Safeguarding - A young person's guide
Helping to keep you safe and making sure that football is great fun
As a football player and member of Gurnard Youth FC we hope that you have a lot of fun and enjoyment whilst you are playing and that you make lots of friends in the process.
Whilst you are playing football, during or after training or in competitions, no one should ever make you feel unhappy or uncomfortable, not other players, people watching or the coaches.
Something is wrong if someone:
- Constantly teases you, shouts at you or calls you names
- Threatens, kicks or punches you
- Touches you or does anything that makes you feel uncomfortable
- Makes suggestive remarks or tries to pressurise you into sexual activity
- Damages or steals your belongings
- Does anything that makes you feel lonely, upset, worried, unsafe, hurt or embarrassed
Welfare Officer
At any club there is someone called a Welfare Officer whose role is to look after you and make sure you are safe, you should ensure that you know who this person is. At Gurnard Youth FC this person is Lisa Driscoll (07969 895015 / cwo.gurnardfc@gmail.com) or Philippa Cox (07817 519344 / philippa_cox@hotmail.co.uk
Welcome letter from our Welfare Officers:
We would like to say hello and introduce ourselves to the new players & members who have joined the club. We are the Club Welfare Officers for Gurnard Youth F.C. We are here if your child has any problems within his/her team, or the Club.
Our aim, as a Club is that every child who participates in football, should be able to do so in a fun, safe environment, and be protected from harm. Gurnard Youth F.C places the highest priority on their safety and enjoyment, and recognises that they have a duty towards children within the sport.
All Managers/Coaches and Officers involved with Gurnard Y.F.C have been DBS checked, and attended the Safeguarding Children Workshop (or are in the process of attending them) and have signed and adhere to the F.A Respect Code of Conduct for Coaches, Team Managers and Club Officials.
We do not tolerate bullying and need to be told if this happens so we can stamp it out.
If you or your child do have any problems, of any nature, or witnesses something you don’t think is right, please do not hesitate to contact one of us, in complete confidence, by phone or email.
As you can appreciate there are quite a few children who train at the training sessions, and attend matches, so can you please make sure your child is collected or your child's Manager knows how they are supposed to be getting home. The Managers NEED to know your child is getting home safely after training/matches.
Gurnard Y.F.C will be putting match reports in the IW County Press and on our website(www.gyfc.online), so we need your permission to use your child's name and take any photos.
Yours in Football
Lisa Driscoll & Philippa Cox, Child Welfare Officers
cwo.gurnardyfc@gmail.com
What to do if you are worried or upset about something that is happening
If you are ever unhappy or uncomfortable about anything that happens to you, you should tell your parents or you can tell the welfare officer/child protection officer about it and they will try to help.
If the welfare officer is not available then you should tell an adult who you trust, or ask one of your friends to speak to an adult for you if you don’t want to do it yourself.
Try to remember when the things that made you unhappy happened, by writing down the date, time and place as well as what made you unhappy. If someone else saw what happened, write that down too.
There are other people who can help you if you need it.
There are people at Hampshire FA that you can contact:
Melanie Gill - Designated Safeguarding Officer
Email: Melanie.Gill@HampshireFA.com
Phone: 07885807321
Dean Jones - Deputy Designated Safeguarding Officer
Email: Dean.Jones@HampshireFA.com
Phone: 01256 853012
Website: https://www.hampshirefa.com/
Email Address - safeguarding@hampshirefa.com
For more information on reporting concerns: https://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/safeguarding/section-2-reporting-concerns
The following have free 24 hour helplines:
NSPCC - 0808 800 5000
Childline - 0800 1111
