Club Welfare Officers

What is the Role of a Club Welfare Officer?

The Club Welfare Officer will acquire, through training a basic knowledge of core legislation, government guidance and national framework for child protection. The aim is purely to understand where sporting organisations fit within this framework.

They will have a basic knowledge of roles and responsibilities of the statutory agencies (Police, Social Services and NSPCC) and Area Child Protection Committees. An understanding what Police and Social Services will do if the Club Welfare Officer has to refer a situation of suspected child abuse to them. Be clear about ECB reporting procedures.

Have a basic knowledge of behaviour that is harmful to children and young people – from bullying to poor practice and abuse.

Know how abusers “target” and “groom” organisations in order to abuse children and best practice in prevention.

Implement ECB policy and procedures related to safeguarding children and young people.

All Club Welfare Officers must complete a “Safeguarding and Protecting Children” workshop, and have a Criminal Records Bureau check before they are eligible to attend the NSPCC “Time to Listen” Club Welfare Officer training. On completion of the training they will receive a copy of the “Safe Hands, Welfare of young people in cricket” policy.

The CWO needs to ensure that registration records are kept for all junior club members and report forms are completed for any accident, incident or allegation made.

The CWO is not an investigative role. If you are unsure of how to follow up an incident, complaint or allegation speak to your County Welfare Officer – do not take details of incidents / reports to your Club Committee.

If your club does not have a Club Welfare Officer the responsibility lies with the club Chairman.

The Club Welfare Officer should have a place on the Club Committee.
It is advisable for clubs to have at least two trained Club Welfare Officers.

Safeguarding & Protecting Children Workshop
Compulsory for CWOs and Coaches, recommended for all positions who have contact with children.

Aims:
To identify coaching practice and sports situations that may constitute poor practice and/or abuse
To recognise key principles of code of conduct and their application to good coaching practise
To recognise truths and myths surrounding child abuse
To identify ways of dealing with their own feelings of child abuse
To describe what constitutes abuse and identify the indicators
To recognise signs and symptoms
To identify appropriate action if a child discloses he/she has been abused
To identify appropriate action if concerned about the behaviour of another coach or colleague.

CLICK HERE for details of upcoming courses in the Metropolitan Area

CLICK HERE for upcoming courses in the Essex area

Sportessex will also run a course for you club. Contact Kate Williams for more details. kate.williams@sportessex.org.uk

The SPC course needs to be refreshed after three years.

Time to Listen compulsory for all CWOs
This workshop was written by the NSPCC and is tailored for Child Welfare in a sports environment.

The workshop outlines the roles and responsibilities of Welfare Officers at National, County and Club level, and covers legislation and Government guidance, the procedure for reporting incidents / allegations and examples of situations a CWO may be asked to deal with.

At the TTL workshop candidates will be given a copy of the ECB Safe Hands document which includes glossary of terms, definitions of abuse, reporting procedures, guidelines and advice for club policies, and rules and regulations of play.

A token fee of £30.00 is payable by each trainee, the bulk of the training cost is found by the Essex County Cricket Board.

If you are eligible i.e. you have taken the SPC, have a CRB and are the nominated Welfare Officer for your club and would like to book a place, contact Jeni Rosier: Jeni.rosier.essex@ecb.co.uk or 01245 254034.

The TTL workshop needs to be refreshed after three years.

TTL is a standard course and if a candidate has taken the workshop through another sport within the last three years this is sufficient.

ECB safehands document