Welfare Zone
Safeguarding at Wiltshire FA
It'S EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY
If you feel that an adult connected to your league or club (e.g. a referee, coach or a volunteer) is mistreating someone under the age of 18, there are various confidential ways you can report this.
By ‘mistreating’, we mean behaving towards under-18s in a physical or verbal way you believe is threatening or makes the young person feel scared or bad.
Find out more and watch a short film The FA has produced explaining how to report your concerns. Of course, everything is completely confidential.
OUR PARTNER, STRAKERS ESTATE AGENTS, HELPS US TO PROMOTE SAFEGUARDING AND WELLNESS IN #WILTSHIREFOOTBALL
English football takes safeguarding extremely seriously. The ongoing work to make the game as safe and enjoyable as possible is led by The FA, the game’s governing body in this country. This work is delivered through County FAs such as ourselves in conjunction with leagues and clubs.
A clear safeguarding strategy has been put in place by English football to protect people involved in the national game. It is complete with policies, procedures and regulations. Every club in the country must adhere to the policies which apply to them. If not, they face sanctions, including suspension from playing.
Policies include the mandatory appointment of a Club Welfare Officer(s) for every league or club with youth teams. There is also a requirement for specified club committee officers to complete the free online ‘Safeguarding for Committee Members’ course. While mandatory for specified officers, the course is open to anyone to raise their awareness of potential situations and how to deal with them.
Welfare Officers must have an FA-accepted DBS, which has to be renewed every three years. They must also undertake regular FA-approved safeguarding training. With the club committee’s support, Welfare Officers ensure the appropriate checks and training are completed for anyone at the club working with children and young people under the age of 18.
The topics below cover the safeguarding framework for everyone in affiliated football in England. Please click on the relevant one to get more information.
In the meantime, should you have any questions about safeguarding please don't hesitate to get in touch with our Designated Safeguarding Officer.
If a child or adult at Risk is in immediate danger, please call 999
For non-urgent matters, please contact a member of our safeguarding team.
It's not your responsibility to decide if abuse is taking place, but it is your responsibility to report any concerns you have.
Download the Safeguarding Reporting Form
All representatives of Wiltshire County FA whether Staff, Board, Council or County Volunteers have to undertake safeguarding training and have all signed, and agreed to adhere to, a Code of Conduct.
Get In Touch
By Phone: 01793 486047 (9am - 5pm Monday - Friday)
By Email: safeguarding@wiltshirefa.com
Designated Safeguarding Officers
Maria Lai
Maria.Lai@WiltshireFA.com
07340 272564
Deputy Senior Safeguarding Lead
Shane Comb
Shane.Comb@WiltshireFA.com
01793 486047
Senior Safeguarding Lead
Simon Russell
Simon.Russell@WiltshireFA.com
07711202532
Deputy Designated Safeguarding Officer
Ella Broad
Ella.Broad@WiltshireFA.com
safeguarding information
SAFEGUARDING INFORMATION FOR ADULTS
Information and Events
View All
SHOOT. SHOUT. SHARE
SAFEGUARDING INFORMATION FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE
SHOOT. SHOUT. SHARE
SAFEGUARDING FOR CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE
U18 Referee Stay Safe Guide
age 16 - 17? Know your rights in football
Youth Communications Strategy
Why do kids worry?
Do you know what to do if their worries worry you?
Find out more about Safeguarding Training
safeguarding for referee's
SAFEGUARDING INFORMATION FOR REFEREE'S
LET'S TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH
Safeguarding CHILDREN IN FOOTBALL
Find out more about Safeguarding
For the FA Safeguarding Framework, more information and further guidance please visit thefa.com/safeguarding
DID YOU KNOW?
THE LAW AROUND SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH PLAYERS IN FOOTBALL AND THE PERSON IN THE 'POSITION OF TRUST' CHANGED IN JUNE 2022.
The government has created a new Section 22A of the Act in which they will extend positions of trust offences to include where an adult is coaching, teaching, training, supervising or instructing in sport or a religion to a 16 or 17 year old on a regular basis.
Sport is defined using games in which physical skill is the predominant factor and those which are engaged in for the purpose of competition or display.
The reason for this extension is that adults who regularly coach, teach, train, supervise or instruct a child in sport are particularly influential over a child's development. They have a very high level of trust, influence, responsibility, power and authority and these figures are well established, trusted and respected in the community. As a result, there is a significant power imbalance between the adult and young person - even if the young person may not view the relationship as abusive or exploitative - which would amount to an abuse of the adult's position of trust and leaves the child open to manipulation and grooming.