RUGFC: The Role of the club CWO Part 1

Your two key responsibilities are:

• To be clear about the club's responsibilities when running activities for children and young people. This involves:

  • Ensuring these responsibilities are well understood by others

  • Working with the Youth League Welfare Officer (YLWO)

  • Working with your CFA Welfare Officer

  • Promoting The FA's Respect programme and helping to develop best-practice processes
    
     

• To help club personnel understand what their 'duty of care' towards children and young people actually means and entails on a day-to-day basis

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

• Put in place:

  • A safeguarding children policy and anti-bullying policy

  • Responsible recruitment processes including the taking up of references (getting the right people into the game)

  • The Respect Codes.
    
     

• Understand:

  • What Respect aims to do

  • The benefits of implementing the Respect codes

  • The quick wins to be gained by using The FA's safeguarding children

  • Best practice guidance (e.g. Travel, Trips and Tournaments*, Photography guidelines*, Anti-bullying policy* and club safeguarding children policy template*)

  • Why certain roles require an Enhanced CRB check and how The FA CRB process works

  • How to refer a concern about the welfare of a child.
    
     

• Communicate with:

  • Club officials about Respect and its aims

  • Parents/spectators and get them to sign up to the Respect codes

  • Parents and new players by getting involved with running 'start of season' welcome sessions for members

  • Coaches and managers about the importance of being consistent role models for their players

  • Your YLWO - introduce yourself, find out how they can support you and let them know what you are doing to safeguard children in your club

  • Your CFA Welfare Officer if you need help or advice

  • The FA by taking part in surveys, questionnaires, focus groups as and when asked.
    
     

• Encourage:

  • Parents to complete the Respect education programme

  • Coaches, team managers, first aiders/medics to complete The FA's Safeguarding Children Workshop

  • Coaches and team managers to listen to their players thoughts, ideas and views

  • The committee to make use of the designated spectator area at all games.
    
     

• Monitor:

  • Repeated incidents of poor behaviour and liaise with your committee (and where necessary YLWO or CFA Welfare Officer)

  • Compliance with Enhanced CRB checks through The FA CRB Unit for those who require one.