Wellbeing & Protection Minimum Standards for Clubs

1. Information Sharing

Clubs need to have formal information sharing processes in place for when there are concerns with regards to a child or the conduct of an adult and understand their role in sharing this information. When a concern about a child or the conduct of an adult becomes apparent within a club setting, this needs to be recorded & reported to the relevant football body that the club is affiliated too. This should take place even if the club has managed the concern and resolved it or reported it to the Police.

2. Adopt the Scottish FA Child Wellbeing & Protection Policy templates

To create a consistent approach across Scottish Football to Wellbeing & Protection at all levels of the game, clubs must adopt and have in place the Scottish FA Child Wellbeing & Protection policy, procedures and practice notes. This includes the introduction, policy statement, set the standards (code of conduct), appointment & selection procedure, responding to concerns procedure, case review procedure and the suite of practice notes. All templates required can be found here.

3. Have a Club Child Wellbeing & Protection Officer (CWPO)

Each club working with children and young people must have a Child Wellbeing & Protection Officer in place. The purpose of this role is to promote a safe environment for children and young people involved in Scottish Football by implementing the Child Wellbeing in Scottish Football policies, procedures and safeguards and to respond appropriately to concerns. They will also work with the Management/Committee/Board at the club to develop and continually improve the culture around wellbeing & protection.

This individual, to become a CWPO, must have undertaken the Scottish FA’s “Managing Children’s Wellbeing Course” or its equivalent, sportscotland “Child Wellbeing and Protection in Sport – Officer Training” course. These courses provide further information and practical skills on how to effectively conduct the role of CWPO in a club setting. To find the next Managing Children’s Wellbeing course please click here and to find the nearest sportscotland course, please click here.

A role description detailing the responsibilities and person specifications required for the role of CWPO can be found here.

4. Appointment and Selection

Every club has a duty to make sure that any individual that they wish to recruit into regulated work with children and young people are suitable to do so. Those coaches and adults who are working or volunteering in regulated work with children and young people must have gone through the full appointment & selection procedure, set out in the Scottish FA’s Child Wellbeing & Protection Policy, before they are allowed to work or volunteer with children, even if that individual is supervised by someone who has already gone through to the full procedure themselves. Failing to do this can put the children and young people who attend your club at serious risk of harm.

One part of this procedure is the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme. The Scottish FA has prepared PVG guidance for clubs which can be found here. If you are unsure if your role falls under the category of regulated work you can consult this guidance, Disclosure Scotland or contact the relevant Affiliated National Association that your club registers with.

Furthermore, the club must seek two references for the individual and each individual needs to complete an annual self-declaration by the individual in ‘regulated work’, and a fair processing notice form. If your club is affiliated to a national Association then these are usually covered within the Affiliated National Association’s registration processes online.

The Scottish FA has published a Appointment & Selection Toolkit for clubs to use to assist them in implementing the Appointment & Selection Procedures from the Child Wellbeing & Protection Policy. The steps for clubs to take and how to take them can be found here and the suite of templates available to clubs can be found below:

• Appendix 1 - Flowchart
• Appendix 2 - Application form template 
• Appendix 3 - Reference form template
• Appendix 4 - Values-based questions (examples)
• Appendix 5 - Volunteer agreement template
• Appendix 6 - Self-declaration template 
• Appendix 7 - Fair processing notice template 
• Appendix 8 - Code of Conduct (Set the Standards) template
• Appendix 9 - Induction checklist
• Appendix 10 - Volunteer & Staff recruitment privacy notice template 
• Appendix 11 - Volunteer & Staff fair processing notice template 
• Appendix 12 - Further Information & Guidance

5. Education & Training for those working with Children and Young People

All adults working or volunteering in Scottish Football have a role to play in ensuring that football is a safe and inclusive environment for children and young people. Key to this is a sustainable workforce who feel confident, supported and informed in their role. This is absolutely key to us getting it right for every child in Scottish Football.

This Learning and Development Framework outlines the skills and competencies expected of all adults working or volunteering Scottish Football to ensure the best possible outcomes for all children and young people who participate in Scottish Football.

The Scottish FA delivers a specific wellbeing and protection course for everyone who is working or volunteering with children and young people in Scottish football. This course is “Children's Wellbeing in Scottish Football" which helps to recognise, understand and promote children’s rights, raise awareness of safeguarding children’s wellbeing and recognise what needs to be done when a child needs help or support. The course is available to attend face to face or by completing an online module.

Upcoming dates and booking information for the face to face training can be found here.

To access the online module, please click here. For any enquiries regarding access to the e-learning or any technical issues you may experience, please contact cwsfonlinesupport@scottishfa.co.uk.

Sportscotland also provide a “Child Wellbeing and Protection in Sport” course which can be attended if the above is not possible, information on the courses they run can be found here.

6. Set the Standards, Behaviours, Expectations and Requirements 

Furthermore, any individual who will be working or volunteering with children and young people has a duty to agree to “Set the Standards”. This details the standards and practice required, both verbally and non-verbally, when involved in activities with children and young people to create a positive football environment by displaying exemplary behaviour and implementing practices that make football a safe, fun and positive experience for all involved.