Football safeguarding policy template (UK, 2026)

1. What a safeguarding policy actually is (and isn't)

A safeguarding policy is a one- to two-page document that says “here's how this club protects its under-18s.” It's the document the FA asks you for at affiliation, the document a parent can request, and the document the Welfare Officer keeps next to the kit bag.

It is not:

• An exhaustive list of every safeguarding scenario (the FA's published guidance is)
• A legal document (you don't need a solicitor)
• A long-form document (it should fit on one or two pages)

The mistake new clubs make is overthinking it. Copy a template, adapt five things (club name, Welfare Officer name + contact, club colours, the list of activities you run, the date), and adopt it at the next committee meeting. Done.

2. What the FA mandates

For an FA-affiliated club with under-18s, you must have:

1. A written safeguarding policy (this document)
2. A nominated Welfare Officer who has completed the FA Safeguarding Children online course (free, ~2 hours, renews every 3 years)
3. An up-to-date DBS check on every coach and any adult working regularly with children (renews every 3 years)
4. The FA's Introduction to Coaching Football qualification for every coach (one-off)
5. A code of conduct for players, coaches, and parents (often one document each — the FA has free templates)
6. A clear reporting pathway for safeguarding concerns (who to call, when to escalate)

At county-FA affiliation each summer, you tick a self-declaration confirming all of the above. They can audit you. Don't fudge any of it.

3. The template — copy, edit, adopt

Below is a complete policy you can copy into a Google Doc or Word file, fill in the placeholders ([in square brackets]), and adopt at your next committee meeting. Most clubs do this verbatim.

That's it. Don't pad it with paragraphs of legalese — that actively works against you because nobody reads it. Short and clear beats long and lawyer-y.

4. The Welfare Officer role

Every FA-affiliated club with under-18s must nominate a Welfare Officer. They don't need to be a social worker or a child-protection expert. They need to:

• Complete the FA Safeguarding Children course (free, online)
• Hold a valid DBS check
• Be the named first point of contact for any concern
• Sit on the committee (typically)
• Be willing to escalate to the County FA + statutory services when needed

It works best when the Welfare Officer is someone not also a coach — that way there's no conflict of interest if a concern involves a coach. Often it's a parent who isn't otherwise involved in match-day duties. Choose someone calm and discreet.

5. Photo + media permissions

Photos of under-18s at matches and training are a flashpoint for clubs. The FA's guidance is clear:

• Get written parental consent for each child whose photo will appear on the club website, social media, or in match reports
• Renew consent annually (kids grow up; situations change)
• No identifying captions on photos — first name and shirt number is fine; full name and home town is not
• If a parent withdraws consent, you must remove existing images promptly
• Photos should be taken by club volunteers in club kit — not strangers
• Consider a "no photography from the touchline" policy at training

Practically: the easiest way to handle this is a consent box on your player registration form each season. The default should be opt-out (consent required to publish), not opt-in.

6. If a concern is raised

Most clubs go years without a serious incident. But the moment one does come up, you want a clear path so nobody panics.

The standard pathway:

1. Listen. Don't interrogate the child or anyone else. Don't make promises about confidentiality you can't keep.
2. Record. Write down exactly what was said, when, by whom. Use the child's own words. Sign and date the note.
3. Report. Tell the Welfare Officer the same day. The Welfare Officer decides whether to escalate to County FA, NSPCC, or the police.
4. Don't investigate. Your job is to record and pass it on, not to determine truth.
5. Confidentiality. Don't discuss it with anyone other than the Welfare Officer and statutory services.

Have this written down somewhere your coaches can find it. A laminated card in the first-aid bag isn't unreasonable.

7. Renewal cadence

What expires when:

• FA Safeguarding course (Welfare Officer + every coach): every 3 years
• DBS checks: every 3 years (some counties recommend every 2)
• Photo consent: annually (at registration)
• The safeguarding policy itself: every 3 years, or immediately if FA guidance changes

Use a single spreadsheet (or a club admin tool that does this for you) to track renewal dates. The biggest cause of an FA charter audit going badly is one coach's DBS expiring without anyone noticing. The Welfare Officer's primary job is keeping that spreadsheet current.