If there is a concern with regard to the behaviour of an adult towards a young person, it is important that you share your concerns with the Club Welfare Officer, or the County Welfare Officer.

The AFC Henley Club Welfare Officer (CWO) can be contacted at the following:
E: welfare@afchenley.com
T: 07776 303858

To contact Safguarding at Oxfordshire FA, email safeguarding@oxfordshirefa.com

All information received and discussed will be treated in confidence and only shared with those individuals within The FA who will be able to manage and resolve the situation. On occasion it may be necessary to seek advice, or inform the statutory agencies e.g. Children’s Social Care or the Police. All concerns will be taken seriously and managed according to The FA Safeguarding Young People Policies and Procedures.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES A member of the AFC Henley family is often the first to realise that a young person’s safety and welfare are under threat. However, they may not express their concerns because they feel that speaking up would be too difficult to handle. It may also be that they fear harassment or victimisation. In these circumstances it may be easier for them to ignore the concern rather than report what may just be a suspicion of poor practice.

The FA is committed to the highest possible standards of openness, honesty and accountability. In line with that commitment, individuals are encouraged, if they have serious concerns about any aspect of a young person’s safety and welfare, to come forward and voice those concerns.

This policy makes it clear that individuals can raise a matter of concern without fear of victimisation, subsequent discrimination or disadvantage. The policy is intended to encourage and enable individuals to raise serious concerns within The FA rather than overlooking a problem or blowing the whistle outside.

It is in the interest of all concerned that disclosure of potential abuse or irregularities are dealt with properly, quickly and discreetly. This includes the interests of The FA, its employees, all persons registered as members of The FA and any persons who are the subject of any complaint, as well as the person making the complaint.

SAFEGUARDS The FA is committed to good practice and high standards and wants to be supportive of everyone within the AFC Henley Family. The FA recognises that the decision to report a concern can be a difficult one to make, not least because of the fear of reprisal from those responsible for the alleged poor practice. If an individual believes what they are saying to be true, they should have nothing to fear, because in reporting their concern they will be doing their duty to the young person concerned. The FA will not tolerate any harassment or victimisation (including informal pressures) and will take appropriate action to protect individuals when they raise a concern in good faith. Any investigation into allegations of poor practice will not influence or be influenced by any disciplinary procedures that already affect individuals unless there may be a pattern of poor practice/ abuse which requires the cases to be linked /dealt with together.

CONFIDENTIALITY The FA will do its best to protect the identity of the whistleblower when they raise a concern and do not want their name to be disclosed. It must be appreciated that the investigation process may reveal the source of the information and a statement by the whistleblower may be required as part of the evidence. They will be given prior notice of this and a chance to discuss the consequences