Safeguarding and Welfare Manager
- London City Lionesses
- Cobdown Park - Home of London City Lionesses, Cobdown Park, Ditton, Aylesford, UK
- 07 Aug, 2026
Job Description
Department People and Culture
Reports to Head of People and Culture
Direct Reports Academy Safeguarding and Welfare Officer
Location Cobdown Park, Station Road, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 6AU
Working Pattern 40 hours, including evenings and weekends
Level of DBS Enhanced Child Barred List
London City Lionesses are part of the Kynisca group, setting a vision and building an infrastructure in which all the players and staff can thrive.
1. Strategic Safeguarding Leadership
- Develop, implement and regularly review the Club's safeguarding and welfare strategy.
- Lead on safeguarding governance, ensuring policies, procedures and practices remain aligned with WSL, FA, PGAAC, UEFA, FIFA and statutory requirements.
- Provide expert safeguarding advice and guidance to senior leadership and football operations staff.
- As part of the club’s Wellbeing MDT, promote a positive safeguarding culture that places player welfare at the centre of decision-making.
- Monitor emerging safeguarding risks and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.
- Produce reports, data insights and recommendations for senior management and relevant governance committees.
- Develop and review the club’s safeguarding policies and procedures
- Maintain accurate, confidential, and up to date records, via CPOMS
- Ensure safeguarding plans and risk assessments for club activities are in place where children and/or adults at risk may be involved, e.g. matchday, events, trips, tours, overnight stays
- Be familiar with WSL licence requirements and rules in relation to safeguarding and ensure continued compliance
- Provide compliance data and reports to relevant external bodies as required each season, ensuring club senior management team are aware of effectiveness of and compliance with safeguarding policies and procedures, highlighting any risks for inclusion on the club’s Risk Register
- Undertake safeguarding spot checks and audits across club activity throughout the season
- Support with developing robust safer recruitment policy and practice which complies with all relevant requirements
- Respond to safeguarding concerns in a timely manner, referring to external agencies where appropriate
- Take part in multi-agency case management meetings as and when required/ appropriate
- Report cases to WSL/FA in accordance with current policy, rules, and regulation
- Ensure that sensitive information and referrals are recorded via CPOMS
- Develop and maintain relationships with relevant providers. E.g., Local Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH), Police Child Protection Unit, Health Service, Education, Social Care, Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), Child, and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Schools, Private Fostering Agencies
- Design and deliver safeguarding and welfare training programmes for players, coaches and staff.
- Ensure mandatory safeguarding training requirements are monitored and completed across relevant departments.
- Lead educational initiatives on topics including:
-
- Mental wellbeing
- Online safety and social media
- Professional boundaries
- Player welfare
- Harassment and discrimination
- Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Safe sport practices
- Build effective relationships with governing bodies, safeguarding professionals and external partners.
- Represent the club at safeguarding networks, meetings and working groups.
- Support parents, guardians and families where appropriate in relation to welfare matters.
- Act as a visible and approachable safeguarding presence across the Club.
- Provide leadership, supervision and support to the Academy Safeguarding and Welfare Officer.
- Conduct regular one-to-one meetings, performance reviews and development planning.
- Ensure consistency of safeguarding standards and practices between the First Team and Academy environments.
- Support the Academy Safeguarding and Welfare Officer with complex case management and strategic planning.
- Contribute to succession planning and capability development within the safeguarding function.
1. To comply with all Club policies, procedures and practices and carry out your role diligently and in the best interests of the Club
2. To lead with a proactive, high-performance mindset and actively contribute to a winning culture on and off the pitch
3. To behave in a manner consistent with Club values and policies
4. To ensure compliance with all relevant legal, regulatory, ethical and social requirements.
5. To keep confidential any information gained regarding the Club and its personnel.
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Relevant safeguarding qualification or professional qualification in safeguarding, social work, education, health, psychology, youth work or a related field.
- Advanced safeguarding training relevant to the role.
- Safeguarding experience within professional football or elite sport.
- Mental Health First Aid qualification.
- Experience working within women's football.
- Professional membership of a relevant safeguarding or welfare body.
- Experience supporting elite athletes within high-performance environments.
Essential
- Significant safeguarding and welfare experience within sport, football, education, health, social care or a comparable environment.
- Experience managing safeguarding concerns and complex casework.
- Experience developing and implementing safeguarding policies, procedures and strategies.
- Experience delivering safeguarding training and education programmes.
- Experience building effective relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Experience providing advice and guidance to managers and senior leaders.
- Previous line management or supervisory experience.
- Excellent understanding of safeguarding legislation, guidance and best practice.
- Knowledge of WSL and FA safeguarding standards and requirements.
- Understanding of welfare challenges affecting elite athletes and young people in sport.
- Detailed knowledge of safer recruitment practices.
- Understanding of data protection and confidentiality requirements.
- Exposure to a similar role within women’s football
- Understanding of the role of statutory agencies and sport's governing bodies in safeguarding and managing concerns
- Passionate about women’s football and broader women’s sport culture.
- Entrepreneurial spirit and ability to deal with matrix stakeholders & ambiguity.
- High standards of personal integrity and EQ.
- Comfortable and able to work on own initiative
- Has a learning mindset; is keen to continue their self-development and keep up to date with best practice and learning opportunities
- Continually seeks to improve efficiency and performance
- Seeks out and embraces new ways of thinking and working – not afraid to fail.
