and are unsupervised will need a DBS Enhanced Criminal Record Check with Children’s Barred List. Supervision is defined by the legislation as:
- Regular;
- Day to Day;
- Reasonable in all circumstances for protecting children; and
- Carried out by someone in Regulated Activity
In making its decisions on which roles are supervised and which are not, The FA has utilised the Government guidance, alongside the sport sector guidance on supervision, developed by the Sport and Recreation Alliance and the Child Protection in Sport Unit.
- Those working in the child workforce in roles with U18s; and
- Those with (vulnerable) adults also known as adults at risk
Those who are working or volunteering directly with children and young people in football need to have a DBS Enhanced Criminal Record Check. The Protection of Freedoms Act, 2012 identified regulated activity as specific activities, carried out frequently or intensively, which is unsupervised. This includes those whose roles involve teaching, training, instructing, supervising, giving advice or guidance on wellbeing or caring for children or driving a vehicle solely for children on behalf of a club or football organisation.
Frequently or intensively are usually described as once a week or more, four days or more in one 30 day period or overnight although occasionally people with lower levels of contact may still need one.
Those who carry out these roles with children frequently and are unsupervised will need a DBS Enhanced Criminal Record Check with Children’s Barred List. Supervision is defined by the legislation as:
- Regular;
- Day to Day;
- Reasonable in all circumstances for protecting children; and
- Carried out by someone in Regulated Activity
In making its decisions on which roles are supervised and which are not, The FA has utilised the Government guidance, alongside the sport sector guidance on supervision, developed by the Sport and Recreation Alliance and the Child Protection in Sport Unit.
Please find below the relevant guides from The FA, which provide step-by-step information on how to use the online application process, as well as other supporting documents.
If you require any further support or guidance with using the online application process, please contact FAchecks@TheFA.com or call 0845 210 8080 and The FA Criminal Records Body will be happy to assist.
