CHILD WELFARE POLICY

Introduction:

The Accrington and District Junior Football League is committed to creating and maintaining the safest possible environment for children to play football. It is the duty of all League Management, Referees, Club Officials, Team Managers and any other individual directly or in directly involved with Member Clubs or Teams in the League to be aware of and help prevent abuse which children can suffer: NEGLECT, SEXUAL, PHYSICAL and EMOTIONAL. (Definitions of these forms of abuse can be found in the A.D.J.F.L’s Leaflet “ GUIDEANCE FOR SAFEGUARDING CHILDRENS WELFARE””

The A.D.J.F.L. accepts children’s welfare as paramount and that all children no matter of their age, culture, disability, gender or religious belief has the right to protection from abuse. As such any suspicions and allegations of abuse will be taken seriously and responded to swiftly and appropriately.

Appointment of Leagues Child Welfare Officer. (C.W.O.)

1.    The League shall appoint a Child Welfare Officer to the Executive at the Annual General Meeting. (AGM)

2.    The Child Welfare Officer shall undertake such duties as are necessary and in accordance with this policy for a period of twelve months. The C.W.O. position shall be renewable at the subsequent A.G.M.

3.    As with all personnel involved in the A.D.J.F.L. the Child Welfare Officer must first have subjected him / herself to the relevant police clearence checks.

4.    The League Executive shall make the name; address and contact telephone number of the C.W.O. known to all involved directly or indirectly with the A.D.J.F.L.

DUTIES OF LEAGUE WELFARE OFFICER

1.    The League Welfare Officer shall ensure that all personnel involved directly or indirectly with the A.D.J.F.L. have subscribed to the DECLARATION OF AGREEMENT to have their position within the League checked by the Police for suitability.

2.    The C.W.O. shall maintain a record of all personnel who have not subscribed to such a declaration and shall, if necessary, require such personnel to either subscribe or resign from their involvement in the A.D.J.F.L.

3.    The C.W.O. shall provide such information and guidelines as will be necessary for the aims of the CHILD WELFARE POLICY to be implemented in full by all subscribing members of the A.D.J.F.L.

4.    The C.W.O. shall attend, where possible, all meetings of the League Executive and of the League proper to submit such reports as may be necessary or prudent to submit.

5.    The C.W.O. shall attend such training event’s as sponsored by the League Executive or as necessary to assist him / her to fulfil his / her duties in full.

6.    The C.W.O. shall respond initially to all referrals / complaints concerning child welfare issues.

7.    The C.W.O. shall record all referrals / complaints and his / her response.

8.    The C.W.O. shall make available his / her records to the League Executive on request and to the complainant or the subject of the complaint within 21 days of request (DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998)

9.    The C.W.O. will report on his / her responses to complaints to the League Executive at each meeting of the same.

10. The C.W.O. shall consult, where necessary, with the appropriate statutory authorities for advice and guidance and will refer to such authorities when in his / her opinion the nature of the complaint merits such a referral.

11.  The C.W.O. shall respond to each complaint / referral in the strictest confidence. (CONFIDENTIALLY CANNOT BE UPHELD IN CASES WHICH MAY RESULT IN THE PROSECUTION OF THE SUBJECT OF THE COMPLAINT / REFERRAL.)

The C.W.O. shall inform all personnel involved in the A.D.J.F.L. of any change in the CHILD WELFARE POLICY as and when such changes may arise.

COMPLAINTS / REFERRALS

1.     Any person wishing to make a complaint / referral will contact the C.W.O. in the first instance.

2.     The onus upon all personnel to report concerns / suspicions of abuse to the C.W.O. does not undermine their right to report such concerns to the statutory authorities or any other such authority that the complainant may deem appropriate

3.    The complaint / referral will be recorded and acted upon in accordance with the duties of the C.W.O. outlined above.

SUBJECT OF COMPLAINTS / REFERRALS.

1.    The C.W.O. shall contact the subject of a complaint / referral within 7 days of receipt of that complaint / referral in writing.

2.    The “subject” can respond directly to the C.W.O. in writing. The C.W.O. shall reserve the right to continue to engage in addressing the complaint / referral in person or to seek a legal or Executive response – whichever the C.W.O. deems appropriate.

3.    The “subject” has the right to :

a)     Appeal any C.W.O. decision / response to the League Executive within 14 days of that response.

b)     Appeal any League Executive decision within 14 days of that response and / or

c)     Seek legal advice.

 The Leagues Child Welfare Policy shall be reviewed and amended when necessary, in accordance with experience and “best

practice” and to ensure that the interests of children within the care of the A.D.J.F.L. are protected.