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The FA · free preview

FA Safeguarding Children Course

Recognise abuse and poor practice, respond to a disclosure and report it — the certificate no youth coach may work without.

£30 · about 2–3 hours · online · recommended from 16

Take the courseCreate a free accountCourse fee: £30 in-game · with Full AccessCourse fees are in-game money, paid from your in-game wallet — never real money.

Free lesson · Understanding abuse and poor practice

What safeguarding means, and why it comes first

Safeguarding is everything your club does to keep children safe before anything goes wrong: the culture, the training, the way adults are recruited and the rules everyone works to. Child protection is the narrower, reactive part: responding when a particular child may be at risk. You need both.

In football, a child is anyone under 18. That includes the 17-year-old who trains with your first team, not just the under-9s.

  • The child's welfare is paramount. It outranks results, the club's reputation and anyone's convenience.
  • Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. The Welfare Officer runs the process, but you cannot hand your own duty to someone else.
  • Every child has the right to safe, fun, inclusive football, whatever their ability, background or identity.
  • Concerns are reported, not investigated, by club staff.
  • Nothing that involves a child's safety is ever kept secret.

In England this rests on the Children Acts 1989 and 2004 and the statutory guidance *Working Together to Safeguard Children*, with The FA's safeguarding policy layered on top. Laws and thresholds change; the principles above do not.

Source: Manual T14 · §C1

The syllabus: 5 modules, 20 lessons

  1. 1

    Understanding abuse and poor practice

    • What safeguarding means, and why it comes first free preview
    • The four categories of abuse
    • Grooming and the position of trust
    • Poor practice, and when it becomes abuse
  2. 2

    Recognising the signs

    • Possible indicators in a child
    • Red flags in adult behaviour
    • You do not need proof: the reporting threshold
    • Higher-risk settings: academies and travel
  3. 3

    Responding to a disclosure

    • Listen and reassure
    • Do not investigate
    • Record it straight away, in their words
    • The five Rs, and what comes after
  4. 4

    Reporting and whistle-blowing

    • The reporting route
    • Immediate danger: emergencies outrank process
    • What the Welfare Officer does
    • Whistle-blowing and low-level concerns
  5. 5

    Safer working practice and online safety

    • Never alone: the two-adult rule, changing rooms and contact
    • Transport, trips and overnight stays
    • Online contact, social media and photography
    • Staying in date: certificate, DBS and safer recruitment