Keeping Children Safe in Football
At Goals Soccer School, the safety and wellbeing of every child and young person is our highest priority.
We follow The Football Association's Safeguarding Children Policy and Procedures and are committed to providing a safe, positive and enjoyable environment in which children and young people can play, learn and develop through football.
The FA's safeguarding principles recognise that:
- The welfare of the child must always be the paramount consideration.
- Every child and young person has the right to be protected from abuse and harm.
- Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.
- Concerns about the welfare of a child must be taken seriously and reported appropriately.
- Children, parents, carers, coaches, clubs and safeguarding organisations all have an important role to play in creating a safe football environment.
For the full policies, procedures and guidance, please visit:
The FA - Safeguarding Children
The FA - Football's Safeguarding Framework
The FA - Safeguarding Policies & Guidance Downloads
Our Welfare Officer
Our Welfare Officer is the first point of contact at Goals Soccer School for safeguarding and welfare concerns.
Justin Coombes
Welfare Officer
📞 07590 991980
✉️ justincoombes1980@gmail.com
If you have a concern about the welfare of a child or the behaviour of an adult towards a child, please contact Justin.
You do not need to decide whether abuse has taken place before reporting a concern. If something doesn't feel right or you are worried about a child, please raise it so that the appropriate people can consider what action is needed.
Reporting a Safeguarding Concern
Safeguarding concerns relating to Goals Soccer School can be reported directly to our Welfare Officer using the contact details above.
You can also report concerns through the wider football safeguarding network, including Devon FA and The Football Association.
The FA provides guidance on what to do if you have a concern about a child's welfare or the behaviour of an adult involved in football:
The FA - How to Report a Safeguarding Concern
Parents and carers can find additional safeguarding information here:
The FA - Guidance for Parents & Carers
If a Child Is in Immediate Danger
If you believe a child is at immediate risk of harm, do not wait to contact the club.
Contact the Police or Children's Social Care immediately.
In an emergency, call 999.
You can also contact the NSPCC Helpline for advice if you are concerned about a child's safety or wellbeing:
📞 0808 800 5000
Our Safeguarding Responsibilities
We are committed to applying The FA's safeguarding requirements throughout Goals Soccer School's activities, including our coaching sessions, DJM teams and Holiday Clubs.
This includes:
- Following The FA's safeguarding policies and procedures.
- Having a designated Welfare Officer.
- Ensuring people working with children have the appropriate safeguarding training and checks required for their roles.
- Following appropriate safer recruitment practices.
- Maintaining clear standards of behaviour for coaches, volunteers, players, parents and carers.
- Taking concerns about the welfare of children seriously.
- Sharing safeguarding information with appropriate organisations or authorities when necessary to protect a child.
- Creating an environment in which children and young people feel safe, respected and able to speak up if something is wrong.
Coaches, Volunteers & DBS Checks
People undertaking eligible roles involving children must meet the safeguarding requirements appropriate to their role.
This may include relevant FA safeguarding education and an in-date FA-accepted DBS check, where required.
A DBS check is one part of safeguarding and safer recruitment. It does not replace appropriate supervision, safeguarding procedures, training or the responsibility of everyone involved in the club to remain alert to children's welfare.
Codes of Conduct
Good safeguarding also depends on creating the right environment and setting clear expectations about behaviour.
Goals Soccer School follows The FA's Respect principles and Codes of Conduct for players, parents and carers, coaches, officials and others involved in grassroots football.
You can read the relevant codes on our:
Goals Soccer School Codes of Conduct
Further information about Respect is available from The FA:
Parents & Carers
Parents and carers play an important role in helping us provide a safe and positive environment.
We ask parents and carers to:
- Encourage children to enjoy their football.
- Follow our Codes of Conduct and The FA's Respect principles.
- Treat players, coaches, officials and other families with respect.
- Make us aware of relevant medical, additional or support needs where this is necessary for their child's safe participation.
- Raise concerns rather than assuming somebody else will do so.
- Speak to our Welfare Officer if they have a safeguarding or welfare concern.
Children & Young People
We want every child and young person at Goals Soccer School to feel safe, welcome and listened to.
If something happens that makes you feel worried, uncomfortable or unsafe, you should tell an adult you trust.
This could be:
- Your parent or carer.
- A coach you trust.
- Our Welfare Officer, Justin Coombes.
- A teacher or another trusted adult.
- The Police if you are in immediate danger.
It is always OK to tell someone if something doesn't feel right.
Photography & Video
Photographs and video can be an enjoyable way of celebrating football and the achievements of our players, but the welfare and privacy of children must come first.
We manage photography and video involving children in accordance with our safeguarding procedures and The FA's guidance.
Where appropriate, we will obtain the necessary permission before using identifiable photographs or video of children.
We will not knowingly publish children's personal contact details alongside photographs or video.
If you have a concern about photography or video at a Goals Soccer School activity, please speak to our Welfare Officer.
Safeguarding & Personal Information
Safeguarding concerns can sometimes involve sensitive personal information.
We will treat safeguarding information appropriately and restrict access to those who need it. However, we cannot promise to keep a safeguarding concern confidential if information needs to be shared to protect a child.
Where appropriate, information may be shared with organisations such as The FA, Devon FA, Children's Social Care, the Police or other safeguarding authorities.
The welfare of the child will always be the primary consideration.
For information about how Goals Soccer School handles personal information more generally, please read our:
Further Safeguarding Information
For comprehensive safeguarding policies, procedures, advice and resources, please visit The Football Association's Safeguarding section:
The FA - Safeguarding Children
You can also find independent safeguarding advice and support from the NSPCC:
Contact our Welfare Officer
Justin Coombes
Welfare Officer, Goals Soccer School
📞 07590 991980
✉️ justincoombes1980@gmail.com
If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
