Poor Practice is behaviour which falls below the standard required by a club as set out in the Code of Conduct. However, some poor practice may be regarded as a safeguarding concern. 

Whilst the behaviour may not be immediately dangerous or intentionally harmful it does set a poor example and if it were to continue, and it might lead to harm or put a child in danger.

To allow poor practice to continue unchallenged may result in an environment developing in which abuse may be able to take place. It normalises behaviour which is unacceptable and should not be condoned. It may also lead to other people having suspicions about an individual’s motivations, even if there was no intention to harm.

If it is decided that the matter is one of poor practice and is to be dealt with by the club then it will need to be referred to the club safeguarding committee (which could simply be the Club Chair, Secretary and Welfare Officer depending on the club constitution) to be dealt with as quickly as possible. It is important that club rules refer to poor practice to enable such issues to be dealt with through that process.

• Failure to provide effective supervision for coaching sessions which should be properly planned;

• Putting performance over the wellbeing and safety of players;

• Having a win at all costs mentality and failing to be gracious in defeat;

• Having favourites and not treating all children fairly and equitably;

• Overtraining and exerting undue influence over players;

• Using punishments that humiliate or harm children 

• Not holding required FA coaching qualifications for the role being carried out;

• Providing one to one coaching without any supervision or the presence of other adults;

• Inappropriate use of social media;

• Failure to encourage children to accept responsibility for their own performance and behaviour;

• Engaging in, or tolerating, offensive, insulting or abusive language or behaviour;

• Failure to challenge poor practice in others;

• Allowing allegations of abuse to go unchallenged or unrecorded and failing to report these to the DSO;

• Failure to record incidents or accidents;

• First aid being administered without others being present other than in an emergency;

• Not referring more serious medical incidents to the club first aider;

• Not having access to a telephone to be able to immediately contact emergency services if necessary;

• Not working as part of a team to ensure the safety of children in their care;

• Failing to address the additional needs of disabled players or other vulnerable groups;

• Allowing confidential information to be shared inappropriately;

• Failure to respect and listen to the opinions of children and consider the rights and responsibilities of children;

• Smoking and consuming alcohol during coaching sessions;

• Spending excessive time alone with children;

• Taking children to their own home;

• Not adhering to guidance when transporting children including travel abroad.

The above list is not an exhaustive one but it should give an idea of the type of behaviour which constitutes poor practice. 

• Repeat offenders

• Any matters where a child could be at risk of harm 

• Any matters that you have tried to address but continue to happen in the club

It may not always be clear at the outset whether the concern is one of poor practice or abuse; it may only become apparent once further information has been collected and an assessment can properly be made.

It is very important when making a referral to include as much information as possible including;

Who - was involved the incident?

What - happened in the incident when you saw or when the incident has been reported to you?

Where - did the incident take place?

When - did the incident happen?

In order to consider the severity of the case, the CFA DSO will need to gather information about the concern, the individuals involved and any other relevant information.

The CFA DSO may need to talk to others involved in the matter and ask for some statements before being able to assess the situation.

Poor Practice: The easiest way to refer a poor practice Safeguarding Concern is by emailing 

Safeguarding@NottinghamshireFA.com

As mentioned in previous points this must include as much information as possible including;

Who - was involved the incident?

What - happened in the incident when you saw or when the incident has been reported to you?

Where - did the incident take place?

When - did the incident happen?

Abuse

If you have an immediate safeguarding concern where a child or adult at risk and are unsure what to do next, please contact your local authority child or adult services. If the concern is urgent, contact the police.

You can also contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 for issues relating to children.

If you refer a concern to any of the above agencies please also copy in safeguarding@thefa.com and Safeguarding@NottinghamshireFA.com and we will follow up with you.

The CFA DSO will need to make the referral to FA Safeguarding Case Management Team.

The FA SCMT is a specialist unit within The FA that investigates referrals and liaises with CFAs, Local Authority Designated Officers and Police on a case by case basis.

The referral requires completion with as much information as possible about both the alleged perpetrator being referred as well as the child or adult who has suffered the alleged abuse. This will mean the CFA DSO will have to carry out some information gathering before making the referral.