Gloucester County Girls Football League is committed to providing football in which every child and young person is protected from abuse, neglect, exploitation, bullying and avoidable harm. A child is anyone under 18.

This policy applies to League officers, committee members, match officials, volunteers, member clubs and everyone taking part in League-organised competitions, events and activities.

Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. The welfare of the child is paramount, and no concern should be ignored because somebody assumes another person will report it.

• Children will be listened to, respected and taken seriously.
• All children have an equal right to protection, regardless of identity, background, disability, faith or circumstance.
• Information will be handled sensitively but shared when necessary to protect a child.
• Concerns will be recorded accurately and referred promptly.
• Safeguarding action will follow FA, Gloucestershire FA and statutory procedures.

• Maintain a named League Welfare Officer and clear reporting routes.
• Promote safeguarding requirements to member clubs and League officials.
• Record and refer concerns through appropriate football or statutory channels.
• Apply relevant League measures where participation creates an immediate welfare risk.
• Keep this policy and associated procedures under regular review.

• Appoint and publicise an appropriately qualified Club Welfare Officer.
• Complete safer recruitment, references, DBS checks and safeguarding training as required by The FA.
• Maintain safe supervision, changing, transport, communication and photography arrangements.
• Ensure coaches, managers, volunteers, parents and players understand relevant codes of conduct.
• Report concerns to the League, Gloucestershire FA or statutory services as appropriate.

Member clubs are responsible for ensuring people undertaking eligible roles are recruited safely and hold the required FA safeguarding qualifications and in-date DBS clearance. The League will apply equivalent requirements to its own eligible appointments.

Adults in positions of trust must maintain professional boundaries, avoid inappropriate one-to-one situations and never use their position to form exploitative, sexual or otherwise harmful relationships with young people.

• Treat children and adults with dignity and respect.
• Use appropriate language, contact and behaviour.
• Prioritise welfare over performance or results.
• Challenge bullying, discrimination, harassment and unsafe practice.
• Follow FA Respect requirements and the League’s adopted rules and policies.

Communication with children must use appropriate, transparent channels and follow FA and club guidance. Adults must not use private or disappearing messages to create secret communication with a child.

Images captured or published by the League will be managed through appropriate consent, privacy and safeguarding arrangements. Identifying information will not be combined with images where doing so creates an avoidable risk.

Online grooming, sexualised communication or harmful online behaviour should be reported immediately. Online sexual abuse can also be reported to CEOP.

League-organised activities will be appropriately risk assessed. Arrangements for supervision, facilities, changing rooms, first aid, transport and overnight stays will reflect the activity, ages and needs of the participants. Member clubs remain responsible for their own training, travel and club-organised activities.

Concerns and allegations will be taken seriously, recorded accurately and referred promptly through the appropriate League, County FA or statutory safeguarding channels. The League will not undertake its own child-protection investigation.

Where necessary, proportionate interim measures may be taken to protect children while the appropriate authority considers the concern. Such measures are precautionary and do not determine guilt.

Safeguarding information will be limited to people who need it to protect a child or manage the referral. Records will be factual, secure, access-controlled and retained in accordance with legal, FA and League requirements.

Consent should be considered, but information may be shared without consent where necessary and lawful to protect a child. See the Privacy Policy and Player Privacy Policy.

Anyone concerned that safeguarding responsibilities are being ignored, concealed or handled improperly should report this to the League Welfare Officer. If that is unsafe, inappropriate or the Welfare Officer is implicated, report directly to Gloucestershire FA, The FA, police or Children’s Social Care. A person raising a genuine concern in good faith will not be penalised for speaking up.

The committee will review this policy annually and sooner following significant legal or FA changes, a serious incident or identified learning. Training, concerns and actions will be monitored to improve practice.