Women’s Safeguarding and Welfare Officer

Job title: Women’s Safeguarding and Welfare Officer
Department: Blackburn Rovers Women Football Club Ltd.
Based at: Blackburn Rovers Academy, Brockhall Village, Old Langho, Blackburn, BB6 8BA. You will also be required to attend home match days as and when required.
Reports to: General Manager
Responsible for: N/A
Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week plus any additional hours necessary for the performance of duties. This will include regular evening and weekend work.
Contractual status: Permanent

1. Job purpose: To ensure a collaborative approach across the Club to the promotion of safeguards
and the protection of children, young people and adults at risk.

2. Duties and responsibilities:
 Arrange and deliver briefing workshops in relation to safeguarding topics such as anti-bullying, appropriate use of social media, code of conducts, to staff and players;
 Draft and implement procedures and processes which allow consistent due diligence and risk assessment of core activities;
 To implement standards of criteria for action and referral in response to an allegation or concern, in accordance with best practice models (e.g., National Decision Model);
 Act as the main point of contact and host audits conducted by outside parties;
 Effectively lead and manage the policies and procedures involving players aged 18 and above with those under 18 in the environment;
 Engage in discussion with staff regarding the risks associated with their activities to encourage attention to participants’ safety (e.g., trips, activities, commercial events involving young people);
 Challenge bad practice and behaviors in the moment and encourage colleagues to reflect on and discuss the reason for challenge;
 Develop and oversee practices to ensure all participants both know how to - and are comfortable to - report concerns and allegations;
 Develop training materials or source from FA, Premier League, EFL or other external providers;
 Deliver - or manage delivery of – training (and periodic update training) to key groups, including coaches, performance staff, interns, scouts, players, parents/carers, other club staff;
 Produce and update communications, and deliver events which champion, educate and encourage dialogue regarding safeguarding to stakeholder groups (e.g., Parent Handbook, Inductions, youth forums);
 Educate coaches to conduct risk analysis for activities – such as trips and tours. Act as advisor and help them develop skill in assessing suitability of proposed location, and suggested mitigations to put in place if event goes ahead.
 Respond to process queries or specific enquiries, concerns and allegations in a timely manner;

 Manage, or delegate, cases and ensure they are managed in accordance with club procedure, making a proportionate response (using guidance from FA resource where appropriate);
 Refer serious cases to the appropriate agency when required, in accordance with internal procedures;
 Report cases to FA in accordance with current procedures;
 In the case of non-referred cases, manage them as part of a multidisciplinary team within the club in a person-centred manner, and ensure the appropriate expertise is consulted;
 In response to incidents, review lessons learned and respond accordingly (e.g., through amending policy/ procedures, managing individual performance or initiating training / education activities);
 Use case management software to record information, decisions and to be able to demonstrate decision criteria in the event of case review;
 Seek feedback from others and reflect on personal behaviour and performance to identify areas for improvement;
 Set boundaries and develop balance between being approachable and taking on non-relevant workload;
 Be abreast of current safeguarding issues, legislation, statutory guidance, and best practice;
 Create and maintain a personalised Development Action Plan (DAP), taking input and feedback from a variety of sources;
 Participate in internal and external professional development activities and demonstrate a commitment to undertake on-going formal education programmes; and
 To hold positive and constructive productive relationships with the following stakeholders:
o Coaches, Medics and Performance staff: to ensure participants are thriving and safe.
o Designated Safeguarding Officers; to collaborate and support
o Human Resources: To ensure recruitment activity is in place to minimise risk to participants.
o Transport and other auxiliary services: These groups are in regular contact with people and are therefore core stakeholders and deliverers of effective safeguarding.
o Children and Young People: Be a recognisable person at the club who children and young people are confident to approach and has their interests at heart.
o Facilities and entity partners so that service provision is seamless; this is especially important if facilities are shared and / or include public access
o The FA: As the governing body of the sport, and provider of resources
o Auditing organisations (e.g., Barnardo’s): As a source of feedback and guidance regarding making improvements to provision
o Safeguarding leads in other clubs and across sports: As a source of support, information, and learning. It may also be appropriate to pass on a player’s records if they move to another PGA or club

o Sport England: Offer access survivor panel for advice on best practice
o Outside agencies: For case management and referrals: Local MultiAgency Safeguarding Hubs (MASH), Police Child Protection Unit, Health Service, Education, Social Care, Local Authority Designated Officer, Child, and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Schools, Private Fostering Agencies.

3. Skills required:

 Be ‘on the ground’, visible, approachable, and willing to engage in conversation
 Has a passion for safeguarding and protective mechanisms; considers safeguarding their vocation, regardless of the setting;
 Excellent time management skills;
 Emotional intelligence with the ability to develop trust;
 Has a learning mindset; is keen to continue their self-development and keep up to date with best practice and learning opportunities;
 Comfortable both to operate at strategic level and to ‘step up’ to the front line;

4. Knowledge / Experience required:
 Experience of front-line safeguarding, which may have been acquired in one or more of the following settings; Social Work, Police (with experience of child protection), Safeguarding in Education, Teaching, Doctor, Nurse (RMN), Health visitor, Sports development;
 Experience of child and / or adult protection;
 Experience in football and sport, in order to help navigate structures and governance;
 Investigation and case management skills; and
 Experience of writing high quality, accessible, comprehensive policies Understanding of NSPCC Child Protection in Sport Unit’s standards

5. Qualifications required:
 The FA Safeguarding Workshop;
 The FA Welfare Officers Workshop; and
 Completion of recognised Designated Safeguarding Officer training at Level 2 & 3 (Desirable)

DBS check required: Yes (Enhanced)