WHY LONDON CITY
Why Work at London City Lionesses
London City Lionesses is not a legacy club adapting to the modern game — it was purpose-built for it. Founded in 2019 and acquired by Michele Kang's Kynisca Sports International in December 2023, the club is part of the first woman-owned, woman-led multi-club organisation in football, alongside the Washington Spirit (2021 NWSL champions) and OL Lyonnes (eight-time Women's Champions League winners). Staff work within a network that spans three continents and is led at group level by Global Sporting Director Markel Zubizarreta, formerly of FC Barcelona.
Kynisca's stated mission is to build the world's pre-eminent women's sports organisation, with a core principle of training women as women — backed by the Kynisca Innovation Hub, which funds sports science research into female athletic performance. At club level, that translates into a 28-acre training ground at Cobdown Park now under construction, with a Performance Campus designed to match a men's Premier League facility but built specifically around the needs of female athletes. The July 2026 signing of two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas underlines the level of ambition across every department.
Sources: londoncitylionesses.com; kynisca.com; Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, September 2025
ABOUT
About London City Lionesses
London City Lionesses is a professional women's football club based in Kent, with home matches played at the CopperJax Community Stadium in Bromley. Founded in 2019, the club won the 2024/25 Barclays Women's Championship to earn promotion and became the first ever independent club to compete in the Barclays Women's Super League in 2025/26 — the top tier of English women's football.
The club is part of Kynisca Sports International, Ltd., owned and led by Michele Kang. Kynisca's vision is to become the most pre-eminent women's sports organisation in the world — building a high-performance culture of winning on and off the pitch, training women as women, and motivating the next generation of girls and women. The club operates under the legal entity LCL Sports Group Limited, with commercial partners including Nike (kit manufacturer) and Mastercard. In January 2026, Kynisca was named presenting partner of the inaugural FIFA Women's Champions Cup.
Sources: londoncitylionesses.com; kynisca.com
WHAT WE DO
Three Pillars of the Club
London City Lionesses operates across first-team football, academy development and community engagement — each with dedicated staff and growing infrastructure.
First Team & PerformanceCompeting in the Barclays WSL with players including two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas. Kynisca's principle of training women as women is central — the forthcoming Cobdown Park Performance Campus and the Kynisca Innovation Hub both focus on research-led, female-specific performance, recovery and wellbeing. |
Academy & DevelopmentFour academy squads covering U12 to U21 pathways. The new training centre includes an improved Academy building with a high-quality 3G pitch, creating clear routes from grassroots to professional level in Kent. |
Community & GrassrootsThe Mastercard Sister Club Programme connects the club with grassroots clubs across Kent and London, offering free match tickets, mascot opportunities and coaching clinics. The 3G pitch at Cobdown Park will also serve the Kent FA, local leagues and SEND schools. |
KEY NUMBERS
London City Lionesses in Numbers
From the training ground to the multi-club network, London City Lionesses is investing at a scale that matches its ambition in the women's game.
|
WSL Top-Tier Football First independent club in the Barclays Women's Super League (2025/26) |
28 Acres at Cobdown Park Acquired June 2024. Performance Campus under construction, completion target 2027 |
50+ New Permanent Jobs Created by the Cobdown Park development, plus ~£1m per year in local economic investment |
3 Club Network Kynisca Sports International — alongside Washington Spirit (2021 NWSL champions) and OL Lyonnes (8× Champions League winners) |
Sources: londoncitylionesses.com; kynisca.com; Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, September 2025
CAREER AREAS
Functions at London City Lionesses
The club recruits across football operations, medical, academy, and corporate functions. Current and recent roles advertised via the club's CharlieHR careers page as of July 2026 include:
|
Coaching First team and academy coaching roles, including goalkeeper and outfield specialists |
Sport Science & Medicine Physiotherapy, sport psychology and performance support for elite female athletes |
Academy & Education Player development, education lead and pathway management from U12 to U21 |
|
Operations & Administration HR, legal, finance and day-to-day club operations across multiple sites |
Community & Programmes Grassroots engagement, Sister Club Programme, school outreach and coaching clinics |
Media & Communications Content creation, press, social media and matchday coverage |
Source: lcl.recruit.charliehr.com/careers — July 2026
COMMUNITY IMPACT
Growing the Women's and Girls' Game
London City Lionesses runs the Mastercard Sister Club Programme, connecting the club with grassroots women's and girls' football clubs across Kent and London. Sister Clubs receive complimentary match tickets, matchday mascot opportunities and priority access to player appearances, festivals and coaching clinics. The club also runs regular community sessions open to the public. Once completed, the new 3G pitch at Cobdown Park will be made available to the Kent FA, the Kent Girls and Ladies League, local SEND schools and the Kent disability mixed league — extending the club's reach well beyond the professional squad.
Sources: londoncitylionesses.com/sister-clubs; Cobdown Park planning application, September 2025
WORKING HERE
Life at London City Lionesses
Day-to-day operations are split between the CopperJax Community Stadium in Bromley for matchdays and Cobdown Park in Aylesford, Kent for training and office work. The club is scaling quickly — the Cobdown Park development alone will create more than 50 new permanent positions across coaching, medical, operations and academy functions. As part of the Kynisca multi-club network, staff have scope for collaboration with counterparts at the Washington Spirit and OL Féminin.
Source: londoncitylionesses.com; lcl.recruit.charliehr.com/careers
LOCATION
CopperJax Community Stadium
Home matches are played at the CopperJax Community Stadium in Bromley, south-east London. The club's training and operational base is at Cobdown Park in Aylesford, Kent.
London City Lionesses is building something new in women's football — explore current opportunities on Jobs In Football.