Child Protection

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Let’s start with a few questions:

  • Are you involved in the management or organisation of youth sport or another activity that involves children?
  • Are you concerned about the welfare of a child who is in the care of a person or persons who are involved in the management or organisation of youth sport or another activity that involves children?
  • Are you looking to introduce a Child Protection policy for your youth sport or other type of organisation?
  • Are you now, or have you been, subjected to abuse in any of its many forms?
  • Have you been involved in an organisation where an abuser has operated?

If you have answered yes to either of the last two questions then you know that the statement made in the title of this document is true. If not, it is likely that you are investigating the validity of that statement or for evidence that supports your opinion, belief or conviction that the statement is true and you need to influence others within your peer group.

The information contained within these pages does not seek to give the impression that the author is an expert on this subject, because he is not. Neither will it assist you to become an expert in the area of child protection, because it will not. It does seek to educate people within youth or sports bodies that they have a ‘duty of care’ for the children within their organisation.

These pages will seek to offer guidance that may assist you and could enable you to exercise that duty:

  • With the implementation of a simple but effective, user-friendly child protection policy
  • By offering you the opportunity to discuss your plans with people who have already been through the process, learn from their mistakes to avoid some of the pitfalls along the way
  • By giving you the framework to ensure that your policy remains ‘simple’ and not hampered by ‘administration overload’
  • By highlighting other sources of information that may assist you

It will do this by informing you, in simple terms, of:

  • Who are the ‘experts’ within this field and how to contact them
  • What constitutes abuse of children
  • What to look for to spot a possible or potential victim of abuse
  • What to do if a child chooses to disclose that they are victims of abuse
  • Some of the do’s and don’ts of interaction with young people, to help you exercise your ‘Duty of Care’

Safer-Soccer guidelines, developed from information contained within Avon & Somerset Police Child-Safe training pack.© Copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 All rights reserved.