Camp/Event Designated Safeguarding & Welfare Lead - Casual Role

We are seeking up to 6 individuals in casual roles to be deployed as Designated Safeguarding & Welfare Leads with England Women's Development Teams (U15's-U19's) in fixtures, training camps and tournaments both in the UK and abroad. As such these roles will involve UK and International travel, which at times, could be for a few weeks in succession.

Each role is an extension of The FA's Strategic Safeguarding Team. Individuals will be deployed to a specific age group and will be the first point of contact for the duration of an England Camp or Event environment for staff and players regarding safeguarding matters. The role will also be involved pre and post camp in preparation and review phases.

The role will work both proactively to mitigate against safeguarding risks and lead the response in a camp/event environment where concerns about welfare, poor practice or child/adult abuse are identified.

Roles will be deployed across the following England Women's Teams camps and events:

1. U15's - c17 days on camp plus up to 6 days pre/post camp work = c23 days across 3 camps in October 2024, March & May 2025.
2. U16's - c30 days on camp plus up to 8 days pre/post camp work = c38 days across 4 camps in October 2024, February, April & July 2025.
3. U17's - c66 days on camp plus up to 14 days pre/post camp work = c80 days across 7 camps September, October, November, December 2024 and February, March, April and May 2025
4. U17's Specific event - c 34 days on camp plus up to 8 days pre/post camp work = c42s days involving c8 days across 2 camps August and September 2024 and up to c28 days across October into Early November 2024.
5. U19's -c74 days on camp plus up to 16 days pre/post camp work = c90 days across 8 camps October, Nov-Dec 2024, February, April, June and July 2025.
6. In addition, we wish to recruit one additional person to act as a 'casual staff bank role' who has the flexibility to cover a camp/event, sometimes at short notice, in the event of illness etc

Note: Due to the level of flexibility and experience required for these roles, we are particularly interested in applications from people;

• in existing flexible roles with safeguarding and welfare remits, or who are retired;
• with experience from teaching, youth work or similar

The number of days stipulated are approximate and are subject to change depending on schedules and progression through tournaments. Post holders would be contracted on a day rate, initially until 31 July 2025, with anticipated deployment in line with the above to an age group.

There will be an expectation to attend St. George's Park, nr. Burton upon Trent, as part of the induction process and occasional meetings thereafter.

What Will You Be Doing?

• Understand, promote and implement The FA's Safeguarding Policies, England Safer Working Practice Guidance and event specific Safeguarding Plan and Risk Assessment.
• Lead the in-camp response to safeguarding and welfare issues (including low level concerns), escalating serious matters internally with The FA and where relevant to statutory agencies and stakeholders. Work collaboratively with Tournament Safeguarding Leads in ensuring a safe environment.
• Lead the Camp Welfare Group - Ensure the Group meet as required throughout a camp and that issues are addressed as far as possible whilst on an event. Utilise the Group effectively, to support the response to safeguarding and welfare issues.
• Ensure all safeguarding/welfare concerns and incidents are responded to, reported and recorded using internal FA processes and systems. Support and advise colleagues on safeguarding matters and incidents.
• Support colleagues to understand their safeguarding responsibilities and ensure practice matters are raised and addressed as appropriate, escalating serious concerns in a timely manner e.g., allegation involving a member of staff. Work closely with Women's Teams Safeguarding Oversight Lead and Senior Safeguarding Manager - England Teams and FA Venues to ensure that safeguarding concerns are responded to appropriately.
• Deliver pre-agreed safeguarding briefings and training to staff and players on camp, drawing on your expertise, experience and enthusiasm to ensure these sessions are engaging and are contextually relevant.
• Foster positive, supportive relationships with players, collaborate with colleagues in particular with the Strategic Safeguarding Team, psychology, medical and education & lifestyle leads, to ensure that appropriate support plans are in place, including managing matters relating to child protection plans, education, health & care plans (EHCP's) and that welfare and behaviour management needs are supported and that key messages are relayed to education providers/clubs as appropriate. Ensure that players are signposted as required to services and sources of support as relevant.
• Work with the Head Coach and Team Manager to ensure that any activities, including excursions developed on camp are risk assessed effectively, with relevant mitigations implemented.
• Collaborate with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to supervise players and support effective behaviour management.
• Contribute to event planning and review by participating in MDT calls as required.
• Produce a post camp/event report, highlighting areas of good practice, ensuring development areas are identified with clear actions, and participate in safeguarding quality assurance and data analysis reviews.
• Contribute to the wider work of the safeguarding team, including supporting safeguarding planning and risk assessments for events and complaint management as required.
• Executes additional tasks as required in order to meet FA Group changing priorities.
• Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure the highest standards of health, safety and wellbeing can be maintained.
• As part of The FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.

