Safeguarding Policy

Our Safeguarding Commitment

CW Football provides a safe, secure environment for the children attending and we are committed to providing protection from harm and abuse. CW Football will respond promptly and appropriately to all incidents or concerns regarding the safety of a child that may occur. This policy applies to anyone working on behalf of CW Football, including managers, paid staff, volunteers, sessional workers, and students.

CW Football believes that:

  • Children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind

  • We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them

CW Football recognises that:

  • The welfare of children is paramount in all the work we do and in all the decisions we take

  • Working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, carers, and other agencies is essential in promoting young people’s welfare

  • All children, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation have an equal right to protection from all types of harm or abuse

  • Some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues

  • Extra safeguards may be needed to keep children who are additionally vulnerable safe from abuse.

CW Football will seek to keep children and young people safe by:

  • Valuing, listening to, and respecting them

  • Appointing a nominated safeguarding lead for children and young people (Colin Williams)

  • Adopting child protection and safeguarding best practice through our policies, procedures, and code of conduct for staff and volunteers

  • Providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support, training, and quality assurance measures so that all staff and volunteers know about and follow our policies, procedures, and behaviour codes confidently and competently

Child Abuse and Neglect

Child abuse is any form of physical, emotional, or sexual mistreatment or lack of care that leads to injury or harm. An individual may abuse or neglect a child directly, or by failing to protect them from harm. Some forms of child abuse and neglect are listed below.

  • Emotional abuse is the persistent emotional maltreatment of a child to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve making the child feel that they are worthless, unloved, or inadequate. Some level of emotional abuse is involved in all types of maltreatment of a child, though it may occur alone.

  • Physical abuse can involve hitting, shaking, throwing, poisoning, burning, drowning, suffocating or otherwise causing physical harm to a child. Physical harm may be also caused when a parent or carer feigns the symptoms of, or deliberately causes, ill health to a child.

  • Sexual abuse involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether the child is aware of what is happening. This can involve physical contact, or non-contact activities such as showing children sexual activities or encouraging them to behave in sexually inappropriate ways.

  • Neglect is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic physical and emotional needs. It can involve a failure to provide adequate food, clothing, and shelter, to protect a child from physical and emotional harm, to ensure adequate supervision or to allow access to medical treatment.

Logging a Safeguarding Concern

All information about the concern, or disclosure, will be recorded on a Safeguarding Concern Form as soon as possible after the event. The form will include:

  • Date of the disclosure, or the incident, or the observation causing concern

  • Date and time at which the record was made

  • Name and date of birth of the child involved

  • A factual report of what happened. If recording a disclosure, you must use the child’s own words

  • Name, signature, and job title of the person making the record.

Completed forms will be handed to Colin Williams, who, as designated safeguarding lead, will then decide on the best course of action.  

This policy has been drawn up based on legislation, policy and guidance that seeks to protect children in England. A summary of the key legislation and guidance is available from nspcc.org.uk/childprotection

Date: 25/03/2022

Reviewed: 26/11/2022