Welfare Officer

CLUB WELFARE OFFICER JOB DESCRIPTION

The Club Welfare Officer is responsible for acting as a source of advice about safeguarding and protecting children, promoting good practice and for coordinating action within the Club on receipt of any concerns or referrals.

Areas of Responsibility

1. Policy and Procedures
• To provide information and advice on child protection within the Club and promote a child focus.
• To ensure that the Club adopts and follows the BCU Child Protection Policy and Procedures.
• To promote awareness of the BCU Codes of Conduct and Paddlesafe documents.
• To implement recruitment and screening procedures within the club.
• To be a confirmation signatory, verifying the identity of individuals completing disclosures.

2. Referrals
• To receive information from Club staff, volunteers, children or parents and carers who have child protection concerns and record it.
• To assess the information promptly and carefully, clarifying and obtaining more information about the matter as appropriate
• To follow the BCU Responding and Reporting Concerns flow chart.
• To ensure that the referral is confirmed in writing using the BCU Safeguarding and Protecting Children Report Form.

3. Education and Training
• To advise the club about appropriate training for coaches and volunteers based on the BCU Recommended Training Requirements.
• To advise the Club about Child Protection training opportunities.

4. Knowledge
• The designated person should be aware of the local statutory child protection network, including the contact details for the local Police and Children’s Social Care Services, the role of the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) and the awareness of local inter-agency child protection procedures.
• They should understand the BCU Child Protection Policies and Procedures and the requirement to safeguard and protect children in sport
• Awareness of Equity issues and Child Protection
• Understanding of poor practice and abuse – behaviour that is harmful to children

The Person
The Club Welfare Officer should be well known in the club and have a strong child focus. The Club Welfare Officer need to be accessible to and approachable for children and young people but not the coach or volunteer with direct responsibility coordinating or delivering the junior programmes at the club. They should be a member of the Club or an individual member of the BCU. The designated person should have undertaken the Sports Coach UK Safeguarding and Protecting Children workshop or an equivalent training programme. They must also be committed to attending the BCU Time to Listen Workshop that has been developed specifically for Club Welfare Officers with the NSPCC. This will support them in this important role.