The Gloucestershire FA offers a range of safeguarding services and training to help create a safe and enjoyable football experience for everyone. We ensure safeguarding requirements are met as a requirement of club affiliation and we support clubs to maintain these standards. This includes making unannounced safeguarding visits to clubs.

Forthcoming Safeguarding Courses And Workshops

We offer a range of safeguarding services and training to help create a safe and enjoyable football experience for everyone. We ensure safeguarding requirements are met as a requirement of club affiliation and we support clubs to maintain these standards. This includes making unannounced safeguarding visits to clubs.

This is done on a case by case basis, depending on the individual curcismtances.

If it is relating to a disclosure or an allegation of any kind of abuse, the Gloucestershire Football Association works closely with The Football Association’s Case Management Team, helping to safeguard football by working closely with local statutory agencies as well as supporting our Clubs in enforcing suspensions when they are issued.

When relating to cases of poor practice (unacceptable behaviour either on or beside the field of play) we first go through The FA’s nationally agreed Disciplinary Procedures, once this is completed then it is within our remit to impose additional constraints or requirements on Clubs, Teams, Officials, Parents/Carers and Players.

FA Guide for reporting concerns

Become a club welfare officer 

All leagues and clubs with youth teams must have a named Welfare Officer, who has an 'accepted' FA Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) via The FA Disclosure Unit and who has completed The FA Safeguarding Children and Welfare Officer Workshop.

RESPECT is The Football Association's direct response to a clear message from the grassroots game. We must improve standards of behaviour - on and off the field. Parental behaviour is one of the main reasons why young players drop out of the game. Poor behaviour by coaches, parents and players towards referees means that thousands of officials are dropping out each season.

RESPECT is aimed at helping us all to work together to change the negative attitudes and unacceptable behaviour on the sidelines and on the pitch. It's a long-term commitment. As a Club Welfare Officer (CWO) you have the chance to make a significant contribution to creating positive change.

RESPECT outlines for everyone from league official to player to parent to club official to coach and referee that a certain standard of organisation and behaviour is expected in football. RESPECT is all about creating a fun, safe environment and its core principles work in tandem with Safeguarding Children.

The role of the CWO is key to ensuring that Respect is understood and taken on board by the committee, coaches/managers members and supporters. 

In order to assist you with this role we have provided some useful information in the 'Documents' section below on: 

•The role of the CWO
•Help and support for you 
•Making sure everyone knows who you are  
•Training requirements for this role