Football Association of Wales

The Welfare Department was established in 2002 to promote and support the implementation of the FAW’s Welfare and Child Protection policy.  Initially consisting of two people, a Head of Department and an Administrative Assistant, additional staff were recruited as the workload increased. The Welfare Department is now situated within the FAW’s Compliance Department. 

Administrative support 

To improve the service the FAW provides it has designated an Administrative Assistant to support all six Area Associations: 

Lynsey Owens (administrative assistant South) supports leagues and clubs affiliated to South Wales FA, Gwent County FA and West Wales FA; 

Michelle McBreatry (administrative assistant North) supports leagues and clubs affiliated to Central Wales FA, North Wales Coast FA and North East Wales FA.    

The FAW Welfare Policy

Our Welfare Policy was introduced in 2002 and is endorsed by the NSPCC.  It places a mandatory obligation on all junior football clubs in Wales to appoint and maintain a Club Welfare Officer.  The Club Welfare Officer has become a central figure in supporting the implementation of the National CRB programme, FAW Welfare Card and Club Accreditation Scheme. A Child Protection and Good Practice Workshop administered and delivered by the Welsh Football Trust was also developed to provide guidance and support to coaches and volunteers throughout Wales. The Policy and Workshop are under review and will be updated to meet the requirements of recent legislation. 

The National CRB Programme

The FAW was one of the first national governing bodies in Wales to introduce a National Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) programme.  It was introduced in the 2004 / 2005 season and has concentrated on junior and youth football where the majority of young people play.  However, an objective for the future is to include senior football as many vulnerable adults and players under 18 years of age are involved in the senior game.

To support the implementation of the CRB programme the FAW entered into a partnership with the Wales Council for Voluntary Action’s Criminal Records Unit (CRU). This acts as an umbrella body managing the distribution, collection and submission of CRB forms on the FAW’s behalf. 

The process 

The Club Welfare Officer is designated as a recruiter of volunteers and can request forms and check identification following a mandatory CRU advice session.  In the early months of every season the Welfare Department holds a series of advice sessions in each Area Association.  If you are a new Welfare Officer and would like to receive notification of one of these sessions then please register your interest via e-mail to welfare@faw.co.uk or by telephoning the Welfare Department. 

Welfare Officers of clubs who have not attended an advice session are still required to fulfil the CRB requirement and should request support from the FAW via these contact details too. 

The FAW Welfare Card

In 2006 the FAW underlined its commitment to child protection by providing funding for the introduction of a Welfare Card.  The objective is to reassure parents by helping them to identify coaches and volunteers participating in the CRB programme.  The card carries the holder’s picture, their FAW identification number and other information, such as, the qualifications they hold.  Each card is accompanied by a lanyard and a holder.  The Club Welfare Officer plays an important role in administering the Welfare Card by countersigning the registration form and the reverse of the photographs applicants provide. The scheme is still in its infancy but initial response to it has been very good.  

The McDonald’s / FAW Club Accreditation Scheme

The FAW has established an accreditation scheme for clubs following a successful three year pilot by the Welsh Football Trust. From the commencement of the 2007/2008 season all junior clubs in Wales have to achieve the quality standards for the Standard Award.  The quality standards are benchmarks aimed at helping clubs to focus on good practice in relation to club organisation, child protection and coaching provision. The quality standards increase incrementally as clubs progress through the awards. Vouchers for free equipment are presented to clubs who achieve the Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards as recognition of their achievement. The Welsh Football Trust provides all clubs with a CD ROM resource pack and an A4 ring binder which gives clubs all the information they need to achieve accreditation.

Further advice and support is provided by the Trust’s County Football Development Officers. 

Further details on the accreditation criteria can be downloaded below.

Information is also available via the Trust at www.welshfootballtrust.org.uk or by telephone - 01443 228873.  

How does it all fit together?

All three initiatives are complementary and share the same objective of making football a safe and positive environment for children.  Participation in the CRB programme is mandatory for all junior clubs and the display of Welfare Cards will become mandatory soon.  To become accredited a club must demonstrate that all of its volunteers have been vetted via the CRB programme and have an FAW identification number.  The Club Accreditation Scheme ensures that all coaches have the appropriate coaching qualifications which are displayed on the Welfare card too.   

What’s next?

 ·          The Welsh Football Trust is developing a National Coaches Association to offer ongoing advice and support to coaches, membership of which will also be subject to a CRB check.  

·          The Government is in the process of introducing a new Vetting and Barring scheme which will be applicable to all volunteers who work with children, young people and vulnerable adults.  The FAW is seeking to establish how this will impact on football to ensure it is ready for the introduction of the scheme.  

Last but not least…….. 

The FAW and the Welsh Football Trust continue to look for ways in which we can improve the delivery of our service and support to clubs.  Do you have any thoughts on how we can develop the Welfare Policy?  Is there a particular part of junior football we have yet to cover?  Do please let us have your thoughts by e-mailing welfare@faw.co.uk