What Will You Need?

Essentially for the role:

Knowledge

• A professional safeguarding qualification and/or significant relevant experience in a safeguarding and or welfare role in education, youth work or similar environment.
• Knowledge of child protection and safeguarding legislation, policy and implementation.
• Understanding of current issues that impact on the development of elite young players/athletes, particularly females in these environments.
• A sound working knowledge of data protection, information sharing and confidentiality, principles and practice.
• Sound knowledge of equality legislation and inclusive practices as they relate to safeguarding and additional vulnerability.

Experience

• Experience of implementing safeguarding policy and safer working practice guidance.
• Experience of making referrals to statutory organisations.
• Experience of risk and crisis management.
• Experience of delivering safeguarding training and CPD with staff in sport environments.
• Experience in establishing and maintaining positive relationships with young people and collaborating effectively within a multi-disciplinary setting.

Technical Skills

• Ability to deliver safeguarding training and briefings to a wide range of staff and players in a way that is accessible and age appropriate.
• Proficient reporting writing skills.
• Proficient Microsoft Office skills.
• Excellent communication, management, presentation, and facilitation skills.
• Willingness to work flexibly with extensive travel with national teams for extended durations.

Beneficial to have:

Knowledge

• An understanding of case management processes and the role of a Designated Safeguarding Lead in these processes.
• Understanding of women's football, professional game academies, and player pathway, and international travel involving elite teams.

Experience

• Experience of running residential activities with young people.
• Experience of working in a safeguarding role or player wellbeing role in an elite sport pathway or environment, with a multi-disciplinary team.
• Experience of differentiating learning materials and using a blended approach to learning.
• Experience of delivering safeguarding awareness learning opportunities with young people.

Technical Skills

• Completion of the FA Safeguarding Children Course or similar sports-related training or education-based Level 3 equivalent.
• Proficient project management skills.

A full driving licence is required.

If appointed you will need to complete an Enhanced DBS with a check of the Children's Barred List.

What's in it for you?

We pride ourselves in offering a competitive rate of pay as well as great opportunities to develop and grow in your role.

We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles, and by doing this we offer top-of-the-range facilities across two core business locations. We have unique office spaces under the arch of the iconic Wembley National Stadium, which is the home of English football. We are also delighted to have a world-class Elite Performance Centre, St. George's Park in Staffordshire which is an exceptional setting to develop and inspire high-performing England teams and leaders.

Our Organisation

The Football Association [The FA] is the not-for-profit governing body of football in England. It is responsible for promoting and developing every level of the game, from grassroots through to the professional game, and generates significant revenue to support investment into English football each year.

The FA oversees England international teams across men's, women's, youth and disability football, as well as running the National League System and FA Competitions including the Emirates FA Cup, Barclays FA Women's Super League, Adobe FA Women's Championship, and Women's FA Cup, and the world-class facilities of Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park, all with a purpose to Unite the Game and Inspire the Nation.

Your contract with The FA will specify a fixed location. The contractual location of this role can be found at the top of this advert on our FA vacancy page.

The FA, For All, For You